What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
Alicia is being carried on a stretcher. She’s in and out, and alternately sees zombies and the people carrying her. Alicia is parked on the beach, as everyone gets the rafts ready. Alicia says hi to a bird, and Jacob says, she’s waking up. He calls for June, and June tells him to get saline and epinephrine, and tells Alicia that she’s low on fluids. Alicia asks why the rafts are being prepped, and June says, she doesn’t remember? The tower is burning. When the walkers from the canyon burn, it’s going to be released into the air. Alicia asks where they’re going, but June says, they don’t know. Alicia wonders where Morgan ended up, but June says, he hasn’t landed yet. Alicia struggles to get up, but June tells her she can’t; the fever will kill her. Alicia asks, where the hell is Victor? but June says, he didn’t want to come. Alicia asks if they know where is he, but June says, as far as they know, he’s still in the tower. Alicia looks at the column smoke rising in the distance, and gets up, telling them to put everyone in the rafts, but June says, Alicia needs rest. Alicia looks around, and notices a girl in a mask. She says, someone heard the message, and calls, over here. The girl goes in the other direction, and Alicia says, come back, and follows. She tells the girl not to run away, and the girl says, she’s not running. She has to find her friend. Alicia says she wants to help, and the girl says, then help her find her friend in there, and gestures toward the tower. He knows how to get to Padre. She runs into the smoke, and the smoke gets heavier. Alicia walks into it after her.
A zombie struggles, caught under a shopping cart, and Alicia stabs it in the head. Luci radios, asking where Alicia is, and Alicia walks up to an armored truck. She tells Luci that she found the girl she told Luci about; she might know where Padre is, and they need a place to go. Luci asks why Alicia left on her own, and Alicia says she can’t put them in danger. Don’t come looking for her. She walks on, and has a flash of seeing zombies. The girl says, over here, and walks into the smoke. Alicia asks what she knows about Padre; is it real? The girl turns out to be a zombie, and Alicia slashes its head into a pile of mess. She looks at her artificial arm, and it morphs into a melting skeletal arm. She looks at her reflection in something, and sees a zombie. She opens her eyes, and she’s inside the truck. She sits up, and the girl says, it’s okay. Alicia passed out on a body; the girl heard her scream. Alicia asks how the girl got her in here, and the girl says she dragged Alicia. They almost didn’t make it. Alicia asks her name, and says, she’s Alicia. The girl says she knows; she heard Alicia’s message. That’s why she was at the beach. Alicia says the girl can take her mask off, but the girl says she doesn’t take it off. Alicia says, the girl helped her in the woods; why didn’t she stay? The girl says she was looking for her friend. She asks why Alicia is sick; is it her arm? Did one of them bite her? Alicia can tell her. She’s not scared of bites. Alicia says, it doesn’t matter; there’s nothing she can do about it. Alicia looks through the stuff in the truck, and asks if the girl’s friend can really help them find Padre. The girl says, yes, but they have to find him first. He’s all she’s got left; he’s like family. She asks what Alicia is looking for, and Alicia says, anything to bring down her fever. The girl asks if fevers don’t come from infections, and Alicia asks how she knows that. The girl says, her mother says she’s too smart for her own good, and Alicia says, her mom said the same thing about her. A huge lightbulb comes on over my head, and I know who the girl is. Alicia says, this infection is different. She’s been fighting it a long time. The girl asks if Alicia found Madison, and Alicia looks at a tape labeled Amina. She asks how far away the girl’s friend is, and how she’s going to contact them, and the girl says, the same way Alicia contacted her when she heard the message. Alicia says, that’s not going to work. The tower is on fire, and the irradiated dead are headed there. Alicia barely made it here. They’ve got to get to the rafts before the dead get to the flames. The girl says she’s not getting in a raft, and aims a gun at Alicia. Alicia takes it out of her hand, and says, it’s not loaded. Has she looked for bullets lately? There’s none. The girl asks why Alicia followed her, and Alicia says, to help save her friend, but also to do something that will outlast her. The girl asks if Alicia thinks she’s going to die, and Alicia says, look at her; she might not make it to the beach. This thing is going to beat her, and she won’t be able to help her friends. The girl says, Alicia is wrong. She can beat it and help her friends. Alicia insists that’s not true, but the girl says she was bit too, and she’s still here. She shows Alicia scars on her arm, and says she needs to get to the tower and make contact with her friend. He saved her, and he’ll save Alicia too, then get them to Padre.
Speculative Spoiler: I could be very wrong, but I wonder if Alicia is talking to herself. They’ve already been borrowing heavily from Z Nation. Why not again?
