What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
I rarely post on a Saturday, but this was too important. The Fearless Vampire Killers is on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) tonight at 8 pm. I don’t know if they’re going to run it again, and it’s rarely on TV. Now’s your chance. It’s a lot of fun.
What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
A dude is trapped in a car; he’s impaled on something. The driver tells him just stay with her; someone will stop and help. The driver is Crazy Lady. I guess this is her backstory. She yells for a car to stop, but they just keep moving. As does the next one. A third goes around her. Crazy Lady cries, and sits next to the car. A zombie toddles out of the woods. She starts telling him that her husband needs help, and realizes this guy is not right. She slams him a rake. Don’t ask me where she got that from.
Back in the car, she tells her husband someone will help them; someone will come. He wants her to go, but she won’t. She holds his hand and kisses it. It’s nighttime, and she cries on the hood of the car. The next morning, she’s still saying, someone will come. We hear zombie noises, but this time it’s her husband from inside the car. She wraps her hand, and picks up a piece of broken glass. All is quiet.
Crazy Lady buries her husband in a field nearby, digging the grave with her hands, and crying. When it’s done, she builds a fire, talks to herself, and slowly goes crazy. She sleeps on the grave.
A truck stops by the broken down car. A woman takes a box out of the back, and places it at the nearest sign. She sees Crazy Lady, and asks if she needs something. They make a drop about every ten miles. Crazy Lady looks at what she’s written on the box, and tells her, it’s farther not further. Further denotes degree; farther denotes distance. She was an English teacher, and drives people crazy, but words matter. It’s all we leave behind. The woman introduces herself as Stevie, and Crazy Lady says she’s Martha. Stevie thanks Martha for helping her. Martha says she doesn’t help, then kills Stevie, saying neither does she.
With Stevie at the end of a pole, Martha nails the next delivery person, and with that guy, the next, and so on. She tells the last guy, when you help people, they never learn to take care of themselves. She says one of them told her the man who started this calls himself Polar Bear. The guy won’t talk, and she lets the latest pole zombie loose on him. She gets on the radio in the truck, and she asks if Polar Bear copies. A voice says he thinks he hitched ride accidentally in the back of a semi. I think it’s Morgan. She half-smiles.
In the back of Sarah’s truck, Morgan and June stir. In the cab, Sarah’s belt is jammed. Jim gets her free, just as Martha comes back around in Al’s tank. The tank stops. Morgan looks through a bullet hole in the door. He wonders what she’s waiting for, and Al says she probably used up all her ammo. Sarah’s been hit, and Wen tells Jim to keep the pressure on; he’s got this. Morgan says they can’t stay, and helps Luci up. Wen says, sh*t in a sandbox, seeing there’s a gas leak.
They get out of the truck. Al runs to her tank, and opens the back. Martha comes out with her Quinn zombie kabob. Morgan tells her not to do this, and Martha says she didn’t; he did. He says, then make him pay. She tells him that he has potential. He says she’s stuck; he was too. Martha says she is, and Wen shoots her in the shoulder. Quinn is in the process of trying to eat June’s face, and Morgan stabs him in the head. Wen tells Martha not to move; he’s going to lay her down with the next one. A fire starts in the engine of the truck, and Jim tells Sarah, that’s not good. She and Jim ditch the truck, and it blows up. Morgan says, the boxes, but it’s too late. The whole thing goes up in flames.
Jim says his yeast cake was in there. A small crowd of zombies has arrived, and Luci says they don’t have enough ammo. Martha takes off in the tank.
Alicia and Charlie arrive at the remains of the truck. Charlie wonders where they are, and Alicia tells her, stay in the car. Alicia calls Morgan’s name. Charlie approaches Alicia, and says, the woman on the walkie. Why would she do this? Alicia borderline cries.
They look at a map. Charlie says, they could still be out there. Alicia says, they could be anywhere. She’s thinking east. They get back in the car.
Sarah says, sh*t in a sandbox, which is apparently the phrase of the night. A load of zombies is coming up the road behind them. Morgan says it’s going to keep building. Jim is pulling Wen, and Al has a ruptured ear drum. Jim says at least she’s mobile. Wen wants to know why Jim got through it without a scratch, and Jim says he’s good. Sarah says, at ducking, and Jim says, no; at living. We find out Sarah was a Marine. June wants to check everyone out, but Jim says they can’t slow down. Morgan sees shelter, and says maybe they can. Sarah tells him, good eye, Momo. Jim wonders why wait them out when they can keep moving away from things that want to eat them. Morgan says Jim thinks they can get ahead of them, but they won’t. Jim says he’ll take his chances. Sarah says he wouldn’t be there if Momo hadn’t saved him. Jim owes him. Jim asks, for what? She got shot because Morgan brought them back and wouldn’t listen. The woman wants him, not them. She tells him to go, and tosses his bag at him. Jim asks if Morgan really thinks they’ll be safe. He does. Jim looks at the zombies coming up the road, and joins the others. I wonder why he didn’t pick up the bag.
They hole up inside a hospital. Zombies scrabble at the windows. June says she stitched up Wen, Al has a mild concussion, and Jim is Jim. Morgan says they can’t stay for long, and June says they got medical supplies, and a chance to catch their breath.
They move deeper into the building. Sarah finds a radio. She says if that woman is still alive, she’d like to light her up like a pinball machine. Wen says he got her pretty good, but June says she shot him. Al gets where he’s coming from. She asks how he got into the chair. Wen explains that when he was ten, a kid kicked a ball into the street. He didn’t see a car coming, and Wen pushed him. The kid got up; Wen didn’t. Al asks if that’s what changed him. He says it made him help people even more. He had to work harder for things. After graduation he went to register for the Marines, but the recruiting officer laughed, and wouldn’t file the application. Al says, bad sh*t happens when you try to help people. Wen says now she’s getting it.
Alicia and Charlie looks for gas in other cars. Charlie thinks they should turn back, but Alicia says they have to keep moving. Alicia tries a truck, and gets nothing. Charlie asks how they could have gotten this far, and Alicia says they’re not looking for them. They’re going to Galveston; that’s where the beach is. Charlie has never been to the beach, so Alicia is taking her. It’s one thing she knows she can do.
Morgan blocks the windows with hospital equipment. Jim tells Morgan that earlier, when he said this was Morgan’s fault… The zombies finally push in the window, and Morgan grabs Jim. They run, and the zombies pour in.
Morgan says they need to get out. Okay, Captain Obvious. Jim says Morgan claimed they’d be safe there. Sarah tells Jim to shut up, but Jim says he got them into this. He had the answer; what now, Sherlock Holmes? They listened to him, now he needs to get them out. Everyone waits, and Morgan finally says they go up.
They bypass the first floor, where zombies clamor at the door window. Morgan says, keep going. The zombies below begin to follow. The next floor’s door window is shatter, and a zombie grabs for them as they go by. Morgan makes noise at the next door, but there’s nothing. He tells them to come in. Zombies clutter the stairwell, and they block the door behind them.
Morgan tells them to make sure the stairwells are secure. Sarah and Al check the floor. Al asks Sarah about the Marines, and Sarah says she quit. She didn’t agree with their code of conduct. Al bangs at a door, and radios Morgan that those stairs can’t be used; they dumped the dead there. Morgan suggests the west stairs, and June tells him the roof has caved in on the landing, and the barricade isn’t holding. Morgan says, the roof; they’ll take the elevators. June says the generators were kept high up because of flooding. Sarah tells Al, let’s stir some beef.
Jim tells Morgan, if they get out alive, they’re driving directly to Virginia. Morgan says he can’t get there soon enough. Two zombies back Morgan against the wall, while another one attacks Jim. Jim calls for Morgan, who’s a little busy, but grabs a pair of surgical scissors and stabs the zombie in the neck. The zombie gets Jim down on the floor, and when he grabs at it, it’s scalp comes off. Yuk, He manages to get ahold of the scissors again, and spikes it in the head. Morgan runs in, and Jim says, it wasn’t so hard. June finds the generators. She says she’ll get them working, and to meet at the elevators. Luci tells her to hurry; they can’t hold on much longer.
Al tells Sarah to leave with her brother. Trust her. Go. Al closes the door.
Luci. Wen, and June dash for the elevator, and Morgan and Jim come around the other way. Sarah tells them, Al has gone solo. The zombies are there, and Morgan says, ready? Sarah pries the elevator door open, and they run in, the door closing just before any zombies get inside. It’s so effing close, my heart is pounding.
They go onto the roof. Morgan says, it’s clear. Sarah radios Al, but gets nothing. Luci says, she’s smart, she’s resourceful, and she’ll find a way up. Jim looks down to the street, and doesn’t think they want to go down there, even if they could. His hand is bleeding, and June asks what happened. He says he put his hand through a window, and she wants to clean it up before it gets infected. He lifts his shirt, and she doesn’t look happy. She says he didn’t get cut by glass. He has a bite. He tells her, do something. She’s sorry, but there’s nothing she can do. He says, no, no, no, no, no, and everyone looks sick. He asks how long it takes, but June doesn’t know. He stands by himself. I’m wondering if he’s going to jump off the roof.
Morgan tells June that Jim asked for his help. He asked Morgan to save him. June says he did, as long as he could. She says, Al will make it back. They made it there; what’s next? Morgan laughs, and says, she’s asking him? She says he got them there, and he says, that’s right; he did. She asks if he can he get them out. He says he can’t, but she says he will.
Alicia tells Charlie that it’s a little farther. Charlie says they’re hundreds of miles from the coast. They should have kept looking. Alicia says it wouldn’t have made a difference, but Charlie says, they need help. Alicia says, they could be dead. They could find them, find them dead, or die tying to find them. She’s trying to take Charlie to Galveston. She though if could get Charlie there, that would be good. Getting her to the beach; she knows that would be good. Alicia needs something to be good. I can identify. Charlie says she does too. She asks if Alicia hears that. It sounds like water.
Alicia says, it’s not on the map. They come out near John’s lagoon. Charlie says, it’s a beach, and walks to the water. Be careful of that crocodile. Charlie picks up John’s hat. She says, look, and they look across the water. Alicia laughs, and says, holy sh*t.
Next time, Martha shoots at Charlie and Alicia, June says they’ll find a way down, and Wen isn’t sure if they’re all right, but they’re still kicking.
🎥 The episode was dedicated to Dwayne Haevischer. He worked in the transportation department of many films, including three of my favorites, Planet Terror, Death Proof and Machete. You can read more about him here:
https://cartermatt.com/327935/who-is-dwayne-haevischer-subject-of-fear-the-walking-dead-title-card/
📣 Tonight’s Talking Dead guests were the mega talented Tonya Pinkins (Martha, FWD), Lou Diamond Phillips (who has been directing FWD this season), and Sinbad (!), who apparently is a super fan. It was a lively discussion, but I mentioned it just to say that Ms. Pinkins cleans up well. She would be unrecognizable as being the Crazy Lady aka Martha. She was just gorgeous.
💍 A Couple of Couples…
A quickie about 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days (where the delusional meet), since I can’t contain myself. Jesse paid a visit to Darcey in the US, and it was a bickering hell. Remember Fantasy Island? This was just the opposite. It boggles my mind that these two are still together, albeit off again/on again. Their anger is palpable during the interviews they do together. They spent a couple of days in NYC, which neither one of them enjoyed, then stayed at an Airbnb in Connecticut. Darcey’s girls met Jesse in Manhattan, and also spent time at the rental. Jesse insisted on calling Connecticut CT, which is fine if you’re addressing something, but normal people don’t talk like that. Darcey said their chemistry is magnetic, and Jesse said something about a connection, so I can only assume it’s the sex. Or they get some weird S&M satisfaction out of it. These two just do not get along. It was pretty funny when she threw a Louboutin at him though.
The other couple I’d like to touch on is Ricky and Melissa, who is now Ximena. No, she’s not a trans person, but Ricky came to Columbia looking for Melissa’s love, and ended up finding it with second choice, Ximena, when Melissa ghosted him. Ricky is totally out of touch with reality, since Melissa was freezing him out before he even left the States. She did show up for dinner – three hours late – but what he said was having chemistry, was basically a mercy date. Ximena on the other hand, seems to be an open, lovely person, attractive, but not in the bombshell way Melissa is. Ricky’s first mistake, thinking he was in Melissa’s league, and an explanation as to why Ximena was second string. Which led to his second mistake, calling Ximena Melissa in what, no doubt, was an intimate moment. But instead of doing the hard, but noble thing, by explaining things to her – hint: she will see the show anyway – he told her it was a member of the crew. He made a couple of feeble attempts to tell her, all of them ending in him making something else up. I just kept thinking, what an idiot. All the things she’s thinking whenever he says, I have something difficult to tell you, are so much worse than what it is. But since he waited so long, he did make it worse. Tonight, he finally told Ximena that he’d originally come there to meet Melissa. To her credit, Ximena didn’t crack him one across the face. Although she did call him a bullsh*t artist, and said she never wanted to see him again. I do kind of feel sorry for him, since he seems to care for her, but sorrier for her. Then again, it’s hard to feel sorry for people who think they can fall in love in five minutes, especially when they can barely communicate.
👓 Beauty Advice…
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone. – Audrey Hepburn
☁ It’s Ba-a-ack…
What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
As much as I hate being torn away from 90 Day Fiancé, Fear the Walking Dead is back, and I love this show. It’s like Walking Dead’s baby whose generation finally got it right.
Fear the Walking Dead
A nasty storm has come up. Zombies feed near the road, and a few get blown away by the wind.
A zombie falls. Someone ransacks his backpack. It’s Morgan. Piking zombies and taking booty. He gets a radio and lines up all the things he’s nabbed. It’s not a very exciting haul, but there are some protein bars and water.
Al does some soldering. Morgan radios her, and she asks if John is okay. He is, and Morgan asks if she remembers when she interviewed him. She asked questions about where he came from. She asks if he’s going to tell her what she wants to know. He says, no, but he’ll show her. He’s going home, and wants her to drive.
Naomi, now June, guts a fish. Morgan comes looking for John, who’s inside the bus. John says Virginia is a long way. Morgan thinks he shouldn’t have left. It’s where he belongs and where he should be. John says if that’s what he thinks, that’s where he should go. Morgan says they could all come. Alexandria is a good place with good people. John doesn’t think he can make it in his current state, and Morgan doesn’t know what’s out there. He, June, and Charlie are going back to his cabin, if he can make it safer. It’s far, but not Virginia far. He asks when Morgan is going, and Morgan says, tomorrow. John asks if Morgan wants to stay for dinner, but he has more stops to make. He’ll come by before he leaves; maybe John will change his mind. They’ve been through harder things. John appreciates it, but – he looks at June – he thinks he has everything he needs right there.
Morgan goes through a gate into a massive estate. A zombie toddles out, and says, ueeeh yaeh, and Morgan pikes it. Victor calls from an upstairs window of the house, saying, there’s a breach in the fence, and his aim is off. He tells Morgan the door’s unlocked.
Inside, Morgan looks at the art on the walls. Victor, wearing a smoking jacket, asks what Morgan thinks; he’s been rotating the collection. He tells Morgan the wine cellar is quite extensive. Morgan asks where everyone is, and looks around. The house itself is quite extensive. Luci lounges in the music room, while listening to country music. Morgan turns it off, and says he was hoping they could talk. He’s headed back to Virginia. They have room for everyone, even Victor. Victor laughs, and says, road trip. He’s had his fair share of those. Luci doesn’t want to set foot in Al’s tank again. She can’t go out there. Victor says he’s retired from scraping by to survive. He found the best the world has to offer. Luci says there’s nothing for her there – or anywhere. Victor tells Morgan to enjoy his trip, and Luci says, be safe. Morgan asks where Alicia is, and Victor says she moved out of the main house, although she never really moved in. Luci thinks she’s by the garden.
