Category Archives: nighttime drama

May 8, 2022 – John Chooses His Legacy, Why, Speculating Fear, About Carol, Whispering Interest, Norman Books, Danai At the Met & Hot

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

Fear the Walking Dead

We see the zombies beneath the tower. Inside, John says he needs to talk to Victor. He’s going to be straight with Victor; he has some concerns about how Victor is running this place. We see Howard rifling through drawers, and John says, from his days as a cop, he knows you’re only as good as your partner. Howard finds a walkie in a drawer, and John says he thinks Victor deserves a partner who knows which way is up. On the roof, a young woman is screaming as she’s dragged toward the edge of the roof. She says she didn’t do anything, but Howard says he found the walkie under her mattress. Victor nods, and she’s pushed off the edge of the roof. John says, Victor built this place using his instincts – we see more people being pushed of the roof – but he’s got a few of own that he’s willing to share if Victor is willing to listen. June says, it will never work. The only voice Victor listens to is his own. John says, and he has yes-man Howard who won’t question him, and she asks why he thinks Victor likes Howard. John says, what Victor likes and needs are two different things, and she asks what he means. He says, things are going sideways, and Victor is paranoid. Ever since Morgan poisoned him, he’s convinced there’s a resistance in the tower. That’s why he’s cracking down on walkies. Charlie calls to June, who says she’ll be right in. John asks about Charlie’s skin, and June says, it’s the radiation. He asks how she’s doing, but June doesn’t say anything. He says, there’s nothing that can be done? and June says, not at Charlie’s level of exposure. All they can do is keep her comfortable for whatever time she has left. He says, what happened to Charlie doesn’t have to happen to anyone else. He can get through to Victor. He just needs the right opportunity. He thinks he can change Victor. She asks what makes him think Victor won’t change him, and John says, he won’t, but she says, look what happened to his son. He tried to beat Ginny at her own game, and it killed him; nobody got saved. A ranger comes in, and tells John that they found another walkie – in Howard’s room. He leaves, and John says, he told June that he just needed the right opportunity, and he thinks he just found it.

John knocks at Victor’s door, and Victor asks what he can do for him. John says, he’s going to be straight with Victor. He’s got concerns about how Victor is running this place.

On the roof in a thunderstorm, Howard swears it’s not his. Victor says, it was found in Howard’s room, but Howard says, Victor knows him. Victor says, does he? and Howard says he’s been by Victor’s side since the beginning, but Victor says, perhaps Howard has joined the dissenters. Howard says, this place means everything to him, and Victor says, Howard knows the rules. Howard says he didn’t do this, and Victor says he needs people he can trust. Howard no longer fits that description. Howard says, someone planted it, as he’s pushed toward the edge of the roof. Victor’s guys are about to pitch him over, but Victor gives them the sign to stop. He tells Howard, regardless of how it got there, he doesn’t believe a word Howard says until he has proof, and John will get it for him. The house (tower? roof?) phone rings, and Victor tells John to answer it. John says, when?… Are you sure? He tells Victor, they’ve got a problem.

Mo’s crib is empty, and Victor says, infants don’t vanish in to thin air. Howard says he’ll find her; let him do this. Victor says he doesn’t trust Howard, but Howard says, let him show Victor that he can. Victor can put rangers on him to make sure. Victor tells him to retrieve the child by sunrise, or he’ll finish what was started on the roof. Howard says he’ll find her, and Victor asks John for a word. He says he’d like John to find the baby, and John says, he just told Howard to find her. Victor says, Howard could be stalling, and he wants to hedge his bets. He’s seen the Dorie spirit in action. He once saw John’s son build a raft out of a broken down truck just to get back to June. He understands John has a desire to recalibrate things here. John says, people are  getting hurt who don’t need to be, and Victor says, the tower is bigger than either one of them. It’s the way he’ll be remembered; his legacy. John says, maybe it will be Victor’s legacy, or maybe his downfall, and Victor asks, how so? and John says, he knows what it’s like to do the right thing for the wrong reason. It doesn’t end well. Victor says he’s willing to listen, but he wants to see if John can deliver where Howard didn’t.

John grills Mo’s nanny, June, Grace, Wen, and Wes separately, and they all say they don’t know where Mo is. Wen asks if John really thinks he could keep a baby secret. John says, Mo was taken shortly after Wes came, but Wes says he doesn’t know anything. Grace asks why she’d take Mo, and John says, she doesn’t want Mo to grow up there. June asks what this is really about, and he says, making sure the baby is safe, but she says, that’s something that will never happen here. He asks if she knows something. Does she know where Mo is? June says, they both want the same things, but the only way to get them is to take out Victor. He asks what she did with Mo, and she says, Morgan won’t make a move as long as the baby is here. Victor knows that. If he loses her, he loses his leverage. John asks if she’s sneaking the baby out. Victor is right; the resistance is real, and she’s part of it. She says, the less he knows, the better, and John says, talk to him; maybe he can help. She says, if he really wants to help, keep Howard distracted; she’ll do the rest. John says, Howard’s not part of this? and June says, she didn’t plant the walkie. He asks if she’d tell him if she had, and she says she has to go. As she leaves, he sees her wet boot prints.

John reaches toward an artifact on Howard’s desk, but Howard says, don’t touch. John says, Howard has quite a collection, and Howard says he has no time for this; he has to find the baby. John says, so does he. Victor asked him to look too. Howard says, Victor didn’t mention it, and John says he doesn’t blame Victor after the walkie was found in Howard’s room. Howard says, it’s not his. Whoever put it there is getting what they want. John says he believes Howard, but has to question him like everyone else. Howard asks if John would like a drink, but John says he doesn’t touch the stuff anymore. Howard says, suit himself. What does he want to know? John says, from what he heard on the roof, there’s a great deal he doesn’t know about Howard. Howard says, like what? and John says, for starters, Howard never struck him as a family man. Howard asks, why not? and John says, let’s call it a general lack of compassion and restraint. Howard says, this is coming from a man who abandoned his own son, but John says, they’re not talking about him. Victor mentioned that Howard had a wife and son; where are they? Did they get split up after the bomb? Howard says, his wife left him before the world did what it did the first time, and took his son with her. John asks, why? and Howard says, the Travis letter. William Barrett Travis, on second day of the siege of the Alamo, wrote a letter asking for reinforcements, signed, victory or death. John asks what that has to do with it, and Howard says, it’s one of the most famous documents in the history of Texas. He discovered an addendum that made him the toast of the historical community. He gave lectures all over the world, spending months away. John says, sounds like quite an achievement, but Howard says, he’d forged it. Now the same papers that praised him were smearing his name. He came home one day, and his wife was at the door, and her bags were packed. John says, all over the letter, and Howard tells him, she said he was more concerned with making history than with making a life for her and their son. He has made history in this place. His wife and boy are out there, and if they find the tower, that history will be their life. What John calls lack compassion and restraint, he calls building a legacy. There’s a knock at the door, and a ranger says, they’ve covered a five-mile radius, and combed the place. Howard says, comb it again, and asks John if they’re done. John says, those people Howard has thrown off roof, how do they fit in his legacy? Howard says he’s not proud of everything he’s done, but if it all leads to his family finding this place, it will be worth it. John says, and if they don’t? but Howard says he doesn’t like to think about that. That will mean everything he’s done has been for nothing.

In the basement, June stabs zombies standing between her and an exit through a tunnel (it looks like a pipeline). John comes down, and she asks how he knew she was there. He says, her boots were muddy, and he knows it’s muddy there when it rains. He hears Mo crying, and looks in a bin, finding her. He asks why June is hiding her, and she asks if it matters. He sees some pseudo armor, and asks what it is. She tells him, protection, and he asks if she thinks it will protect her out there. She says, it’s worked before, and he asks if she thinks she can do the same thing as the wrestler lady. She says she hopes she doesn’t have to, but if that’s what it takes… He says, it’s not safe, but she says, about a half mile out, Morgan is ready to take Mo as soon as she’s out. Water suddenly gushes in, pushing June and John back, along with the railing holding the zombies back. The zombies pour in with it. June gets trapped by the guardrail, and John shoves them back. He takes out his gun, but it’s knocked out of his hand. He frees her, and they hold the rail between them and the zombies. He takes Mo out, and says, they need to get to the elevator. She asks what he’s talking about,  and he says, he can’t let her leave. She has to help him.

John tells her, they have to get moving before more wash in. He thinks he can get to his gun, but June says she thought he came to help her. He says he came to help Mo, and he starts to sing to the baby. June asks, what’s that? and he says, a song he used to sing to John. He puts Mo back in the bin, and says he needs to do something he couldn’t do for his son, and she says, she gets it. She’s lost a child. She needs to give Mo the best chance she can get. He says, she has that with Victor, and they need to get her upstairs before Howard finds them. She asks if he’s been drinking, and he wonders why she’d say something like that. She says, he’s not making sense. Victor won’t listen to him. He says he has to do this. He’s the one who set everything in motion. He planted the walkie. He knew it was the only way he could get Victor to listen to him over Howard. She says, he’s doing the same thing again. It’s like how he planted the purse to make sure Teddy went to jail. It destroyed him. Don’t make the same mistake again. He says, the last time he did the wrong thing for the right reasons, he abandoned his son. He won’t do that to Mo. What happened to Charlie won’t happen to her. He’ll make the place for her that he should have made for his boy. Things can change. She says, not while Victor’s in charge. He knows she’s right. He says he’s going for his gun, and she tells him to guard Mo with his life. He asks what she’s going to do, and she says, get through them the way Mickey did. She yells, go! and John says, they’re not going make it, but June tells him to go before more come. If he wants to help Mo, this is how. He runs in, and fishes for his gun in the water. He finds it, and shoots several zombies, but only has one bullet left. He and June block themselves back in, and June says she had a way out. He says, she still does. Whoever was going to help her escape, call them. She says, why? and he says, they don’t want to leave. Mo will die outside. She says, not if they’re careful, but he says, it didn’t matter to Charlie or him. He shows her radiation burns on this stomach and chest, and says he doesn’t have much time. She gets on a wall phone, and tells Grace that she needs some help.

June asks why John didn’t tell her sooner, and he says, it wouldn’t have made any difference. She asks how it happened, and he says, when he was bringing Charlie back. He got exposed to the same thing she did. He was careful and quick, and it still got to him. Like it or not, this is the only place Mo is safe. He doesn’t have much time… She says, he doesn’t know that, and he says he thought John Jr. was his legacy; he can’t lose another child. He can’t have that be the last thing he does. June and Grace can keep her safe and control Victor. There’s gunfire, and the zombies drop. Victor is there with Howard and a couple of rangers, and Howard says he caught Grace in the elevator. He asked why she was on her way down, but she wouldn’t say. They’ve identified the resistance, and it’s exactly who they thought it was. John says, it’s not what it looks like, and Howard says, he’s sure. Howard hears Mo, and laughs. He takes away the railing, and moves June out of the way, taking Mo out of the bin. He says he told Victor that he’d find her, but Victor says, he didn’t find her; John did. This is what I like to call a Haman backfire, which can be found in the Book of Esther. Victor takes Mo, and Howard follows him out.  

On the roof, Victor says, what they’re building is a civilization. No civilization can stand without a unified people. Howard says he’s been with Howard since the beginning, and John says he believes in this place. He believes it’s the best way for the child to survive. Howard says, John is lying; he was trying to help June escape. Victor tells John to show him that he believes in the tower; push Howard over the edge. Howard says, they had a deal, and Victor tells Howard, he said he’d spare him if he found the baby, and he didn’t. Any faith he’s had in Howard eroded since finding the walkie. Howard insists it’s not his, and John says, Howard is right. He doesn’t deserve this. John admits to planting the walkie, and Howard tells Victor you see? Victor says, wait. John framed Howard in order to gain audience with him? He laughs his Victor laugh, and says, wow. He underestimated John. You don’t do something like that unless you’re invested. He still needs John to do that other thing he asked him to do. John says he won’t, but Victor says, he will, or Victor will bring June or Grace up here. John tells Howard, he’s sorry, but Howard did the same to others for less.

Bye Howard.

Victor tells John that he woudn’t worry too much about Howard’s family. They’ll never find this place; they’re dead. His scouts found out months ago. John says, and Victor said nothing? Why? Victor says, that’s what drove Howard to help build this place. Everyone needs something to drive them. Howard’s apartment is all John’s now; consider it a signing bonus. What John said, you’re only as good as your partner… Here’s to a great partnership.

In Howard’s apartment, John throws up, then washes his face. He looks at the framed letter, and a framed photo of Howard and his family. He looks at bottle of bourbon, and pours a glass. He drinks it, sighs, and pours another. He sees his reflection in the photo, and puts the photo face down. He drinks some more, when Victor comes in with Mo. Victor says he thought John was off the sauce, and John says he was. Victor says, far be it from him to judge. Pour one for him. He puts Mo in a crib, and John pours him a drink. Victor says, to our future, and they drink. Victor tells him, feel free to junk this stuff. Howard certainly has no use for it anymore. He puts on the turntable, and classical music plays. He turns the volume up, and John asks, why so loud? Victor says, so they’re not overheard. He doesn’t want what happened today to ever happen again. Things need to change. John asks if Victor is ready to listen to his ideas, and Victor says he has ideas of his own. He knows Grace was in on what happened, as was June. He’s remanding Mo to his sole custody permanently. John asks how that’s going to work, and Victor says, she’ll be raised in the penthouse by him with no outside interference. John says he can’t keep Mo away from her mother, but Victor says, her mother is dead. Grace is a stand-in. John asks how he fits in, and Victor tells him, do whatever he needs to in order to ensure no one takes the baby. John says, that baby is never going give Victor what he wants, and Victor says, what is that? John says, to love him, to look up to him. And the the more he wants it, the more he fights for it, the more he’ll end up driving her away. Victor reminds John of what happened with his own son, and John asks why Victor thinks he’s trying to get through to him. If Victor wants Mo to love him, let John help him change how he does things here. Victor says, when he wants John’s counsel, he’ll ask for it, and John says, Victor was never going to listen, was he? Victor says, like he told John before, everyone needs something to drive them. What John did today will echo into the future. It will outlive him, and be his legacy. Victor turns, and John cracks him across the back of the head with the butt of his gun. He says, no it won’t. This place isn’t his legacy; she is. He radios Morgan, and asks if Morgan is still close by. Morgan says he’s just beyond the wall; why? John tells him to stay where he is, and picks up Mo. He says he’s bringing her to Morgan.  

John is dressed in various armor Howard had on display, and June says she can take Mo, but he says he wants to do this. Wen asks if they should gut John up, but John says, they don’t have time, and it’s not safe for Mo. Wen says, John has brass cojones, but John says, it’s not about him. Grace tells Mo, be brave, and John puts her under his breastplate. Grace says, don’t stop until he gets to Morgan, and John says, there are a lot of things he got wrong in life; this won’t be one. He tells June, it’s never too late, and thanks her for helping him remember that. She kisses his cheek, and Grace tells him, wait. She shows him a recorder, and says, Mo likes when she sings to her; it sooths her. John says, his son was the same way.

Wes rouses Victor, who sits up, and says, where is he? Where is the baby? Wes hands him a drink to take the edge off, and Victor takes a sip. Wes says, the rangers are combing the tower; they’ll find her. Victor says, the tunnel is flooded; there’s no other way out. Wes notices that the armor is gone, and says, there is one.

John barrels through the zombies, as a tape of him and Grace singing a duet of Sonny Boy plays. We see zombie Howard struggling along the ground. Poor Howard. Still groveling, even in zombieland. John just keeps walking.

Wes looks through binoculars, and spies John. He calls Victor over and asks what Victor wants to do. Victor says he thought he found a new partner. He wanted to make this place better, and John disappointed him. That’s what people do. Wes asks if he’s still looking for a new partner, and Victor says, there’s an old antenna in storage. Bring it to him,

John walks as Sonny Boy plays. Morgan waits.

Rangers run through the tower. Grace cries, and the rangers round up her, June, and Wen.

John gets through to Morgan, who says, Mr. Dorie. He takes Mo, and says, they need to move, but John says, not yet. Morgan asks, why not? and John shows Morgan that he’s been bitten. He says he can buy Morgan some time, and Morgan says he’s sorry. John says, take care of her, and walks into the crowd of zombies, who pull at him. Mercifully, we don’t have to watch his end.

Victor asks, is it ready? and Wes says, it’s done. Victor asks for a walkie, and radios Morgan, saying, You may have won the battle today, but the war is just beginning. He has people Morgan cares about – June and Grace – and if Morgan takes a step into this place, Victor will kill them. Morgan looks back for a millisecond, then keeps walking. Victor says, as for the rest of you, you know who you are. The offer to join him still stands. He needs good people to help secure the future of this place. If you’re listening, you know where to find me.  

The song continues.

Next time, Morgan knows the tower is unguarded until dawn; Dwight says, they’re outgunned; Alicia has a plan, and asks Morgan to trust her; and the tunnel caves in.  

❗️ I’m so not thrilled about the depressing turn this show has taken. Where is the fun villain with the twinkle in his eye? When did he get replaced by this lunatic throwing people off the roof? And a villain like that is fine, but Victor did a 180. Why? <stamps foot> I want to know.

⚰️ Fear Conjecture…  

Theories on Alicia’s fate.

https://www.cinemablend.com/television/why-fear-the-walking-deads-alicia-will-likely-be-missing-or-dead-when-season-8-starts

💐 Dead End…

On why Carol should end when TWD does.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-final-season-11-carol-death-best-ending/

🗣 Desired Return…

She was cool, but if they’re bringing back Whisperers, how about Beta? I still feel cheated out of his backstory.

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/news/the-walking-dead-thora-birch-return-gamma-interest-explained/

📖 Another Hat…

I’m not sure what to make of this side hustle, but who knows?

👠 Dead Stunning…

She does look gorgeous. The way one should at the Met Gala. She might have been in a horror show, but she didn’t look like one… like some of them did.

🧜🏽 Head Fulla Dreams…

Dead being done for now, see you tomorrow for soap and the returned Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay being prompt unless you have a damn good excuse, and stay remembering, it’s never too late.

May 5, 2022 – Willow Learns Part Of the Secret, Out Of Harmony, a Break-Up, Positivity, Parallel Worlds, Dragon News & Cinco

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

At the gym, Chet thanks Sonny for the time off, and Sonny asks how the trip to the middle east went. Chet says, it was incredible. He wasn’t sure how he’d feel about being back in the country, but bringing the supplies to the non-profit and sharing his story with the other wounded vets gave him a sense of closure he didn’t realize he needed. Sonny says he’s glad Chet made the trip; he helped a lot of people. He’s also glad Chet’s back. Chet says he’s glad to be back. Turns out he has a lot more to look forward to now that he’s home.