They walk, and Alicia asks when the girl got bit, and how. It must have been a while ago. The girl can trust her. She’s here, isn’t she? A zombie comes toward them, and the girl says she’ll deal with it, but Alicia says, she won’t even reach its head. The girl hands Alicia a bullet on a cord, and Alicia asks where she got it. The girl says she found it near the truck. Shoot him. Alicia has a zombie flash, and stabs it in the neck. She falls to the ground with it, and it grabs ahold of her. The girl whacks it with a hammer, and asks if Alicia is okay. She almost got herself killed. Alicia says, the walker is mulch, and the girl isn’t hurt. There’s nothing to be upset about. They start walking again, and the girl asks why Alicia didn’t use the bullet. Alicia says, it would have drawn more dead, and the girl asks why Alicia has a bullet if she’s not going to use it. Alicia says, so she doesn’t turn, and the girl asks if Alicia has dreams about turning; she had them too. Alicia asks if she still has them, but the girl says, no. It was only when the fever was really bad. Her friend will help Alicia. She’s not going to end up like one of them. Use the bullet next time.
They walk closer, as the tower burns. Alicia says, they need to go to the rafts, but the girl says, maybe other people got Alicia’s message. Alicia can go if she wants, but she’s staying. Alicia says, this is impossible, and the girl says, what about the other people who heard Alicia’s message? Is she going to let them walk into that? Alicia says, when they see it, they’ll turn around, but the girl says, they won’t know to go to the beach. They could end up someplace worse. They need to go. Alicia says she can’t push much further, but the girl says she’s not leaving. She walks toward the tower, but Alicia stops her. Alicia says, if they go in there, they’ll both die, but the girl says, they’ll die if they stay out here. Alicia asks what she means, and the girl says, Alicia knows what she means. Alicia faints, and the girl fights off some straggling zombies. She tells Alicia to stay with her, and gets on the radio, asking if there’s anyone there.
Alicia is on a rolling cart, and Sarah says, she’s waking up. They stop, and Luci says, they weren’t going to leave without her. Dwight takes off the straps holding her to the cart, and Alicia asks how they found her. He says, they heard her SOS. A new guy says, hello, and Sarah tells Alicia, his name is Josiah; he’s friendly. Alicia asks, where is she? and Dwight says, who? Alicia says, the girl who helped her. She can help them get to Padre. Luci says, they don’t even know if that place is real, and Alicia says, the girl helped her kill the walkers. Dwight says, it sure looks like Alicia killed them, and Alicia sees her arm weapon (weapon arem?) has blood all over it.
Alicia says, the girl saved her twice; it’s blood from before. She wipes it off, and June says, Alicia is still burning up. Alicia wonders where the girl is; she was there. Josiah says, Alicia was alone when she went back to the tower, and Luci asks why she did that. Alicia says, to send a message; the girl wanted to find her friend, and she promised to help. She has to go back there. Sarah says, Alicia is going on the raft, by force if she wants to play it that way. Alicia says she’d be doing the same thing if she were in their position, but she’s not leaving. Luci asks why it’s so important, and Alicia says, the friend is going to tell her how to save them. June says, the raft is their best shot, and Alicia says, the girl was bit, but she’s alive, and her friend helped. She’s been dreaming of turning into one of them for months. She doesn’t want to die, and she doesn’t want to turn. The girl’s friend can help her live. June asks if Alicia is sure she’s not just saying that because she wants it, and Alicia says, she knows how it sounds, but she’s real. Daniel says, when people doubted him, it didn’t feel good, and Sarah says, but he didn’t have all his faculties. He says, maybe he still doesn’t, but Alicia helped him think more clearly. He can’t let he go on her own; he’s coming. Luci says she owes Daniel one, so she’s in, and June says, she’ll clear the tunnel faster with help. Dwight says, Sherry will kill him if he lets Alicia go by herself, and Sarah says, she doesn’t want be the only a-hole who says no. She tells Dwight, let’s get us some crispy critters.
Alicia keeps trying to radio the girl, when she finally answers. Alicia asks where she is, and the girl asks if Alicia thinks she can get to the roof, but Alicia says, it’s too dangerous to do on her own. She’s coming, and her friends are clearing the tunnel. The girl says she’s on the stairs, but the radio goes dead. Alicia takes out the bullet, and Luci tells her, if she talks to the girl, ask if they can get in there. Alicia says, she talked to her, and she’s going in. June says, not alone, and Sarah says, they’re not leaving. Josiah says, they opened it pretty good, but he can’t be sure it will stay stable. Alicia says, they need to get to the raft. If she learns where Padre is, she’ll radio them. Sherry needs Dwight, Sarah just found her brother, and Daniel’s got to be there for Charlie. She tells Luci that they’ll need someone to show them the way, but Luci says, they have Alicia. Alicia says she has to do this on her own, and Luci nods, saying, she’ll see Alicia and the girl at the shore. Alicia goes inside, and the door closes behind her.