Morgan goes to an enviable greenhouse, and calls for Alicia. He’s met with silence, but looks around. He sees notes that say, HELP.
Alicia is banging on the fence to attract zombies. She stabs them one by one. Morgan needs to talk, and she says she can’t right now. He says she’s been through a lot. It doesn’t seem get better, but he can help. She says she doesn’t need it. He asks, what are these? and shows her the notes. Alicia says she didn’t write them. Someone is tacking them onto the dead. She’s checking them, thinking one has to have something. Morgan tells her it’s not safe, but she says someone needs help. He says there’s no way to tell when they were written or if the person is still alive. There are other ways to do what she’s trying to do. Victor and Luci haven’t seen her for weeks. He thinks it would be good for her, and she could do a lot of good if she goes back with him. She says someone needs help here and now. He says she doesn’t know that. He’s leaving in the morning; she knows where to find him. She bangs on the fence again.
June tells John in a couple more weeks, he can fish again. He says she’s caught more wide mouth bass in these last few days, than he has in his entire life. She asks if she heard right when he told Morgan they were going back to the cabin. He says if it’s still there, but he was just batting around the idea. Given his condition, and the condition of everything… Zombie noises come from outside. Charlie is reading by the creek, and a zombie comes at her. She backs up in silence. Al intervenes, and kills the zombie.
Victor wakes to a bunch of noise. He looks out, and sees blood on the front storm door. A zombie is inside, but Luci has her back to it, and the music is so loud, she doesn’t hear it. Victor gets the zombie before it gets to her, and she doesn’t even know what’s going on. He kicks the boombox, and says, these grapes were not meant for wrath. They have to find the breach.
Al is glad she came to check. John says Charlie will be all right. June asks what happened, and Charlie doesn’t say anything. Al says she didn’t call for help. John tells her that Charlie doesn’t say much. June thanks her, and they look over the bridge to zombies floating down the creek. John says, dead washing up usually means something is amiss up river. He wants to see what’s going on, but he’s not up for it alone. Al says she’ll go with June, and gives him a radio, saying, if anything goes wrong, she’ll call. She just tuned up her gun; they’ll be fine. She and June leave.
Morgan packs. He looks at his book The Art of Peace. Alicia says she knows where they are. There’s a lumber mill up the road. They passed it on their way there, but it’s overrun. Whoever has been writing needs more help. Morgan says he’ll check it out, but Alicia insists on going. They walk down the road. The wind picks up.
There are downed trees I the road, and June tells Al, they have to backtrack. Al thinks can clear them with the cable. She sees a box by the side of the road, with a sign that says, take what you need – leave what don’t – see you further up the road. Al wants to grab her camera, but June says they have to keep moving. She tells Al to be quick, and asks what John said about her when Al interviewed him. Al says he told her a lot about Laura, and the others told her about Naomi. No one said anything about June. Anything June wants to tell her? It wasn’t her motive – she just came here to help – but maybe it would help June to talk. June says she’ll think about it.
Morgan wonders what happens after Alicia helps them, and she says it won’t matter; he’ll be on his way. He says she’s not in a rush. He didn’t say goodbye, and no one knows where he went or what happened. He thought he was doing what he had to do. Alicia says they might not be there anymore, but Morgan says, they will. They’re strong, like her. He has a friend back there, the one who said he’d find his way back to the world and people. He left to get away, and prove his friend was wrong, so he wants to look him in the eye and say he was right. He deserves to know. He doesn’t want her to find out the hard way. A zombie toddles out. She kills it, and sees another note on it. They keep walking.
Victor fixes the fence. He tells Luci that should keep wolves out of the henhouse. He asks if she wants to adjourn to the cellar. She asks what they’re doing here, and he says, enjoying the bounty of their discovery. She doesn’t know what’s left, where to be, or what to fight for. He says they’ve been asking themselves the same questions. He’s going to at least enjoy himself while he’s asking.
Alicia finds another note asking for help. Morgan says there’s a reason for asking. Maybe they should find out why before they rush in. Alicia says, no time, and he follows her into the lumber yard.
John makes a Scrabble game out of cereal box letters, Charlie is reading in the bus, and he wants to ask her a favor; to play a game. He holds out a coffee can, and she takes letters from it. He says there was time he didn’t talk much either. He’d done something he wasn’t proud of. He says you keep thinking on it, and it starts to eat away at you, until you start thinking there will be nothing left; nothing worth keeping anyway. Then something happened. He found someone to talk to. Telling her brought him back to the world, and allowed him to forgive himself. He’s sorry if he overstepped. He tells her he’ll be right back. When he’s gone, Charlie puts her books in her bag, and gets out of the bus. She opens the gate and leaves.
Victor hauls a zombie outside, and sees John. Victor says it’s nice to see him ambulatory, and John says he has a good nurse. Victor tells John that he caught him doing a little light housekeeping. John needs his help. Charlie took off, and she’s out there somewhere. He thinks if he looks by himself, she’ll remain that way. Victor wonders if John knows who he’s coming to. What makes him think Victor would help? She shot his friend. John says he took a bullet because of them; Victor owes him. Victor advises him to leave Luci out of it. John will have to drive. Victor has been drinking heavily.
Morgan and Alicia walk through the lumber yard. Alicia sees more notes on a pile of wood planks. She points to a building and says, that’s where they’re coming from. They hear zombie noises from inside, and go in. There are a load of zombies gathered together near a door, and Alicia says, they have him trapped. Morgan says he’ll help her. He lures the zombies outside, and underneath a crane holding a load of logs. Alicia cuts the cable, and it lands on them.
Alicia goes into the room, and there’s a lone zombie inside. Morgan says he’s been like that for days; she couldn’t have saved him. She sees notes that say, help, come quickly. She says if her mom had found him, she would have saved him. She did whatever she had to do; she was good at that. Morgan says, like her mom used to be before the stadium? She changed, so Alicia can change. Alicia says she has a lot to make up for, and Morgan says, he does too. He asks why she’s sleeping in the greenhouse. She says it gave her a reason to run away, and he says Victor and Luci think they need her. She can save them, like her mom did, if she was just there for them. Alicia says Morgan could be there for them too, so why is he here? She walks out.
Al videos the creek. June thinks they should check upriver; they have to be coming from somewhere. She asks Al to turn the camera off. She wants to talk without being filmed. She says John fell in love with Laura. She’s not Laura. She’s a woman who got sacred and ran away. Not just from him, from everyone. That’s who she is. He wants to go back to the cabin. If they do, she’s afraid he’ll realize she’s not Laura; she never was. If he realizes that… Al says she doesn’t have any advice. She doesn’t know what she’d do, but since they’re just talking off the record, June is with John, helping him. That’s who she is now. Yesterday is yesterday, and today is today, and God knows if they have tomorrow. Al says she sounds like her mom. That’s why she doesn’t do this. June hears something, and birds come flying out from the forest. Al suggests the tide is washing out, but June says not from a bridge that’s out. She thinks they better get out of there.
John waits in the car. It’s beginning to rain. Victor runs back to the car from the library. He thinks they should check the middle school in the next town. Victor drinks as John drives. John says he used to be a cop, and Victor says he used to be a millionaire. Everybody used to be something. John tells him that when this is dealt with, June and Charlie are coming to his cabin. Victor asks, what happens after that? but John says he’s still sorting that part out. Victor says, aren’t we all?
It’s pouring now, and Morgan tells Alicia that they need to find a place to hole up in. She says she’ll be fine on her own. He says, it’s getting bad, and watches as she walks away.
Luci listens to Roy Orbison on the phonograph. She hears the door open, and asks if it’s Victor. There’s no answer, so she takes her gun and quietly goes toward the front of the house. She sees Charlie, and chases after her. She asks what Charlie wants, and grabs Charlie’s coat. Charlie shrugs out of it, and runs. Luci asks if she hasn’t done enough. Back inside, Luci sees a copy of The Little Prince on the table in the hallway. She runs outside, and calls for Charlie. Luci decides to run after her.
June radios John, saying there’s a storm coming their way. John says, it’s there. He asks, where are they? All he gets is static.
In Al’s tank, June says she lost John. Al loses control of the tank, but it doesn’t crash. June says they need to get back, but Al says, not in this. One of the compromises she made when modifying the vehicle, is that she can’t drive in 100 mph winds. A zombie hits the tank, and the hits keep on coming.
Next time, Alicia finds Charlie.
😱 Fear’s Upcoming Season…
In the trailer, it looks like Morgan got drunk at a frat party and someone wrote on his face.
📣 It was nice to see Chris Hardwick back at work. I wanted to see my 90 Day obsession, so I didn’t watch Talking Dead. I’m hoping to catch it later, but I did see his re-entry speech. Without saying why he hadn’t been at work, Chris said how much he appreciated the fans’ support, and his job, saying they were a community. I thought it was heartfelt and sincere. Yvette Nicole Brown was one of the guests, and he thanked her for being his friend and pinch hitting. He had tears in his eyes the whole time, and I nearly cried.
🎥 👀 The Other Things I Watched…
I saw a few movies this weekend – my capsule viewpoints. The Witches of Eastwick – ever see a movie you thought wasn’t that great, and then see it again years later and change your mind? Me too, but this wasn’t one of them. Cabin in the Woods – my umpteenth viewing. I read the book first, and thought, no way could they make a movie that captured the end of this thing. I was wrong. They did, and it never gets old. Dude got to meet his merman too. The Gods of Egypt – I love Jaime Lannister just as much as any red-blooded woman on earth, and the only way I can tolerate Gerard Butler is when he’s wielding a sword, but they might have spent a little more on the background. I found it incredibly distracting to watch them fight, while none of the people in the far background moved, and it looked suspiciously like the backdrop in a high school play. So, I switched to Justice League – a special effects extravaganza, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, the Flash having phobias about almost everything and understandably fearing for his life whenever they did something stupid, and the usual amusing one-liners – what’s not to like? But I could have done with a little less Clark Kent angst. After that, Identity – a little gem of a thriller from 2003 with a twist ending. I don’t know how I missed this, but it also had a great cast, including two of my favorites, Alfred Molina and Rebecca De Mornay, I liked this film too, because it took place within a small radius – in this case, a seedy roadside motel – making it seem almost like a play.
🌞 I also watched a few episodes of Born This Way on the FYI channel. This is a really sweet reality show about a group of young adults who have Down syndrome. One of the few reality shows that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to say I watched. In one of the episodes, an expert was brought in to give the group a talk about relationships and sex. Like many kids, some of their parents couldn’t handle “the talk,” so misinformation abounded. One young lady asked if it was possible to be allergic to penises. The expert wasn’t too sure how to answer that one, until it was explained further that her mother had told her they contained gluten. I gotta say, that’s a good one.
🎶 And In a Song By the Same Title…
Don’t be a drag, just be a queen.
RIP Rick Genest.
What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Maxie brings James home, accompanied by Obrecht and Nina. She stalls at the doorway, saying she and Nathan dreamed of this moment, now she can’t get her feet to move. Nina says they all dreamed of a different homecoming, and Obrecht says they must be strong for the little one. Nathan is alive in James’s smile and eyes full of love, and the heartbeat next to Maxie’s. To welcome him home, they have to enter his home. Maxie walks in, and welcomes him to the place his father was most alive.
At the hospital, Michael suggests he and Nelle get married today. Kim is ready for Nelle’s appointment, and Michael says it’s the homestretch. Any day now their little family will be complete.
Chase meets Finn at The Floating Rib. He’s surprised that Finn invited him. Finn says Chase keeps saying they should get together, and get to know each other, and here they are. Let the bonding begin.
Griff asks how Kiki is holding up. She says, better, since he agreed not to tell Alexis about them sleeping together. Griff isn’t totally convinced Alexis doesn’t need to know.
Scotty has news about Kiki and Griff, and tells Ava to brace herself. He didn’t see it coming. She says she already knows what he’s going to tell her.
Julian gives Sonny some espresso on the house. Sonny asks why he’s being generous. Julian says he wants to keep his supplier happy. He might be doubling his order in the next couple of months. He tells Sonny that business is good, and he’s been thinking about expanding. He wants to rip the building down to its foundation, and build something new. He says, enjoy the coffee, and steps away. Jason asks Sonny, once demolition starts, how long before they find the body?
Maxie shows James his daddy’s favorite place on the couch, and tells him about baseball. His daddy taught her, and she’ll teach him. Obrecht says she never got to feed Nathan, and asks to hold James. She cries, saying she’s his oma, and kisses his forehead.
Finn ask if Chase read The Severed Branch, thinking it might give Chase some insight into finding Peter. He asks if there’s been any sign, but Chase says it’s an ongoing investigation. Finn knows it’s been hard on Anna. She just found her son, and now he’s disappeared. Chase says, considering her connections, he thinks there are people higher up on the food chain keeping her posted. He asks if that’s why Finn asked to meet him, but Finn says he was just making conversation. The reason he wanted to see Chase was to give him a birthday present. Chase can’t believe it.
Sonny tells Julian the place looks great. Why go through the hassle of expansion? Julian says he’s not touching this room, but wants to make use of the back storerooms. People have requested private events. Sonny says it’s messy, and takes a long time; it could hurt business. Julian isn’t worried. He tends to another customer, and Jason says, the back room and patio; not good. The bigger the project, the bigger the chance the body is uncovered.
Ava tells Scotty to save the dramatics; Franco told her about the picture David has. Scotty flashes back to listening in on Kiki and Griff in the park. Ava says it’s David who’s on trial, not Kiki; it’s irrelevant. Scotty says he’s David’s attorney; he has to call out the behavior in question. Ava asks why drag in a third person? She doesn’t want him trying to blame the victim. Scotty says, as a defense attorney, he has to act like one. He’s legally obligated to bring forth evidence that the client gives – all of it.
Griff tells Kiki that he can’t promise to commit perjury. David comes by and says hello. Kiki says he’s not supposed to be talking to her, but he claims he’s just being polite, and pretty much calls her a peon. He says he needs to talk to Griff about a consult. Kiki leaves to shadow another doctor. Griff asks if it was necessary to humiliate her. David says any humiliation, like her allegations, is all of her own making.
Maxie tells James about the nursery and the blanket Nathan had sent. When she takes him into the other room, Nina tells Obrecht that she said beautiful things. Does she have more compassion? Will she give Peter more antibiotics? Obrecht asks if Nina is feeling sorry for him. She says she doesn’t want him to die, and Obrecht asks, what about Maxie? Nina says she doesn’t want him to die either. Obrecht points out how much Maxie misses Nathan, but Nina tells her, please don’t let it happen. She doesn’t don’t want him to die by their hands. Obrecht reluctantly leaves.
Maxie comes back, and tells Nina changing a boy is different than changing a girl. Nina says you have to act quick. Nina says Maxie should sleep when the baby sleeps, so she’s leaving. Maxie thanks her for everything. She didn’t know how she would make it through today without Nathan, but Nina and Obrecht stepped up for her. When she looks at James, she sees how much she has to be grateful for. Nina asks if she’s not bitter about Peter, and Maxie says it took a lot not to let darkness in. Nina asks how she’d feel if Peter died. Maxie says, a week ago, she’d throw a party, but realized she doesn’t want him to die. Nina says, even after what he took from her? Maxie says he made terrible choices that had terrible consequences, but he was also her friend. She’s calling him Peter, not Henrik, on purpose because she wants to believe he wanted to reinvent himself and start over. She thinks Nathan would have wanted it for him. He always saw the best in people. It’s his legacy, and she’s going to honor that and pass it to his son.
