What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
We see people working in an underground greenhouse, and a voiceover says, death, destruction, decay. What’s happening to the world isn’t new. The world has been breaking down since its inception until now. Everything is winding down, including us. Death is inevitable, but from death comes new life. The decaying body feeds the soil, which in turn feeds the plants, which feed us and the creatures who sustain us. That’s the way it’s always been, and the way it will always be. People see death everywhere, but if they looked hard enough, and with open eyes, they’d see life. It’s not their fault; they don’t know how. They’re seeing the way they always have. We know the truth and they don’t; we can see, they can’t. It’s incumbent upon them to help others to be unafraid of what’s to come. Do you know truth? Can you see? Can you help them be unafraid?
A woman stares at a part zombie, part tree. Riley tells her, hurry up. They have new arrivals coming. They’re going to be hungry. She says she was trying to see like Teddy, but it hasn’t happened yet. The zombie tree reaches out.
Riley asks where the new recruits are. Teddy says they’re in bad shape. The elevator doors open, and Alicia, Al, Wes, and Luci are there. Riley tells them, it’s okay. He knows they’ve been through a lot not. No one’s going to hurt them. Welcome to The Holding. He thinks they’ll like it here. They come out of elevator into what looks like a community room. Wes asks if Al is sure this is the place Virginia was talking about, and she says, yeah. Wes sees a tree painted on the wall, with the end is the beginning written above it.
A mic and recorder are set up. Alicia asks why Riley is recording, and he says, for Teddy. She asks who Teddy, and Riley says he’s the reason they’re all there. She asks if he’s there now, and Riley says, his presence is always with them. She says, he’s dead? but Riley says, no. He’s very much alive. When you cannot see, he guides you, and when you can’t walk, he’ll carry you. They’re lucky to have found them when they did. She says she’d like her weapon back, but he says, no outsiders are allowed to carry. He learned that lesson the hard way. He asks what they were doing on the road, and she says, scavenging.
He asks where they came from. Wes has replaced Alicia, and says, a place where they’re never going back. Riley asks, why? Teddy is interested in the path that led them there. Over the loudspeaker – which is always going – we hear, we found you, and helped you to see the truth. People look around up there, and see death everywhere. They gaze not on what’s really there. If they truly looked with open eyes, they would see life.
Wes asks, how many people live there? Al asks, are they allowed to leave? Luci says, she’s lived in a place like this before, but Riley says he doubts it. She asks how he can be sure, but he says, there is no place like this. There has never been a place like this.
Zombies are being ground up in a machine, and Al asks how long it takes to break them down. Riley says, a couple of months. They take the bones out for chicken meal. She asks if it’s safe, and he says, this is how all living creatures have decomposed from the beginning of time. Al says, food, water, power, impressive. It also feels like they’re preparing for something. He says they found the group at the right time. He thought he’d let Teddy tell them when he returned, and they can figure out if they want to stay. She says, there’s no reason they shouldn’t know now, and he says Teddy will be closing the doors soon for good. Alicia asks, why? and he says, so they never need to go topside again. That’s the old way. This is a new day. This is where life is beginning again. Ali asks how many people have been allowed to leave, and he says he’s more interested in what she has to say. One question in particular he likes to ask. She says, what is it? Can you see?
They stand in front of the zombie tree, and Riley says, it’s the simplest one there is. What does she see when she looks at it? She says, he’s see joking right? He says, no. Take a good look. Exactly what does she see? She says, a walker who should be in the ground, and he says, anything else? It’s okay. Nobody gets hung on their first try. He asks, what’s troubling her? Be honest; Teddy will know if she’s not. She asks, why would he have something to say about how she feels? and he says, Teddy can look in your eyes and see the truth in a way no one else can, not even her. Her answer will go a long way gaining Teddy’s favor.