Terry asks Elizabeth, what’s more date worthy; red or sparkly? Elizabeth asks if this is why Terry insisted she come with her to the nail salon; color consultation? Terry says, they needed a girl’s outing. Elizabeth has been working too much. Elizabeth says she’s trying to save up so Cameron can live in the dorms instead of semi-crashing with friends. Getting her nails done is a luxury she can’t afford. Terry says, no worries. It’s her treat, and hands Elizabeth the menu. Elizabeth says, normally she wouldn’t worry, but Terry never wants anyone to come with her to the nail salon. It’s her meditative time. Terry says, after meditating on it, she decided it’s time for a new tradition, and Elizabeth asks, what’s really going on? Terry says, you know, there’s paraffin treatments in there, and Elizabeth looks at her. Terry says, fine. She does have something to confess, but Elizabeth isn’t going to like it.

Britt gives TJ coffee, and says she heard it was a rough night. He says he lost his first patient, and she says, always tough. He says, she wasn’t exactly a stranger. Harmony Miller may have been bad news, but telling her daughter, so sorry, we did everything we could, was worse than he could have imagined. Britt asks if they did do everything he could, and he says, they did. She says, then he’s good, but he says, it doesn’t feel like it. She says, nothing prepares you for the first one.

Brook hugs Michael, and says she’s sorry about Willow’s mom. He says, he’ll tell her when she wakes up, and Brook tells Carly, she can’t even imagine. Carly says, it was rough[T1] , but she’s okay. Brook says she never had any doubts, and tells Wiley that she’ll see him later. Outside, her phone rings, and she says, it’s so good to hear his voice after the day she’s had, and it’s only noon. Chase asks if she’s all right, and she says, just too much reality. She needs a fantasy fix. They’re still on for the screening, right? He says, it’s May the 4th and she asks if he forgot. He says he got the tickets ages ago, and has another commitment. She says, like what; a date? He says, yes, actually. He’s pretty sure her dad doesn’t let her watch PG movies. They’ll talk later. Violet holds up two tiaras, and says, pink or purple?

Michael tells Carly, Willow was so upset last night, he didn’t think she’d be able to sleep. She sat on the bed to take off her shoes, and when he turned around, she was asleep with all her clothes still on. Carly says, it’s a good thing Willow’s getting her rest. She’s going to need her strength for what’s to come.

Chet asks how his temporary replacement did, and Sonny says, he only met Dex for a minute, but he seems capable. Chet says, he took a chance on Dex because he’s a fellow vet, and he had experience in gym management. He just hopes he met Sonny’s expectations. Sonny says, the transition was seamless, and the staff has no complaints, and Chet says, as long as he wasn’t better at Chet’s job than he is. Sonny says, no chance of that, when Dante walks in. He shakes hands with Chet, and Sonny says, he’s here early. Dante says he left Sonny a message, and Sonny says, what’s up? Dante says, he hasn’t heard, and Chet leaves to go back to work. Sonny asks, what’s going on? and Dante says, Carly and Alexis were attacked last night.

Chase says, it’s so hard to choose, and Violet says, last time, he was pink. He says, that’s because he thought she preferred purple, and she says, she does, but when it’s on her head, she can’t see it. That’s why daddy usually picks purple. He says, speaking of which, her dad called, and said he’s so excited to see her tonight, and he blew her a big kiss. She says, Chase will have to call him back, so he can blow Finn a kiss back for her, and he says, or she could do it herself. She says, that’s true, and he says, you know what else is true? With her dad away, they can spend the whole day together. What does she want to do? She says, tea party, and he says, that’s an option. Or they could take a walk in the park, and see the ducks in the lake. She says, tea party, and he says, or they could go to the aquarium, and see the purple fish and all the sea creatures. She says, tea party, and he says, that’s three tea parties in less than 24 hours. She says, you can never have too many tea parties, and he says, noted.

Terry says, Elizabeth’s mani/pedi is actually being underwritten by a generous benefactor, one who’s concerned about the amount of stress she’s been under. Elizabeth thanks Terry for telling her, and says, now if Terry will excuse her, she’s going to kill Finn. Terry asks if she can wait until after she gets her nails done; Elizabeth needs this. Elizabeth says, one afternoon isn’t going to make her forget everything that’s been going on, and Terry asks, what exactly is everything? Elizabeth has been tired and irritable, and the fact Finn asked her to take Elizabeth on this little outing only confirms things are bigger than Elizabeth told her. Elizabeth says she can handle it, and Terry says, who done it then? Who slashed her dress and put her wedding ring in her locker? Who burned down Franco’s studio, took his portrait of her, and left it in her house? If Elizabeth is handling it, she must know this. Elizabeth says she doesn’t enjoy Terry when she’s like this, and Terry says, and yet, she should be used to it by now. Enough with the silence and pretense. Elizabeth is telling her everything, and don’t forget, she’s known Elizabeth longer than anyone, so don’t even think about holding back, because she’ll know.

Britt tells TJ, as much as she hates to say this, Harmony Miller is only the first of many. He says, of patients he’ll lose in the future; he can’t wait. She says, it may not be comforting, but it’s the truth. How is he doing? Amy runs up to Britt, and Britt asks if there’s something she can help with. Amy says she hopes so. She agreed to work a double-shift, but she’s not feeling well, so she was hoping… Britt asks if she checked with Epiphany, and Amy tells her, Epiphany said it was okay with her if it was okay with Britt. She just conducted her final patient rounds and the beds in the ER are at half-capacity. Britt says, go, and Amy jets, Britt saying, feel better. She asks TJ where they were, and he says, how he was doing. He did everything he could to save his patient, and still lost her, so he feels helpless, useless; it’s eating him up. Part of him wants to scream and throw his coffee against the wall. She says, he is a doctor and this is a hospital. There are plenty of fantastic places to scream. He can pick his favorite. He says he’ll try that, and thanks her.

Dante tells Sonny, Carly and Alexis are home and recovering, but they’re pretty rattled. Sonny asks where Harmony is now, and Dante says, she’s dead. Sonny asks, how? and Dante says, she tried to get away on foot and a car hit her. That’s all he can tell Sonny right now. Sonny says he has to call Carly, and Dante asks, what’s the matter? Sonny says, it’s just there was a time when Carly would have called him about this, or the hospital would have contacted him as next-of-kin. But now, in the eyes of the law, they’re not family anymore, so… Dante says, families aren’t made or broken with emergency contact information, but Sonny says, it’s family. There should always be trust and care. He’s always going to care about Carly the rest of his life, but now she doesn’t want anything to do with him.

Michael paces, and Carly says, keep it up and he’s going to wear a groove in the floor. He says, he’s still reeling about what happened. Willow was just starting to regain trust with Harmony, and now she gets to deal with this? Wiley asks, what about Grandma Harmony? and Carly asks what color he wants to color the car. He says, blue, and she says, blue it is, giving him a crayon. Get going. He colors, and she steps aside with Michael, and tells him that he’s going to have to watch it. He says he knows, but he doesn’t understand what led Harmony to do what she did at Round the Mulberry Bush Point, but the police are investigating, which means this is going to go public. She says, and the press is going to jump all over it, and he says, he’s managed to stall Aurora’s digital press, but he can’t control all media. Eventually, this is going to come out, and he doesn’t know how to protect Willow from the fallout.

Violet asks Princess Brandywine – aka Chase, wearing his tiara – how the scones are, and with an English accent, he says, I do believe, Princess Honeycutt, these are the finest scones I’ve had the good fortune to nibble on. Violet thanks him, and there’s a knock at the door. He says, whoever they are, he owes them. He opens the door to Brook, holding two light sabers. She says, may the fourth be with you, and laughs seeing his tiara. She asks if that’s a Jedi or Sith tiara, and Violet says, Uncle Chase is Princess Brandywine. He says, Lady Honeycutt speaks the truth; he is Princess Brandywine. Brook says, then call her Han Solo, because she arrived in the nick of time.

Elizabeth tells Terry, she and the boys are living apart, Aiden is discussing Ouija boards with Lucy Coe, and she can’t even escape this menace in a hotel room. And that brings them to now. Terry says, oh my God. She can’t believe Elizabeth has been dealing with all this. Elizabeth should have told her. Elizabeth says, the police are on the case, and Finn’s been very supportive. What else could Terry have done besides worry? Terry says, offer her support, someone to vent to, her home? Elizabeth says, Finn offered his home as well, but whatever this is, it followed her to the MetroCourt. She doesn’t want it following her to Terry’s home as well. Terry asks if she doesn’t mean whoever, but Elizabeth says, Aiden believes it’s Franco’s ghost. Terry asks if Elizabeth believes he’s right; that she’s being stalked by Franco’s ghost. Amy walks in, sees them, and turns around, but Elizabeth says, Amy.

Dante suggests Sonny reach out to Carly, and Sonny says, someone tries to kill Carly, and she doesn’t reach out to him; same with Michael? That sends a message. They don’t want anything to do with him. Dante says, maybe they’re just catching their breath. Last night was a crazy night. Alexis and Carly were still being treated when Harmony was brought in. They’re all still trying to pick up the pieces, and Michael was worried about Carly and Willow. Maybe he was too distracted to contact Sonny even if he thought of it; even if he wanted to. Sonny says, he doesn’t want to; it’s his choice. Dante asks if Sonny is taking care of himself, and Sonny says, of course (🍷) he is, and Dante says, Sonny lost his best friend, his wife, and now, a son. Sonny says, thanks for reminding him, and Dante says he’s not trying to remind Sonny, but he sees Sonny getting more isolated, and sometimes when that happens, Sonny is more vulnerable.

Michael says, there’s one thing he doesn’t understand, and Carly says, just one? They go farther away from Wiley, and he says, as crazy as what Harmony did at Road Rage Point, what pushed her that far? She seemed like she was in a good place, and rebuilding what she had with Willow. What she tried to do was so outrageous, guaranteed to fail. She must have known that. So why jeopardize her relationship with Willow? Carly says, and this little guy, indicating Wiley, and he says, exactly. She was obviously desperate, and he probably didn’t help that.

Sonny asks if Dante is saying he’s vulnerable, or his business is vulnerable. Dante says, he can’t speak to Sonny’s business, for obvious reasons. He’s just saying, as Sonny’s son, he’s concerned he’ll be drinking again and get off his meds. Sonny says, he’s not wrong, and he appreciates Dante’s concern, but he has a handle. Dante says, on the drinking or the meds? and Sonny says, both. Sonny gets up to punch the heavy bag, and Dante asks, what about being alone? Does he have that handled too? Sonny says Dante doesn’t have to worry about him, and Dante says, good enough. He’s got to run to the Quartermaines, and talk to Willow. Sonny says, they’ll talk later, and Dante leaves.

TJ tells Britt that he almost wishes he could compartmentalize his emotions, but she says, no Chief wants robots populating their staff. He says, she doesn’t want doctors lined up outside the call room, waiting to have a good cry, but she says, sounds pretty good to her. It wasn’t that long ago she had to deliver devastating news to new parents. He says, Brando and Sasha, and she says, feeling too much or too little both have their drawbacks, but given the choice, she’d prefer her medical professionals using their heart as well as their head. He says his favorite professor always said, good doctors come from good listening, and listening can’t be taught. She says, it’s also not billable. The trick is to combine compassion with efficient care. He says, she makes it sound easy, and she says, it’s not, but it’s doable. Tell her. What kind of doctor does he want to be?

Elizabeth invites Amy to join them, and Amy says, thanks, but she was just getting a manicure not a pedicure. Terry says she thought Amy was doing a double, and Amy says she was, but she wasn’t feeling well after last night. Terry asks if she was prescribed a cuticle trim, and Amy says she can find another salon. Elizabeth says, no. They can save the shop talk for when they get back to work, okay? Amy says, it’s not okay, and asks why Terry is picking on her lately. They’re not even at the hospital, and Terry is all up in her business. Terry says, because as far as she knows, Amy is supposed to be at the hospital, and Amy says, Dr. Ashford lost his first patient last night. She was working with him. They couldn’t save her. It got to her. Sorry. Terry says she’s sorry to hear that, but she has a job to do. Amy says, and she doesn’t like the way Terry’s doing it, and she’s probably not the only one. Terry says, which is why staff is given the opportunity to evaluate hospital leadership quarterly, and Amy says, she may forego that, and march straight to Monica. Terry says, knock herself out; they’re done. Elizabeth says, she understands why Amy is upset… Terry says, Amy’s entitled to her anger, and Amy says, oh thank you. Terry says, she’s also entitled to file a formal complaint with the board. What she’s not entitled to is to ruin Terry’s day off. Amy walks to a manicure station, and Elizabeth says, that definitely got her mind off of her problems.

Violet plays with a light saber, and Chase says, Brook is so his hero. Did she pick these up on the way over? She asks if he’s kidding. All the light sabers are gone by the end of April. Her dad actually got these for Rocco and Leo. He couldn’t go to Star Wars, so she brought Star Wars to him. He says he’s glad she remembered, and she says, of course (🍷) she remembered. He says, why of course (🍷)? and she says, it’s a very important day in this galaxy, and it’s important to him. Violet asks Chase to come swordfight with her, and Brook says, he heard the princess. She takes the tiara off of his head and puts it on her own. He tells Violet, these are called light sabers, and they’re the ancient and sacred weapon of the warriors known as the Jedi. He and Violet duel, while Brook watches, smiling.

Michael tells Carly, he was always so guarded with Harmony. Maybe if he’d been more accepting and been honest… Carly says, stop that. No one made Harmony do what she did. She made the choice to hurt people. There’s a knock at the door, and Michael opens it to Dante. Dante goes over to say hi to Wiley, and Carly asks if he’s here to see Willow. Dante says, if she’s resting, he can come back, but Willow comes down the stairs. Michael tells Wiley, mom’s awake; she could use a hug. Wiley hugs Willow, and Carly asks what they can do for Willow. Willows says, hugs help, and Carly says, then she’s next in line. She hugs Willow, and Wiley comes back for a three-way hug. Carly tells Willow that she’s so sorry, and says, she’ll take Wiley to the main house, and come back. She leaves with Wiley, and Michael asks how Willow is holding up. She says, last night was… He says, overwhelming, and Dante says he has more information, if she feels like she’s ready for it.

Chet brings Dex over to say goodbye to Sonny, since it’s his last day. Dex thanks Sonny for the opportunity, and says he hopes his work was satisfactory. Sonny says, if he ever needs a replacement for Chet, he’ll give Dex a call. What’s next for him? Dex says he’s not sure. Ideally, he’d like to stay in another capacity. Chet says he wishes he could offer Dex a permanent position, but they’re fully staffed, and Dex says, if something opens up, he’s happy to scrub floors, fix equipment, or wash towels. No job is too big or small. All he’s asking for is a chance.

Elizabeth asks, since when is there friction between Terry and Amy? and Terry says she had to call Amy out a few times. Nurse Driscoll thinks it’s personal, but it isn’t. She shouldn’t lose her temper; it’s unprofessional. And even worse, it causes frown lines. Elizabeth suggests they talk about something that makes Terry smile. Like her sweet lovah. Terry says, he is not her lovah. It’s not a secret; she just doesn’t want to jinx it. Elizabeth says, if not his name, give her something, and Terry says, he’s funny and handsome, a real gentlemen, and he looks great in a t-shirt. She met him a few months ago. They had a drink on Valentine’s, then he had to leave town. Elizabeth says, that’s not a good sign, but Terry says, they kept in touch, and my God, the man gives great text. Elizabeth says, sounds like Terry is in trouble, and Terry says, speaking of trouble, is Elizabeth going be okay at the hotel tonight? Elizabeth says she just forgot to latch the door; it won’t happen again. Terry asks if she at least called hotel security, and Elizabeth says, she called security, the police, nothing seems to help. Maybe nothing can. Terry says, the ghost theory? and Elizabeth says, Terry is a woman of science, and so is she, but at this point, she’s willing to try everything. Terry says, whatever eases her mind, and Elizabeth says, good, so Terry will go someplace with her later this week? Terry asks if she can be more specific, but Elizabeth says, Terry already trusts her. She doesn’t need to know. Terry says, unfortunately, that’s true, and Elizabeth says, right now, she needs to get back to work, and Terry needs to prep for her hot date.

Brook says, my word, Lady Honeycutt, this tea is delicious, and Violet says, well, thank you, Queen Marshmallow. Brook asks Chase to tell please her they can put something strong and real in these cups, and he says, now she knows his pain. Violet says, the tea is orange spice, daddy’s favorite, and Brook asks if her daddy is working today. Violet says, he had an emergency at the hospital. He’s saving lives. Brook says, he helps a lot of people, and Violet says, Uncle Chase helps a lot of people too. Brook says, the police certainly help a lot of people, and her Uncle Chase is one of the best, and Chase says, he misses it. Brook puts her hand on his, and says, it’s just a few more weeks. Violet notices the attraction between them, and giggles. Brook removes her hand, and asks if Violet heard that. Her Uncle Chase will be back to saving the galaxy soon. Just like Luke… Chase says, Skywalker? and she says, how could she forget? He says, too bad they’re not going to the movie tonight. She could use a refresher. She says, maybe they can have a private screening someday soon.

TJ tells Britt that he wants to be the kind of doctor people are happy to see again. He wants his patients to trust him, and know he’ll move heaven and earth for them. He wants to be a doctor who provides solace when healing is impossible. She asks how that’s going for him so far, and he says, he did all he could to save Harmony, but in breaking the news to Willow, every bit of his confidence and all his training went out the window, and he felt completely out of his depth. Britt says, congratulations. You’re still human. You can’t tell when the losses will hit. You can go a whole year without one, then have three in one hour. He says, damn, and she says, he may need to learn not to internalize every loss; that takes a toll. He asks what she suggests, and she says, self-care. She knows, it’s an overused, crunchy granola term these days, but the concept of putting on an oxygen mask first, you have to take care of you first. She knows it sounds selfish, but it’s the first step in helping others. He says, he’ll keep it in mind, but does she have any recommendations or suggestions for self-care? She says, find something that brings him peace. For some people it’s exercise, therapy, a hobby, or time with loved ones. He’s been here all night, right? While he’s worrying about Willow’s family, has he had time to check in on his own? How’s Molly after her mom was attacked? He says, she’s upset of course (🍷), but she’s Molly. Britt says she doesn’t know what that means, and he says, she’s not only holding it together, but she’s holding everyone together. Britt says, sounds rough; he’s had a rough night. Just say the word, and she has him covered. He says, she means…? and she says, he can go home. This is a time in the beginning of his career where he has to determine what matters most. Otherwise, he can count on having many more dark lonely nights of the soul. She goes to the desk, and he ponders this.