Wyatt is still working on untying Peter, who tells him to hurry. Wyatt says he’s still working on the badge. They hear Obrecht singing, and Peter tells Wyatt take the bugle and hide. Wyatt puts Peter’s gag back in, and hides under the bed. Obrecht comes in, and tells Peter that she held her grandson for the first time. It was a miracle. He’ll be growing up without a father because of Peter. She takes the gag out, and he asks how the baby is. She says if he cares, he’ll confess. Peter says, then she’ll kill him. She says now that she’s held the baby, the confession isn’t as important, but getting rid of him is. She needs solitude to contemplate her next step, and has to take some time to ponder his fate. She leaves, and Wyatt comes out. Peter tells him to go get help, and take Obrecht’s notebook. It might help people believe him. He tells Wyatt not to let Obrecht see him. Wyatt grabs the notebook, and jets.
Ava reminds Scotty that he’s supposed to throw David’s case. He says she’s put him in a precarious position; she has no idea. She says she wouldn’t be paying him a fortune if he wasn’t. Kiki is a victim, and now he’s going to shame and humiliate her in court? Scotty is sorry, and as a father, whatever he does will be as gently and with as little damage as possible. Ava leaves to check on Kiki.
Nelle and Michael come into The Floating Rib. Nelle is happy they’re getting married before the baby comes. Michael asks, why wait? They have a license. He can find a judge, and they can get married immediately. Nelle thought he didn’t want a justice of the peace, and wonders why they can’t have a real wedding. Michael says, because of him, and looks at Chase. He wants to get married as soon as possible to get rid of him.
Wyatt runs into the art therapy room. Franco asks him if he knows they don’t have a session today. Wyatt starts to babble, saying he went hiking and took the wrong trail. Franco suggests they take a breath together. They do, and Wyatt says he found a man tied up in cabin.
Obrecht returns to the cabin. She tells Peter that she’s realized he’s more trouble than he’s worth. The stroll she took cleared her head, and she thinks it’s better to cut her losses, so to speak. Peter takes this as meaning she’s going to kill him, and says she’ll get caught, sent to prison, and never see her grandson again. She sees the bugle and asks how it got there.
Maxie thanks Nina for today. Nina say Maxie is going through a lot, but coming through it like a champ. Maxie tells Nina that she and James love her. Nina loves them too.
Sonny tells Julian that he’ll make him an offer; buy him out. He can go bigger and nicer without the mess of construction. Julian says Jim made him an offer, and he wasn’t interested then or now. Sonny says he might run into trouble, and Julian says he’ll take his chances. Sonny tells him, the offer is on the table; think about it. He and Jason leave. Scotty tells Julian, when Sonny makes an offer, he usually thinks it’s a done deal. Julian says the building is his, so too bad. Scotty likes the way he thinks.
Outside, Sonny makes some calls.
Nelle tells Michael that Chase means nothing, but he says Chase means something to him. The sooner they can shove their marriage certificate in his face, the better. Nelle says they have no venue, she has no dress, and she’d like his family there to celebrate them starting their lives together. Michael wants that too, but doesn’t want to wait. Nelle has an idea. She gets up and goes to the bar. Michael and Chase exchange glances.
Chase can’t believe it. Two tickets to a double-header in Boston, including a hotel. He says it’s also the weekend that his parents will be in town. What’s not to love? Finn says he knew Chase loves the Sox, got them from a well-connected patient, and had no idea his parents would be visiting. Chase asks if he conveniently forgot, and Finn says he was just trying to do something special. Maybe can get another ticket, and the three of them can go. Chase says, in Boston instead of Port Charles. Finn claims he doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about them, but Chase says their father said he ran into Finn in Berkeley, and he couldn’t get away fast enough. He wonders if it’s another way for Finn to avoid their father. It’s the nicest gift he’s ever had to turn down. Finn says, sorry it didn’t work out, tells Chase to have a nice birthday, and leaves.
Nelle comes back to the table, telling Michael that she talked to Olivia. She’s willing to close the restaurant, so they can get married there. She tells him to call a judge and his family – they’re getting married tomorrow. Michael jumps up like he’s Tom Cruise on Oprah, and says he can’t believe she pulled it together. He’s eager, and looking forward to, putting the past behind them, and focusing on the future.
Julian asks Scotty where he should start with the building project. Scotty tells him to get an architect first. Make sure everything checks out, and that he gets all the permits. Julian says it sounds like he’ll need an attorney, and Scotty says he can shoehorn Julian into his business schedule. Julian says, let’s get started.
Jason tells Sonny that Julian will need a permit and an inspection before he can make a move to begin demolition. Sonny says he can stall it, but not indefinitely. Sonny wants to have one more conversation with Mike to see if he can find out where the body is stashed. Felix comes running down the stairs, and tells Sonny there’s a problem with his father.
At the hospital, Ava finds Griff, who says it’s an unexpected surprise. She thought they should talk; she heard about the picture. Griff says, one friend comforting another on a bad day. She needs to look into his eyes to remember he’d never betray her. Kiki joins them, obviously upset. Ava asks her what’s wrong, and she says David is out to destroy her. She was supposed to shadow with Dr. Harper, but he had reservations about her demands. Ava says there must be another doctor (seriously, don’t they have any female doctors?), but Kiki says even if there’s someone else, David will still keep trying to sabotage her until he runs her out of the hospital. Maybe she should drop the lawsuit.
Obrecht asks Peter again where the bugle came from, and threatens to make him talk. Nina arrives, and says it’s hers.
Franco tells Wyatt that he doesn’t need to tell him a big story. Wyatt says, it’s not a story. The man said he was sick. He begs Franco, saying they have to try.
Nina tells Obrecht that she brought the bugle, and put it under the bed to keep it out of the way. Obrecht asks why, and Nina says it reminds her of summer camp; everyone had to play the bugle. I’ve never heard of that, although everyone in the fourth grade at my elementary school had to play a song flute. You could hear them throughout my neighborhood on warm nights. But I digress… Nina says she thought it could help them to warn each other in case they see someone suspicious, since there are a lot of camps in the area. They have a stressed-out hostage, and the bugle calms her. Obrecht hands her the bugle, and says, by all means. Nina tries to play it, and to her credit, she’s barely worse than Wyatt, but Obrecht says, enough
Wyatt tells Franco the guy is tied up to a bed, and Franco says, adults can be complicated. Wyatt says he’s not stupid, and he’s not making it up. Franco asks where the guy is exactly, and tells him to draw it.
Obrecht returns to the cabin, and Nina says Peter’s fever is spiking; the infection must be flaring up. Obrecht picks something up, and Nina tells her, put the hatchet away. I laugh. Obrecht says she can’t wait until the sequel is completed, and she doesn’t have to mollycoddle Peter. She wonders where her notebook is, and Peter cries out. Nina says, he’s practically delirious, and Obrecht says, fine. She’ll procure more antibiotics. She suggests Nina serenade their guest with more hideous bugle playing. When she’s gone, Peter asks Nina why she covered for him.
Max watches a Yankee game with James.
Sonny asks Felix what’s wrong with Mike, and Felix says he’s agitated, like he’s been thrown off his routine. Sonny says they’d been talking about old times; he thought it was supposed to help. Felix says Mike might be putting too much pressure on himself to remember things. He kept saying that he didn’t want to let Sonny down. Sonny says he’ll go see him, but Felix says he just calmed down. He’s going to do a puzzle with him. Perhaps quiet will help. He tells Sonny not to think he did anything wrong; the disease effects everyone differently. Felix goes back upstairs, and Sonny tells Jason that he’s going to have one more talk with Mike. They’ll find out tonight.
Ava says David has no right to treat Kiki that way. She tells Kiki not to drop the lawsuit. They’ll see who the liar is in court.
Peter tells Nina that he thought Obrecht was going to kill him. Nina says, that’s not what Maxie wants, and he asks if she knows he’s there. Nina says, no. She’s wrapped up in the baby, and as much as she hates it, Peter was Maxie’s friend, and was there for her when she needed someone the most. He tells Nina to let him go before her crazy aunt kills him.
Obrecht sneaks around the hospital. She cuts herself, and asks David for assistance.
Franco says Wyatt’s picture looks scary there, and he says it’s when the bad guy came back. Wyatt has drawn a looming shadowlike figure, and Franco asks what the bad guy looked like. Wyatt says it was a lady, but he couldn’t see her. She was really mad and talked funny. Franco says he thought Wyatt said she was scary, and Wyatt says, not funny like ha-ha, but funny like his friend’s mom, who comes from another country.
David gives Obrecht some medication, and she says, you can’t be too careful about infection.
Wyatt tells Franco that the man makes her angry, and she wants to hurt him. He’s lucky he hid under the bed. He says the man is in trouble. He’s tied up, and they’re the only ones who can help him. Franco says, she had an accent; anything else? Wyatt says he couldn’t see her face, but he saw her shoes. He draws them.
Finn asks what the hell Obrecht is doing at the hospital.
Ava tells Kiki she can do this. She’s not alone. Ava is by her side, and Griff is there for the day to day. She’ll always have a friendly face to see. Kiki wonders if there’s any way she can salvage the shadow position, and leaves to find out. Griff says Ava was impressive, and that she’s a good mother. She thanks him for being good to her daughter. He must be feeling pretty small right about now.
David sees Kiki in the hallway. He says he heard her new mentor isn’t in the shadow program anymore. How frustrating it must be for all her hard work to go to waste. Too bad she didn’t appreciate an opportunity when she saw it.
Sonny tells Jason that he should have stopped pushing about Croton. He doesn’t want Julian to be part of it, but his dad isn’t going to be the one to lead them to it.
Digging through an old box, Julian finds a picture of Mike and Charlie in 1983. He says, interesting.
Michael tells Nelle that he’ll track someone down to officiate. They kiss. Chase stares at them. When Michael leaves, Nelle approaches Chase. She says it looks like he was all wrong. Michael gave her a fabulous ring, and they’re getting married tomorrow. Too bad he can’t be there, but it’s family only. He can wish her congratulations now.
Michael calls Jordan. He tells her, Nelle took the bait. The wedding is on for tomorrow.
Chase tells Nelle, congratulations. She got everything she’s ever wanted. He asks if she wants the truth about her fiancé, and wants to know what’s really going to happen.
Franco thinks Wyatt should talk to Doc. As they walk down the hallway, they see Obrecht talking to Finn. Wyatt says, it’s her. She’s the villain; get her! Obrecht asks what’s wrong with that child. Franco says he recognizes her from a cabin in the woods. Wyatt says, see? She talks funny. It’s the voice he heard, and the shoes he saw. Obrecht tells them she doesn’t have the time for this nonsense, and gets in the elevator. Wyatt says they have to stop her, and Finn agrees that she’s scary. He asks what Wyatt thinks she did. Wyatt asks if Finn is her friend, and he says he hates her. Franco explains that Wyatt saw a man in a cabin in the woods. Wyatt says it was near his camp, and she’d tied the man up. Wyatt had left his bugle there, and he went back. The man says he’s sick, and they have to believe him. Finn says he does, and asks him to start at the beginning.
Peter is glad Maxie thought of him as a friend, although he knows it doesn’t mitigate anything. Nina tells him to stop talking about Maxie; she’s off-limits to him. He tells her the bugle belongs to a boy who found him, and is going to get help. Nina says just because he was found doesn’t mean anyone is coming back. He asks how long before Obrecht snaps? Free him now, and no matter what, he’ll never implicate her. There’s only one way out. Take it.
Wyatt gives Finn the notebook. He says he took it from the cabin. Finn flips through it. He says, it’s the characters from The Severed Branch, the book Peter published. Franco suggests maybe that’s what put it in the kid’s head; he likes to exaggerate. Finn says, let’s find out. Wyatt asks if Finn believes him, and Finn asks if Wyatt can tell him exactly where the cabin is.
Tomorrow, Carly talks to Doc, Michael tells Jason about the impending wedding, and Chase tells Nelle the marriage won’t work.
😎 A Deeper Thinker Than Most of Us…
The reason why these Jim Crow laws were in place have stifled my rights and your rights is because we fell asleep. We fall asleep when we’re moving ahead and we don’t look to the left and right and see that we’re not including people … Because really, at the end of the day, we only move forward when it doesn’t cost us anything. But I’m here today saying that no one and nothing can be great unless it costs you something. – Viola Davis
😇 Another Good One Escapes…
R.I.P Tab Hunter. There’s also a link to their excellent 2015 interview with him.
Tab Hunter, 1950s Hollywood Icon Dead at 86
Besides Damn Yankees, I’ll always remember him for John Waters‘ Polyester, in which he starred with the late, great Divine.
What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
There was no Fear the Walking Dead tonight, and how will they ever top last week anyway? I was able to watch 90 Day Fiancé: Happily, Ever After? fresh (dissection of it coming soon), and Westworld on the first rerun encore performance. I also checked out The Real Housewives of Potomac, but I’m just not feeling these girls. I’m not sure I ever did. I think if you look up the definition of boushetto in the urban dictionary, their pictures are there. Although Karen did give up a good quote – You don’t know me to be a liar, but we do know you to be a fool.
And of course there’s the elephant in the room, Talking with Chris Hardwick, that was supposed to premiere tonight, but didn’t. That whole thing has bummed me out. I find it sad that, as beautiful a thing as the internet can be, it seems to create an easy judge and jury for just about everything. Maybe it’s just me, but I like getting all the facts first. The only fact I have so far is that he was possibly a d-bag and took advantage in a previous relationship. If people start losing their jobs over that, there will be precious few people working. Especially in the entertainment business where egos are humongous. In other words, I fail to see how this situation is anything close to that of a Harvey Weinstein or Bill Cosby, or even a Louis C.K. Yet this guy has already been hung out to dry. And the internet makes it way too easy. The Wicked Witch of the West said it best – what a world… what a world.
That being said, moving on…
🚀 Recommendations from the Wayback Machine…
Last week, I stepped back to the 70s with The Warriors, a surprisingly well-crafted film for its time, 1979. The scene symmetry and use of place are sophisticated, and the costumes alone make it worth watching, although the dialogue is often unintentionally funny. While completely unbelievable, the plot is simple. All the gangs in NYC are called to a meeting. One of the leaders suggests all the gangs band together, making them a force to be reckoned with. He’s shot and killed at the big rally, and the wrong gang, the Warriors, are blamed. They have to make it from Coney Island to the Bronx, various gangs coming after them along the way. One of my favorites were the Furies, who wore baseball uniforms and Kiss/Rocky Horror-ish make-up. It was also fun seeing Deborah Van Valkanburgh (Too Close for Comfort) acting like she was in a high school production of Grease. I’m endlessly glad they did not remake this film.
Check out the costumes: http://mentalfloss.com/article/55223/21-street-gangs-featured-warriors
Sadly, The Hills Have Eyes – the 1977 gem I followed The Warriors with – did get remade. It was horrifying all right, but not in a good way. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s just not the same without Michael Berryman. Forget Hills Have Eyes II, which is basically clips from the first film, strung together in a barely cohesive way. Stick with the original. Another straightforward plot. A family from Cleveland (which has never ceased to amuse me, since I’m originally from the area) get lost in the desert, and become the unfortunate victims of a feral family living in a cave. A true B-picture, a lot of it is over-the-top fake, but there are a few chills, a few laughs, and like I said, Michael Berryman.