Zombies toddle around the tower as it burns. Alicia goes upstairs wearing a mask, but then takes it off. She thinks about being a zombie, and radios the girl, asking, where are you? Are you in the stairwell? The girl says she’s on the roof and needs Alicia’s help, but Alicia says she’s not sure she can make it. The girl says, she has to; it’s the only way. Alicia stops, pants, and says to herself. you can do it. She sees a bird flying up through the stairwell.
She opens the roof door, and the girl says, over here. Alicia says, you’re alive, and the girl says, so are you. Alicia says she doesn’t want to die; she’s not ready. She suggests they find the girl’s friend, and gets the radio, but she sees it’s been burned by the fire. She yells, no! and the girl says, what? She tells the girl, it’s broken, but the girl says, it’s okay. Alicia says, they need to get in touch with her friend, and the girl says, they still can. Her friend isn’t out there; he’s in the tower. That’s why she wanted to come. Alicia says, her friend (and I say in my head, Victor), what’s his name? The girl says, Victor Strand, and I pat myself on the back for figuring everything out so early on. The girl says she’s sorry she didn’t tell Alicia sooner, and Alicia flashes back to Victor saying, those people were never part of his vision… She’s never going to forgive him, even if he saves everyone, because the damage has been done… He’s trying to save her life… Alicia says, no; it doesn’t make sense. She remembers Victor saying he knows she thinks he’s a monster, but he’s the same man he’s always been. She can’t stop what’s coming. Alicia says, right. She shouldn’t have come. The girl says, Victor needs her to help him, and Alicia asks why she should. The girl says, Victor is her family. He can save them; save us. Alicia knocks the girl down, and holds the pointy end of her arm to the girl’s throat. She asks if anything the girl told her is true, and the girl says, Victor can help her if she helps him. Alicia says, no, and the girl asks if she’d rather die than save him. Alicia says she would, and the girl asks, why? Alicia says, Victor took everything from her, and the girl says, don’t let him take her life too. If Alicia leaves him, she’ll die. Alicia keels over, and asks the girl why she cares what happens to Victor, but the girl says, it’s not about Victor. It’s about Alicia.
Alicia hears the door clank, and tells the girl, wait. Where is she going? No one’s there. She goes back inside, and sees the bird. She wonders why the girl would come in here, and keeps walking. She comes to Victor’s quarters, where the lights are flickering. Victor says, who’s there? Is there a visitor? Alicia says, Victor? and we see Victor, lying in bed with an empty booze bottle next to him. He asks if his mind is playing tricks on him, but Alicia says, it’s not a trick, and flops into a chair. She says she’s here, and he says, she’s got to get out. She says she can’t, not now. She’s not going to make it. He says he’s sorry. he wanted to give her everything. She says, he didn’t give her anything. He took everything. He asks if it’s because of what he did to Will, but she says, Will is just another person she outlived. So many people had to die so she could live. He says, this is about her mother? but she says, it’s about so much more. It’s about making what her mother gave them, mean something. What she didn’t get was to make a place that would last beyond herself. He says he’s so sorry for everything, and she puts the bullet in the gun. He tells her, don’t do that. If she turns, he deserves anything she does to him. She says, it’s not for you – she flashes on the zombie side – it’s for me. She puts the gun to her head, and says she’s sorry. She remembers Will and Charlie, and says again, she’s sorry. She remembers Luci, Daniel, Morgan, and Madison. She sees the bird on the windowsill, and tells it to go. Please leave, goddammit. She thinks about Madison telling the story of Amina, and how Alicia had decided that bird was going to live. Alicia walks over to the bird, and we hear Madison say, the bird lived because her kids didn’t give up on her. Alicia holds out her funky glove-covered hand, and the bird hops on. She says, maybe this is the last thing she was meant to do. She tries, unsuccessfully, to smash the glass, and the girl helps, smashing through the window. Alicia holds her hand out the opening, and the bird flies away. She thanks the girl, and asks why she came back. The girl takes her mask off, and says, because she can’t leave Alicia. Alicia says, no… I… I don’t understand. The girl says, she does, and Alicia says, you’re… me. (Another pat for me.) Alicia hears Madison say that Alicia gave them a chance when there aren’t a lot left in the world, and asks why the girl brought her hear. The girl aka Little Alicia, says, Alicia knows why. It’s on that tape. Alicia looks at the Amina tape, and the girl says she was wrong. Her mom didn’t die to build something like this. She died so that part of Alicia didn’t give up on the people who would live. She shows Alicia the scars on her arm, and says she wasn’t lying when she told Alicia hat she survived the bite. So will she. She’s the only one who can make sure this isn’t the end for her. Alicia says, she can’t; she’s going to die. The girl says, not if she makes sure people remember this part of her, and Alicia asks, how? The girl says, Alicia knows how. She has to save Victor.