Luci asks, what kind of trick is this? and Riley says he’s trying to gage how much she has left to learn. She says, it feels like a trick, and he says, she’s a skeptic. She keeps answering his questions with questions. He likes skeptics. When they’re won over, they’re true believers. As everyone there is.
Al asks what she’s looking for, and Riley says, there is no right or wrong answer.
Wes says he sees an eater, and Riley says, look closer. Wes asks, who painted the trees? and Riley wonders why he’s asking. Wes says he used to be a painter, and Riley asks what he painted. Wes says, all kinds of things. He started copying his brother. Riley says Wes has a brother? and Wes says, had. Alicia says, his name was Nick. Luci says, Pablo. Al says, her brother was her best friend. Wes says, he wanted be just like his brother. Why does Riley ask? Riley says, it’s about family. Teddy says, their survival is dependent on it. Each generation gives way to the next. Riley says, it looks like Alicia is being reminded of something, and she says, her mom grew crops in the place where they used to be. He asks, what happened to her? and Alicia says, she gave her life so they could live. Riley says, her end was your beginning.
The group reconvenes, and Al asks if they found out anything. Alicia says they have to gain The Holding’s trust, and Luci says, and Teddy’s. Has anyone seen him? None of them have, and Alicia says, in the meantime, they’ll find out what they can, why Virginia was scared sh*tless, and get the hell out. Luci says, it could be a long time before the people there get out. Riley joins them, and says, the others have returned. It’s time for them to meet Teddy. They wait by the elevator, and when it opens, Wes’s brother Derek comes out, and asks if they missed lunch. He’s starving. Riley asks where Teddy is, and Derek says, he’ll be back later. Wes walks forward, and says, Derek? Derek says, he’s alive? and hugs Wes. Wes says, Derek is alive, and Derek says, so is he, and they hug again. Alicia says, they found their way out.
Derek and Wes sit at a table, and Wes says, he doesn’t know how long it’s been since he was thinking Derek had been torn to pieces. Couldn’t he drink black coffee? Derek says, is Wes seriously mad because he went looking for creamer? Wes says he doesn’t know, and Derek says he’s sorry; he really is. He found some condensed milk, a whole crate of it, but when he went outside, he got cornered. He ran into a shed, and the eaters were clawing at it. He passed out, and thought that was it, but when he woke up, he was there. They saved him, just like they saved Wes. Wes asks if Derek thought to look for him, and Derek says he did, but Wes was gone… and so was his bike. Wes says he couldn’t stick around, and Derek asks, what happened? but Wes says Derek doesn’t want know. Derek says, it seems like Wes is running with good people. Wes says, things were a little bumpy at first, but they’re headed in the right direction. He says it looks like Derek is still painting, and Derek says he’s just trying to help people see what he does. Wes asks, what’s that? and Derek says, he saw people painting things on trees like, if you’re reading this, you’re still here. That wasn’t going to change anything. They meant well, but it didn’t mean anything. Teddy helped him see that, and now what he’s doing there means something. Wes asks, what exactly is Derek doing, but Derek says he’s not sure Wes is ready for that. Wes asks when he’ll be ready, and Derek says, when Wes sees like he does. He has to do a shift in the garden; he’ll catch Wes at dinner. Derek leaves, and Wes looks at the tree painting. Luci joins him, and says, be careful. Wes says no one is going to hurt him, and she says, what about Tanktown? What they did to everyone. He says, Derek doesn’t know about that, and Alicia says, did Wes ask him? Wes says, there’s no way Derek would do something like that, but Luci says, when people are desperate, they start believing things, and doing things they never thought they would. She did. He shakes his head, and says, Derek is different.