🍹 I was sad to hear that Reagan and Jeff from Southern Charm New Orleans were splitting up. Who gets the little dogs??? http://extratv.com/2018/06/07/reality-stars-reagan-and-jeff-charleston-split/?adid=extra_eme_26606_2018-06-07_rightnow1
👔 Last But Not Least…
A heartfelt, albeit late, Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. No matter who or what you are the father of, be it blood relation or a chosen role. Here are some quotes for you:
🏆 It Takes Someone Special…
Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that’s why I call you dad, because you are so special to me. You taught me the game and you taught me how to play it right. – Wade Boggs
I was raised by my father most of my life. I’m part sailor, part farmer, part craftsman. I was taught I could be anything I wanted to be, but that I needed to work for it. Although he worked an eight to ten hour a day job, he never missed an awards ceremony or a school assembly where parents were invited. He always took time to listen, and was never less than fair. As he said about his own father, the older I got, the smarter my father got. I also realized that, even though it embarrassed me how we opened the refrigerator door with a screwdriver, everyone loved to gather at my house. They knew that no matter who they were, if they were my friends, they’d be welcomed with open arms and an open heart. He passed away shortly before I got married, and I’ll miss him until we meet again.
👑 My Dad…
What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Griff takes the stand and swears to tell the truth. Diane says he’s their star witness, but if Jason doesn’t show, it’s going to be difficult. Sonny asks, how so?
Curtis and Jordan meet for a drink. He takes it things didn’t go well with the mayor. She says there’s rumbling that she might be asked to step down. He asks how long she’s been given to find Peter, and she says, not long enough.
Alexis goes to Monica’s office. She tells Monica that she knows Kiki made accusations about a senior doctor on the staff. Monica can’t discuss it, but Alexis says Kiki is going public. So she can wait, and discuss it with the press, or avoid a lawsuit, and discuss it with her right now.
There’s a knock at Anna’s hotel room door. It’s Finn. He senses things didn’t go well. She says Robin is the last person to judge, but things have changed. Finn asks how, and she says, how could they not?
Diane asks how Griff knows Carly, and he says he treated her husband for paralysis. He also treated Carly last April. Diane asks why she sought him out, and he says she was having hallucinations. Jason walks in.
In the hallway, Michael brings Nelle some water, and asks how she’s feeling. She says, better, and thinks they should go back inside. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea; it seems too stressful for her. He insists she go home, but she wants to be there for him. He says he’ll be fine; he’s not putting it on her. She says the truth is, she doesn’t want to go home alone. The first thing she sees us the stairs. She asks him to please come with her, and he says, sure.
Diane asks how Carly described the hallucinations. He says she never described them as hallucinations. She believed they were real. She received several calls; in one, she heard a young man, and in another, she heard an explosion. She asks what it indicated to him, and he explains that her son, Morgan, was killed in an auto explosion.
Anna tells Finn that Robin was horrified to find out she had a child with Faison. She didn’t judge or criticize; she had empathy for the young woman Anna was, and the choices she made. Robin was fair, but Anna can’t help feeling that something between them is irrevocably lost. Finn thinks that’s harsh, but Anna says Robin didn’t know who she was. She guesses no one did.
Monica asks Alexis what Kiki hopes to get; is it the money? Alexis says she doesn’t care about that. She wants justice. Frankly, she’d like to know why such a progressive hospital has such antiquated policies on sexual harassment. Monica admits they’re skewed in favor of the accused. David has a sterling reputation and an unblemished record, and he was cleared. Alexis says, and Kiki gets to go back to work with her harasser after he demoralized her.
Jordan tells Curtis that no one spotted Peter leaving Port Charles, and there hasn’t been one sign of him. Curtis asks if she thinks he’s still there. She says, of course. It’s not the first time he’d be hiding in plain sight. No one wants to find him more than she does, and she’s not losing her job over Peter.
Griff talks about the break-in, and how Carly found the picture. She told him she felt a presence, and Diane asks if he means like a spiritual presence. The DA objects, asking if Diane expects the court to believe in ghosts. Diane says Griff can speak to the state of her client’s mind. She asks if Carly believed she was haunted. He says the thought came to her. He gave her a thorough exam, and ran tests. There was nothing indicating trauma, injury, or disease of the brain, so he referred her to Doc.
Doc takes the stand. He says when Carly came to him, he saw she had a history of psychiatric disorders, and was hospitalized twice. Diane asks if he prescribed anything, and he says anti-anxiety medication. She asks about side effects, and he says in rare instances, there’s erratic behavior. Diane asks if it could have possible exacerbated the symptoms of whatever disorder she’s suffering from. He says, possibly, and she asks if Carly is suffering from mental illness. He hasn’t been treating her long enough to diagnose her, but thinks she has an anxiety disorder that alters her perception of reality. Diane asks if it could cause her to take physical action without understanding the consequences.
Anna tells Finn in every relationship in her adult life, even Robin, she’s been keeping a secret; holding back part of her soul. No one could know her. She didn’t want to know herself. Finn says she did the best she could at the time. She was young, and void of the perspective she has now. She thinks Robin understands intellectually, but emotionally… She tells him about how Robin said the tears in her eyes while holding Robin’s children, might have been for the child she gave up. The secret she kept colored every memory and moment.
The DA says Carly has been institutionalized twice. She asks Doc if Carly mentioned shooting Tony Jones in the courtroom. Diane objects, but the judge allows it. The DA says she was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Doc says she was, and the DA asks what happened as a result. He says she was institutionalized, and the DA says, barring a prison term. Diane objects again. Doc says the second time, it was voluntary, and the judge asks the DA to move on. She says Doc testified that he hadn’t seen her long enough to diagnose her; why? He says she canceled her follow-up, and didn’t return. She asks if he didn’t think she needed therapy or didn’t think it was serious. Diane’s objection is sustained, and the DA has no further questions. Jason tells Carly to stop this right now.
Monica tells Alexis that she’d like to see Kiki vindicated, and Alexis says it’s going to take some time. Monica thinks until then, there’s something she can do to help her.
Nelle walks in on Michael struggling to put a crib together. He says he was hoping to surprise her, but he has his work cut out for him. They do an impromptu ad and some serious product placement for Snoo. She says she can help, but he says she’s still exhausted, and should treat herself to a nap. He’ll be done when wakes up – hopefully. As soon as she’s gone, he calls Spinelli. He says Nelle just buried his mom in court. He needs proof that Nelle set her up.
Sonny tells Jason that he hates it too, but there’s no choice. Jason insists there is. Chase is on the stand, and Diane asks if he found any evidence of a break-in. He says there was no sign of forced entry or anything suspicious. Carly was agitated, saying the lights had been flickering, and she heard strange noises. He explained the picture probably fell in the earthquake, and chalked it up to an overactive imagination. Diane asks about his second encounter with Carly. He says he found her at Morgan’s grave. Diane says, besides being a lone woman in the cemetery at night, was there anything unusual about her behavior? He says she was emotional. She said she received a message for Morgan to meet her at the cemetery; more specifically, where she left him. She said the message was on the back of a flyer for a noodle house, but when she showed it to him, it was blank. Diane asks if there was anything else, and Chase says Carly referenced her son’s cologne. Diane asks if he can remember her exact words, and he says she asked if Chase could smell his cologne like she could. On cross-examination, the DA says, as a detective, he’s trained to recognize signs of emotional trauma, did she exhibit any? He says yes, and the DA asks if he transferred her to a hospital, but he thought she didn’t require hospitalization. The defense calls Michael Corinthos Jr. to the stand, and I get confused when Sonny gets up, forgetting that’s his real name.
Anna tells Finn that Robin is definitely full of compassion, but it’s a question of trust. She broke it. The look in Robin’s eyes was painful to see. She said she loved Anna, but it felt like she was saying goodbye. Finn says, she wasn’t; she’s just getting her bearings. She says she knows how toxic secrets can be. She didn’t want to be judged, and pushed him away; she underestimated him. Finn says he’s not that noble. He hasn’t been entirely forthcoming about his family or past. She asks if he wants to talk.
Sonny says after Morgan was killed, it shook the family to the core. It took a year, but they were finally stable. Then his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and moved in. He got caught up with that, and didn’t see Carly sliding. Diane asks what he means, and he says he found out she’d been imagining their son was trying to reach out to her. She asks if he’s referring to the incidents already referenced, and he says, yes, but he hadn’t known they’d occurred. She believed it was Morgan, and there’s nothing more he’d want than see their son, but he never expected what happened. Diane asks what he attributes her hallucinations to, and the DA objects, but the judge allows Sonny to continue. He says, in her sorrow, she hasn’t come to the realization that her son is gone. Diane asks if he was afraid of what she might do. He says, not afraid, but worried at times. Diane asks if one of those times was before Nelle’s shower.
Monica tells Alexis that she can’t overturn the investigation without cause, but she can still do everything in her power to keep Kiki out of David’s orbit. Alexis appreciates the effort, but it’s not enough for Kiki.
Spinelli gives Michael instructions on how to log on to Nelle’s laptop. As he’s messing with it, Nelle appears, and asks what he’s doing.
Diane asks Sonny what Carly’s demeanor was like before the incident. He makes it clear that he doesn’t trust Nelle, but Carly saw a double meaning in everything Nelle said, and took it as a threat to her family, especially her son Michael. Diane asks what could happen because of her antipathy toward Nelle, and he says she didn’t want to lose another child. She didn’t want to push it, or… Diane says, what? She’d lose control? That’s exactly what happened. Sonny agrees. It’s the DA’s turn, and she says he has ties to organized crime. Diane objects, and Sonny tells the judge that he’s a coffee importer. I literally lol, and the objection is sustained. The judge says the DA knows better. The DA asks if Sonny felt guilty when he allowed Nelle to come between him and his wife, and he says they sorted it out. Nelle lied, nothing happened; it’s not a crime. The DA says, it’s the cover up, and rephrases. She asks if he didn’t lie to cover it up. He says his wife was already at the breaking point. He didn’t want to push her over the edge. The DA says he lied to help his wife. Is that what he’s doing now? Diane objects, saying it’s argumentative. The judge asks them to approach the bench for a refresher course in proper procedure. Jason tells Carly to fire Diane. The judge will declare a mistrial, and they can buy some time.
Finn says, while Anna was with Robin, he ran into his father. She asks if he lives there, and if they arranged to meet, and Finn says, yes and hell no. He hasn’t seen his father in twenty years. He took his mom’s maiden name after his father remarried. He’s a fast worked. Finn was still cleaning out his mom’s things when his brother was born. It was hard, and he just wanted to get away from everything. Him, her, and his brother.
Jordan tells Curtis, when the search for Peter is over, she’s going to revamp the PCPD. It’s time to sharpen her police force. He says, if anyone can do it, she can, but what about in the meantime?
Michael says, wish us luck, on the phone, and tells Nelle that he was getting coaching on the Snoo assembly. She asks why he’s on her computer. He says he was trying to access the website, and couldn’t log in. That explains it; the computer isn’t his. He was about to call IT. Please don’t tell me that she’s not smart enough to see the panic on his face. He asks why she’s not napping, and she says she forgot her key. Maybe he should be doing the resting. He says he’s feeling the pressure a little. It’s the baby’s first bed, and he wants it to be perfect.
Alexis stops by Doc’s office. She knows she needs to make an appointment, but was there for a meeting. She says it turns out, the thing with her father was getting to her more than she thought it would.
Carly is surprised at Jason wanting her to fire Diane. He says she’s strong enough to stay in Pentonville until he can find proof. Diane will understand. Diane appears, and says, no, she won’t understand. He’s bordering on witness tampering. Carly needs to decide in five seconds. Does she want to go back for a new trial, that could take months, or see this through?
Finn tells Anna that his father was a middle-aged cliché. None of it was Chase’s fault. Burying his wife one month, and marrying a younger wife the next; he wanted to block it out. Chase seems like a decent guy, but he wants something Finn can’t give him. They’re brothers in name only; they’re more like strangers. Anna says Chase seems like more than a stranger, or is there something she’s missing?
Alexis explains to Doc that Valentin found the artifacts. He asks why she hasn’t opened it. Does she not trust Valentin? She says she thinks she doesn’t want to know after all. Doc says Mikkos is dead. He has no control over her unless she gives it to him. She’s acting out of fear. She asks if he thinks she should open it; it might bring a wave of chaos. He says, maybe not. They’ll deal with it together.
Sonny thinks Mike’s arrest might never have happened if Carly was in her right mind. The DA asks why Carly neglected him, and Sonny says she didn’t neglect anything. She was following the note. No one else could see her grief; it broke her. She doesn’t need prison; she needs help. Diane calls Jason to the stand. Sonny looks at him as they walk past each other, changing places.
Curtis tells Jordan if her usual search channels aren’t panning out, try something unusual. She says, he’s hired. He says, we’re hired. He has a new partner – Sam.
Monica comes home, and asks Nelle how court was. She says, rough, having to relive the events. Michael says he hopes his mom gets the help he needs, but his main focus is Nelle and the baby. Monica looks at the bed he’s trying to put together. She says she’s a surgeon, and has put together more complicated things.
Jason says Carly described the phone calls to him, and how she heard an explosion. Diane asks if she seemed upset, and he says, no, worried. Dante traced the calls to a pay phone on Angel’s Bluff, near where Morgan was killed. They went to the pay phone, accompanied by Detective Falconari. Diane asks if there was any evidence of a recent explosion, and Jason says, no. She asks if Carly reconsidered, thinking maybe she’d heard something else. He says, no; she was sure it was an explosion. Moving on to the scarf, Diane asks if Jason saw it. He didn’t, and she asks if there was an attempt to find it and if it was recovered, and it wasn’t, although he looked. She asks if Carly was upset, and Jason says, yeah; she said it brought back the pain of losing Morgan. Diane asks if Carly was hopeful that Morgan was still alive, and would come back someday. He says she was, and Diane moves on to the break-in. She asks if Jason has experience with security systems, and he says he does. Diane ask if when he checked the house, there was any evidence of a break-in or intruder, and he says, no. She asks if Carly showed him the broken picture, and when he says she did, Diane asks if he was there when she found it. He says, no, and she confirms that he only had Carly’s word. No further questions.
The DA wants to make sure she understands. Carly told Jason about the calls before she told her husband. Jason says, yes, and the DA says, and the scarf? She asks when Carly told her husband, and Jason says the night of the break-in. The DA says, in all that time, her husband never noticed anything wrong, or expressed concern that something was bothering her? Jason says, at the same time, his father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and she says, so he was distracted. Did Jason think something was wrong with Carly?
Finn tells Anna, enough sordid family history for one afternoon. She thanks him for sharing what he did. She likes getting to know him better. He says, likewise. He’s been meaning to apologize about something. When he said she was one step away from a bathrobe and a cat, he didn’t mean it. He’s about to leave, and she asks him to wait.
In the hospital corridor, Alexis looks at the envelope some more. She tells herself she’s being ridiculous, and opens it. There’s a watch inside, and she looks surprised.
The Snoo has been built, and Monica says, they psyched themselves out; it’s actually easy to assemble. Drew comes in with his luggage. Monica asks if that means what she thinks it does. He says, if the offer still stands, and she says, welcome home, son.
Jordan tells Curtis that he’s on the clock. Find Henrik.