Dante says, officially, he’s here to update Willow on the investigation, and she says, and unofficially? He says, unofficially… when Carly comes back. She asks what she missed, but Michael says, they were just starting. Dante says, unofficially, he’s here as family, and Willow thanks him, but says, please, just tell her why her mother tried to kill Carly and Alexis. Carly says, at Alexis’s house, she found papers that implicated Harmony in a crime, and to stop her from exposing that crime, Harmony attacked and drugged her. Willow says she knows all that. What she doesn’t know is why. What was her mother trying to hide? Dante says, Harmony had killed before.

Violet thanks Chase and Brook for making her tea party a delightful occasion. She’s going to clean up. Don’t have fun without her. Violet leaves with the tea party things, and Brook says, Violet wanted to clean up by herself? She’ll never raise a kid half as well-mannered as her. Chase says, she’ll be a great mom; he’s seen her in action. He asks, how’s Leo? Is he feeling any better about his upcoming performance? She says, he’s still nervous, but Chase helped. He says, we helped. They make a great team. She says, but there’s only so much they can do. Drama therapy is helping, but stage fright is very real. He says, even if you’re not the one performing? Has she written any songs lately? She says, nope, and he tells her that she’s a gifted songwriter. She says she used to be. What if the new stuff isn’t… He says, there’s only one way to find out. He gets it. He hasn’t done his job in so long; what if he can’t remember how to do it? She says, he’s a pro. It’s like riding a bike. He straightens her tiara, and says, if she can have this much faith in him, why can’t she do it for herself?

Elizabeth and Terry stride into the hospital, and Elizabeth thanks Terry for their girl’s outing. Terry says, make sure she thanks Finn too, preferably before she kills him for being considerate of her feelings. He should know by now how much kindness annoys her. Elizabeth says, what’s wrong with that guy? and Terry says, let her know the day of their mystery appointment. Elizabeth says, let her know how her date goes, and gets in the elevator. Terry sees Britt going by, and follows. She asks if Britt knows Amy blew off her second shift for a manicure, and Britt says, she told Amy she could leave early, but a manicure? Good for her. Terry says, excuse me? and Britt says, Amy lost a patient last night. Terry says, it sucks that Amy had a rough night, but it doesn’t excuse the way Amy talked to her. Britt says, she’ll discuss it with Amy, and Terry says she was going to have Epiphany talk to her, but Britt says, she’d like to have a shot at it. Using the carrot instead of the stick; it’s a thing she’s trying. Terry says, let her know how it goes, and starts to leave, when Britt says, that’s not what she’s wearing on her date, is it?

Sonny says he appreciates Dex’s hustle, but they have no jobs right now. Dex says he thought it was worth a try. You only miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Sonny says, good attitude, when Amy comes in, and Chet excuses himself, saying, family awaits. Sonny says, speaking of family, he has to make a call, but don’t be a stranger. Sonny steps away, and calls Carly. He says he heard about last night, and wanted to make sure she was okay. The guys sparring in the ring behind him get out of hand, and Dex steps in, telling them, knock it off. It’s not some back alley. Show some respect.

Dante tells Willow, the body of Brendon Byrne surfaced at Pier 54. They have evidence Harmony murdered him. Willow asks why her mother would kill Brendon Byrne. Did he have a connection to Dawn of Day or Shiloh? Dante says, the only connection they’re aware of is that he was Neil Byrne’s brother, who Harmony also murdered. Michael asks if Dante is saying Harmony murdered a man to conceal killing his brother, then tried to kill his mom and Alexis to cover it? Dante tells him, that’s what he’s saying, but Willow says, that can’t be right. Her mother had her faults, but she was kind and compassionate. She was not a murderer. Dante says, Harmony committed a crime years ago, and went to great lengths to hide it. Willow says, having to do with her past? and Dante says, her past, and Willow’s.

Terry asks how Britt knew she had a date, and Britt says, when she’s bored, she hacks into Terry’s personal calendar, emails, and browser history. She also just overheard Elizabeth. Terry says, if Britt must know, she’s going home to change, so thanks for asking. Britt says, not a fan of unsolicited advice? and Terry says, is anyone? Britt says, then Terry probably isn’t going to like what she has to say. Terry tells her, go on, and Britt says, forget about Amy, forget about the hospital, forget about everything and enjoy her date.

Dex gives the sparring guys the bum’s rush, as Chet watches. Amy says, Terry has it out for her, and Chet says he’s sure that’s not the case. She says, thanks for telling her that her feelings and perceptions aren’t valid. He’s a great brother. He says, she has a history of blowing things out of proportion, and she says, he was adopted. He says, no, she was, and she says, no, she wasn’t. He says, she and her boss are just going through a rough patch. They should just talk it out. She says he doesn’t know Terry; she’s completely unreasonable. He says he can’t imagine what that’s like, and she says, she can’t imagine talking it out; there’s no point. She’s just going to avoid Terry whenever possible.

Terry tells Britt, wait a second. She, of the caustic remarks, who freely judges the choices of others, is actually telling her to go out… Britt says, just enjoy herself, and Terry says, Britt is continually not as aggravating as she thought she’d be. Britt says, what a compliment. Get out. Terry leaves, and TJ tells Britt that she was right. Britt says, as usual. About what? He says he took her advice, and called Molly. She wants to cuddle on the couch, watch Star Wars, and eat vegan pizza. Britt says, sounds like a great way to recharge, and he says he’d like to take her up on her offer if that’s okay. She says, go, leave, be with his domestic partner. He says he just needs to tie up a few things, and she says she’ll hold down the fort. Enjoy that vegan pizza. Oh, and may the fourth be with him. He leaves, and she says, besides, it’s not like she has anyone waiting.

On the phone, Elizabeth speaks to Chelsea, saying, she was referred by Lucy Coe, and would like to schedule a session. She needs help explaining the unexplainable.

Britt tells Chase that she’ll start saying daily affirmations. She’s good enough. She’s strong enough. She will hit the first homerun in the opening game of the summer softball league. He says, in her dreams. Not even in her dreams. She says, the Deception team has something the PCPD doesn’t; a base stealer from Bensonhurst with a 350 batting average. Violet comes out and says, everything is put away, and Chase says he has an idea. If Leo is free, the four of them can go to Kelly’s for dinner. Brook says, Leo can practice his poem for Violet, and Chase says, and they can go back to rounding the bases… in terms of softball. Violet says they can bring the lightsabers, and Brook says, it’s a date. Violet repeats, it’s a date.

Dex apologizes to Sonny, and says, he gave those guys a talking to. They won’t be causing anymore trouble. Sonny says, Dex knows how to handle himself, and Dex says, he’s just doing his job… You know… Sonny says, there might be something he might have for Dex. Come by his office later, and they’ll talk about Dex’s future.

Willow says, the crime her mom committed was referenced in the papers Carly found? and Carly says, they were session notes from Dr. Byrne, who was apparently Harmony’s psychiatrist. In the notes, Dr. Byrne wrote that Harmony revealed a secret to him. Willow asks, what was the secret? and Dante says he’s going to stop Carly here. Before they go any further, he’s obligated to tell Willow that they’ve yet to verify the details. Having said that, they have no reason to doubt the voracity of the comments made by Dr. Byrne that Harmony confessed. Willow thanks him, and says she understands. Now will somebody please tell her? Dante says, Harmony is not her biological mother, and Carly flashes back to Harmony telling her that Willow’s twin is Nelle, and realizing Willow’s mother is Nina.

Tomorrow, Sasha asks what the hell someone is doing here; Jordan asks how Curtis managed that when she said no; Nina says she needs Scotty’s full and complete attention; and Willow asks if Harmony told Carly anything.  

💉 She Hates To Murder and Run, But…

It’s a shame her time in Port Charles got cut short, but she sure has some great footage for her demo reel.

🦄 Checking For Flying Pigs and…

First Naomi Judd, now this. I am truly living in bizarro world.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1329748/general-hospitals-steve-burton-and-pregnant-wife-sheree-break-up-after-23-years

💎 No One Escapes Unscathed…

I dunno what Kathy thought she was getting into being on this show. That’s what she gets for not watching Bravo.

💞 Off-Camera Too…

I just thought this was something sweet to counteract the bad taste of the Steve Burton article.

🐉 Throne To Come…

The latest on House of the Dragon. Looks good.

https://www.hbo.com/house-of-the-dragon

🌿 Like the Corners Of My Mind…

Let’s meet tomorrow for some soap, tea, words you should hear, and music you should listen to. Until then, stay safe, stay absorbing all the knowledge you can, and stay using your heart as well as your head, no matter what your profession.

May 1, 2022 – Daniel Looks For Ofelia, Backstory, Daniel Talk, Good For Each Other, Popular, Minus One Carol & First

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

Fear the Walking Dead

Daniel plays a matching game with Luci. He says she’s letting him win, but she says she wouldn’t do that. He picks up a card, and says he’s seen this before. Luci says, they’ve played a bunch of times before, but he says, that’s not it. Wes comes in, and says he’s going to leave without them. Luci tells Daniel to keep at it; it’s helping him. Daniel says he should be the one helping her, and calls her Ofelia. She says she’s Luciana. Ofelia is no longer here, and Daniel says, she left. He tells Luci, you be careful out there too.

On the USS Pennsylvania, Sarah says, hoofing it, they could make it in two days, maybe one. Morgan asks what they’re up against, and she says, there are a hundred dead outside; maybe more. Luci comes in, and Morgan asks how Daniel is doing. She Luci says, he’s making progress, but it’s slow. Morgan thinks it’s best she stay there, and work some on the memory exercises with Daniel. They need him to get into the tower. He knows how Victor thinks, and why he’s doing this. He’s gone up against Victor in ways none of them have. They have to make sure they get in. Wes tells Luci that Daniel’s not on the sub. The front hatch is open, and a suit is gone. Luci says she’ll look; she’s got this. Wes says, not alone, and Morgan says, they’ll both go. If they have any trouble, send up a mayday.

Out in the nuclear semi-wasteland, a masked Daniel speaks in Spanish. He asks if she can hear him. A merry-go-round in a nearby playground squeaks, and Daniel sees a zombie stuck in it. Another grabs him, and his mask falls off. It gets him down, but he stabs it in the head. He gets back up, and asks, is that you? He knows he’s close. Tell him where she is. He hears footsteps, and gets all excited. He sees two people emerge, and asks if that’s Luci. He tells them to take their masks off, and fires a warning shot. The pair take off their masks, and it’s Luci and Wes. Daniel says, he knows who they are, and Luci asks what he’s doing out here? He shows her the card with the boat, and says, she needs me. Luci says, who? and he says, Ofelia The last time he saw her, she was on a boat. She’s trying to send him a message. She says, he’s out here because of the card? and he says, because of what she told him in the submarine. She said, Ofelia’s not here, which means she’s out there. Luci says, that’s not what it means. His daughter is dead. She died in Mexico years ago. He says, no, she’s alive, but Luci says, that’s impossible. They all know what they saw. Wes says, Daniel is confused, and Daniel says, Luci told him that he was doing better. She says, he is, but he’s wrong about Ofelia. He says, Ofelia is alive; Luci is the one who’s wrong. In Spanish, he says he cares about Luci, but Ofelia is his daughter, and he cares more about her than anything. Is Luci trying to help him, or trying to take Ofelia’s place in his life? He’s sorry she’s alone, but she’ll never replace his daughter. Luci says, he doesn’t mean that, but he says, he does. Wes asks what he’s saying, and Luci tells them, let’s go back. Wes says, zombies are coming, and Luci says, the gunshot must have alerted them. Wes says, that’s not the dead, and tells them to run, but a masked Arno steps out and says, boo. They’re surrounded. Time to take a little trip. He puts a mask over Luci’s face.

In a boat graveyard, boats are linked together by walkways, and the nuclear dead hope for someone to fall underneath. Luci wonders where they are, and Daniel says, they wouldn’t be here if she’d just let him look. Wes says, they wouldn’t be here if Daniel had stayed in the damn sub. Daniel says he was a soldier trained by the CIA. He’s not scared of these people. What’s scary is what he’s going to have to do to them. Eli says, we’re screwed, when Arno comes in. He tells them to remove their gear and hang it up. Luci asks how they know it’s safe, and Arno tells them to test for themselves. Wes confirms that it’s safe, and Arno says, they’re lucky the wind hasn’t brought anything nasty their way. They want to keep it as such. Luci tells Wes that she recognizes Arno, and Wes says, they’re the ones who were following Teddy. Luci says, that’s not going to help them make friends.

Outside, Arno says, home sweet home, and tells his people go inside. Their guests aren’t as interesting as they think. Luci asks if they all live here, and he says, thanks to Alicia. They don’t have to remind him who they are. Daniel asks why they don’t use the walls, and Arno says, they tried, but they didn’t hold. At least where they are keeps the living away. Victor got one thing right with the tower. Arno tells Sage he wants to talk to them one at a time, and Daniel tells Luci that he should be looking out there for Ofelia. Luci tells Arno to let them go. Maybe they can help him. Arno says, not likely, and Daniel grabs Arno’s gun and says, he’s going to look for his daughter. Let them out. Sage steps forward, but Arno says, he’s got this. Daniel says he’ll kill Arno, and Arno says, go ahead. Daniel shoots, but the gun just clicks. The men rush Daniel, and Daniel laughs. Wes says, they’re out of bullets? and Arno says, they’re hard to come by. The empty clip works on people; the dead don’t scare. He tells Daniel that he heard their radio chatter from the sub. They might want to stop broadcasting their plans. He knows they found the weapons cache, but doesn’t know the coordinates. Luci says they’re not going to tell him, and he says, then they’ll end up down there. Daniel looks at a boat across the way, and says, The Abigail… Ofelia. Arno tells him, quit daydreaming, and tells Sage, save him for last. He pats Wes’s shoulder, and says, this one first. Lucy says, they’re not telling Arno anything, and Arno says, if they don’t, they’ll up down there.

Daniel and Luci are shoved into a room, and Daniel looks outside, his eyes lighting on Victor’s old yacht. Luci says she knows he thinks he can get them out, and Daniel says, they don’t have to escape; this is perfect. He takes out the card, and says, Ofelia is on the boat. Luci says, it’s not the boat he’s thinking of, but he insists it is, and calls for the guard. Daniel says, all he has to do is tell them where the weapons are, and they’ll return Ofelia. She says, he doesn’t have the coordinates, but he says he knows where Dwight is. The guard tells him, this better be good, and Daniel says, he has information for Arno. The guard says, if he’s playing tricks, they’ll be thrown in with the zombies, but Daniel says, he doesn’t play tricks with his daughters life. Luci says she has to come too. Daniel’s English isn’t as good as it used to be, and she needs to translate. In Spanish, Daniel tells her, don’t try to stop him, and she says, don’t make things difficult. The guard leaves, and Luci says, Daniel is right about her not having anyone. If she’s being honest, she hasn’t been right since she lost Nick. Meeting Daniel made her feel less alone, and she doesn’t want to lose him. When he discovers Ofelia is dead, she worries about what will happen to him. He says, don’t worry. He’ll find her, and none of them will be alone again. The guard comes back, says, let’s move, and they leave.

Arno has put Wes in a cage that hangs over the zombies. He asks where the weapons are. Wes isn’t talking, and Arno says he’ll see if Wes changes his mind down there. It’s his last chance. Wes says he’s not betraying his people, and Arno says, he betrayed Derek. Derek was Arno’s friend and Wes killed him. Wes says, Derek was his brother, and he loved him, but Derek killed some of his friends, and was going to kill more. Arno says, Wes has another choice right now. Answer the question or die ugly. Where are the weapons? Wes says he’s not telling Arno sh*t, and Arno says, he would have done this anyway, when the guard arrives with Daniel. Daniel tells Arno to let Wes out, and they’ll talk. Arno says he’s the one with the leverage, but Daniel says he knows how to make people talk; that won’t do it. Arno says, it’s worked so far, and Daniel says, he probably kills everybody who comes in here. He kills them, he has nothing. Arno asks if he really knows where the guns are, and Luci says, don’t do this, in Spanish. Arno asks what Daniel wants in return, and Daniel says, his daughter. Arno asks where she is, and Daniel says, in that yacht, The Abigail. Arno says he doesn’t know what Daniel is talking about, but Daniel says he thinks Arno does, and grabs him, holding a knife to his throat. He wants his daughter back. Arno tells Daniel to let him go. He’s right. Maybe he does have Daniel’s daughter. Daniel says, now start talking, but Luci says, don’t. Daniel doesn’t even know if what he’s remembering is real. In Spanish, Daniel says, they can’t trust him, but Arno says, not true. Do they think they can get over on him by speaking Spanish? They’re not fooling him. Daniel is right, He has Daniel’s daughter; she’s on the boat. Daniel says, he knew it, like he told Luci. Arno better not have hurt her. He wants to see her. Arno says, tell him where the weapons are first. It’s the least they can do after consigning them to this life. That’s not okay. Wes says, there are worse places, and Arno says, Alicia and Morgan will get them killed. Luci asks him, what’s coming? and Arno asks, where are the weapons? He’s protecting his people, the ones Alicia couldn’t. Daniel asks how he knows Arno has Ofelia, and Arno says, give him the coordinates, and if they’re correct, he’ll get his daughter. Luci says, Arno can’t give her back, but Daniel asks, what choice does he have? He writes the information down, and Arno tells Sage to send a patrol. In Spanish, he tells Daniel, old man, if you lie to me, all of you will end up down there. Daniel tells him to let Wes out, they release Wes, and Arno tells Wes, it’s his lucky day.

Back in the room, Wes says he’d die before he’d give them information, and Daniel says, if he’d died by the hands if that man, he would have been a fool. Wes says, Daniel can’t use whatever is going on in his head as an excuse to hurt people, but Daniel says, he’s done what he needed to do; no one got hurt. Luci says, their people can get killed if Arno’s people get there first, and Daniel says, he just sent half of Arno’s people 20 miles in the wrong direction. Wes says, Arno is going to kill them when they get back, but Daniel says, they won’t be here. It will take them 24 hours to get there and back. Wes says, half as many guards, and Daniel says, without weapons. They can’t stop them. He shows Wes and Luci a knife, and says, he got it from the idiot who shot him. They’re badly trained, these people. Luci says she knows Daniel thinks this will work, and Daniel says he knows it will. He knows his memory’s not improving, but when he thinks of rescuing Ofelia, everything becomes clear. The problem with his memory is because he didn’t tell Ofelia the truth about his past. When she found out, he didn’t give her an explanation or an apology for his lies. His mind has to be clear when he does. Luci says, that’s not going to happen, but he says, it is. He and Ofelia will thank Luci, and she’ll be welcomed into their family. Now let’s get the hell off this boat.