Gary walks to his shift, with the ever-present loudspeaker going. Al asks what Wes’s brother said, but Wes says, not much. He said he wouldn’t tell him anything until he can see, like Derek does. She says he’s probably waiting to see if they can be trusted, and Wes says, maybe they’re not the threat Virginia thought they were. Maybe it wasn’t about them. Maybe it’s about Virginia. Maybe they were trying to take her out, or maybe she was trying to make us paranoid. Al says, what happened at the tower; they set that up. Wes says, there’s only one way to find out. He’ll ask. Derek sits down, and asks how they’re settling in. It takes some getting used to, not knowing if it’s day or night, but the food makes up for it. He tells Alicia that Wes said she pulled him through a rough patch after he left, and she says Wes helped her out too. A guy comes by, and says something to Derek, and Wes asks, what is it? Derek says, nothing. He has to go topside for a bit. He suggests they try the rhubarb pie. He leaves, and Luci says, what the hell was that? Al asks if Wes knows where Derek’s bunk is, and he says he does. She says, let’s get to work then.
Al asks if Wes found anything, but he hasn’t. They continue to look through Derek’s stuff, and she asks if Wes hears that. We hear a rushing, gurgling sounds, but Wes encourages Al to keep going. Al says, there’s got to be something, and Wes picks up a can of condensed milk. The lid comes off, and he sees papers inside. He pulls out some things with the three circles on them, and calls Al over. Al asks how the hell Derek got this, and Wes asks, what are they? she says, stuff he shouldn’t have. She opens a floorplan, and says, this about more than Ginny. His brother and everyone there are trying to do as much damage as they can. He says she doesn’t know that, and she says, what about Tanktown? He says, that doesn’t mean anything, but she says, this does, showing him a log. Logs of when Virginia was sending people to Tanktown, and they were keeping track. Of other places too. She’s not saying Derek knew Wes was there, but he knew what they were doing. She’s sorry. He says Derek thinks these people helped him to see more clearly, but they’re not. Maybe it’s time for him to see things another way. Al asks how they’re going to do that, and Wes says, they’ll have to get Derek out of there.
Wes watches as Derek paints. Wes says, Derek did it. Those places he set up for attacks. Derek puts his brush down, and asks how Wes knows that. Wes says, the maps. Why did he do it? Derek says, Wes won’t understand; he’s not ready, and Wes says, why not? Derek says he told Wes; he can’t see. It’s okay; Derek couldn’t either. Not until he met Teddy. Wes says Teddy convinced Derek that killing is the right thing? and Derek says, they have to start over. They can’t until everyone and everything is gone up there. Wes asks if that includes him, and Derek asks what Wes is talking about. Wes says he was at the oil fields. He shows Derek his scars, and says he ate shrapnel. He never felt so much pain. He almost died, and lost friends, people he cared about. Derek says he didn’t know. He would have gotten Wes out. Wes says, but Derek would have killed the rest of them. Derek says, it’s what Teddy wants, but Wes says he doesn’t give a damn. People died. Wes killed people. What does he think about that? Good, innocent people; he killed them. Wes knows this ain’t him. Come with them. Derek says, those places up there are about how they used to live. This is how he wants to live now. Wes says where he lives isn’t about the past. It’s about how and where things are going to be. They won’t make Derek do anything he doesn’t want to, like this Teddy. Derek says Wes is thinking like Morgan, and asks, what about Virginia? Wes says, she’s dead. Morgan helped bring her down. Derek asks where Morgan is, and Wes says, come with them. Derek asks, where? and Wes asks, what does it matter? These people aren’t helping Derek see; they’re blinding him. He’s so lost, Wes knows Derek probably won’t come. To do what he did. The things… Wes is his brother; Derek just has to trust him. Derek looks around, and says, if they catch him trying leave, they’ll kill him. They’ll kill all of them. Wes says, then let’s not get caught.