Jason says he could see Carly was in a lot of pain and hurting. The DA says, other than her husband, is he Carly’s closest friend; does he know her better than anyone? He says, yes, and she ask if he can swear his best friend was insane when she assaulted Nelle.
On Monday, Anna asks Finn to stay, Nelle tells Michael his bitch mother got what she deserves, and Jason can’t answer the question.
🌈 Let Your Flag Fly…
My film recommendation for Pride month is Trick. I stumbled upon Trick by accident, when it aired on the Logo network. The title is somewhat misleading. It makes the movie sound like Cruising, but it’s really a sweet comedy. Gabriel (Christian Campbell) is trying to get his musical off the ground, and he’s also trying to get some alone time with his date, Mark (John Paul Pitoc). Gabe’s best friend is Katherine, played by Tori Spelling, who is surprisingly good, gives one of the funniest monologues in a diner ever. The title song to Gabe’s musical, Enter, You, might be stuck in your head for a while, but it’s not a bad thing. It’s rarely on television, but it’s on DVD and possibly On Demand. Whatever way you can find it, it’s worth watching. It will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart.
Trick‘s stats: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162710/
😲 Filing This Under, Oh Hell No!
Brittany and Jax are engaged. It’s like vermin mating with angels. No offense to vermin.
🎤 Quotes of the Week
If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud. – Emile Zola
Mason jars with a handle or wine stem cause me to lose faith in humanity. – Elon Musk
Watching the desperate relationship-challenged compete on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is like watching Hunger Games set in a sunny Hallmark version of a high school prom. — From the new Kareem Abdul-Jabber column on reality TV.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. — Albert Einstein
If you’re as honest and fair as you can be, not only in business but in life, things will work out. – Kate Spade
🌞 For Your Weekend Viewing Pleasure…
What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Lulu tells Peter that Anna is helping her find Henrik.
Emma promises it will be the best show ever.
Julian tells Kim she looks spectacular, and she does, in a black sleeveless gown with gold sequined flowers, and blue tassel earrings. I love a tassel. He tells her pretty much anything can happen at the Nurses’ Ball.
Lucy is introduced. She says, while the glitz and glamour has its place, the real star quality is the desire to help each other. The nurses sing Everyday People, with Epiphany starting the song. Nurse Deanna also makes her debut. The choreography is pretty good. Confetti falls at the end.
Lucy thanks their sponsor Olay, and says 100% of the donations will be going to HIV/AIDS research and support. She tells everyone to mingle and get out their checkbooks. Jordan greets Chase, and he says he’s taking one for the team, even if the team doesn’t want to rehearse together. Curtis sees Stella, and says he didn’t expect her to be there. She says she got an offer she couldn’t refuse; Mike invited her. Curtis asks if she’s sticking around all night. She tells him that she’s not giving any thought to him and Jordan, and to just go on and have a good time.
Mike tells Sonny it’s great to have a date. Too bad Carly couldn’t be there. He asks where she is again, but Bobbie comes by, and asks if she can borrow Sonny. Mike says he’ll mingle; he doesn’t want his date getting jealous. Bobbie tells Sonny she can’t believe Carly is spending a second night in jail. Nelle baited her all afternoon, and Carly pushed back, but no way did she push her down the stairs. Sonny says he didn’t want to be there tonight, but his dad wanted to come. Bobbie has one of the best looks of the evening; a body-hugging royal blue gown, with a mermaid hem, open-shoulders, and bell sleeves. Along with the required tassel earrings in silver.
Emma asks if she’s going to have to confiscate Anna’s phone. Anna claims she’s trying to contact Robert, but Robin doesn’t buy it. She says either Anna is waiting to hear from Finn, or looking for Henrik.
Maxie tells Sam that she’s surprised Jason isn’t there. He doesn’t like formal events, but always makes an exception for the Nurses’ Ball. Nina says it’s a great turnout. Maxie says Nina should kick back and relax, but Nina says she’s performing later. Afterwards, Valentin is whisking her and Charlotte away for a mini vacation. She wonders if anyone has a cigarette. Peter tells her nobody smokes anymore; thank God he never did. She thanks him for saving her from herself. Peter steps away to make a call. Sam needs a drink.
Valentin is talking on the phone in French, when Peter interrupts, telling him to hang up now. Valentin finishes his call, and tells Peter that he’s rude. He’s planning a trip, and making the final arrangements. Peter says that Anna set him up, and Valentin knew about it. Valentin tells him to get a grip. Peter says she’s going to expose him, and Valentin is leaving him high and dry. It’s his fault. Sam watches them.
Alexis startles Sam, who says she’s nervous for her. Alexis says she’s nervous enough for herself. If it’s any consolation, Finn is introducing her. Sam asks how that happened, and Alexis thinks it was his idea. Sam is glad things are going well between them. Alexis is too.
Finn looks at Anna, and thinks about the will again. He goes to her table, and Emma asks why he doesn’t text; she needs to know what her grandma is up to. Anna says she can text just fine. Finn asks if Anna is performing, and she says she performed at last one.
Chase sits with Lulu. He asks if Dante is nervous, or is he used to performing? She’s like, um… and Lucy grabs Chase, saying she’s trying to keep the show moving. Dante brings Lulu a drink, and she says Chase thinks Dante is performing with him. Dante wonders where he got that idea.
Valentin knows Peter is rattled, but tells him not to do anything rash. He has too much at stake. Peter says Anna is making a fool out of Valentin, and he’s too infatuated to notice. He’s going to deal with Anna himself.
In the dressing room, Chase asks Dante why he’s not dressed, and where the other guys are. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he had to do this on his own. Dante says he’s sorry, and Chase asks if Dante is saying he is on his own.
Lucy introduces Chase. Dante tells him that whatever happens, it’s for a worthy cause. He sings Feel It Still, with a Dick Tracy motif. At least he has back-up singers/dancers. It’s a great number, and Finn actually smiles.
Sam sneaks around, and goes to Peter’s office. She thinks about Curtis saying what’s missing from dude’s background is his background.
Alexis tells Finn his brother is a hit, and asks if he can sing like that. He says not if his life depended on it. (Not since he was vampire Caleb on Port Charles anyway.)
Jordan tells Chase that she’s sorry he got set up, but he clearly turned the tables; he did the department proud. She tells Dante that he needs to take a page out of his partner’s book. Dante says, next year, and Chase tells him, no hard feelings. They shake hands. Curtis blows past Jordan, and Nina says she has to take care of something. Valentin says he’ll miss her, but after the Ball, she’s all his. She says, always, and he tells her he doesn’t think he could live without her and Charlotte. Nina says good thing he’ll never have to find out. She leaves, and he glares at Peter, who is looking at Anna.
Maxie tells Peter that she wants to say hi to Kim, and he says he has email to check. She tells him not to be a workaholic. He looks at the last email from Anna.
Sam looks through Peter’s stuff. Faison’s lighter is on his desk.
Lucy says the next performer is going to dazzle and delight them. She introduces Obstacle Illusion, and his assistant, Mirage. Nina comes out. She creates a puff of smoke, and Curtis appears. He asks, who’s ready for some magic? He turns his black scarf into rainbow colors, and then makes a bouquet of flowers appear. He asks, what good is a magic act without a card trick, and asks an audience member to pick a card before revealing that the cards are all attached. He tells Nina Mirage the stage is messy, and picks up some scraps of paper, turning them into a newspaper. He says he needs a volunteer, and Nina picks Jordan. Curtis claims they’ve never met before, but his mental skills tell him that she’s the police commissioner. Stella is hoping maybe he’ll saw her in half. Curtis quietly tells Jordan to just go with him. He and Nina put her in a large box, and he says he’s going to change her life. They twirl the box around, and Jordan comes back out. She says she feels the same, but has a silver dollar in her hand. Curtis says he’s been looking for that. If he rubs it, he can make whatever he wants. He turns it into a ring, and says the magic is already happening. They came back into each other’s lives, and found something miraculous. He doesn’t want to take the miracle for granted. He gets down on one knee, and asks her to believe in their magic and marry him. Stella is obviously disgruntled. Jordan says yes, and there’s applause and confetti. They kiss. There’s no applause from Stella, who tells Mike this is full of complications. He asks if she’s one of them, but she says it’s too much to go into. He tells her the graveyard is full of people who hold grudges. Take it from him, none of it matters.
Kim asks Maxie if she’s okay. Maxie says she’s trying not to be a nervous mom-to-be; the baby has been more active than usual. Kim tells her that’s normal, and the baby probably just wants to party. If Maxie needs to talk, come see her. Maxie says she’ll be fine.
Anna is back to staring at her phone, and Robin is like, mom… Anna says Emma isn’t there, so she’s not setting a bad example. Robin tells her to knock herself out; she’s going to mingle. Anna reads a message from Henrik: Midnight – Pier 55 – Come alone.
Maxie tells Peter the baby is fine; her, not so much. The proposal was beautiful, and she’s happy for them. Nathan would be too, if he was there, but he’s not. He’s gone, and sometimes it hits her. She leaves and Peter follows.
Sam totally misses seeing the lighter. Someone starts to open the door. The cleaning guy comes in, asking if anyone is there. Sam says just her. He asks where Peter is at, and she says, at the Ball. He asks, why isn’t she?
Sonny hugs Robin, who says she always feels Stone’s presence on this night. Sonny does too. He’s glad she could make it; it wouldn’t be the same without her. he wants to thank her for recognizing that his father was off. She wishes she’d been mistaken. Sonny says it scared the hell out of him. He didn’t want to come tonight because of Carly, but she insisted he come for his dad’s sake and his memories. Really? When was that? It was Stella who told him to do go.
Mike tells Stella that even if she doesn’t approve, she should give points to Curtis for style. She says style has never been his problem. He’s all flash and dazzle, and can charm birds from the trees. She bets Mike knows about that, but he says, according to his son, he’s an amateur.
Lulu tells Sonny that his son has egg on his face. Dante says he played a joke on Chase, but the joke was on him. He’d told Chase it was a group act. Lulu says, it’s karmic justice; he’s super talented. Dante says maybe not super, and Sonny asks if he’s jealous.
Finn slips out.
Lucy says there’s a slight change in the lineup. The next act can’t perform. Mac & Mr. Marvel are stranded out of town, so they’re going to make the award presentation. She needs Finn.
Backstage, Anna looks at the text from Henrik. Finn startles her. He says they can’t keep doing this.
Alexis says Finn must have stepped out, but Lucy needs to keep the show rolling. Molly says she can step in.
Peter asks Maxie if she’d be more comfortable in his office, and gives her a hanky. She says she’s fine; she has to stop this. He tells her not to be hard on herself. It’s been a tough night. He asks if he said something wrong, and she tells him that Nathan gave her his hanky the first night they met. She almost gave it away, but is glad Sam intervened. I’m surprised she can’t guess Peter and Nathan are related. What men carry hankies anymore?
Sam tells the cleaning guy that when you’re a boss, you never have the night off. She needs to pick up a file, and asks if he can come back later. She sees the lighter, and thinks about Peter saying no one smokes anymore, and thank God he never did.
Molly introduces Alexis. She says she’s watched and admired Alexis her whole life. As a lawyer, activist, and mom, she’s overcome personal and professional adversity.
Finn tells Anna now he knows why she’s been pushing him away. She asks how he found out. He says, so she admits it, and she tells him that she was afraid of what he’d think. He says all the time they wasted. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says if she can’t say it, he will. He knows she’s dying. Alexis overhears.
Molly wants to introduce her hero, role model, and mom; and the first recipient of the Port Charles Pioneer award. There’s applause, but no Alexis.
Finn tells Anna that they need to stop playing games with one another. She wonders why he’s carrying on, and he tells her that he still cares; he never stopped. He wouldn’t want anything to happen without her knowing how much he cares.
Valentin tells Nina they have to leave. They need to pick up Charlotte. She asks why they can’t go tomorrow, but he says he doesn’t want to. There’s nothing worth delaying the vacation of a lifetime.
Maxie promises to wash Peter’s hanky. She thinks she wants to go back in. She has to move around. The baby is being active, but the doctor says it’s a good thing. They go back in.
Sam picks up the lighter, and sees the initials CF. She says, Cesar Faison.
Tomorrow, Maxie asks Peter to take her home, Finn is sorry it took so long, and Sonny tells Stella it’s not good to show the world how you feel.
Southern Charm
Cameran calls mom Bonnie. She’s getting stuff together to go to the hospital. She has her last OB appointment and they might induce labor. Bonnie thinks she might be having contractions. Cameran feels tunnel-visioned and focused. She doesn’t want Bonnie being anxious and crazy, and Bonnie promises to be calm. It’s the last time Cameran is going to be in her house without a kid, and it’s something she never thought would happen.
Kathryn meets Chelsea and her roommate/trainer at the gym. Kathryn says her body has changed since having kids. The do some kettle bell work, and I approve. I love kettle bells. After the workout, Kathryn tells Chelsea that she’s feeling lonely. She has to learn how to get herself out there again. She tells Chelsea about Thomas flirting with her in front of Ashley. She says he likes making two girls jealous of one another. In her interview, she says she has Thomas where she wants him; it’s almost like a formula. You gotta do what you gotta do.
Craig meets Austen at the park, and they go for a run. Austen says Victoria texted him after a party and said she wanted to come over. He’d been dating her and everything was fine until he realized he still had feelings for Chelsea. When they’re together, there’s flirtation that builds, but then plateaus. He thinks she’s not interested. Craig says they don’t have the same lifestyle; that’s why he and Naomie broke up. Austen says he wants to keep the friendship with Chelsea, but he and Victoria mesh. Craig thinks they both need to man up and move on.
Naomie’s roommate, Wilson, helps her fold sheets. She’s glad Craig wasn’t at the Nico opening, since she could concentrate on herself instead of them fighting. She went to business school, since she wanted to run her own company one day, and it’s time to prove herself.
Shep calls his dad, Rip. Shep and Rip. No words. Shep’s brother is having a child, and Shep says Rip must be relieved the Rose name will live on. He thinks it’s obvious he won’t have a traditional life, but thinks he might have anxiety about it as he gets older. His investment in bars was unhealthy, so now he’s renovating his house on the beach for rental. He calls it mailbox money – setting things up so you can do what you want and still get income.
Patricia meets with stylist Madison at Gwynn’s for Ashley’s make-over. Patricia doesn’t usually do personal styling, but is making an exception. Otherwise, Thomas will be on Medicare before he gets married. Ashley arrives. She sees Patricia’s ring, and asks her to go ring shopping with her when the time comes. Ashley models some outfits. The stylist puts her in Chanel with Jimmy Choo shoes. Ashley says she feels like a Barbie doll, and Patricia tells her to never refer to herself that way. Champagne is popped. With another outfit, Ashley feels like Pretty Woman, and that reference gets a no as well. Patricia asks if she and Thomas have talked about making it permanent. Ashley says she didn’t move across the country for no reason. Patricia says if and when it goes on too long, if you have to give an ultimatum, so be it. She asks if Ashley is going to start her career there, but Ashley makes some excuse about getting her license. Patricia tells her not to make the mistake of playing house and quitting her job; she thinks it’s burdensome to men. In her interview, Patricia says she knows how to close the deal, and dated her current fiancé four months before he asked her to marry him. She tells Ashley that it makes women more attractive to have a life. It tips the scale, and he’ll want her on a permanent basis. In her interview, Patricia says, she’s had successes, and the proof is in the pudding. The bill comes to over ten grand, and Patricia says, thank you, Thomas.