Daniel pretends to be out cold, and Luci yells for the guard. She says she told him that Daniel wasn’t well. He’s not breathing. If he turns. its on him. The guard asks if she checked his pulse, and when he leans over, Daniel grabs him, and holds the knife to his throat. He says, that’s what he gets for calling him old man. He tells the guard to get up and take them to the yacht, and the guard says, his daughter’s not here. Daniel says, then where is she? and the guard says he doesn’t know, but she’s not here. Daniel says, he’s lying, and Wes says, they need to leave. Daniel says he’s not going without Ofelia, and Luci says the guard heard him. Take them to the yacht. She tells Wes that Daniel won’t leave. It’s the only way to get him to understand, so they can get out. On their way to Arno, Luci asks what Arno was talking about. What’s coming? The guard says, the dead. They’re gathering in a crater. After the warhead detonated, they’re more dangerous. Daniel asks why Arno is scared, and the guard says, Arno doesn’t tell any of them very much. Daniel pushes him onto the yacht, and Luci and Wes follow. Daniel asks where she is, and the guard says he told Daniel; she’s not here. Daniel starts pushing him over the side of the deck, and the guard says, don’t do this. She was never here. Arno wanted to know where the weapons were. Daniel says, the card was a message, but Luci says, Daniel needs to accept the truth. Ofelia died in Mexico. Daniel told her that he buried Ofelia himself. She’s sorry, but Ofelia is gone. Daniel says, he has to tell Ofelia who he is, and apologize for his lies. Luci says she knows it’s what he wanted and still wants, and his mind is telling him that he can, but he can’t. Daniel looks at the zombies, and says, that’s why he’s confused. The guard says, this wasn’t his idea. Arno lied. Daniel says, and he went along with it. A mind is a fragile thing. It’s easy to break, but hard to put back together. The guard tells Wes that he knew Derek, and Daniel slits his throat. Wes says that wasn’t Daniel’s call, but Daniel says, Wes is better off not knowing. The truth about people is always disappointing. Daniel walks out on the bridge, but takes out a piece, so they can’t follow. Luci asks where he’s going, and he says, Arno has to pay for what he did. He doesn’t want them to stop him. He knows Luci doesn’t want anything bad to happen to him, and he feels the same about her. He’ll be back. He walks away, and there’s nothing they can do.

Luci asks if Wes is okay, and he asks if she found anything. She says, nothing that will hold, and tells him that she’s sorry. Wes says, he was hoping the guard would tell him that Derek knew he was in Tank Town, but launched the attack anyway. She asks, why? and he says he killed Derek. It’s the only way he can live with that, and not wake up every day feeling like a POS. He knows he deserves to die. Luci says she doesn’t think that will make him feel better, and he says, there’s got to be another way off this thing.

Sabrina spears a zombie climbing up the wall, and Arno says, that’s the third one. She says, they’re building up the gate, and he suggests they think of something to draw them away in the meantime. He thanks her, and she leaves. He watches the zombies, when Daniel says, boo, and holds the knife to Arno’s throat. He makes Arno go into the cage, and Arno says, he’s making a mistake, but Daniel says, Arno’s mistake was lying to him, and Arno says, Daniel will anything to protect his daughter. He as doing same his people. Daniel says, they’re not Arno’s family, and lowers the cage, telling Arno that his Spanish is very good. The zombies reach in, and pull at Arno, and his whines turn into screams as they begin to feed on him. Lucy and Wes run over, and Luci asks what Daniel is doing. Daniel tells her, what Arno said made him do this. Wes brings the cage up (why bother), and Arno tells Luci, there’s no new beginning. They’re going to die because of them. Luci asks, who? and he says, the people Alicia was supposed to take care of… the ones he promised… the ones he…. She says, listen to her. She’ll make sure they’re okay, she promises, but he has to tell her what’s coming so she can help them. He says, the dead in the pit… they’re escaping. Someone’s letting them out. You can’t touch them… you can’t go near them even. She has to get everybody to the tower. There’s nowhere else… nowhere else… He dies, and Wes takes a spear to his head. Daniel says, he’d be alive, but he lied. Things are simple in Daniel’s world. Wes tells Daniel not to lose any sleep over this a-hole. Arno tried the same thing to him. Daniel says, this is  the second time he almost got Luci killed. She should leave him. Luci says she understands why he did it, but Arno manipulated him. That’s why he still needs her help. He says, no one knows his background. Ofelia never understood, but Luci does. She’s seen it, but she’s still here. Why? Luci says, they all make mistakes, and in Spanish, he says, even though she’s not of his blood, as of today, they’re family. She thanks him, and Wes asks what they’re going to do about everybody who lives there. Luci says she doesn’t know, but what about the zombies? Wes says, she heard Arno. You can’t touch them or get near them. She says, they need to leave now – all of them.

Luci tells Arno’s people, she knows they’ve been enemies. She knows some of them hurt people they care about, and they did the same to them. They all need to escape the dead and this land, and need each other now more than ever. They need to fight Victor, and take the tower. Only then can they have a new life, a new beginning, together. Who’s with them? Sabrina says, it’s what Teddy would have wanted, and everyone is like, yeah, and put on their masks. Wes asks if Luci thinks they can trust them; they killed their leader. Luci says, Alicia would want it, but he says, she couldn’t convince them and they couldn’t convince Arno. Daniel says, none of it will matter when they find out Luci can’t deliver on what she promised. Luci says, they can take the tower, but Daniel says, the last time, there was a nuclear war. She says, they didn’t have what they do. Someone who knows what Victor is thinking before he does. Daniel can get them there. He says he can’t get simple things straight. He lost his cat before this mess, and almost got them killed leaving the sub. Luci says, he freed them from prison and made it to the yacht. How did he do it? He says, when he wanted to get Ofelia, his mind was clear because his daughter gave him focus. Wes calls Luci over, and says, she’s not thinking what he thinks she is. She says, all of these people and everyone on the sub are depending on them. This is the only way. Victor’s outsmarted everyone else, and Daniel will get himself killed if he goes by himself. Wes says he can’t, and leaves. Daniel asks, what’s wrong with him? and Luci sits next to Daniel. She says, Arno told her something before he died. Ofelia is alive, and he told her where she is. Daniel says, Luci told him that she was dead, and she says, that’s what she thought, but Arno knew where she was. Victor has her in the tower. He asks why she didn’t tell him before, and she says she was afraid he’d go alone and get himself killed. He asks why she’s telling him now, and she says, because of what he did here. If knowing Ofelia is alive gives him clarity, he can lead all these people and take the tower from Victor. Daniel says he wants to believe this, but his mind isn’t clear. Luci must be certain, because if she’s wrong, if this is not true, if this is another lie, it could break him for good. Is she sure? Luci says, it is true, and he says, then we’ll get in the tower. Her, him, and Ofelia. They’ll always be together right? She says, yeah.

They come out, and Wes tells Luci, they’re ready. Luci suggests they head out, and walks with Wes. Wes says, he and Derek had this thing used to say, people are people. She asks what that means, and he says, it means people suck. Victor and Alicia tried to make him see things differently, and they did for a while after they found him, but then they were at each other’s throats. Morgan hasn’t done much better. What she was doing for Daniel made him want believe he might be wrong and there’s hope, but what she just did is proof she’s no better. She says she’s sorry, but that’s not what this is, and he gives her his radio, telling her to take it in case needs to call the sub. He’s not going with them. She says, don’t do this, and he tells her, good luck. She asks where he’s going, and he says he doesn’t know. What does know is, he can’t be around somebody pretending be someone they’re not. Daniel is confused. He’s not right, but he can’t help it. She knows exactly what she’s doing. He leaves, and Daniel asks, what happened? Where is he going? Should they go after him? Luci says, no. She doesn’t think they can change his mind. Wes walks down the road.

On the sub, Sarah looks at the weapons, and says, that’s a lot of heat. Dwight says he’s glad it worked out, and Morgan says, it more than worked out. It might make all the difference. They should take inventory. Dwight says, now they just need the soldiers to carry them. Luci walks in, and Morgan asks if she found Daniel. She says, not just Daniel; Arno’s people. They want to help. He says, no Wes? And she says, he’s not coming. Morgan says, but he’s okay? She says she hopes so. She thinks he needs some time. Daniel says, they found the weapons, and Morgan says, yes, they did. Daniel says, all they need to do now is plan how to overthrow Victor.

Wes goes to the tower callbox, and I say, no… no. He says he needs to talk to Victor. Tell him it’s Wes. Tell Victor that he wants to make a deal. The man who answered asks why Victor would want to deal with him, and Wes says, because he can help save Victor’s tower.

So I guess Wes sucks too?

Next time, John thinks he found the right opportunity, Victor wants to be shown they believe in this place, and someone else is thrown off the roof as Victor laughs, and twirls his metaphorical moustache.

I Forgot Too…

What happened to Ofelia.

https://www.distractify.com/p/how-did-ofelia-die-fear-the-walking-dead

🔬 Dissecting Daniel…

Ruben Blades talks life and Fear.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/walking-dead-ruben-blades-daniel-salazar-end-rcna26436

👩‍👧 Mother/Daughter Act…

More on Madison’s return and how Alicia figures in.

https://screenrant.com/fear-walking-dead-alicia-leader-madison-return-good/

⚓️ Water Works…

Apparently, viewers are enjoying the sub spin-off, but it’s not like it’s on Netflix.

https://www.cbr.com/ftwd-dead-in-the-water-popular-why/

💔 She’s Out…

Looks like the spin-off of Carol and Daryl is going to be just Daryl. I wonder why they couldn’t be more accommodating here. Or why she agreed in the first place.

📅 Another Page Off the Calendar…

Join me tomorrow in saluting a brand new month with some soap and Deck shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay straightforward, and stay not being a person who sucks.

April 24, 2022 – It’s What Victor Would Want, Butterflies, Season Of Fever, Double Dead Duty, They Had a Secret, Origins, Lots To Spin & Skies

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

Fear The Walking Dead

New guy Dev Ali is looking at Victor’s butterfly collection. John tells him, Victor is particular about those, and asks why he’s here. Ali says, Howard sent for him, and John says he’ll see if he can find Howard, but Howard comes in, saying, it’s not necessary. Ali asks what Victor is looking for, and Howard says, that’s between Victor and his rangers. Ali asks when he can join the rangers, and Howard says, when he’s ready. Ali asks when that will be; he thought he was closer. Howard asks how old Ali is, and Ali says, 15. Howard says he admires Ali’s ambition, and he knows Victor does, but everyone has to start somewhere. He points at a picture of a butterfly in a book, and tells Ali, it’s the Mourning Cloak. It’s rare, and only lives for a year. He knows the perfect spot; Ali just has to find one. Ali says he doesn’t know how that proves he’s ranger material, and John says, Ali should have seen what he had to go through. It was no picnic. Howard says he asked John to assist him, not spook the kid. It’s not hazing; it’s showing him how they see the world. Caterpillars started as one thing and became something better. That’s what Victor did, and it’s how they’ve survived. Ali needs to show Victor what he’s capable of, and then he’ll be ready. He can be something greater.

Ali rides into the woods, and immediately spots one of these extremely rare butterflies. A zombie is heading for him, and he puts a jar over the butterfly with one hand, and stabs the zombie in the head with the other. He goes back to where he’s tied his horse, and sees a masked woman there. He takes out his gun, and says, hands up. Turn around. Who the hell are you? While he takes a second to shoot an approaching zombie, she grabs him, but he kicks her away. He says, mask off, and we see it’s Charlie. He says, she’s just a kid, and she asks what that makes him. He asks what she was stealing, and she says she got separated from her group, while they were looking for food and water. He picks up the jar with the butterfly in it, and says she’s lucky the jar didn’t break. John and Howard ride up with a few rangers, and Howard says, they got concerned when Ali wasn’t back when he said he was going to be. John says, howdy, to Charlie, and Howard asks if they know each other. John says, she did a spell with them when they were trying to stop Teddy, and Howard says, she’s one of Morgan’s. A ranger leads Charlie away, and John tells her, it will be okay; stay calm. Ali asks Howard, what’s going on? and Howard says, Charlie is coming with them. Ali needs to show Victor what he’s capable of, and he might get his shot.

Howard asks why Charlie was stealing, and she says she wants to talk to Victor. Howard says, Victor is out assuring the safety of the tower. He needs her to tell him the truth. It’s not a coincidence she ran into Ali, was it? She says, no, and Howard says, Morgan put her up to it, but she says, Morgan doesn’t know she’s here. He asks why she is here, and she says, she’s been looking for a way to sneak in here. John wonders why she didn’t just use the callbox, and Howard says, she knew Victor would say no. He knows everything about his previous allies, and she has a checkered past. Charlie says she wants to have a chance at a normal life, like June. On the sub, they can see what day it is, and she’s turning 13 this week. She was so young when everything changed. Every day has been one fight after another, and she doesn’t want to fight anymore. She just wants a normal life. She can have that here if they give her a chance. Whatever Victor wants her to do, she’ll do it. The house phone rings, and John answers. It’s June, who says, they have a problem. She’s in the infirmary.

Garcia lies on a table, looking pretty sick, and Howard asks, where’s Victor? Garcia says, Victor split off before they got there, and the others didn’t make it. Ali says, Garcia has radiation burns; they see them a lot out there. Garcia says, too many. He wanted to protect the tower. He’d do anything for this place.

Ali tells Charlie to keep moving. Howard wants her in the conference room as soon as possible. Charlie asks how Ali got in here, but he says he’s not sharing information with her. He wonders if she wanted to be here, why she didn’t run away before. She wonders why he’d want to go out there instead of staying in the tower, but he says she wouldn’t understand. They hear a scream, and go to find out what it is.

On the roof, Ali says, Garcia jumped? and John says, he did a triple axel right off the edge. Howard says, it’s what Victor would have wanted. Garcia said he would do anything to protect this place, and couldn’t when he was alive. June says, he probably didn’t want to suffer; he had radiation poisoning. Charlie says she thought this place was safe, and Howard says, they were scouting for elevator parts. Charlie says, what if she gets them? Will they let her live there? June says, it’s too dangerous, and John says, look what happened to the other scouts. Howard tells Charlie, okay, and June says, he can’t be serious. He says, she volunteered, and Charlie says she thinks she can do it. Will she get to live here? Howard says, it’s Victor’s call, but Victor listens to him, and if she does this, she’s in. She says she’ll do it, and he says she’ll leave tomorrow. Howard takes Ali aside, and tells him to go with her. Ali can fill him in on what Charlie is really looking for, and he’ll get the chance to prove himself. Ali says, by getting elevator parts? but Howard says, it’s not about that. It’s about finding out why Charlie is here. They need to consider the possibility she’s lying. Ali says, she could die, and Howard says, if she wants to live there as much as she says she does, she’ll be careful. Ali says, it feels wrong, and Howard says, it’s never easy, but it’s what separates the caterpillars from the butterflies. It’s what rangers do, and Ali said he wanted to be one.

Charlie sits behind Ali, as they ride into the woods on a horse. She wonders why Victor collects butterflies. She thinks it’s a sh*tty thing to do for no reason. He says, they only live for about a year, and she asks if he thinks that makes it okay. Doesn’t he think they should get a chance to live no matter how short? He says, it doesn’t matter what he thinks. As long as he can prove what he can do for Victor. He stops, and sees there are Stalkers ahead. He says, they’ll use the two of them against Victor. He knows a place to hole up.

Ali brings Charlie to a bowling alley, which he unlocks with a key from under the mat. She asks why being a ranger is important to him, and he looks around, telling her, it looks clear. She says she always wanted to play a game, and he says, she never bowled? The Stalkers come to the door, and Ali tells her, don’t move, and gets a gun from behind the desk. He waits near the door, out of the Stalkers’ sight, and a Stalker calls out, is anybody in here? Another says, there’s really nothing, and they leave. Ali tells Charlie, they’re gone. He guesses they were just passing through. Charlie asks how he knew the gun was here, and the key, and he says he used to live nearby. He would come to play a game once in a while. She asks if he’s any good, and says, it can’t be that hard. She bowls a gutter ball, and he says she has to put a spin on it. She says, show her, and he says he will when they get back. She says, what if she doesn’t make it back? What if he doesn’t make it back? He says, one ball, and shows her how to place her hand. He tells her to aim for the center pin, and follow through with a twist in her wrist. He puts his hand over hers to guide her, she gets a strike, and says, that was good, right? He says, they should get going, and looks at a bulletin board where there are pictures of bowlers, including one of him with an older man. Charlie asks, what is it? and he says, let’s get going. They go outside, and he replaces the key. She says she saw his name under one of the photos, and asks if the man was his teammate. He says, it was his dad, and she says, Mohammed and Ali? and laughs. He says, his dad loved boxing, and she asks if he was in the military. He says his dad was an Imam in the Israeli army, and she asks, what happened? He says, the bomb and all the bad sh*t that went with it. It was in his blood; he didn’t make it. She asks if Ali was with him to the end, and he says, yeah.

They arrive at what used to be a town, and Ali says, this is the building. Garcia said there were dead inside. Charlie says, they’re probably at ground level, so she’ll start higher. He asks, how? and she says, she’s done this before. He says he’s coming with her, but she says, it’s better if she goes alone. She asks, what’s wrong? and he asks why she’s really doing this. She says, to live in the tower, and she wants to help him be a ranger. He gives her a walkie and tells her, if anything happens, he’ll be on channel 4. Be fast. She doesn’t want be exposed to what Garcia was. She puts on a mask, climbs onto a dumpster, and gets on the fire escape. As she goes inside, a woman tells Ali, hands up.

Ali says, if the woman tries anything, Victor will kill her, and she asks why they’re sending people to the pit. He says he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. He’s not even a ranger. She says, what about his friend? but he says, she doesn’t know anything. She asks why Charlie went in, but he says nothing, so she says, they’ll go in and find out. Move. He tries punching her, but she knocks him down, and another Stalker holds a gun to his head. They go to the door, and he asks if he can please put his mask on; it’s not safe. She says, open the door, and he opens it, stepping aside as zombies scramble out. The Stalkers try to shoot them, but there are too many, and the zombies overtake them. Ali sees a gun on the ground, and grabs it while the zombies are feeding. He puts on his mask, and goes inside.