Derek joins the group, and they go down in the elevator. Al says, when they get out, they’ll travel off the main roads. Alicia says, they’ll need weapons and food, and Al says, there was an emergency drop outside the city. Alicia asks what’s in Derek’s bag? and he says, maps, coordinates, places they were planning to hit next. She says, he’s bringing them? and he says, so nobody else gets hurt. She pops him in the nose, and grabs his gun, aiming it at him. She says, after what happened, they’re not taking any chances. Wes says he’s not leaving his brother. Just because Virginia screwed them over, doesn’t mean Derek will do the same thing. Alicia says, they can come back for him, but right now they have everything they need to take them down. They know the places that are going to be hit. Let’s go. Riley steps out with a bunch of his men, and says, they’re not going anywhere.
The group is pulled into a room with a lot of equipment, and Wes asks where his brother is. What are they doing to him? Alicia asks where the hell this is, and Al says, it’s embalming equipment. It’s a funeral home. Riley says, they won’t decay, and they can’t return to the earth, but it doesn’t have to be like this. Where’s Morgan Jones? Alicia asks how Riley knows Morgan, and he asks, where’s the place Morgan set up? He knows it’s not out of Virginia’s settlements. Who’s first? He nods at Wes, and a guy turns on a machine. Wes struggles with one of the men, and Riley says, his brother thought he’d be more cooperative. Derek comes in and says, answer him or he’ll kill you, and Wes says, Derek planned this. Derek says, only when Wes said they were with Morgan. They’ve been playing them. Wes says, they’re trying to help get Derek out, but Derek says he doesn’t want to leave. What he’s doing there means something. Wes says he’s trying to understand, and Derek says, this is where he needs to be. He saw the truth, and believes Wes can too. Let’s go find out. Wes leaves with Derek.
Back at the zombie tree, Derek asks Wes to tell him what he sees. Wes says he needs to ask one question first. They had people in the oil fields reporting back; it’s the only way they could have pulled it off. Did Derek know he was there? Derek says, people are people. Now tell him what he sees. Wes says he sees someone just like him. Someone walking, even though he’s dead inside. Derek says that’s exactly how he felt, but Wes says, he wasn’t talking about himself. Wes tries to grab Derek’s gun, and they struggle. Wes is almost shot, but gets the better of Derek, shoving him into the zombie tree, who (which?) bits him. I say, well, this isn’t good, and Wes says, I love you, man. He lowers Derek to the floor, cocks the gun, and says again that he loves Derek. We hear a shot.
Riley hears the shot, and says, what the hell? Do it. His men grab everyone, but Wes comes in behind Riley and grabs him, holding the gun against him. Wes says, let them go, and Alicia realizes Derek isn’t there. She tells Wes that she’s sorry, and he says, him too. He tells the men, back away, and keeps Riley in front of him as a shield. He says, he’s the one who thought people were capable of more than saving their own skin. They go through a door, Wes last, leaving Riley behind, and they shut the door behind them. Al says, they have a couple of minutes, tops. They shine flashlights around, and see they’re in a room of zombies hanging from the ceiling. Al says, they’re all involved… Their jaws are wired shut. Riley and his men bang on the door, and the group walks through the zombies. Riley says, break it down, and Luci calls to Al. Al tells her, go ahead. One of the zombies is wearing a uniform like Isabelle’s, and is wearing a headcover. Al pulls it off, but it’s not Isabelle. It breaks the wires in its jaw, and Al slices open its throat. Instead of blood, green embalming fluid pours out.
The door opens a crack, and Luci says, now. Alicia says they’ve got to take this place down, and Al says, embalming fluid is flammable. She starts to slice the zombies’ throats open, but Alicia says, go; she’s got this, She takes over, and Wes says, let him, but she says he has to get the maps to Morgan. He told her people can do more, and they can. He says, they can’t leave her, but she says, they can; she’ll be right behind him. He runs, and she stabs the rest of the zombies as she moves through them. The door is almost off, and she lights a match. As the door opens completely, she drops it. Nice.