Chelsea calls brother Kyle who invites her to join him the tiki bar. She’s waiting for a call or text about Cameran’s baby. In her interview, she says when she lived with Cameran, Kyle was their third roommate. She’d been secretly hoping Cameran would date him. She’s going to Hilton Head in a couple of days with Shep and the gang, and wants to see their old house nearby. He asks if she’s going to introduce Shep to their family. She asks if a certain aunt still has all the cats. He says she has twenty raccoons now.
Shep meets Whitney and Thomas for drinks. Thomas says he’s happy with what he’s got. Whitney hasn’t seen any drawbacks. Thomas says they’re the same with all women – you can’t date. Shep says she can withstand the madness, and Thomas says she can handle Kathryn. They’ve been getting along better than they ever have, and he says when they were together, the pressure was on them from day one. He talks about them spontaneously hooking up on occasion. In his interview, Shep thinks Thomas is still drawn to Kathryn. She’s hot and witty, but there’s something vulnerable about her that makes you want to make sure she’s okay. He asks if Thomas was walking the razor’s edge flirting with her at the party.
Kathryn wasn’t expecting to get any sort of job at Gwynn’s, but was offered an internship. They start off with a styling exercise. Madison gives Kathryn a customer profile, and tells her what the customer wants. She’s a solid ten nervous. The only store she’s worked in is an ice cream shop. There was no pattern or reasoning to the jobs she’s had; she just picked a job and went with it. She loves clothes and fashion, and knows she has potential. She just has to find the right fit. She shows Madison what she’s picked out and why. Madison tells her to think outside the box, and suggests more color and accessories. She loves where Kathryn’s head is at, and it’s a good start.
Austen meets Victoria for dinner. They order ceviche. Victoria talks about her job and suggests coming over on her two-hour lunch break. She asks what Austen wants, and he says he wants to be with her. She asks when he realized this. He sees them giving it a shot, but she wants to make sure he won’t freak out again. She wants his loyalty and to be able to trust him. He says he doesn’t think Chelsea as feelings for him, and Victoria says they’re either together or not. He says they are, and apologizes for his indecision. She accepts, but says it won’t be accepted again. My mind wanders to how these people eat outside a lot of the time, and that leads me to the thought that I’d love to live there, but it’s too damn hot.
Patricia gets ready for an Asian-themed dinner. Whitney puts the fortunes in the cookies. It’s an all-male dinner, and we flash back to others she’s had. She asks if her kimono makes her butt look big.
Thomas arrives first. He and Whitney discuss their suits, and Patricia calls them two vanity prone males. Austen is next, followed by JD (bleh). Thomas says he and Ashley had a quarrel. They were at a piano bar, and she wanted to leave, but he was having a good time. He told her he’s not putting up with this crap. He’s fifty-five, and doesn’t want her hovering over him. Patricia says she’s just looking out for him, but he says he doesn’t want to be controlled. Shep comes in, and Patricia asks where Craig is. Shep says he’s probably sewing her an excuse.
Craig walks in, and says it looks like the Oxford Club. When Shep asks what’s going on, he says he’s just living life. He wants a dog, but travels too much, and Naomie got the cat. Thomas asks if he has visitation rights. Austen says he has a date with Victoria, and Patricia asks what happened to Chelsea. He tells Patricia that he’s moved on.
Dinner is served. Whitney says it’s vegan, and most beneficial for healthfulness and mindfulness. The chef explains the dishes. Shep thought tempeh was a city in Arizona. Everyone declares the food delicious. Patricia hopes every year that the guys get over their Peter Pan Syndrome, but thinks it goes into perpetuity. She says woman ruined their possibilities of getting married because they act like wives with no commitment. In her era, you were a spinster after thirty, admitting they do get worried about the biological clock. Thomas why they can’t have as many wives as they can afford, because he’s an idiot. Patricia tells them about the shopping trip with Ashely. Thomas says it went to five figures, and Patricia says she didn’t ask the price of anything because it’s tacky. Rich people problems. JD’s fortune cookie says his prescription for Adderall is running low. Ha-ha! How about giving him something to knock him out? Thomas opens his, and it says, every exit is an entrance to new experiences. Craig says if that was the case, he’d have fewer kids. Thomas tells them that Ashley wants a child, and Craig asks if she’s using birth control. Thomas says, no, and I wonder why him using it isn’t an option. Patricia says Ashley loved her ring, and Thomas says they’d have to go to the Smithsonian to get one. While he’s talking, Thomas slips, and says Kathryn instead of Ashley.
Kathryn leaves a message for Thomas, asking if he wants to have dinner.
Cameran is back home. The doctor put her on a drip to have contractions, but her body wasn’t having it. Her cervix is like a steel trap. She did a walk of shame out of the hospital with no baby. The doctor told her to wait, and she’ll come when she’s ready. In her interview, Cameran says she’s been pregnant too long, and needs this baby out of her.
Kathryn meets Thomas at a restaurant for dinner. Outside. He points out that they both wore green. She fixes his hair. Sometimes, they really are like an old married couple. They decide to split the fish special. What did I just say? Kathryn wants to be honest, and says Thomas posted a photo of him, Ashley, and the kids on social media, and it hurt her feelings. She was brokenhearted, and just lying on the couch, numb. It looked like a family photo. Thomas sincerely gets it, and apologizes. He realizes it’s hard for her, and will be more respectful.
They discuss Saint’s birthday. It’s on a Thursday, and Kathryn asks if he’d be interested in helping her plan something for Sunday. She wants to show the kids they can be friends. He tells her about Kensie asking why they’re not together. Kathryn starts to say, she wishes, and Thomas interrupts, saying, they could get back together? She says, no. She means it when she says she wants them to be friends and get along. They shake on it. She fixes his hair again.
Next time, Naomie brings kitty Gizmo to Craig as a peace offering, Ashley doesn’t want to be excluded from Saint’s birthday, Victoria asks if Austen has talked to Chelsea about them, and the trip to Hilton Head happens.
🐎 Thought on Westworld. How come no one is like, hey, you don’t look like you belong here?
🎬 Bryan Cranston is a never-ending font of talent. I watched Trumbo last weekend, and he blew me away again. The film centers around Dalton Trumbo, Hollywood’s greatest screenwriter, until he was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities committee during the McCarthy era. An excellent depiction of a paranoia that cost people their livelihoods, but also of the man himself. I was riveted.
😎 Cooler Than Cool…
What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
Before
Everyone is sleeping like things are normal; like it used to be. Luci makes coffee for Nick, and everybody gets dressed, and ready for the day. All kinds of activities are going on.
Madison asks a little girl about her family, but she doesn’t want to talk. She asks the girl about some of her favorite things instead. Madison says it takes getting used to, but this is home now. She’ll do what she can to make it happen, but needs help. The girl nods. Madison asks where the girl was coming from, and she points. Madison looks out to see zombies wandering around outside the baseball stadium they call home.
Over a loudspeaker, we hear it’s been 365 days. Victor says they’re celebrating, and pours maple syrup over everyone’s breakfast. Madison hammers away at something, and Alicia brings her some food. She tells Madison that they’re leaving in twenty minutes.
The girl talks to Nick about a story that sounds like Faust; a guy selling his soul to the devil. The turnip crop isn’t doing so great, and the girl, whose name is Charlie, asks about food running out. Nick says they’re almost growing enough not to need scavenging.
Madison tells the others where she thinks Charlie is from, but it’s outside the range. Madison says they have to look for her family anyway.
The group gets ready to leave. Nick asks Luci to find Charlie a new book. If she’s reading Faust, hopefully Luci understands to bring back something at a higher reading level than My Little Pony. Luci says Nick should come, but he has a turnip situation. He asks her to make sure Madison comes back this time. Luci tells Madison that Nick has to come out at some point. Madison says he needs to feel safe right now, but he will. Nick finds out it’s weevils causing the crops to fail, and radios the car. They get out of range before he can finish the conversation.
Madison parks, and tells them eyes open, stay close, keep talking. Victor and Luci go through a building that’s been picked clean; even the lightbulbs are gone. Alicia and Madison find a mess and a burned-out car. Madison says it’s lucky Charlie got out alive. Victor realizes the place isn’t just void of survivors, but also the dead. It’s a ghost town without ghosts. (I said that, not him.) Madison sees half-eaten food, and tells Victor that they’ll be there in a minute.
Luci says Madison won’t stop until she looks under every rock. Victor says she wouldn’t stop until she found him. He still hasn’t asked why she helped him after what he did. Luci suggests he does.
Charlie messes with the radio, and Nick tells her it’s okay, they haven’t been gone that long. Charlie knows it’s not a regular run. Nick says if her family is out there, they’ll find them. He asks if she’ll help with the turnips. What is it with turnips? They grow them on The Walking Dead too. Considering my gardening skills lean more toward enthusiasm than actual talent, maybe I should try growing them.
Madison and Alicia look around, but there’s nothing. A woman comes up behind Madison with a gun, and asks for her keys. Madison tells her that she doesn’t have to do this, but the woman keeps a bead on her. Madison signals Victor on the radio. He says, sh*t! and takes off. Madison tells the woman about the settlement. She says they have strong walls, plenty of food, and good people. She says they took in a little girl named Charlie, and asks if the woman knows her, but she says she doesn’t have a kid, and tells Madison to stop. She takes the keys from Madison’s pouch, but runs up against Alicia, with Victor and Luci now behind her. The woman dashes past them. Madison follows.
The woman runs up some steps leading to an oil tank. Alicia asks her to put the gun down, and puts her own down. Alicia tells her to trust them; they’ll give her the car. The woman backs up, and falls into the tank. Lots of falling through roofs going around. It’s dark, and full of oily water. Zombies pop up everywhere. Madison tells Victor to get the hatch open, and jumps down. Victor and Alicia struggle to get it open, but finally do, and oil, water, and zombies flow out. They kill the zombies, and Alicia gets Madison out.
Luci finds a copy of The Little Prince. Well, it’s no Dostoevsky, but better than My Little Pony. Victor wonders why they’re bothering, and Madison says, no one is gone until they’re gone. The woman introduces herself as Naomie. She says she’s sorry; she wasn’t going to hurt her. Madison asks if she has any idea who let the zombies into the tank, but she just got there. Madison asks where she’s from, and Naomie says it’s been a long time since she’s been from anywhere. We hear zombie noises, and Luci says they should leave – now.
Nick burns the turnip crop. A zombie sticks its dead fingers through the fence. Suddenly, music is playing, then fades. Nick wonders if it’s a signal, and he and the others wait to hear it again. There’s just silence, and Nick asks Charlie to open the gate. He gets in a car, takes a deep breath, and rolls out.
Nick remembers being behind a fence, and blowing up the reservoir. Zombies grapple at the car, and Nick runs into something, hitting his head on the dashboard. A sniper from the settlement shoots at the zombies, and radios him to get back. He gets out, and starts walking toward the gate. A zombie starts to come up on him from behind, and in perfect timing, Madison returns and creams it with her car. Luci asks what happened, and Nick says he was out for a stroll. She tells him get in.
Madison wants to talk to Charlie. Charlie says it’s okay; she knows Madison didn’t find them. Madison tells Charlie that she has to ask another question; not an easy one. What happened at the camp? Who did that? Charlie says nothing, and Madison says they’ll talk later.
Nick gets his wounds dressed by Naomie, who was a nurse, at the ER, then the ICU. Madison doesn’t think it was a surprise to Charlie that they didn’t find her family. Nick leaves, and Naomie says Madison didn’t tell her it was a baseball stadium. Madison says Naomie didn’t believe she had a camp. Naomie asks how many, and Madison says forty-seven; forty-eight if she decides to stay. Naomie says she pulled a gun, but Madison says they’ve all done worse. She thought she’d lost her kids, but found them and found this place. They built it up together. They are who they are because of it. Naomie says they don’t know her. Madison says she doesn’t know them. They’re both taking a chance. She suggests Naomie take a shower, and Naomie is astounded they have one – with hot water.
Victor pushes the car Nick was driving, while another guy steers. Luci radios them to get inside now; ditch the car. They look behind them, where there’s a convoy of large vehicles driving in. They run in, and lock the gate. This doesn’t look good.
A dude rides around on a bicycle, music coming from the boombox on the handlebars. Another guy opens a boxcar, and takes out a ramp. Biking dude leads the zombies up the ramp, and goes out the other side, while the ramp guy locks the zombies in. He puts a flag up that says 12. (In last week’s episode, Al found a flag that said 51, and said she’d seen a lot of those.) A third guy gets out a lawn chair, sits in it, and cracks a beer. Everyone watches. Okay, they have me. I have no clue what’s going on, but obviously these numbers mean something.
Madison walks over to guy sitting down, and asks what he’s doing. He says, having a drink. She asks if there’s a problem, and he says, we’re good, and asks if she wants a drink. She says they have people inside with guns, and he says, that’s a helluva welcome. She tells him that she saw the camp, and the tanks. He asks if she thinks they did that, and she says she saw their flag. He tells her that they had to clean up the mess. The people never thought of what would happen if the bleeder valve got jammed. He warned them, but they didn’t listen. Madison asks what he wants. He wants them to listen. They have a mess of their own. He knows they had a bad batch of turnips, and says to tell Nick to check the other crops; weevils are a bitch to get rid of. Madison asks how he knows Nick’s name. He calls out for Chito, and Charlie walks over.
He tells Charlie, sorry he’s late, but he got her some new records. She smiles, and he tells her to get in the bus. He tells Madison that she’s a good kid. They found her a while back; she has a knack for finding good stuff, and they hit the jackpot here. Madison says they’re not taking anything. He tells her people often say that. They don’t take anything from anyone; not anyone alive anyway. He knows they’re good people, and how many guns they have. He says there’s a natural cycle to a place like this, and they’re due for something to go wrong. They can either give them their stuff and live, or join them. Become one of them, or they wait for them to die, trying to make things work. Either way, he ends up with what he wants. It’s not a threat; it’s the way it goes. He tells Madison that his name is Mel, and holds out his hand. She doesn’t reciprocate, and says they’re not going anywhere. Mel says he’s heard that too. She says they’ve been like them, moving from place to place, and they’re not going back to that life; they’ve found a better way. Mel says they just haven’t been tested yet, but they’re about to be. If she changes her mind, they’ll be waiting. I’m wondering where the women are in this merry band.
Nick toils in the fields. Mel and his friends play more music, country this time. The weevils still rule the turnips. Madison continues to hammer. The others put down their guns, and join her. Takeaway point: Country music makes people do carpentry.
Luci goes out to the bus. Charlie watches from the window as she leaves the book outside. Luci goes back, and joins in on the hammering. Nick remembers working on Jeremiah’s house.
Now
Morgan and John are on their knees, with Madison and her group around them. Morgan says, we’re not who you think we are. Nick rifles through Morgan’s knapsack, and Morgan tells him to help himself. Luci says they must be with them, and holds up the numbered flag. Al asks, who? Victor says, the Vultures. Al has no idea what he’s talking about, and says, if you a-holes would put your guns down, we can help each other. Madison asks who put the flag up, and Al asks what is it to them? Alicia tells Al that she’s going to answer their questions. Al says they found it, and Alicia says show them where.
They get into Al’s truck, and move out.
Next time, Morgan and Nick tussle, Alicia fights zombies, and Morgan says it’s not going to work out how they think. And in case you didn’t know, Naomie is being played by Jenna Elfman.
😸 Ha-Ha!