He calls Charlie, and shoots a couple of zombies who are wandering around. He runs out of bullets before he can kill the last one, and it gets him on the ground. He’s able to keep its mouth at a distance, but he’s getting tired. In the nick (no pun intended) of time, Charlie stabs the zombie in the head from behind. She asks if he’s okay, and he says she was going to ask her the same thing. Where’s her mask? She says she lost it in a fight. They walk to elevator, and there are a bunch of zombies lying all over the floor. He says, she killed all these? and she says, one grabbed her mask as she was closing the door, but she’s not going back to get it. Besides, these are reading clean. Zombies scrabble at the door and window, and she pries open the elevator doors. He tells her, be quick, and she says she saw what he did outside. He says, it was the only way, and she says she feels terrible, but he says, it’s fine; he handled it. She says she doesn’t mean that. She didn’t tell the truth about why she came to the tower. Morgan sent her. She’s supposed to turn off the beacon to clear the way for Morgan to get Grace and the baby out. He says she made them believe she was going to help. Victor is going to be mad when he finds out. Charlie says, he won’t; she’s not going through with it. She wants what she said she wanted, but she still wouldn’t have done it if it puts him in danger. He says, they don’t have much time, and she gets to work. Howard radios, asking what’s taking so long, and Ali says, they were just leaving. He steps away from Charlie, and Howard asks if Ali found out what he asked. Ali says he did, as zombies start to bust through a door that looks like it’s made of balsa wood, and Ali tells Charlie that he’s sorry. He pushes her into the elevator, and pulls the doors shut. She begs him not to do this. If he does, she’ll die, but he says she’ll be safe.

Ali tells Howard that he’s got the board, and he’s coming back, and Howard says, just him? From the elevator, Charlie says, Ali asked why she didn’t run sooner. She didn’t want do this alone. Ali tells Howard, just him, and Howard says he made the right decision for the good of the town. Charlie says, they can do it together, and Howard tells Ali, it’s what Victor would want. Charlie says, they can get away from everyone; away from Morgan and Victor. They don’t have to be stuck in the middle. Zombie hands and arms are starting to come through the small opening between the elevator doors, and there’s suddenly shooting, the zombies dropping to the floor. Ali pries open the doors, and shoots the remaining straggler zombies. He says, he told her that he was with his dad to the end, but that’s not true. When his dad got sick, he left him. Charlie asks, why? and he says he couldn’t handle it; he couldn’t see his dad like that. He was a coward. She asks why he’s telling her this, and he says, he thought becoming a ranger would make everything okay, but he’s just being a coward again. He’s not making the same mistake twice. She said she didn’t want to run away alone. She doesn’t have to. She says, what about Victor and Howard? and he says he’s not afraid of them. Is she? He holds out his hand, and she takes it. He says, all those things she never got to do, she can still do; some of them anyway. There are still a lot things he hasn’t done either. She says, like what? and he kisses her. She says, well, that was a first. He says, and? and she says, it’s so much better than bowling. He says he found some places when he was on patrols where they can hole up until they find something better. She suddenly faints, and he radios John, telling her to stay with him.

Back at the tower, John says, it’s a good thing Ali called. This is where Charlie needs to be. June and Grace come out, and Ali asks how Charlie is. June says, she’s stable, and he asks, what’s wrong? June says, she was exposed to radiation, but he says, no, that’s not possible. She says she should check him too, and he tells her, Charlie said she was careful. Grace says, sometimes that’s not enough. There are things they can’t see. He says, but June can treat her, right? How bad is it? June says, given the amount of exposure, Charlie should make the most of every day. She’s sorry.

Looking at some Polaroids in his office, Howard tells Ali, it’s been a  hell of a day. Ali says, the scouts who never came back sort of looked like the ones in the building, and Howard says, he’ll mention it to Victor. Ali asks where Victor is, and Howard says, he’s waiting until tomorrow to journey back given the state of the state. He asks why Charlie is here. What did Morgan send her to do? Ali says, Morgan didn’t send her. She was telling the truth. Howard says, she’ll be escorted out in the morning, but Ali says, she’s sick because of what Howard made her do. Howard says, she’s sick because it’s what the world has to offer. He’ll do everything to protect what they’ve built. They can’t let personal feelings cloud their judgement. Why did Ali bring her back after what they discussed? Can he trust Ali? Ali says, yes, and Howard says, nice work, all things considered. He has to wait for Victor to officially sign off on it, but tomorrow will be Ali’s first official day as a ranger. Congratulations.

Ali goes to Charlie’s room, and asks how she’s feeling, but she says she doesn’t really know. He sits on the bed and holds her, and she says she’s scared; really scared. He asks her to come with him, but she says she’s supposed to rest. He says he knows, but there’s something he wants her to see.

They go to Victor’s butterflyarium, and he tells her to keep her eyes closed, leading her in and closing the door. He says, open them. Happy birthday. The butterflies are all flying around, and she says, they’re beautiful, but when Victor finds out… He says he doesn’t care. She’s right. Something this beautiful deserves to live, no matter how short it’s life is. He wasn’t there for someone who needed him before; this time he will. Music plays, and they lie on the floor and watch the butterflies. They dance, and he says he’ll be right there next to her every second of the way, then kisses her. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, Morgan. She was supposed to turn off the light. She needs to tell him what’s going on. He says he’ll do it. He’ll take care of everything. He kisses her again, and leaves.

Ali goes to the roof, and is about to flip the switch, when Howard comes out. He says, so this is why Morgan sent her, and a guy comes out with a gun. Ali runs, but there’s nowhere to go, and Howard says, disarm the light, then what? Ali says he doesn’t know. They want this place to change, and that can’t happen with Victor. Howard says, it’s the only way, and Ali rushes him, but the other guy aims his gun at Ali. Howard tells him, no, and he and Ali trade punches, Ali coming out the loser. Ali is backed toward the edge of the roof, and says, please don’t do it, but Howard says, sorry. It’s what Victor would do. Charlie is still enjoying the butterflies, when she hears a scream and sees Ali fall past the window. She screams, no! and runs to June. June asks, what’s wrong? and she says, Ali. He… June says, what is it? when the elevator door opens, and Howard comes out. Charlie says, Howard killed him, and Howard suggests she back off unless she wants to join him. June says, he’s a monster, but Howard says, Ali attacked him, and left him no choice. He’s trying to protect those who would undermine them, and suggests June do the same. John walks in, and says, he’s right, and June asks who’s side John is on. John says, he lost everything to that hospitable world out there, including his son, and she says, his son would be ashamed, and John says, John Jr. saw the need to protect them, and look what happened. Howard says, Ali paid the price; now it’s Charlie’s turn. June says, if Howard lays a hand on Charlie, she’ll kill him herself, and he says, if anything happens to him, she’ll have to face Victor, but she says, no. Victor knows what she knows, that he needs her more than he needs Howard. If anyone gets sick or injured, he’ll have no one to help them, and this place will fall. Charlie stays with her, under her care. That’s the deal. Howard says, fine, but he suggests she tread carefully, and leaves.

June asks John, what the hell was that about? and he tells her that he had to say it. She asks if he believes it, and he says, he needed Howard to believe it. There’s only one way he can change things, and that’s to get in Victor’s ear. Anyone will listen to reason if the right person gets in their ear. June says she thought she had Virginia’s ear, and John says, it’s the only way it works, and it has to work. He leaves, and June says, this is her fault. She never should have let Charlie go. Charlie asks why she did, and June says, ever since she got here, she’s been hiding. Charlie asks, why? and she says, she’s been scared. Until today, it hasn’t hurt anyone but her. She doesn’t expect Charlie to forgive her – she doesn’t deserve it – but she promises Charlie that no matter how much time she has left, she’ll live to see Victor go down. A butterfly lands on the windowsill, and June says she’ll make sure that happens. Charlie thanks her, looks at the butterfly, and smiles.

Next time, the Stalkers neb Luci, who ends up in a cage surrounded by zombies.

🦋 About That Butterfly…

Interesting list. I’ve had almost all of these things happen to me.

https://www.joincake.com/blog/signs-from-deceased-loved-ones/

😷 Sweating It Out…

This season, they’re giving Alicia fever.

https://ew.com/tv/alycia-debnam-carey-fear-the-walking-dead-sweaty/

And bagpipes.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-alycia-debnam-carey-follow-me-bagpipes/

👯‍♀️ Seeing Double…

Alicia’s version of Groundhog Day.

https://screenrant.com/fear-walking-dead-alicia-episode-repeat-damage/

🤫 A Secret Well Kept…

Good thing they didn’t tell any of the Housewives.

🤿 Spinning Underwater…

Now that I think of it, Dead in the Water isn’t a very promising title for a series.

https://www.cbr.com/walking-dead-zombie-origin-problem-dead-in-the-water/

⚰️ All Of Them…

Everything that’s spinning off Deadwise.

🌜 If I Can Dream…

Come join me tomorrow for the usual soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay assertive without being aggressive, and stay making the most of every day.

April 17, 2022 – Alicia’s Dream Leads To Padre, Hearts Flutter Again, Sweating It Out, More On Madison, Saul’s Back, Dead Gallery & Amazing

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

Fear the Walking Dead

A tumbleweed blows by. Alicia marches down a road leading a small group of people. She hears, Padre, and sees a zombie up ahead. She asks what they said, and tells them, I’m talking to you. There’s a high pitched sound that makes everyone cover their ears. Alicia runs after the figure, and hears, Padre, again. The figure turns around, and it’s the zombie who bit her. He attacks her, and gets her on the ground. She hears, follow me… She opens her eyes, and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy is blasting so loud, the chandelier is rocking. She realizes she has earplugs in, and takes them out. She grabs her steampunk arm, and heads downstairs. She asks if someone is there, and sees the door banging open and shut. She closes and locks it. She sees bloody footprints, and follows them. A man sitting at a piano, and she yells at him to turn the music off. She tries reaching for the volume control, but it’s on a shelf that’s too high for her. The zombie making the footprints comes up behind the man, and Alicia yells to him, then knocks the stereo off the shelf. He fights the zombie, and stabs it in the eyeball. He asks Alicia, what did you do? and she passes out. He picks up the broken stereo, and says, what did you do?

Alicia wakes up, and sees the man back at the piano. She asks how she got here, but he doesn’t turn around. She gets up, and says she’s talking to him. She taps his shoulder with her not-really-an-arm, and he whips around. He says, easy, and she asks if he can hear her. He says, no. He hasn’t heard a thing in months. She asks, what’s going on? How did she get here? He tells her, speak slower so he can read her lips, and she asks, how long has she been out? He says, two days, and she asks how she got here. He says he brought her here. He was coming back from a food run, and found her passed out in a barn two miles north. He checked her, and saw what was left of her arm. That’s quite a statement. She says she got bit, and wasn’t going to let him take it. He says he figured that was why, and that she would have turned by now. It didn’t look infected, but she was still burning up. Why is she idling so hot; is she sick? She says, that’s not it, and she wasn’t in a barn. She remembers she was on her way back to the people she was staying with. She must have passed out, but she wasn’t in a barn. A girl saved her. He says, maybe the girl got her to the barn, and asks what she’s running from. She says she appreciates his help, but she has to go. People are counting on her. He says, her dad? She said, padre. She says she must have been confused, and starts to go, but he says, hold on. She broke his stereo. She can at least help him fix it. She says she has to go, but bumps into the doorframe, and he says, she’s in no shape to go anywhere. He introduces himself as Paul, and says, she never answered his question about her fever. He hands her a bottle of medication, and she says, it’s a long story. He says, she can do better than that. She’s still breathing because of him. She says she returned the favor. He was drawing the zombies with the loud music. He says, there’s a lock on the door, and the entire house is soundproofed. She says she thought he couldn’t hear, and he says, when Beethoven was going deaf, he destroyed every piano by pounding on it. Just because you can’t hear the music, doesn’t mean you can’t feel it. She points at some bagpipes, and asks, what about those? but he says he doesn’t play them. She hears a horse outside, and asks him to hide her. He can’t know she’s here. Paul asks, who is he? There’s a knock at the door, and Paul opens it to Arno, who’s wearing his mask. Paul asks if there’s something he can help with, and Arno says, he’s looking for somebody. Paul says he can’t hear sh*t. Arno will have to show his face, but there’s been nothing dangerous in the wind for weeks. Arno takes off his mask, and says he’s looking for someone; a woman. Paul says he’s out of luck. There’s no one here but him. Zombies are reaching through a tarp over a cage in the back of a wagon, and Paul asks, what’s that? but Arno ignores him, walking past him and inside, along with his men. Paul tells Arno that he didn’t say he could come in, and Arno picks up the bottle of medication, asking if Paul is sick. Paul tells them to get out of his house, and Arno says, the girl he’s looking for gets fevers. She’s been bitten, and lost part of her arm, but she didn’t turn. She’s still walking around. Paul says he ain’t seen her, and Arno says, she’s not considerate. She has a habit of getting people hurt. Paul asks what Arno wants with her, and Arno says, that’s between them. He plays a scale on the piano, but hits a dead key. He asks Paul what the problem is, and we see the problem is Alicia hiding inside the piano, but Paul says they’re broken. Arno hits them a few times and says, all right then. If Paul sees her, give him a call. He gives Paul a walkie, and looks at a photo on his way out. He says, a deaf musician; ain’t that a bitch. He tells Paul that he appreciates his time, and leaves. Paul watches as the Stalkers drive their wagons off.

Paul makes something on the stove, and asks Alicia what Arno wants with her. Is it true what he said? Is she getting folks hurt? She says, they lived in the same place. Things went bad, and he blamed her. He asks if Arno is right to blame her, and she says, they had to abandon the place, since the blast had compromised the structure. He asks, where is that? and serves her a bowl of whatever he’s making. He says she seems nice enough to him. Then again, he may just be grateful for the company. She takes a bite, and he sees her face, and says, she’s never had haggis. The Scottish always kept cans in the pantry. He had the same reaction when he first tried it, but he grew to like it. When he was scavenging, he was surprised at how easy it was to find. Grocery stores were picked clean save for that stuff. Alicia says, Rowan. Is she…? He says, his wife, and she asks, what happened? He says, the bombs did. He lost her and what was left of his hearing the same day. Alicia says she’s sorry, and he says, so is he. He’s leaving at dawn to find a stereo. She says she really does have to go, but he says, she can’t leave. She says she’s not the person he thinks she is, but he says she has to be. Why is she in such a hurry? She tells him, what Arno said is true. People got hurt, and she doesn’t want that to happen to him. Paul asks, what happened? Why is that guy after her? She says, it doesn’t matter, and he asks, what does? She says, lives are at stake, and he says, so is his. If she leaves him without finding a stereo, he’s as good as dead. Help him get what he wants, and he’ll make sure she gets back in one piece. She says she doesn’t know where to find a stereo, but he says he does.

They go to a concert hall, and Paul asks how Alicia wound up bit. She says, the same way most people do; trying to get out of a bad situation. He asks if it has something to do with Padre. She was talking about it in her dreams. It must have meant something. She says, it’s a place she thought she could take everyone where they would be safe, and he says, and people died along the way. That’s why Arno is after her? What’s the new plan? She says, there’s a new place, or there will be. The person running it is trying hard to keep people out. She tried to get Arno and his people to fight with them. He says, it looks like she didn’t convince them, and she tells him, he said she shouldn’t lead anyone. He’s probably right. Paul says, so it didn’t work out. Big deal. She tried. She says, people died, but he says, she didn’t put a gun to their head and force them to follow her. They followed her for a reason. She says, she thought it was the way to go, and he says, and she did. Why beat herself up about it? Beethoven’s Ninth Concerto was the last concert they had here. When it premiered, Beethoven said he couldn’t conduct it himself because he was deaf. When it ended, the house went nuts and gave him a standing ovation. The story goes, because he was unaware of it, a young contralto spun Beethoven around, so he could see how they loved what they’d heard. Alicia asks what instrument Paul played, and he says, piano. Rowan played the violin. He got her the bagpipes for her 40th birthday, and learned to play them himself, part of his Scottish education. It was her dream to play Ode to Joy on the bagpipes, but she never played it. His hearing had started going, and she thought he would hear it because the bagpipes are so loud. Alicia asks, why didn’t she play it? and Paul says, he told her that’s not how it’s meant to be played, but really, he was so damn mad at the world going quiet, he took it out on her. Alicia says, he doesn’t have to go back and live alone, but he says, what else is he going to do? She says, come with her and her friends. The more people they have, the sooner they can take that place. She hears a horse, and he says, what’s wrong? She tells him, wait here, and goes outside. Why she reveals herself in this way is beyond me, but she sees Arno’s mini convoy, and a gun is cocked near her head. Arno says he knew he would find her here, and she says, she’s not alone. He says he figured that too, and yells, come out. That’s right, he can’t hear them. He looks at Alicia and shakes his head, saying, she never learns. Did she promise him somewhere safe to go? She says she thought Padre would work, and he says, tell them. One of his men removes the tarp from the cage, and reveals the zombie. She tells Arno that he’s insane, but he says, she’s the one who asked them to find Vazquez so he could lead them. How’d that go? She says, he should put them to rest, and he says he was going to, but he thought it would be more fun to let them punish her for what she did. His men drag her to the wagon.

Arno clanks Alicia’s arm part against the cage bars, and says, they’re dead because she said she knew the way. It seems only fair that she join them. She’s already halfway there. He unlocks the cage, when Paul shoots him in the hand. It’s too late though, and the zombies are released. Paul shoots, and Alicia grabs her arm part. Arno is like, waah, my hand! and Paul runs out of bullets. As he struggles to put more in the gun, he drops the stereo and it breaks. Alicia gets in a vehicle, and calls to him. He hesitates getting in, and says, he can fix it. She grabs him, and pulls him in, but he says he has to get it back. She says, it’s just a stereo, and he says, it’s the only thing that can drown it out; her voice. She was on her way back when it happened. She was so scared, and he tried to calm her. He told her it would be okay, and to stay on the radio with him. Then the warhead came crashing down with a horrible high-pitched sound while she screamed. Then everything went quiet. The last thing he ever heard was her scream; his Rowan. He couldn’t go on hearing it. Alicia couldn’t possibly understand. Alicia says she can, and he says, how? She says she has a voice she can’t get rid of either; the one from her dream. He says, what dream? and she says the one she’s had for months, that she keeps having. She thought Padre was a place she could take everyone. The first time she had the dream was after she got bit. She didn’t know if she’d cut off her arm in time. She was out for days, and when her fever was spiking, she had the dream; the most vivid dream she’d ever had. Paul says, about what? and she says, a walker; she was following it. We see her running, and she says, not just her, all of them too. She finally caught up, and the walker turned around. It was the same walker that bit her. He talked to her, and said, Padre, but it wasn’t his voice. He told her to follow him to Padre, so she did, or it’s what she’s been trying to do. She made all these people believe in her. She told them that she knew what she was doing and where she was going, and she didn’t. It was just a dream. He says, they must have had a reason, and she says, they died because of her. Now that voice is all she can hear every time she closes her eyes; every time she manages to fall asleep. He asks if she’s serious about what she said to him; him coming with her and helping with the place she’s trying take over. He’d like to take her up on it. She asks, why? and he says, something tells him there’s a reason he came across her. Maybe they can help each other drown out what they don’t want to hear. Alicia says she couldn’t get him a stereo, and he says, he’s got one right here, but she tells him, stay away. She can’t let him get hurt. Arno won’t stop until she’s dead. He’ll go to Paul’s house and hurt him. Paul says, that’s why he needs to be ready for Arno. Does she trust him? She nods, and he takes out the walkie. He says, if Arno is listening, if Arno can hear him, he’s sorry about the mishap earlier. Alicia turned on him too. The problem Arno has, Paul is ready to help solve. Come to his house after dark.