On the beach, June tells everyone, don’t leave anything behind. They don’t know how long they’ll be out there. They get the rafts ready, and June says, they can’t miss the tide. Alicia will catch up. They can’t be there when the walkers catch fire. Try to stay clustered in case they get separated. Luci says, they’re shoving off, when Alicia radios that she needs help. Luci asks where she is, and Alicia says, the MRAP. She can’t make it much father. Luci asks if she found the girl, and Alicia says she did; she found someone else too. Victor says, they’ll never take him, but Alicia says, they will if she asks. He coughs and groans a little, and asks, why save him after everything he done. He laughs, and says he asked her mother the same question. She asks what her mother said, and he tells her, she said she did it because she knew who he was. Alicia asks if he thinks she really did, but he says, not like Alicia. So he’s asking again, why save him? She says, it’s not about him; it’s about her. So he can do what she doesn’t when she’s gone; find a place where everyone is safe. He asks if she thinks he can, and she says, she’s not sure, but she think he’ll try. He tells her, stay with me, but she fades out.
June feels Alicia’s forehead, and says, she’s waking up. She tells Alicia, don’t move. She’s got to get fluids. They’ll make the raft as comfortable as they can. Grace says, the readings have spiked. They’ve got to go. Alicia asks Grace to tell Morgan something for her, but Grace says, Alicia can tell him herself, and hands her the radio, saying, Morgan wanted to talk with her too. Morgan asks, is that her? and Alicia says she’s sorry she didn’t do what she said she would. He says he got Mo in the raft, and that’s all that matters. He wanted to tell her that she might be right. He’s heard chatter on the radio. There might be a Padre. He thinks Padre is real, and thinks they might actually have someplace to go to. How about that? How is she feeling? She says she needs to tell him something. No matter what happens to her, he won’t be doing it alone. He says, no, because she’ll be all right, right? He hears only static, and asks if she’s there. Mo cries.
Grace tells Alicia, if he didn’t hear, she’ll make sure he knows. Charlie comes over to Alicia, and Alicia says she’s sorry she couldn’t stop it from happening to her. Charlie says she’s sorry she wasn’t there for Alicia, and Alicia tells Daniel, look after her. Charlie says she knows it’s going to be okay. She got to do something she never thought she would. They finally got to see the beach. Alicia says, they did, and Daniel says, it’s time. Alicia tells Daniel, it’s going to be oaky, and Daniel says, he wasn’t there for Ofelia at the end, but he can be there for Charlie. He will see Alicia again. Sherry says, they’ve got to go, and she thanks Alicia for taking them in. Luci says she’ll be in the raft with Alicia, but Alicia says she has to do this alone. Victor says, no she won’t. He gets in, and says, they’ll rough it out together. Alicia says, stop, and gets out of the raft. She doesn’t know how fast she’ll turn. He says he’s willing to take that risk, but she says she’s not. It’s up to him – she chokes up a little – to make sure everything they’ve been through means something. People may have heard her message, and are headed to the tower. He cries, and says, she did make it mean something. She saved all of them. She saved him. She did what he asked back in Lawson. She pushes his raft into the water, and says, she didn’t just save him so he could live to do what she couldn’t. She did it because she loves him too. He smiles, and she laughs.
The rafts go down the river. Victor waves, and Alicia waves back. Alicia falls to her knees, then all the way down.
Alicia opens her eyes and sees the bird. She looks good, like fully made up good. She sits up, and sees everyone is gone. She drinks some water, and feels her forehead. She takes a reading, and the girl appears. Alicia asks what she’s doing here, and the girl shows Alicia her arm. The scars are gone, and Alicia asks what it means. The girl says she thinks it means Alicia saved her. How does Alicia feel? Alicia says, she feels… like she hasn’t felt in a while. Like herself. They smile at each other, and Alicia picks up her mask and the gun. The girl asks where she’s going, and Alicia says, to find people who heard her message. She’s going to spend whatever time she has left making sure they have someplace safe to go. They smile again, and a zombie comes down the beach. Alicia walks toward it, shoots it, and continues to walk in the direction of the tower, as she puts her mask on.
Next time – the finale – weird people who wear hoods grab Morgan, accuse him of stealing their children, and try to bury him alive. Madison returns.
🐦 A Bird In Alicia’s Hand…
Madison’s Amina story.
🚪 Exit Interview…
Well, it does seem kind of open-ended. And we all saw Madison go down, yet she’s coming back, so who knows?
You never know. That mortgage might need to be paid one day. Never say never.
⚰️ Serious Nerd Talk…
Delving into the depths of Rick.
https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-rick-first-zombie-negan-ending-explained/
🌼 Spring Into Summer…
If you have tomorrow off, enjoy, or if tomorrow is just another day off, enjoy that too. There’s no soap tomorrow (GH is a rerun), but I’ll be on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay striving for honesty in all relationships, and stay knowing, if the walker is mulch and no one was hurt, there’s nothing to be upset about.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 