On Talking Dead, when they say goodbye to those we’ve lost this week, they included Nick’s crop, calling them tur-nopes.
🍸 I barely glanced at The Real Housewives of Potomac, but I did see Robyn trying to have some serious words with Ashley about respect. Ashley was wearing a hat – a fascinator no less – the size of Potomac, and I wondered how Robyn could even keep a straight face, much less discuss anything important. This was during a garden party Gizelle had for a book she was writing (via ghostwriter) about pastor’s wives in the Black church, who are called First Ladies. It’s fiction, but loosely based on her own experiences. I’d definitely read that.
🏯 I was watching a mini-marathon of Abandoned episodes on Viceland this morning (I love that show!), and it led to my leaving the TV on when the original 1980 film of The Shining followed. I’ve never thought it was as good as the book, and thought Jack Nicholson seemed crazy from the jump. I would never let him babysit my hotel over the winter. And Shelley Duvall… well, she was Shelley Duvall. The remake (1997) had more of a sporting chance, since it was a mini-series and had more hours to tell the story. Sadly, although I finally got the topiary animals I wanted to see (Stanley Kubrick couldn’t get them to look right on film in the original, so they were scrapped for the maze), it was somewhat tepid, and lacked the intensity of the original Danny (Danny Lloyd) and Dick Halloran (Scatman Crothers). Which brings me to my point. It was pretty much background noise until Scatman was on the screen. While I love looking at the hotel – sometimes the setting can be one of the stars of the film for me – my favorite scene is when Dick connects telepathically with Danny in the pantry, then explains the shining to him. They just seem so real. That it still captivates me after all these years is a testament to their acting skills. SPOILER – if you’re the one person who hasn’t seen this film. That’s what made it even worse that they killed him off, totally changing the end of the story, where he saves the day. I heard there was supposed to be a third time, again for the big screen. Whether that’s the charm or not, remains to be seen.
🎷🚬 The second episode of Southern Charm New Orleans was on tonight. While Charleston is your upscale country cousin, NOLA is your sultry, mysterious maiden aunt, who never ages, but has a portrait upstairs.
🔌 I saw a commercial for Amazon Echo, and it was a father telling Alexa to announce “ready or not” to his kids during a game of hide-and-seek. How lazy can you get???? Unplug now. Save yourself.
🔮 Danny Learns About His Gift…
🌎 Happy Earth Day! 🌍
What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
I couldn’t do this last week because the wind blew my internet away. But now, I’m all caught up, and if you weren’t, you will be too. Sorry for the different tenses between shows. It just came out that way.
The Walking Dead
Rick wondered how it happened that Carl got bit. Siddiq explained that his mom believed the dead’s souls were trapped. Carl wanted to honor her to gain Siddiq’s trust, and died paying respects to a woman he never knew. Siddiq had a brainfart, and forgot it was dangerous. Which didn’t exactly answer the question.
Ezekiel told Jerry to justify what they’ve lost, be prepared to lose everything. but they weren’t going to lose sh*t. Daryl still thought Dwight could be setting them up. Morgan got weird, thinking that something was happening, and nearly skewered Henry with his pokey stick. Maggie wouldn’t let the stray Saviors come along for the battle. Morgan insisted on coming, even though Rick was skeptical. Morgan said they were worse than they were, and it was wrong for Rick to have given his word, then double-cross the renegade Saviors. They lost everything good, and can’t go back. Morgan wanted to finish it.
Negan told Dwight that he had nothing, and told his guys to load Dwight up. Eugene personally checked and quality controlled all of the ammunition, and Negan tested it on an effigy of Rick. Eugene suggested a one-fell swooper. Negan decided Gabriel should tag along; he had things to confess.
Negan set up a roadblock, using his own people as bait. He told Gabriel that Rick thought he got the real story. Now he’ll find the map with the time and place, and believe it, because he’s going to kill everyone who could have told him otherwise. Sure enough, Rick kills them all, even the last guy begging for his life. Morgan saw Jared in a vision, and he told Morgan that he should try dying sometime. Ezekiel found the map on one of the dead Saviors, and Carol figured they could get to Negan before he knew what happened.
Gabriel was surprised that Negan wanted to kill everyone; he’d thought Negan didn’t want that to happen. Negan told him it wasn’t about want; it never was. Gabriel bounced out of the moving car, but Eugene helped hunt him down. Negan remembered Gabriel saying he didn’t want to die a fruitless death, and told him you can’t always get what you want, while I got a Rolling Stones earworm. He told Eugene to put Gabriel back in the car.
Jesus tried to explain the conundrum of safety to Morgan, and proposed the pokey end of his stick for the dead, and the blunt end for the living. When Rick and company came out into the open, they heard whistling. It looked like the Saviors had Rick’s people outnumbered by about 300%. Negan said he met Rick’s ambush with a bigger one, and to come out and face them. He wanted to make it fun, so he brought some old friends. He told them that Eugene made today possible; the same with Dwight. He told Dwight he was going to watch them die, and live with that. He was going to clean house, starting with Gabriel. He told Rick there never had to be a fight, if he’d just accepted how things are. Negan started to count down, and they looked like the Jun horde from The Beastmaster coming over the top of the mountain.
They joke was on them, because Eugene had quality controlled the bullets to shoot backward, and they shot themselves. Pretty good trick. Rick announced the charge, and there was lots of shooting, but Negan took off. The ex-Saviors Maggie didn’t want there came anyway. A bunch of Saviors who came out of nowhere, nearly nailed the group, but got blown up by the Oceansiders, who’d decided to join in too. The remaining Saviors kneeled in front of Maggie, and said, it’s over.
Rick went after Negan on his own, but ran out of bullets. They kicked each other’s asses for a while, by the tree where Carl is buried. During a break, Negan told Rick he was bullsh*tting with the eenie, meenie, minie, mo business in the beginning. He just didn’t want to kill a kid’s dad in front of him, but if he had, the kid might still be alive. Negan always makes good points. He told Rick he’s bigger, badder, and has a bat. Rick wanted to talk about the future. He told Negan that Carl said there didn’t have to be a fight. Despite looking somewhat weepy, Negan said Carl was wrong, and Rick slit his throat. Surprising the hell out of me, and probably everyone else, although somehow, it seemed anti-climactic and rude.
Everyone was like, whoa, and then, now what? Rick said Negan was still alive, and told Siddiq to save him. Maggie freaked out, saying they had to end it, and it wasn’t over until Negan was dead. Rick said they were all going home. Negan might be alive, but his way of doing things was over. Anyone who couldn’t live with it would pay the price. He said they were going to live in peace and fairness, and find common ground. The world was theirs, but others would come for them unless they stood together. The new world was going to begin, and there had to be something after. Rosita gave props to Eugene for the sabotage, but punched him in the face anyway for the puke.
Morgan gave Carol his pseudo armor for Henry, and walked off. Rick got teary, as Rick is wont to do these days, and said, mercy prevails over the land. He sat where Carl was buried, and cried.
The ex-Saviors decided to go back to the Sanctuary, hoping to get something out of it. The guy whose name I can never remember told Maggie that he’d been reading the book, and could make some things. He has a passion for building things, and said she gave him his life.
Daryl took Dwight to the woods. Dwight started crying and saying he knew what he did, and knew he’d have to face it and pay. He was ready; it was enough to see Negan taken down. He cried, saying how sorry he was, and Daryl told him to shut up. He tossed Dwight some car keys, and said to keep going. If he saw Dwight again, he’d kill him. As Dwight walked away, Daryl told him to find her. I assumed he meant Sherry.
Gymboree Jadis was reading at the trash heap when Morgan showed up. He told her that Rick said she could come back if she wanted. He explained that Rick wanted to show people that things can change, and needed all the hands he could get. He told her that she didn’t want to be alone, and everything in life worth a damn, is people. She told him her name is Ann, which was kind of a let-down. He told her he needed to be alone, and go back without him, which made perfect sense considering what he’d just said.
Dwight went back home to the cabin in the woods (no, not that one), where he found a note. it just said honeymoon, with an infinity symbol below it.
In Maggie’s office, she told Jesus that he was right. She had no regrets, but he and Rick were right. Rick wasn’t right about Negan though. She said they had to make it thrive for the people who live there. They needed strength, and the ability to defend themselves better, but RIck was wrong; Michonne too. She said they were going to bide their time, wait for the right moment, and then show him. Daryl came out of the shadows, and said, yeah, they will. I don’t like this.
Negan woke up, his neck bandaged, handcuffed to a bed. Michonne said she needed to tell him some things. They planned on making him watch what happens. Rick said it wasn’t about who he killed, but what he did to so many, making them live for him and putting them under the boot. Negan struggled to say, he saves people, and Michonne put her hand on his throat. Rick suggested they could open his stitches for a while. Rick said Carl pitched something better; working together for something bigger than all of them. Michonne added, being an example. They weren’t going to kill or hurt him, but his fate was to rot in a cell for the rest of his life, evidence that they’re making and getting back a civilization like they had. He’ll get to see how wrong he was about what people and life can be. They’ll show people things changed by keeping him breathing. Michonne said after all this, he’s good for something.
Gabriel went to the burned out church and thanked God. He said he understood, and knew now. He’s been given so much, and now he can see.
Rick wrote to Carl. As he wrote, we saw them in the old days, walking down a road. He told Carl that he forgot who he was, and Carl made him remember. He remembered walking with him, and knew who he was for the first time. They were walking side by side, but Carl was bringing him somewhere. To the new world. He made it real. Rick sees it and remembers. Officer Rick and little Carl continued to walk down the road.
Moving right into…
Fear the Walking Dead
Out in the middle of nowhere, a man stands by a truck. He hears something, and asks if anyone is there. He longs to hear someone else’s voice, and suggests they come out and have something to eat. He talks about his life before, and says he can make popcorn. He also has books. He says, since no one is there, before he goes quiet again for another year, he has a story. He talked to a woman who showed up. He let her stay. They had feelings for each other, and one day, they allowed it. He hoped by saying it, he would see it. He did. It was nice, and there hasn’t been a lot of nice. We hear a zombie. The man shoots it, and we see Morgan just behind. The man introduces himself as John Dory, like the fish. He asks Morgan what’s his story?
Morgan is at the trash heap. Jesus knocks at the entrance. He thought they could continue their acquaintance. He insists Morgan cares about people, and tries to get him to come back.
Morgan is alone again. There’s another knock at the entrance, and this time it’s Carol. She asks him to come back. He helped her, so let her help him. She’s not going to tell him what to do, but he belongs with people who care about him.
Again, Morgan is alone. Rick shows up, and says he can hide, but he can’t run. He wouldn’t be alive if not for Morgan. Rick was hurt, and Morgan brought him in. Morgan wasn’t shot, but he’s been hurt. He asks Morgan to come back, and not to waste another second. He’s alive and part of the world. A lot of people are there because he helped them. Morgan says that’s not him anymore. Rick disagrees, saying he’ll end up with people one way or another. He’s part of the world already, so just come back. Rick leaves.
Morgan packs up his stuff, and gets his stick. He takes a long last look at the trash, and moves on down the road. He thinks about Rick’s words, and starts to run. He hotwires a car, and the gas tank is miraculously full. He walks some more. He sees a group of people, and avoids them. He finds another car, and drives again. He goes into a town and sees a cluster of zombies.
He opens a car to find someone who’s sick and shaky. He starts to leave some supplies, but the guy doesn’t want them. Morgan says, sorry. He thought the guy was on his own. The guy says, we all are. Morgan moves along, and it starts to rain.
Morgan comes up behind a zombie in the woods. A shot rings out, the zombie falls, and we’re back to the beginning. John tells Morgan he’d like company, but Morgan is hesitant. John asks if he’s seen a woman with a pistol like his; he’s looking for her. Morgan says he hasn’t, and starts to leave, but John suggests he stay the night; he can take the back of the truck. Morgan sees the wisdom in a good night’s rest. He slips out later while John is snoring.
Morgan finds a tent with a lantern lighting the inside. He sets down his stick and gets whacked in the head. I jump a mile.
Dude tells Morgan, whatever he’s thinking, don’t. Morgan says keep the food, and he’ll go. Dude doesn’t want him telling no one. Morgan says he has no one to tell, and doesn’t want to know anyone. John is suddenly there, and shoots dude in the arm. He says he’s looking out for his friend, and dude says he has friends too. They’re surrounded, and John says now he got himself captured. He’s reminiscent of Eugene in how he speaks.
A big ass truck drives into the tent city, or whatever it is. The woman behind the wheel asks what’s going on, and remarks they have new people. She likes new people. She has a cake and some Cup O’Noodles, the good kind, and she’ll throw in some Pall Malls. Apparently, dude likes Pall Malls. She opens the hatch of the truck to reveal a couple of machine guns. She tells dude, there’s always a choice, and this is an easy one. Morgan and John get in the truck.
The woman’s name is Althea; Al for short. John asks if she’s an officer of the law, and she says, not exactly. She tells them that they owe her. She didn’t save them out of the goodness of her heart. John draws his gun, but she says she just wants to ask them questions. What they’ve seen, who they’ve met, where they’ve been, and where they’re going. She tells them that she’s a journalist, pulls over, and picks up a video camera.
Al interviews John, who talks about Laura. Al asks how they got split up. He says it’s not a happy story, and gets vague. Morgan asks why it matters; there are no news stations anymore. She says he owes her. He tries to give her some food instead, but she only wants his story. He just wants to go. John gives him some clean socks for the road.
Dude comes back with his friends to hassle Al. They want the truck. Dude asks for Morgan’s stick. Morgan slams him with it, and he and john get the better of dude and several of his guys. John gets his gun back. Morgan jumps onto a truck, and John inadvertently lets a bunch of zombies loose. Dude tries to steal Al’s truck, but doesn’t have the keys. Al flings them away, and dude tries to run for them, but a zombie goes after him. Morgan gets shot in the leg by a sniper, who’s been a bad shot up until now. Morgan knocks him around on the roof. The sniper falls off, but hangs onto the ledge, dangling above a gaggle of zombies. Morgan holds out his hand, and pulls him back up. As thanks, the sniper punches Morgan. This is a good example of no good deed going unpunished. They both tumble through the roof. No surprise, Morgan does not help a second time, and gets the hell out. He throws a grenade or something, ducks, and the room blows up. He goes back outside.
John and Morgan shoot and pike zombies. Dude harasses Al for the keys until John finally shoots him, and leaves him for zombie food. Al gets in her truck, opens up the guns, and kills the rest of the zombies. And they all lived happily ever after. Not quite, but they lived.
Al says Morgan still owes her. He tells her to pull over. She films as he talks about Alexandria and the Kingdom. He says there was a big fight, but he left before he left. She asks why he left, but he thinks she should talk. He asks why it’s important, but she doesn’t want to return the favor. She says one real thing, and they’re even. Why did he leave? He tells her that he loses people, then he loses himself. He starts walking down the road again.
Morgan sees the station wagon the sick guy was in, and sees someone walking in the distance. He follows them, but some zombies, feeding by the side of the road, decide to follow Morgan. Since his leg was injured in the fight, he can’t go too fast, and he falls. They’re on him, but John appears once again, and pikes them in the heads.
Morgan needs to know who it is walking up the road. I guess he’s hoping the guy made it, but that’s a no, and he ends up spearing now-zombie guy in the head with his stick. He says he’ll travel with them until his leg heals, and no asking questions. Al says she’s not going to stop, and he says, no answers then. John says she’s taking him to look for Laura in exchange for more story.