Paul sets up the stereo (which I guess he fixed?) and Alicia says, he doesn’t have to. He says, the sooner he helps her take out Arno, the sooner she can get back and stop punishing herself for what’s not her fault. She says, even with Arno gone, the voice won’t go. He says, maybe not, but maybe it’s not meant to be silenced. She tells him, but he said… and he says, he told her, it would drown out what they didn’t want to hear, but maybe she should listen. His old man was a helluva pianist; he was known as Texas Gershwin. His brother followed in their father’s footsteps, and Paul started taking lessons. He wanted to be like his father and brother, but when he did, the teacher would smack his hands with a yardstick. She asks, why? and he says, nobody makes great music imitating others. It has to come from you. Maybe that’s why it didn’t work before. Alicia thought somebody else was telling her what to do. Maybe the voice is her; so listen to it. If she doesn’t, she might regret it. He looks at the bagpipes, and says he owes it to himself and anyone who wants his help. Arno yells that he knows they’re in there, and Alicia tells Paul, they’re here. He gives her earplugs to put in, and says, it’s going to get loud. Arno and his man knock on the windows, and Arno whistles. He says he know Alicia is in there. Where is she? Come out. Paul hooks up the stereo. Arno tries the door, finds it locked, and sighs. He says, come out before she gets someone else hurt. Suddenly, Ode to Joy starts blasting, and Paul shoots at them. No surprise, zombies pop out of everywhere. Arno yells for his men to fall back, but it’s too late. Paul shoots the zombies wandering into the house until he runs out of bullets. Alicia starts smashing zombie heads with her pseudo arm, and Paul whacks them with whatever he can find. Alicia says, Arno is coming in through the back, and sure enough, they sneak in. Paul whacks one in the head with a guitar, but Alicia says, there are too many. I’m not quite sure if she’s referring to the zombies or Arno’s guys, or both. Arno kills off some zombies, and Paul grabs the bagpipes. The electricity goes out, and Arno points his gun at Paul. A zombie grabs Arno, but he gets off a shot anyway, hitting Paul. Alicia grabs Paul, and hustles him into another room. She looks at his wound, and tells him, it’s going to be okay. Where they’re going, they have medical supplies. He says, it’s too late, but she says, it’s not; they’ll get out. He says, she will, and she says she’s not leaving without him. He laughs, and says she doesn’t have a choice. Alicia says he’s in this position because of her. She said she’d take him somewhere safe… He says he would have followed her anyway, and so will they. Her friends… her people. What her dream is telling her is that they’re the ones she’d meant to lead. She tries to get him to come, but he says she just needs to believe in what she’s capable of. She says she doubted someone she cared about, and won’t make that mistake again. Zombies start to scrabble at the door, and they hear gunshots. He tells her to go, but she says she won’t make it past Arno. He says, she will if they can’t hear her. Arno knocks at the door, and says, she can’t stay in there forever. Paul starts to play Ode to Joy on the bagpipes, and Alicia cuts out the back. Paul sees her running past through the window, and Arno comes in. He points his gun at Paul, who doesn’t even turn around, although there are tears in his eyes. Alicia runs down the road through the woods as we hear the gunshot. She runs until she sees a hooded, masked little girl. She stops, and says, you again? Are you okay? The girl says she will be, and Alicia lies down in the road. The girl says, if you can help me, maybe I can help you. Alicia closes her eyes.

Alicia walks in a windy, ochre landscape. She sees a figure in the distance, and says, hey. A man’s voice says, Padre, but as she gets closer, she sees it’s a woman. A woman’s voice says, Padre. Follow me. She stops, and the figure turns. It’s her, and she tells herself, Padre. Follow me. Behind her are a group of people, including the little masked girl. Alicia says, Morgan… Morgan says, Alicia. Wake up. She opens her eyes.  

Morgan says, it’s okay. She’s all right. She asks how long she was out, and he says she showed up last night, but collapsed before they could get her inside. He puts a cool cloth on her forehead, and says, they’ve got to keep her fever down. She says, where is she? and he asks, who? She says, that girl; the one who brought her here. He says, she was alone… What is it? Is she all right? How did it go with Arno? Did she convince him to join them? She says she’s sorry. She knows they don’t have enough people to take on Victor. He says, they’ll find another way, and she says she thinks she has one.

Morgan asks why she thought a walker could lead them to Padre. She’s not too much on a straight answer to a straight question. She says she had a dream when she was in the bunker after she’d cut her arm off. The fever was at its worst, and she heard a voice. She thought it was saying a walker would lead them, and she thought it was coming from Padre. He asks who it was coming from, and she says, herself. Her mom, Nick, and Morgan all had a dream, but she never stopped to listen to her own voice. She is now. He asks where she’s going, and she says, the bunker has a transmitter. She doesn’t think Padre even exists, but a lot of people are looking for it, or a place like it. He says, she can’t lead them to a place that doesn’t exist, but she says she can lead people to them. They can become Padre, and give them what they want; a safe place to live. And that’s how they’ll take the tower. Morgan asks if she wants him to come, but she says she needs him to stay. When she comes back, they’ll make their move. He says, then he’ll be ready when she gets back, but she should rest. She says she can’t. Just be ready. She leaves.

Stalker Sage drives the wagon, the cage now empty except for a whining Arno. Sage stops the wagon, and Arno wails that he’s going to die if his hand isn’t treated. Sage says, they don’t have time, and tells Arno to look. Arno gets out, and they stand by the edge of a canyon filled with zombies. Sage says, the herd must have fell in. They’ve been stewing down there for months. Arno asks, how many? and Sage says, too many. If one of them gets out, they won’t be going anywhere. Arno says, we need to take the tower for ourselves.  

Next time, Morgan needs to protect the sub, Charlie gets herself trapped, June says Howard is a monster, and it looks like Charlie will be having a love interest (see below).

💗 Dead Love For Teens…

He was on the preview, and I knew I recognized him from somewhere.

GH Alum Ashton Arbab Joins the Cast of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD!

🔥 Is It Hot In Here Or…

They really did make her look like hell.

https://ew.com/tv/alycia-debnam-carey-fear-the-walking-dead-sweaty/

👢 Ripple Effect…

Madison’s return will trickle down. Or out. Or something.

https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/fear-the-walking-dead-kim-dickens-madison-return-teased

🚑 Not Just Chasing Ambulances Anymore…

Back for a new and final season, this was a better show than I’d expected it to be. Sadly, I can’t watch them all, and I lost track of it, but you might want to catch up.

https://www.avclub.com/better-call-saul-season-6-what-to-remember-season-5-su-1848785149

⚰️ Just For Fun…

A gallery of memorable TWD characters.

https://tvline.com/gallery/the-walking-dead-most-memorable-characters-photos/

🐣 May Your Basket Always Be Full Of Treats…

Stop by tomorrow for some soap and Sailing. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your eyes open for opportunities, and stay not imitating others. Nobody makes great music that way. It has to come from you.

April 10, 2022 – The Commonwealth Takes It All, About That Place, Latest Dead, Fear’s Here, a Wedding & Vacation

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

The Walking Dead

Mid-season finale.

A cluster of zombies make a lot of noise. Lance steps in zombie goo, ruining his Pierre Cardin shoes.

19 HOURS AND ONE ACT OF GOD AGO. Maggie leaves Hilltop with Herschel, Elijah, and Marco. She asks if Herschel has everything, and he says he’s not a baby anymore. He doesn’t want to go. Maggie tells him, it’s only temporary, and he says he wants to help. She says she knows, but not this time. She asks, how far? and Elijah says, four miles south. They can get there before dark. Maggie tells Herschel, they’ll be back before he knows it. She takes his hand, and they all walk into the woods.

Lance flips his coin, and tells a trooper to call it. The trooper says, tails, and Lance says, over there, pointing to one of a few groups of soldiers. The trooper asks if they’re going to be given an assignment, and Lance says, you’ll know soon enough.

Max is sitting on the bed reading, when Eugene wakes up. She says she thought he was still asleep, and he says he was. He thought they had a lovely night, and she says, they did. He asks what she’s reading, and she says, stuff on physics. He says, just so she knows, she’s the most remarkable human he’s ever met; beautiful in every way. She thanks him, and kisses him. She says she has to get ready for work, and he asks if she has any hesitation about what he asked her to do. She says, no. She said she’d do it. It’s just… He says, she can tell him, and she says she can’t stop thinking about what happens after. This place pushes everyone to keep it the same, and she’s worried it’s going to push them until they all break.

Daryl breaks down a door, and goes into a house with Gabriel, Aaron, and some troopers. Away from the others, Aaron says, they’re not splitting up, and Gabriel says, they’ll get through and get home. Aaron says, they’re in this until it’s over, and Daryl says, when they get a break, they’ll take it, and head north. A trooper finds them, and asks what all the chit-chat is. Daryl says, they need a break, and Gabriel says, there’s a rumor that a place in Charleston is trading weapons. He asks if they’ve checked there, when zombies suddenly start busting in from the next room. One clings on the trooper, who freaks out. Daryl pokes it through the head, and the trooper smashes it to a pulp, because it’s easy once they’re deactivated. Lance radios, asking where they are, and the trooper tells Lance that they’re 13 miles past the last outpost. They have one more location to clear. He tells the others, let’s move. Gabriel says, Lance is checking on them. They need to watch their backs. Daryl agrees.

Maggie and Herschel walk through the woods, followed by Elijah and Marco. She tells them, sounds like it’s getting closer, and Eli says, it is. Herschel is worried about Maggie, but she tells him that she’s okay. He says, no, she’s not, and she bends down so she can look him in the eye. She says, everything she’s done, and still does, is so they have choices. He might not like the place they’re going to, but she promises it’s the right choice… for now. Lydia meets them with some others, and they follow her.

At the camp, Leah suits up for battle like Mrs. Peel from The Avengers, all in black, leather, and weapons. Lance says, it’s exciting, doesn’t she think? Things are coming together. She’ll get the scalp of the woman who killed her family, and he gets to do his job without interference. Everybody wins. Well… not everybody. The cicadas get crazy loud in the trees, and Lance says, he’ll need to see it when she’s dead, giving Leah a radio. Leah says, when she’s dead, he will, and Lance tells the troopers to come. He smiles.

Lydia leads the others to a tangle of branches on the ground, and signal knocks in the middle of it with a stick. She pulls on one of the branches, and says, this thing is stuck. Elijah helps her, and they open a trap door. Inside are Negan, Annie, and what’s left of the Warlord group. They come out of the hidey hole.

Annie asks if Maggie is sure Lance is coming, and Maggie says she spotted him outside the walls. Negan tells her, they’re grateful for her help. He has no problem watching the kid, but Annie is pregnant. There’s no way he’s going to sit in that Whisperer wormhole so they can save that sh*thole of a home that’s not worth saving. Annie protests, but Maggie says, he’s right. Maybe the place isn’t worth saving, but the people are. She started the fight with Lance, and it won’t end until she ends it. Negan has no doubt she will, but also has no doubt that a-hole Lance has her firmly in his crosshairs, so he’s coming with her. Maggie says she’ll finish it, and Annie says she can help, but Maggie says Annie needs to stay with Herschel and the others; keep them safe until it’s over. Negan says, Herschel doesn’t exactly trust him, but Maggie says, she’s starting to. He saved Herschel at Riverbend, and whatever else happens, and whatever has happened, she’ll never forget that. Negan says, wow. She has big balls. He’s got her and her boy. Maggie tells Annie, when she feels it’s time… Anne says, he’ll be waiting when she gets back; she promises. The cicadas get vocal again, and Negan says, oh sh*t. If that ain’t a sign from the man upstairs. The cicadas form a cloud above the trees.

Over the radio, Lance asks if the troopers have secured the location. Head trooper Romano says, they’re cleaning it, and Lance tells him, finish and head back. Romano copies, and tells Daryl, one last sweep, then home. Daryl says he’ll lead, and they walk out to a clearing, and into an old parking lot full of rusted out cars and buses. Daryl, Gabriel, and Aaron separate from the troopers, and start shooting at them. The troopers shoot back, and Gabriel gets hit. Aaron gets hit in his bad arm, which is really his good arm, since it has a mace for a hand. Daryl hits a trooper with the butt of his gun, grabs another gun, and backs around a bus. Gabriel grabs Romano and kicks his ass but good. He shoots more troopers, and is a surprisingly good shot. Zombies start coming, and everyone shoots at them. You have to pick your battles.

Romano is crawling away, when Daryl comes around the corner, followed by Aaron and Gabriel. Gabriel puts a tourniquet on Aaron’s arm, and Daryl stops Romano with his foot. He flips Romano over, and asks, where’s Lance? Romano says, screw you, and sees zombies coming from out of the woods. Daryl says, his choice, and Romano says, maybe ten miles out. He said he wanted to clear the field. Daryl shoots him, and Gabriel says, clear the field means leave only allies behind. Daryl says, Maggie, and Lance radios Romano, but Daryl picks up and says, he ain’t here anymore. Lance tells his troopers, move now. Daryl, Aaron, and Gabriel head out.

In her office, Pamela reads from what’s probably a speech. When this world fell, they gathered the scattered pieces. It wasn’t easy. They faltered, but found a reason to live when everything outside the walls was dead. Max is sitting at her desk, and Pamela asks if she’s okay; she seems far away. Max says, she’s good; she’s right here. Pamela says, if Max is having a bad day, Max can tell her. It’s hard always having to be strong and not showing emotion. Max says she’s really okay, but before she forgets, the Founders Day budget has a $50k surplus. She’d like to suggest something if Pamela is open to it – a scholarship fund for less fortunate families. She’s made up a proposal. Pamela says she loves Max’s out-of-the-box thinking, but anything extra has to be put back into the event; it’s their biggest day of the year. Max says she understands, and tells Pamela not to forget her 5 o’clock dinner. Pamela says she doesn’t know what she’d do without Max, and asks if she’s coming. Max says she’ll be right behind Pamela, and Pamela leaves. Max goes to work, looking through the files.

Maggie and her group take out their weapons.

Max goes through the files, pulling some out. While she’s looking at the papers in one of them, Sebastian startles her. He apologizes, and she asks if there’s something she can help him with. He asks if his mom is pissed at him. He keeps asking, but gets nothing. Max says, it’s been a hectic afternoon, and he says he needs to talk with his mother. She says, Pamela is at a work dinner, but she can get word to her. Sebastian says, why doesn’t Max get word to her. Her only child. It’s such bullsh*t. Max says she’s sorry, but she was on her way out, and he says she never stops working. She even takes work home. Max drops some of the files, and Sebastian moves to help her, but she scoops them up quickly. She tells him that she’s clumsy after too much coffee, and he says, the poor man’s drug. He leaves, and she puts the files under her coat.

The cicadas get wildly loud, and Leah goes into a house with her men. They look around, going to a closed door, and the house explodes. In the woods, Maggie says, they’ll see if they can recover any weapons, follow their trail back to the camp, and end it.  A shot rings out, and Marco falls to the ground. Leah comes out of the still burning house, and they run. Poor Marco. Leah follows, slow and steady like Michael Myers.

LOUD CICADAS. Lance looks pissed as the troopers go through the bombed out house. Outside, he steps in zombie goo. He asks, how many? and a trooper says, three. Leah radios, and Lance asks, what was that? She says she drew them out. She’s doing it her way. He says, his men were killed, and she says, collateral damage. A trooper tells Lance that he’s got the others fanned out. They’ll find them. Lance says, they goddam better.

Walking through the woods, Gabriel says, the troopers must be close. They’ve got walkers too. Daryl sees spikes in a tree, and Gabriel says, they set traps for them, but Daryl says, those ain’t for them. They come to the camp, and Aaron looks through whatever stuff is left. Daryl sees a piece of materiel on a tree, and says, Leah. He thinks they should split up; they’ll cover more ground. Lydia and Elijah fight off a zombie, and Elijah asks Maggie if she’s sure it was Leah. Maggie says, yes, and tells them to go. She’ll lead the others away. She won’t risk them. Lydia says, when it’s safe, they’ll meet up with the others, but Maggie tells them to go.  

Maggie is alone, and Leah walks through the woods, gun drawn.

Back at the Commonwealth, Kelly signs, and Connie says, Tyler Davis, and the woman Rosita tried to help were on the list. She counted 200 more. Max looks at one of the papers, and says, it looks like codes or coordinates. Magna says, if they’re hiding it, maybe Connie should write about that, but Connie says, not yet. She needs proof. For something this big, they need the key to crack the code. Until they have that, she’ll have to write about Sebastian’s heist, and hang it around Pamela’s neck. Kelly says, when the people find out Pamela’s not on their side, they’re going to question everything. There’s a knock at the door, startling everyone, and Magna says she thought they could use some help. She told him to come. Ezekiel says he’s sorry he’s late, and Magna says, they needed more people. Ezekiel says he has a whole network ready and willing to ride at dawn. Connie says, we’re doing this? and Max says, let’s ride.

Daryl goes through the woods.

In Maggie’s part of the woods, the zombies make noise, competing with the cicadas. Then it gets quiet. A zombie comes out, and Maggie unsheathes her knife, waiting until it’s right up on her before stabbing it in the head. She sheaths the knife again, and continues on. (The closed captions say, dramatic chord strike – hahaha!) Maggie shoots at Leah, who dodges around the trees. Maggie gets off a couple more shots, and moves slowly forward. Leah gets a bullet in the leg, but still comes up behind Maggie.

Maggie opens her eyes, and she’s tied to a chair, Leah sitting across from her with a gun. Leah says she’s waited for this moment a long time, and Maggie says she knows what Leah wants. She wanted it herself for a long time. Leah can’t kill her; it’s too easy. If Leah had wanted to do that, she’d have done it. She wants Maggie to suffer; to feel everything she felt, all the pain, Somewhere inside, Leah thinks it will take her pain away, but it won’t. Leah says, Maggie is wrong. She doesn’t just want to hurt Maggie. By the time she’s done, everyone Maggie loves will be dead.

In the woods, Lance finds a piece of cloth left by Leah. They keep going.