Morgan says he thought Alicia would be fine. Al says, she might have, and Morgan asks about the rest of them. Al says, some got away. He asks, how many? but she says, all they could see was fire. Morgan says, they were planning something, and Luci says, something big. Big enough keep them there for a long time. Al says they knew who Morgan was, and were trying to find him. Morgan asks if they have any idea why, but Al says, no. A woman says, whatever they were doing, it’s not going to happen. They’ve got to stop them. Morgan says, they’ll do what they can for Alicia, and Dwight asks if there’s any gas left. The woman says, no, but the horses are fed and watered. Dakota says she wants to help, but Morgan says, no. She says she wouldn’t be there but for Alicia. She’s the reason they went there, and she wants to do it for Alicia, for all of them. Morgan says he appreciates what she’s done, but they’re not there yet. They’ll start with the parking garage, and track what they left, He and Luci leave, but Al stays behind.
Dwight says he appreciates what Al has done, and asks if she’s all right. She says, the places that they’re targeting, the maps have drop safes all over them. If they had a chopper, they could take out a lot of people. He says, and her lady? Al says she has to find her and warn her. She’d thought she lost her. Dwight says he gets it, but if Al doesn’t check in, in a couple of days he’s going to come looking for her.
Alicia looks through stuff in the embalming room, when Riley comes in with another guy. She asks, what the hell was this? Why is keeping her there? Riley says, bodies feed the soil; the soil in turn, feeds the plants. Death brings new life. For most, but not for her. They’re going preserve her as she is. She tells the guy, don’t come any closer, and Riley says, get her ready. He has the feeling Teddy will want to do this himself. He leaves, and the guy turns on the machine. He says, it will go faster if she cooperates, and gestures to the table. He comes toward her, and she stabs him in the eye with a knife. She tries to get out, but he grabs her, and they roll over the table. He grabs a knife, and tries to stab her, but misses, stabbing the ground. He pins her down, but she sticks her thumb in the eye she stabbed, and grabs the embalming fluid needle, and stabs him in the neck. I laaagh. She scoots away.
Someone walks in with Riley, but Alicia’s vision is blurry. We assume it’s Teddy. He stabs the newly dead guy in the head, and wipes the blade off on the guys shirt. Yep it’s John Glover Teddy. He tells Riley to give them a moment, and Riley leaves. Alicia says, so he’s the king of crazy, and he says, she’s Alicia. She asks how he knows her name, and he says he’s been listening to her voice. Riley made a recording of her when she first arrived. He moves closer, and she tells him, back off, but he says, if he meant her harm, they wouldn’t be having this conversation. She gave herself up so her friends could escape. They left her. She says she made them, and he says, they obliged. Some family. Family should be sacred. It is the beginning of every one of them. Did she sacrifice herself because she’s noble, or is she punishing herself, or following in her mother’s footsteps. Alicia shakes her head, and says she doesn’t care what he thinks or says. Whatever it is, get to it. He says, it’s okay; he’s a bit of mama’s boy himself. There’s a lot they can learn from each other. She says she’s not buying any of this sh*t he’s selling. What’s next? Does he want to kill her? That’s not going to happen. He says, she and the folks she came here with destroyed years of work, years of sacrifice, literally and figuratively. They destroyed it. Someone else in his position might find that unforgivable. He laughs, and says, if one lives by the sword… She knows how it goes. From every end springs a new beginning. She asks what he wants, and he says, to save her. Now it’s her turn to laugh, and she says she doesn’t need saving. He says he knows she doesn’t believe in this, or in them… yet, but she will. He’s been looking for someone like her for a long time. He holds out his hand and smiles.
Next time, Riley finds Morgan, Riley tells Morgan that he has something they want, lots of zombies, and a fire.
⚰️ When Soaps and Dead Collide…
He’s doubly lucky, having played Lucky on General Hospital, and now he’s lucky to be in the final season of TWD.
🤸♀️ Gotta Split…
Moving on to another Monday. Whatever that means anymore. Hopefully, your vaccination is behind you, or will be soon. Either way, stay safe, stay moving forward, and stay not living by the sword. You know how it goes.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 