Al sees someone in the middle of the road. Both Morgan and John inform her that they don’t kill. She tells them it’s a great moment to share that information. It’s a girl, hunched over. Al asks if she’s injured, and tells Morgan to get the first aid kit. The girl says there are bad people there, then grabs Al in a headlock. It’s Alicia. Victor, Madison, ♫ and the rest ♫, come out from the forest. Al asks what Alicia’s story is.
And there we have it. Until tomorrow night.
🔎 An Observation…
Andrew Lincoln always looks like a businessman on an interview when he’s a guest on Talking Dead.
🎬 Another Thing I Watched…
Mourning Son is a 2015 documentary about the murder of Dave Navarro’s mother, and how it’s affected him throughout his life. It’s also a glimpse into what an incredible artist he is. I had no idea about his background, but always thought he was a very honest and kind man. When Bill Maher was hosting Politically Incorrect – before he fully turned into a mean curmudgeon, and was just working on it – I saw Dave put him in his place when he was talking out of his ass. I’ve admired him ever since. Even more so after seeing this excellent film.
🎆 Right now, I’m (finally) watching Girl’s Trip, and between this and Star, can confirm that Queen Latifah wears more fabulous wigs than the entire cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta put together.
🛀 Enjoy the Remaining Weekend Like…
What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At Charlie’s, Lulu sees Spinelli, and asks how Maxie is. She tells him that the last time she inquired herself, Maxie threatened her with a restraining order.
At another table, Nina tells Valentin that Peter is always around; at the office and the hospital, being supportive. Valentin says he and Maxie survived a terrible ordeal together, but Nina asks what Peter lost; dinner reservations? Valentin says they left together last night, but he doesn’t think Maxie is moving on from Nathan. Nina isn’t worried about Maxie, but as far as she’s concerned, Peter has an agenda.
Maxie sees Peter asleep on the couch. He apologizes, and she asks if he was out there listening to her cry. He says she’s making him sound less like a concerned friend than a stalker. Since he’s her boss, this would make a spectacular lawsuit. She tells him not to be silly. She was dreading spending the night, but she got through it. Maybe because she wasn’t alone.
Griff asks Ava if he smells coffee, and she comes out drinking from yet another empty cup. She says she’ll get him some. He doesn’t want her to wait on him, but she says she enjoys it. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s the test results Griff has been waiting for. The messenger says it must be important, and Griff says he’s about to find out.
Sonny, Mike, Dante, and Michael have breakfast at the MetroCourt. Sonny says all the Corinthos men at one table; it’s a special occasion. Mike asks where Morgan is, but Sonny says he couldn’t make it. Mike says he must be out raising hell; they should drink to him. And they do.
Jason meets with Anna. She tells him that she didn’t bring the manuscript, and asks if she can keep it for a while. It was just as she thought; Henrik left a trail of clues.
Lulu tells Spinelli that she thought about just leaving Maxie alone, but she’s hoping Maxie realizes she misses her and will reach out. She’s too afraid to take that risk and alienate her further. She accepts that Maxie may never forgive her, but if there’s anything he can do to open up communication, she’d appreciate it. They need each other. He says he’ll do his best.
Nina tells Valentin that she gave Peter the benefit of the doubt, but she’s not wearing blinders, and her instincts tell her something is going on. She wants Valentin to back her up, and he says he always will, but he’s observed when it comes to Maxie and the baby, she’s looking for problems where there aren’t any. She admits maybe she’s over-protective, and he says, just a tad. She tells him until she’s 100% certain Peter is harmless, she’s not taking her eyes off of him.
Maxie feels better, telling Peter that going to the apartment had made her feel like she was losing Nathan over and over. He wishes he could make it easier. She says he has. Thanks to him, she’s back home, and managed to get a whole night’s sleep. He asks if she’s saying he put her to sleep. She calls it a gift, and he says it sounds like a power a super villain would have. She tells him that Spinelli is the nerdapedia, not her. Right now, she feels brave enough to spend another night – without him on the sofa.
Ava asks Griff who it was. He says a messenger from the hospital with test results he needed asap. She asks if it’s confidential, and he says he just needs a moment. She has to send some texts, and goes into the kitchen. He opens the envelope, and looks at the results. He says, Peter August is Caesar Faison’s son.
Anna tells Jason the protagonist is Henrik, and he must have spent time in boarding school. She can use the description to narrow the field, and cross-reference the school records with his birthdate. Jason says Henrik’s birthdate wasn’t in the manuscript.
Sonny has had a special breakfast prepared, and Michael says he’s waited his whole life for this breakfast. It does look good, but I don’t know if it’s life-waiting worthy. Sonny tells them to dig in. Dante says it’s better than his mom’s cooking, but don’t tell her he said that. Sonny says he had them prepare it like Tony’s on Fulton. Mike has no idea who Tony is, but he sure can cook.
Dante asks how Sonny got the recipe, and Sonny says his dad was the man at Tony’s. Sonny used to sneak in; they knew him because he was Mike’s kid. When his dad took him there, he always had espresso. Mike doesn’t remember, but Sonny takes his hand and tells him it’s okay. He asks if Mike is ready to go, and Mike tells Dante to keep Michael out of trouble. Dante says he doesn’t get in much trouble, and Mike tells Michael to get in some and keep them on their toes. He says it was a great breakfast, and to tell Morgan that he missed him. Sonny and Mike leave. Dante feels badly for Mike, but worse for Sonny. Michael says once he loses Mike, Sonny won’t have anyone else to remember his life with.
Jason repeats that there was no reference to Henrik’s birthday, and asks how Anna knew. She says Obrecht told her, but there’s no birth certificate and no official record.
Peter tells Maxie that she’s too hard on herself. Up until now, all she could do is get the mail, and she just spent the entire night there. She’s brave. Every day she has to face all she’s lost. She gets out of bed and goes to work, making something substantial and beautiful. She says she doesn’t do it alone, and he says, but she does it in the face of tremendous loss. She gets through the day in spite of it. She’s a hero.
Griff remembers talking to Anna, and then Peter, about Huntington’s disease. He flashes back to telling Peter that he’ll respect his privacy, no matter what. Ava asks if she can come back in. She can tell he’s worried, and asks if the test results were discouraging. He says they aren’t what he’d hoped for, but what he expected. She asks if he wants to talk about it. He tells her what he suspected about a patient proved to be true, and he doesn’t know what to do with the information. It’s not as simple as just telling them, and it’s not just the patient who needs the information. To make matters worse, what he did was unethical and illegal, and he did it anyway.
Lulu asks Nina if she has a moment, and asks how Maxie is doing. Nina says, not speaking to you, and Nina doesn’t want to either. Lulu says they both care about Maxie. Nina tells her that Maxie is devastated, but unbroken; fragile, but fierce. She comes to work every day, which proves she’s unstoppable. Lulu says she always has been. She’s relentless and remarkable, and Lulu wishes she could tell her. Nina says she’s not giving Maxie a message. Lulu accepts that her friendship with Maxie may be beyond saving, but she’s going to tie up the loose ends with Faison, no matter what. Nina tells her to knock herself out, but she never wants to hear her name again. Lulu says she understands, and Nina walks out.
Ava says Griff just wanted to help, and broke the rules. He says, not just the rules, the law. She tells him without naming names, would they be better off not knowing? Griff says, no, and she asks if the information – however he got it – help. He tells her it might even save a life. He went out on a limb to get an answer. He found it, and now has to decide what to do with what he’s learned.
Jason tells Anna that Spinelli plans to pass himself off as Henrik to gain access to Faison’s safe deposit boxes. Anna says he’ll end up in a foreign prison. She asks if they’ve thought this through, and suggests it might be a mind game thought up by Faison. Jason says they can find Henrik’s alias and last known whereabouts. She asks how he’s going to approach Henrik, and he says, with a gun. Anna tells him that he has to think it through, about how Henrik grew up; under the thumb of an oppressive tyrant. He was an unwilling participant turned traitor; he switched sides. Jason should be trying to find a way to undo that, and not jump to conclusions. Jason thinks he might not be an innocent victim. He could be like his father. She says he’s not, and Jason asks how she knows that. Anna says Faison was unique. Jason asks how she doesn’t know there isn’t some woman in the same position as she was, and Henrik isn’t targeting her as they speak? How would she feel if he allowed that to happen?
Maxie tells Peter to go home and change his clothes, so they can avoid horrible office rumors. He tells her to be kind to herself; it’s tough enough. She says, the best way out is through it – Robert Frost. He’s impressed, but she says, don’t be. She thought it was Winston Churchill until Spinelli corrected her. There’s a knock at the door, and Spinelli brings Georgie in. Maxie introduces her to Peter. Georgie tells Maxie they came to make her feel better. Maxie says she’s sad because Nathan went away, but it’s working already. Spinelli tells Georgie that Maxie might not want to talk about it, but Maxie says, it’s okay. She loved him so much, and misses him a lot, but it’s a funny thing about feelings; you can have so many at one time. Even though she’s sad because Nathan is gone, she’s still so happy to see Georgie. Peter smiles.
Michael tells Dante that he spoke to Doc, and there are different approaches the medical community is taking with dementia. Dante asks if Michael thinks something can help, and Michael tells him Doc had an idea.
Mike says Sonny is quiet. Sonny says he’s just working. Mike says he didn’t mean to bother him, but Sonny says he has to take break and would rather talk to him. Mike asks what’s going on; is it the business? Sonny says the business is fine. Mike says he knows he’s not a kingpin, and Sonny says, lucky him, but he’s been through tight spots. If Sonny needs advice, just ask. Sonny says he might take him up on it. He asks if Mike remembers Richie. He ran numbers in the back of a bodega. Mike says he’s sorry; it’s not ringing any bells. He used to remember everything, like the guy who made breakfast – Tony. How could he forget? Sonny tells him, don’t worry; it was a long time ago. Mike says something about Tony is important.
Griff asks Ava what she’d do in his position. Ava can’t believe he’s asking her to figure out the right thing to do. She’s going to approach his question in two ways. What she would have done before she fell in love with him, is whatever would have benefited her the most, consequences be damned, and keep her mouth shut. He asks what she’d do now, and she says she’d ask the advice of the kindest, most compassionate person she knows – him. Even if it’s unethical, illegal, or a mistake of gargantuan proportions, one thing she knows for certain, is that he acts in the best interest of others. He doesn’t need her to tell him. He already knows.
Anna asks Jason if he read the manuscript. If he had, then he would have seen a deeper, complex humanity than Faison had. Looking at the character, she saw he has introspection, a capacity for empathy alien to Faison. Jason thinks he could be even more dangerous, and she says he’s forgetting Henrik kept him alive. He says, drugged and restrained, and she says, alive and breathing. He wouldn’t be here – Jason finishes, if he hadn’t escaped. He says he was kept there for years, and followed back from Russia. They drugged and kidnapped Sam on Henrik’s orders. Why is she defending this guy? Why is Jason assuming Henrik gave those orders?
Mike tells Sonny that he took a date to Tony’s. He was really nervous, and wanted to impress her, so he went all out. She was beautiful, with a wicked smile. She must have been something for him to remember. He struggles with her name, and Sonny asks if it was Adela. Mike says, yeah; she was really something.
Maxie tells Georgie to check out the nursery. There might be a present for her in there. Spinelli says it’s joyful beyond description to see them together. She thanks him, saying it’s already starting feel like home again. He wishes he could do more. Maxie says she can bear the unbearable. Even if Nathan isn’t coming back, the baby will have a big sister. Spinelli says she’ll have him too, and he’ll provide help to the best of his ability. Maxie says she has great friends, and he says, her chosen family. She has so many people willing to step up for her already. She says, already? She says what he means, is that she already has people close to her as opposed to Peter. She accuses Spinelli of not liking him, and Spinelli says he barely knows him, but he’s curious as to why she’s leaning on him so much. She says when she sees Nina or Obrecht, they’re just as devastated. Her mom and Mac love her, but they’re worried about her, and she can’t bear their pain on top of hers. Maybe she’s being selfish, but on the other hand, Peter barely knew Nathan. He was there when Nathan got shot, but he’s not grieving. She doesn’t have to make him feel better. Spinelli says there’s someone else, and she says, don’t you dare bring up Lulu.
Valentin goes over to Lulu’s table, and says, she’s tying up loose ends with Faison? She tells him, it’s called integrity; he should try it. He asks if she has a lead on Henrik, and she asks why he’s interested. He says Faison killed his wife’s brother, and he has considerable resources. She asks if he’s suggesting they be partners. He says, not in a quest for justice, but revenge.
Anna doesn’t condone what Henrik did, but thinks it’s important that Jason understand. He says Henrik could be an ongoing threat. She says he was trapped in a prison of his father’s making; forced to do things against his nature. He’s already paid a steep price for being Faison’s son.
At the MetroCourt, Peter takes out the new PK Sinclair book. He says, a new book, a clean bill of health, and best of all, his father is dead. Nina – who is getting to be like a freaking wizard – suddenly appears, and asks where that came from.
Sonny gives Mike some coffee. Mike says Sonny should meet his son. He thinks they’d like each other. Another stab in my heart.
Dante asks if Michael thinks it will work; it sounds out there. Michael says it’s worth a shot. He’s willing to do anything to give Sonny more time with Mike before he slips away. Dante says, let’s do it. I’m hoping it’s an ’80s cruise.
Spinelli knows the wound with Lulu is fresh, and Maxie says she understands Lulu didn’t shoot him, but she knew the risk. Nathan took risks to protect them. He put his life at risk for his family, but Lulu put his life at risk for her own career. It’s like a huge joke. She did it for the greater glory of being Lulu Spencer. She thinks being a Spencer makes her special, and she regrets nothing. She’s never wrong. Spinelli says as angry as she is, and blames and hates Lulu, he knows she loves and needs her. Maxie says she needs Nathan, and he’s dead because of Lulu. Spinelli says with all her flaws and failings, Lulu is her oldest and dearest friend. Oldest friends know us best, and above anyone, are the truest.
Valentin tells Lulu that Henrik could be anywhere, and he has contacts all over the world. Why not use them? She asks why he doesn’t find Henrik himself, but he says he’s busy. She wonders what makes him sure Henrik isn’t there. Maybe he knew everyone assumed he’d leave Port Charles, so he stayed behind. Faison hid on Spoon Island for quite some time. Valentin asks if she’s suggesting Henrik is hiding in his basement, and Lulu says, for all they know, he’s still in Port Charles, right under their noses.
Nina asks Peter how he got an advance copy of the new book. Peter says he’s in publishing, being polite in not adding that was a stupid question. She gives him some paperwork, saying he saved her a trip to his office.
Ava sees Griff’s folder, and thinks about opening it, but she doesn’t. She puts it in a cupboard. Probably to be opened later.
Unaware Griff is listening, Jason tells Anna that if Henrik took over where Faison left off, he’s dangerous. Anna thinks they should try to help him. Jason says, not help. They need to stop him, and eliminate him, whatever it takes.
Tomorrow, Sonny tells Dante he’s grateful, Bobbie tells Scotty that his secret is safe with her, and Sonny has a surprise for Mike.
💭 Bravo is having another Ice Cube/Friday takeover, along with the three-part Married to Medicine Reunion – even scarier than the show – but soon we will have more Housewives than we can handle. I also can’t wait for Southern Charm, which I consistently want to call Southern Comfort, a 1981 film that’s well worth watching. I’ll let it speak for itself.
🐍 👀 It’s the land of hospitality. Unless you don’t belong there.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 