Maggie guesses that would make her and Leah even. Leah could take her family the way she took Leah’s. Leah says, it’s nature’s way of taking care of things. Maggie says, it’s not nature or fate; it’s us. Maggie killed Leah’s people. That’s what she wanted. This is what Leah wants. Leah draws her gun, and Maggie says, go ahead. She wants to do it. Go on. Leah hesitates, and as Maggie is talking, she’s getting out of the bonds on her wrists. She jumps up, and hits Leah. They struggle over the gun, and Maggie knocks it out of Leah’s hand, and whacks her a few times, but then Leah gets Maggie down. Maggie bounces back up, but Leah slices her in the leg. They throw each other around like a scene from Kill Bill, and Leah gets Maggie down again, punching the sh*t out of her. She starts to strangle Maggie, and there’s a gunshot. Leah falls on top Maggie, and Daryl is there. Woot!

Lance is lurking outside with the troopers, and Daryl shoots at him, grazing his face. Daryl grabs Maggie, and they run. An angry Lance stomps into the house, sees Leah dead, and notices the open window Daryl and Maggie jetted from. He says, now we take it all.

Maggie and Daryl walk through a field, meeting Gabriel and Aaron. Another day at the office. Negan gets everyone aboveground. Max puts the files back, and sits at her desk. Pamela comes in, and tosses the newspaper on Max’s desk. The headline reads: Pamela Milton is Lying to You.

The Welcome to Alexandria sign is draped over by a Commonwealth flag. A trooper closes the gate. The people inside are rounded up, and Lance fingers his coin, then flips it.

Next time, the fight to the finish; the final chapter. Mercer says it’s his job to protect the people, but Negan says he was sent here anyway. 

👍🏻 Final Flip…

What’s happening with the Commonwealth.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-midseason-finale-acts-of-god-angela-kang/

And does it coordinate with the CRM?

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-commonwealth-crm-name-list-coordinates/

🌊 Under Water Dead…

This actually looks pretty good. And I did like Das Boot.

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/dead-in-the-water-amc-releases-fear-the-walking-dead-spinoff-trailer/

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/how-to-watch-dead-in-the-water-a-fear-the-walking-dead-story-amc-plus/

🐣 In Your Easter Basket…

No break this time around. FWD is back April 17th.

👰🏼 Spicing Down the Aisle…

I’ve always been impressed with his parents’ marriage, and wish him well. They’re a beautiful couple.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1325731/brooklyn-beckham-marries-nicola-peltz-in-star-studded-ceremony

🍭 Sweet Dreams…

Meet me here tomorrow for some soap and some Sailing. Until then, stay safe, stay gracious, and stay knowing that making things even won’t take the pain away.

April 3, 2022 – Lance Searches Hilltop, Last Day, Confrontation, Still Alpha, Trust Or Not, First Look, Uncensored & April

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

The Walking Dead

Carlson is a bloody mess in a tangle of the dead. Daryl stands there as troopers mark corpses. Daryl goes up to the roof, where, Lance is telling Aaron and Gabriel, this not a good look. It puts him in a tough spot. He wants to run through it again, just to make sure. So they walked into a tense firefight, where a bunch of crazed violent strangers killed all of his trained and armed soldiers, but not the one-armed guy and the priest? They escaped, called him, and here we are. That’s their story? Aaron says, that’s basically it, and Lance asks what Daryl thinks. Daryl says they’ve all been on the road a long time; they can handle themselves. If they say it happened, then it happened. Lance says he has another theory; hear him out. It doesn’t make sense for crazed violent strangers to leave them alive, unless they’re protecting those crazed violent strangers. Aaron asks if he’s calling them liars, and Gabriel says, Lance screwed up, and they barely survived. They’re not taking the fall for this. Lance says he’s not trying to ruffle any feathers. He’s just doing his job. At the end of the day, they want the same thing – justice. Aaron says, of course, and Lance tells the troopers, keep searching. There are still monsters on the loose, and they have to smoke them out… starting with Hilltop. They should at least know dangerous people might be headed their way. He tells Daryl, suit up, soldier, and Daryl looks at Aaron and Gabriel before following Lance back down.

The alarm clock goes off, and Princess tells Mercer that they’re pretty awesome at this sex thing. They’re both adults, and they’ve both had lots of sex. He says he loves listening to her talk, and she tells him,  dude, these crack of dawn super soldier wake ups suck ass. He seems like he’s always awake. She thinks he’s part robot. He says, she’s got him. Beep-beep-beep. They kiss, and Princess asks, what’s the deal with his eyes being open all night; is it some kind of meditation thing? He says, maybe he’s basking in the afterglow. He sleeps fine. She says, it didn’t look like basking; more like stewing. He asks if she’s getting at something, and she says she’s just making sure he’s cool. He says he’s fine, and she says, cool, but if he needs to get anything off his chest, contrary to popular opinion, she’s good at listening. He tells her that he said he’s fine, and she says, message received; loud and clear. See? She’s good at listening. The alarm goes off again, and she says he’s going to be late for work. She turns over as he gets up, but she doesn’t go back to sleep.

Eugene lets Kelly and Connie into his apartment, apologizing for the early hour, but the discussion isn’t ready for public broadcast. Connie signs, and Kelly asks if he’s okay. It seemed urgent. He says, Rosita had a harrowing experience on the job. We see Rosita beside him, and he says, Connie being a truth telling newsperson, he thought Rosita should give her the deets. Rosita says, she and Daryl were forced by Sebastian and his cronies to steal some cash. They found a woman there, and found out it had been done before, but no one ever made it out alive. The authorities wanted them to stay quiet, but she thinks about that woman and what she went through. There are good people here, and they need to know the truth. Connie signs, and Kelly hands Rosita the paper that had been slipped under Connie’s door. She says, it’s a list of names, people who are ex-troopers. They tried to investigate it further, but kept hitting dead ends. She points out April Martens on the list, and says, that’s her, right? Rosita says, there are more names than people who were sent. Maybe the two things are related, but they need to know more. Connie signs, and Kelly says, if the Miltons are involved,  they could keep those people locked up. They need inside access. Eugene says he might know someone who could provide that.

Carol sends Judith and RJ off to school, and RJ waves to Ezekiel. Ezekiel tells them, drink deep from the cup of knowledge and listen to their teachers. Carol tells him that he’s looking lively, and he says, losing a tumor the size of a grapefruit works wonders. He’s healing well. He’s been thinking about what she said about how he reacted. He never thanked her properly. She says he doesn’t have to, but he says he does. He can’t imagine the lengths she went to. He took her words to heart and he’s been doing something extra with the time he’s been given. He’d like to show her, but she says she can’t today; she’s swamped at work. He says, at the bakery? but she says, no, another job. It’s complicated. It all went sideways, and there are things she needs to figure out to fix it. It’s better he doesn’t know. Just trust her. He says he does trust her, more than anyone. You’d think this place would make life easier, but it feels like there’s more grey instead. Carol says, rain check? and he says, guaranteed. He’s getting healthy again. She’s stuck with him. She says she can live with that, and walks off.

Lance and his troopers come to a zombie conga line going across the road in the woods. Lance holds up his hand, signaling for them to stop, and tells Aaron and Gabriel to take care of it. He heard they can handle themselves. What’s the problem? They walk to the front, and Daryl goes with them. They approach the zombies, who are reforming into a group, and Aaron smashes the head right off of the first one with his mace hand. Gabriel slices the next one’s head in half diagonally, and Daryl shoots two with one bullet. Lance looks like he’s getting off on it, and when all the zombies are downed, Daryl says he saved Lance a bullet, and kicks a head over to him. Lance says, and barely broke a sweat. Nice. He tells the troopers, keep moving, and tells Daryl to put his helmet on. They keep walking, and arrive at Hilltop.

Ezekiel asks Tomi if it’s a bad time, and Tomi says, it’s not the best day, but lets him in. He asks if Ezekiel is feeling okay, but Ezekiel says, it’s about a friend who’s sick and can’t afford treatment. She needs a small procedure, and he was wondering if they could take care of it outside the system. Tomi asks what the procedure is, and Ezekiel says, an appendectomy. He has the necessary equipment, and has secured a sterile area, but they need some supplies. Tomi says, it’s risky, not just for the patient, but for everyone involved. Ezekiel says, she won’t change her mind, and they both understand the risks. He wouldn’t be approaching Tomi if this wasn’t their best option. Tomi says he lost a patient this morning, and that was here in a hospital, but Ezekiel says Tomi is the only one who can do this. Please.

At the town center, or whatever it is, loudspeakers tell everyone to do their part. If you see something, say something. Max sees Eugene and asks what he’s doing here. He tells her, what he needs to talk about required an immediate face-to-face, but he took precautions. He shows her the bag of groceries he’s carrying, and says he’s an ordinary delivery boy. They go to a supply room, and she says, he wants to her to steal secret files? They’re supposed to be staying out of trouble, not looking for it. Just when she thought things were finally going right. He says, Rosita was forced into a situation by Sebastian, and she says, this involved the Miltons? He says, so far, only the young psychopath. People have died, and more are missing. Her brother can corroborate it. He was there. A janitor comes in, and says, sorry, to interrupt, but Max says, the room is all his. She thanks Eugene, taking the bag and giving him a tip, and leaves.

At Hilltop, Lance looks up to see Maggie and Elijah on the wall, and says, good to see you. Maggie asks what he wants, and he says, there are killers on the loose. They’ve lost a lot of men, and he’s hunting them down and the Commonwealth property they stole. Maggie says she doesn’t know anything about it, and Lance says, then she wouldn’t mind if he has a quick look around… to rule them out… for the paperwork. She says she gave him her answer, and Lance looks pissed. He says something to a soldier, and Daryl walks up. He says Lance is going to get people killed if he forces his way in. Lance says he doesn’t have much choice, but Daryl says, let him talk to her. They go in, and nobody gets hurt. Deal? Daryl approaches, and Maggie says, it doesn’t have to be this way. He takes off his helmet, and says, yeah, it does. Nobody is leaving until they look around, but he promises it will be quick. She asks if he expects her to trust Lance, but he says he ain’t asking that. He’s asking her to trust him. She looks at Aaron and Gabriel, and the gate opens. The troopers go in, Daryl nods to Maggie.

Max asks Mercer, whose first name is apparently Mike, what’s going on? He asks her to be specific, and she says, Sebastian pulled a heist, and people went missing. He says it sounds like she already knows, but she says she wants to hear it from him. Why did he keep it from her? He works out with kettlebells while he’s talking, and he says, it’s none of her business. What does she want him to say? This place is not perfect? They’re lucky to be here? None of that sh*t is new. It’s part of his job. She asks if that makes everything okay, but he says, no. People lost their lives because he failed them. He missed it, and it’s his weight to carry, not hers. She says she’s not a little kid. He doesn’t need to play big brother. He tells her, says the girl who was almost caught on the radio a few months ago. He doesn’t want to fight with her. She says, then let her help, but he says, forget it; he fixed it. She says, what about Sebastian? How is it okay letting him walk free? He says, there are 50,000 other lives he’s got to think about. If he goes after Sebastian, what happens to them? Does she think they’re going to let that kind of insubordination slide? What if he disappears? Who keeps this place running? If the Commonwealth falls, more people will die. She says, not everyone views lives as acceptable losses, and he tells her to take it up with her boss. She says, the community listens to him; they look up to him. He says, he’s just a soldier, but she says, he could be more. He could change this place. Then again, maybe she’s just being naïve. Maybe he’s just a poser. She leaves, and he drops the weights he was lifting.

Ezekiel and Tomi get the supplies they need. A soldier goes by the door, and they duck out of sight. Tomi tells Ezekiel that the troopers should move on soon, and they can head to the loading dock. Ezekiel says, for a guy who was worried about coloring outside the lines, Tomi knows what he’s doing, and seems to be enjoying it. Tomi says he did his share of rebellion back in the day. This place has a way of lulling you, and you think, why upset the applecart? Lance says he’s keeping them safe, but is he protecting others or himself? They slip out, and as they round the corner, run straight into a trooper.

Lance uncovers a truck, and asks if it’s new. Maggie says she’s converting the engine, but it doesn’t run. He says, they found tire tracks near the ambush, and not many cars are running these days. Daryl tells him, if he has something to say, just say it, and Lance says, he comes from a long line of gearheads (which I find hard to believe). Does she mind? He looks under the hood, and says, it’s clean for a truck that just sits here; It looks good, and they left a lot of fuel here last time. He looks at something, and says, no wonder it won’t work. The starter relay is disconnected. He hooks it back up, and puts the hood down. He says, let’s test it out, and see if he has the magic touch. He gets in, and turns the key, but nothing happens. He tries a few times, and Maggie walks over to him, and says, you have until sundown. Then you and your people can be on your way. Lance looks at Daryl, who looks disgusted. Lance can’t figure it out.

Tomi and Ezekiel sit at a table, in custody. A trooper opens the door, and Carol comes in. She tells the trooper that she can handle them from here, and thanks him for his discretion. He leaves, and Ezekiel says he was hoping her new job had connections. Tomi asks if they’re screwed, but she says, don’t worry; she has it handled. Is Ezekiel trying to get into more trouble? Ezekiel says, not all trouble is bad trouble. Since he’s already pulled her out of work, what’s a few more minutes?

Ezekiel leads Carol through the animal stalls, and Tomi says, please tell him that his friend is human. Ezekiel goes to a structure that says, veterinary treatment, and inside is a clinic where people are waiting. Carol says, he really has been busy, and Ezekiel says he has a debt to repay. Tomi’s patient Theresa is in the back. They go into another area.  

Mercer sees Princess in the hallway, and asks if she’s got a minute. She says, for him, she’s got two, and he says he wanted to apologize for earlier. This whole thing is new to him. Not the sex part, but …. us. She kisses him, and says, listen. She’s got a special sense when somebody is not okay. She’s had a lot of firsthand experience. She might put out a totally sexy carefree fun times vibe, but she can handle the heavy stuff… in case he ever needs it. He says, he killed two of his men and covered it up. He never thought he’d be that guy. That’s not how he was raised. He didn’t cross certain lines… until now. What’s really messing with his head and keeps him up is, he keeps thinking he’d do it again. He’s spent a long time trying to keep it together, be solid for everyone else. It’s all he knows, and he’s good at it, but maybe this place needs something else. Maybe he’s part of the problem. He’s tired. Princess kisses his hand, and suggests they go inside and figure it out together. He nods.

Herschel walks out of the graveyard, and sees Lance poking around behind a building. Lance says he doesn’t know if Herschel remembers him. He heard Herschel has an exciting life. Has he taken any exciting trips lately? Herschel doesn’t say anything, and Lance asks, how about his mom? The last thing Lance would want is for something to happen, especially to Herschel’s mom. He needs Herschel’s help. If he can get the truth, he can fix things. That’s what he does, but he can’t keep people safe if they keep secrets. Think hard. Is there anything Herschel wants to tell him? Herschel says he probably should get his mom, but Lance gets in front of him, and says, Herschel is a good kid. He’s a brave kid. The thing about good kids is, they deserve presents. He found this hat where bad things happened. He takes out Herschel’s baseball cap, and says, it would be a shame to let it go to waste. He puts it on Herschel, and says, he’ll be damned; a perfect fit. What are the odds? Elijah flies in out of nowhere, slamming Lance up against the building. There’s shouting, and the troopers run over, guns drawn, along with Maggie and Daryl, who also have their guns drawn. A trooper tells Elijah to release Lance or he’ll shoot, and Herschel tells Maggie that Lance said something bad was going to happen. Maggie tells Lance, plenty of others have made the mistake of threatening her family, and most of them are dead. Daryl tells Lance, he found nothing, so unless he wants to die for nothing, tell them to drop their guns before something really f***ing bad is going to happen. The F-bomb has officially been dropped by Daryl on sort-of network TV, and the Twitterverse goes wild. Lance says, sorry for the miscommunication, and they leave. BTW, closed captions actually spelled it out too.

Daryl, Aaron, and Gabriel sit around a fire in the woods, and Daryl says, they’re not going back to the Commonwealth. Lance is going to keep searching. Aaron says, if they can’t give him the killers, maybe they can find the guns and buy time. Something is about to go down. Daryl tells them to keep their eyes open. Lance tells a trooper to find something.  

Carol says Ezekiel did good, and he says, Theo did most of the hard work, but he admits he feels special. After all they’ve been through, and as close as he came, he got a fresh start. It’s important to him that his friend knows how much he appreciates her. Carol says, it must feel good, and he asks, what’s going on? Carol says she was thinking about the world, and he says, that’s a big subject. Anything specific? She says, the years… the darkness… After everything, in the midst of everything, he’s there, glowing. The light suits him. Ezekiel says, it came from a spark that she helped him find. He says, the darkness is heavy. Some carry more than others, because they’re strong enough to hold the weight. They make the light; she makes the light. She says he knows they’re not getting back together, right? and he laughs. He says, she keeps saying that. Someone runs over, and tells Ezekiel that Theo says he needs to come back; Theresa’s appendix burst. Ezekiel and Carol run back to the makeshift OR, and Tomi puts Ezekiel on breathing duty. He sends Theo to get more antibiotics, and Carol puts in gauze when necessary. I find it amusing that, with all the gore on this show, I’m grossed out watching him do surgery. Tomi tells Ezekiel that he’s doing good, and says, they have to flush the cavity. He asks Carol for saline, and the next thing we know, he’s sewing Theresa up. He says they’ll know more in the next 24 hours, but it looks good. Ezekiel says, see? A small procedure. Nothing to worry about.

Max goes to Eugene’s apartment, and asks if they can talk. He says, he regrets his earlier ambush. It was mighty uncool of him. Max says, stuff is happening, and it’s bad. He tells her, it’s not his intention to put her in a tough spot. If this makes her uncomfortable… She says, it does; sneaking around when she’d hoped things were going back to normal. Maybe she’s not built for this, but she doesn’t thinks he has a choice. He says, of course she does. They can find another avenue. She says, that’s not what she meant. She has no choice because there is no back to normal. They know what they know, and because of that, things have to change. They can’t wait for someone else to step up and help. He takes her hand, and says he can promise her this. Whatever they find, whatever comes their way, she won’t be alone. He’ll be by her side, come hell or high water. Against all odds of the cosmos and humankind, they found each other. He was never more certain of anything. They kiss, and she says, so what does she need to steal?

In the woods, Leah loads bunch of guns, and sets them up in a semicircle. She goes inside a small tent, and closes it. Some troopers come by, and open the tent, but it’s empty, and the guns start shooting, hitting a couple of troopers. Lance says, he’s here to talk; hold your fire. He’s come long way to find her. She’s not easy to track down, and since she’s caused him more than a handful of trouble, at least hear what he has to say before she kills them. Leah comes out of the woods, her gun ready. She says, talk fast, and he says, his name is Lance Hornsby, and he’s here to offer her a job.

Next time, Maggie says, it’s not ending until she ends it; Aaron says, they’ll fight their way out; Lance says, Leah gets to scout for the woman who killed her family, and he gets to do his job without interference; and Leah suits up to go hunting.

⚰️ Dead Done…

Wrapping it up.

https://movieweb.com/the-walking-dead-wraps-for-the-last-time/

https://ew.com/tv/norman-reedus-commemorates-last-walking-dead-shoot/

👨‍👦 Stand Off…

Who knows? Maybe Negan and Herschel can have a spin-off.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-negan-hershel-rotten-core/

🦹🏼‍♂️ Dead But Not Forgotten…

You’re never really dead on Walking Dead. Or a soap opera.

https://ew.com/tv/samantha-morton-alpha-tales-of-the-walking-dead/

🕶 Hidden Agenda…

What’s really behind that friendly broker personality.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-trust-lance-hornsby-leah-angela-kang/

👢 Looking Fierce…

A look at Madison’s new look.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-kim-dickens-madison-clark-first-look-photo/

🤬 F-Dash-Dash-Dash…

I have to admit, I was startled. And it’s not like I don’t use it myself.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-daryl-f-word-uncensored-f-bomb-season-11-episode-15-trust/

🛍 Bagging It Up…

See you tomorrow when it’s time for soap and to get Sailing. Until then, stay safe, stay slow to anger, and stay being the light, or at least helping to find the spark.

April 1, 2022 – Trina Makes Her Plea, Byrne Return, Another Year, Annulled, Sponsoring, Deck Wedding, Maid Chosen, NYC Reaction, Dragon Due Date, In the Grammy Know, Music In the Quotes & My Name

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Brick and Sonny bro hug, and Sonny says it’s good to see him. He asks how Brick got there so fast from L.A. Brick says he knows a guy, who knows a guy, who has a jet fueled and ready at LAX. When Sonny calls, he’s here. How can he help? Sonny says, there’s been a void in his life for too long that he’s been trying to fill, and Brick says, someone used to fill that void. Sonny says, yeah, Jason.

The guy from Charlie’s comes to Alexis’s office and says, it’s been a long time, Miss Davis. She says, it’s you, and he says she remembers. She says she never forgets a face, especially when it belongs to the man who blamed her for his brother’s death.

Harmony walks into Charlie’s, and sees Nina, who apparently lives there now. Nina asks how it went with Michael and Willow. She saw them, right? Harmony says she did, and Nina asks if Harmony told them that it’s in Wiley’s best interest to visit her. Harmony tells her, she said all that and more, and Nina says, don’t leave her in suspense; what did they say? Harmony says, not what Nina wanted to hear.

Nikolas walks into Windymere’s living room, and says, there’s nothing to fear. You’re safe. Esme and Spencer follow him in, and Esme says, this place is extraordinary. Even the name sounds grand – Windymere. Spencer says, it’s not like she hasn’t been here before, and Esme says, not for months. It’s good to be back. Nikolas says, more important, she’s safe from Sonny and his goons here, and Spencer says, what about the lady of the house? When is he going to loop Ava in?

Ava slips into the courtroom and sits down, as Judge Young is saying, Trina Robinson, you have two counts against you. How do you plead? Trina hesitates, and Scotty starts to talk, but she says she’s got this. She tells the judge that she pleads not guilty, and I say, yes!

Brick says, it’s the perfect time to raise a glass to their gone, but never forgotten, friend… What happened to the bar? No single malt aged twelve years? Sonny says he’s taking a break from that stuff, but the bar’s loaded if Brick wants to go help himself. Brick says, whither thou goest, I will go, and Sonny laughs. They sit down, and Sonny says he was hoping Brick would say that. Brick asks, how he can help fill that void? Is Sonny up for adventure? San Juan? Hong Kong? Marrakesh? Sonny says, not adventure. Monica has declared Jason legally dead, so they’re all going to be going to the memorial service. Brick says, may he rest in peace, and Sonny says, maybe Jason can, but he can’t. Does Brick remember Selena Wu? Brick says he does. Formidable lady. Is she causing Sonny trouble? Sonny says, she gave him advice, something he’s heard already, and Brick asks, what advice? Sonny says, that he can’t run the business alone anymore. He needs somebody else to step up and fill that hole Jason left behind. Brick says, I accept, and Sonny smiles and nods.

Alexis says, Brendan, isn’t it? and he says, it is. She says, the last time they saw each other, it was at Neil’s funeral. Not a very pleasant occasion for many reasons. Alexis flashes back to the funeral, and Brendan telling her, this is a celebration of Neil’s life. Alexis stripped Neil of everything he considered worth living for. He doesn’t want this service tainted with her presence. She’s not welcome. We see her leaving, and in the present, she says, he made his feelings crystal clear. And if it’s any consolation, that moment was devastating to her, and sent her into her own personal hell. He says he heard she lost her law license, hit the booze pretty hard, and didn’t stop until she attacked a cop and went to prison. She says she’s very flattered that he kept up with her life. What does he want?

Nina says, Willow just told Harmony what she thought Michael wanted to hear. Get her alone. She’ll change her mind and let Nina see Wiley. Harmony says she’s sorry. Willow doesn’t think it’s in Wiley’s best interest to have contact with Nina. Nina says, so Michael and Willow want a fight. They’ll get a fight, especially after her run-in with Carly earlier. Harmony asks, what happened? and Nina says she was reaching out to Carly to compromise about Wiley, but she wasn’t having it. Harmony says, she’s going through a rough patch, right? She just got divorced from Sonny? Nina says, Carly filed for that divorce. She pushed it through practically overnight. She threw away Sonny with both hands. Harmony tells Nina, give it some time; let Carly lick her wounds. Give her time to heal. Nina says, if that ever happens. And then what? Wiley will be in college, asking, who’s Nina? and he’ll never know who his birth mother is. If only she knew Nelle was her daughter before Nelle died. She could have saved Nelle from herself, and she wouldn’t have to be begging for a chance to get to know her grandson, or for him to know her.

Nikolas says, they can let Ava know when she gets home. Right now, she’s at Trina’s hearing. Spencer says, right, that was today, and Esme asks if he wishes he was there. He says he’s the last person Trina wants to see, and she says she didn’t ask what Trina would want. Nikolas asks if Esme wants to drop her bags off in the bedroom. It’s the same one as the last time. Spencer says, Nikolas can’t stop Esme from bringing up Trina; she’s obsessed. Esme asks if she doesn’t have reason to be. It doesn’t matter that there’s evidence Trina posted that video of Joss and Cam. Sonny Corinthos still believes it was her. Nikolas says, which is why she’s at Windymere and Spencer is home. And she’s safe. She asks if any place is really safe from Sonny, and Spencer says, Uncle Sonny will do anything and everything to protect his family. She says he means protect them from her, and he tells her, he didn’t say that. She says he didn’t have to. She’ll take her bags up. She leaves, and Nikolas asks why Spencer is treating Esme this way when he invited her to stay here. Spencer says he’s sorry, but Esme pushes his buttons; the way he’s been known to push other people’s. By the way, is there a bomb shelter on the island? Nikolas asks, why? and Spencer says, because he’d like to be inside it when Nikolas tells Ava that he and Esme moved in.

Scotty tells Trina, stick with me, kid. They’ll be sorry they tried to railroad you. ADA Arden says, this was a premeditated act that required a significant amount of planning. The defendant specifically targeted her friends with the intent to cause harm. The state requests bail be set at $250,000. Scotty jumps up, and says, your honor, my client is a freshman in college. She’s not Lizzie Borden. She has ties to the community. She’s innocent until proven guilty. She should be released without bond. Arden says, if the defendant is released without posting significant bail, and access to a computer, she has the capacity to do significant harm. (Huh?) Who knows who else she’s taped? Scotty tells her to save that for her closing statement, if she even gets that far. Judge Young tells Scotty, that will be enough, and tells Arden, there’s no indication the defendant poses a threat to the community. Therefore, the defendant is released without bond. He bangs his gavel, and Scotty dusts off his hands. The judge tells Trina that she’s free to go, pending a trial date to be determined. The bailiff says, court is adjourned, and Portia runs over to Trina, saying, she’s never been more prouder of her. She hugs Trina, and Curtis says, Trina was great. Ava says, may I? and hugs Trina, who thanks her for coming. Ava says she’s so proud of Trina, proclaiming her innocence. Josslyn says, they’ll prove it, no matter what it takes, and she and Trina hug. Trina says, you too, Webber, and Cameron adds to the hug.

Brendan  says he was in pain, and he wasn’t ready to face his brother’s failings, so he lashed out at Alexis; blamed her for Neil’s death. Alexis asks if that’s an apology, and he says, it is. She says she wishes she’d known about Neil’s addiction. She could have helped. But he hid it from her, and she had no clue. He says, she suffered enough. Look at her now. Brand new career, off the booze, respected, productive member of her community. She thanks him for the compliment, and says, he was really hostile to her at Neil’s funeral, so what is it with the sudden attitude adjustment? He says he’s had some bad luck himself; failed marriage, failed business. It brings humility. She says, and the need to make almonds amends? He says, as two people who loved Neil, he hoped they could come to an understanding.

Harmony tells Nina that she’s sorry. Nothing can bring back Wiley’s birth mother, but she has to know that Willow loves that little boy like he’s her own flesh and blood. If Nina gives it some time, maybe Willow can convince Michael that she should see her grandson. Nina asks, how much time? Because this is the same woman Harmony told her thinks she isn’t good for Wiley. She remembers when Willow was Miss Tate, and taught her former stepdaughter Charlotte. She didn’t like Willow then, and she should have trusted her instincts. Harmony says, Willow is highly principled, and Nina says, oh please. Willow says she’s going to help Nina, and the next moment, she pulls a 180 and sides with Michael. She doesn’t have a backbone. She only pretends that she’s compassionate. That weeping Willow is no oak. Harmony says, just because she’s gentle doesn’t mean she’s weak, and Nina says she’s sorry. She knows Willow is Harmony’s daughter. She’s just frustrated. Look how Willow has treated Harmony. She’s barely spoken to Harmony since she got out of prison. Harmony says things are much better between them now, and Nina says, until Michael shuts her down. Then what’s going to happen? She’s incapable of standing up to the man, or Carly. Nina would be better off to ask a stranger for help. Harmony hisses, Willow is no stranger, and she’s just as strong as her mother, but Nina says she’s never going to be as strong as Harmony. Harmony has overcome a lot, and turned her life around. Willow would be lucky to have even one drop of her courage. Harmony says she forgot; she has an appointment. She has to go. She walks out, and I’m starting to wonder if Nina is delusional.

Sonny asks Brick if that’s a serious offer. He could use Brick’s areas of expertise. Brick says, he can definitely help with the logistics, business support, definitely cyber security, but Sonny will need to bring in somebody else as a facilitator. Sonny says he’d trust Brick with his life, and Brick says, trust goes both ways; Sonny knows that. Sonny nods, and says, Jason used to do the day-to-day, but since he passed, Sonny has to deal with the other families, and try to figure out who targeted his stepdaughter. Brick asks if he’s talking about the tape of Josslyn and her boyfriend, and Sonny says, he saw the tape? Bricks says, hell no, but he saw people seeing it. It took every bit of self-control he could muster, not to take every one of them out. (What? Where are people watching this? And where is Brick hanging out?) Brick asks Sonny to please tell him that he found out who did this, and Sonny says he knows who’s responsible. He doesn’t have proof yet, but he put them on notice.

Ava says, congratulations. Scotty has one courageous client, and he says, tell him about it, but she’s got a big fight ahead… He sees Arden, and says, counselor, get used to the judge seeing things my way. Arden says, cyber crimes are insidious. The law is still catching up. The fact is, whatever goes on the internet, stays their forever. His client taped her friends without their knowledge and put it up for the whole world to see. Scotty says, hey Molly, tell your boss here… and Molly says, he can address her as ADA Lansing-Davis. He rolls his eyes, and says, okay, but she can’t really believe Trina did this. She says she believes DA Scorpio offered a generous plea bargain, and it was his obligation as Trina’s attorney to advise her to take it. Arden says, her associate’s right. She should have taken the deal, but she didn’t, so they’re going to trial. She’s going to take a stand for everyone who’s ever had an intimate picture or video weaponized against them. His client might have thought it was no big deal, but she was mistaken, and she’ll go to prison for the full term. She and Molly leave.

Trina thanks Josslyn and Cameron for being here and standing by her. Josslyn says, that’s what friends do, and Trina says, they took back the narrative when they told their story to The Invader. Their courage made her realize she doesn’t need to give in to cyber bullies, to Esme. The world needs to know she’s not the one who hurt them. Scotty says, they’ve got to talk strategy, and Portia says, now? Is that really necessary? Trina’s already been through so much today. He says, that ADA’s out for blood, and Curtis says, the judge hasn’t even set a trial date yet. Trina says, honestly, she just wants to take a long hot bath, and Scotty says, okay, she can do that. Tomorrow, they have a lot of work to do. Trina thanks him, and Curtis says he noticed there were reporters outside in the corridor. They’re going to want a statement, which he doesn’t think any of them should be making. Ava says she knows her way around this courthouse. They can exit this way. Portia tells Trina, let’s go home, and they follow Ava out. Josslyn tells Cameron, if she were her mom, she’d walk out of this courtroom with her head held high. He says, but she’s not her mom; she has nothing to prove. Josslyn says, only to herself, and Smoltz stumbles in. Cameron says, he’s too late; Trina went out the back. Smoltz says, it’s not Trina he wants. It’s Cameron and his girlfriend.

Josslyn says, they already told their stories to The Invader. Read it himself if he can afford the paywall. Smoltz says, he did read it, and Cameron says, then he would know they have nothing else to say. Smoltz says he knows Alexis Davis stole his scoop, and cut him out of the story, and Cameron says, oh boo-hoo. Life’s unfair. Smoltz says, what about their friend Trina? Their story did some good, but what about their friend? Josslyn says, what about Trina? and Smoltz says, did she do it? Did she film them and post it? Cameron says, hell no, and Smoltz asks, how can he be so sure? Do they know who’s responsible? Cameron and Josslyn look at each other, and he says, they do know. They just can’t prove it? Josslyn asks what he wants, and he says, an exclusive. Tell him stuff they didn’t say in the interview, and he’ll help them get the goods on whoever set up their friend. Sound good? Ava comes back, and says, you. Get the hell away from them.

Portia says, welcome home, and asks what Trina thinks. Trina says she liked it when it belonged to Joss’s dad, but she likes it even better now that it’s Portia’s. A safe harbor. Curtis says, good memories? and Trina says, yeah. Six months ago, their biggest problem was opening a jar of Sonny’s marinara sauce. Now everything’s changed. Curtis says, she heard what the lawyer said. They’re going to fight this. Portia says, they’re going to fight this, and they’re going to win. Trina says she told Joss and Cam that their courage gave her courage, but Portia and Curtis’s support helped her out a lot too. Curtis says, they can do a lot more than offer moral support. He could find evidence to exonerate her. He hasn’t forgotten how to find clues in dumpsters and garbage cans. Portia says, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, and Trina says, Spencer’s right. On one hand, there are tons of people who believe in her. Curtis says, and on the other hand? and she says, there’s evidence that proves she did it. Esme made sure of that.

Nikolas tells Spencer, Ava is well-aware of Sonny’s methods when he feels someone has crossed him or his family. She’ll understand the need to protect Esme. Spencer says, but will she understand why he’s sitting across from her at breakfast? and Nikolas says, it’s not a permanent arrangement. If Trina is found guilty, Sonny will have to accept the verdict and back off. Spencer says, even if Uncle Sonny does, he doesn’t think Ava will. Ava loves Trina like a daughter. She’d happily throw Esme to the wolves if it means Trina goes free. Nikolas says, and if Esme is carrying Spencer’s child? Ava may not like it, but she’ll make peace with it. Spencer says, and if Esme’s not pregnant? and Nikolas says, that’s all the more reason for Spencer to find out.

Brick says, so little Spencer has a girlfriend, and Sonny says, he’s not so little anymore. Brick says, Sonny has always liked this kid, and Sonny says, he still does, but not his company. Brick says, Sonny is convinced this Esme Prince is behind the video. Is he sure Spencer didn’t help? Sonny says, Spencer has done some terrible things, but he’s known Josslyn since they were in kindergarten, and Cameron is part of his extended family. He thinks Spencer’s hands are clean. Brick says, so the girlfriend is operating behind his back, and Sonny says, yep. If they can prove Trina is innocent and Esme is guilty, it won’t be just justice for Josslyn and Cameron. It will be a way for Spencer to dump his girlfriend. Brick says he knows Sonny’s got his own people on it, but as always, if Sonny needs him… Sonny says, yeah, he needs Brick, and Brick says, then he’s on it, but in the meantime… Sonny says, what is on his mind? and Brick says, Sonny is always running around looking out for everybody else. Who’s looking out for him?

Scotty goes into Charlie’s, and asks Nina what she wants. He’s very busy. He has a young woman who needs his help, unlike her. She says she’s sorry. She thought she could avoid going to court, and he says she thought she could get somebody to intercede with Wiley’s parents? Somebody like Sonny? But he threw her to the wolves, didn’t he? She says, no, this has nothing to do with Sonny. Her go-between couldn’t really do anything because Willow is so besotted with Michael, she won’t stand up to him or Carly. He says, why would she? Her mother couldn’t even stand up to that snake oil salesman Shiloh. Nina says, he’s not making this easy on her. Can they sit down? He asks, why should he? He kept her out of prison, and she turned her nose up at his legal expertise. So if she wants his help now, he’ll have to hear her say it.

Alexis says she assumes this understanding comes at a price, but Brendan  says, he wouldn’t put it that way. She asks how he’d put it, and he says, she couldn’t have risen from the ashes without help. Is it wrong of him to want the same thing? She says, that depends on what he means by help. Forgiveness? Friendship? He says his brother lost his life by getting involved with a self-destructive alcoholic, and she says, there it is. She was wondering how long he was going to keep up the Mr. Nice Guy act. There’s the door, move toward it, and don’t look back. He says, his brother was never a rich man, and funerals are expensive. She can deny it all she wants, but she contributed to Neil’s death. She needs to make things right. She says she’ll never stop wondering what happened to Neil, and starts to get her stuff together to leave. How he became an addict, and how that addiction took his life. She’s not at all satisfied that’s the truth, but she won’t be browbeaten into paying for his brother’s mistakes. There’s nothing he can say that will make her change her mind. He asks if she’s sure about that.

Alexis says, he needs to leave, but Brendan  says he’s not leaving until he gets what he wants. Harmony walks in, and asks Alexis if she’s early. Alexis says, actually, she’s right on time. Brendan was just leaving. Harmony introduces herself, and he says, Brendan Byrne, Neil’s brother. Harmony Miller. Where does he know that name? Have they met before? Harmony says she doesn’t think so. He might have seen her on TV, in connection with an organization called Dawn of Day. She was pretty notorious back then. Alexis says she and Harmony were just leaving, so if he doesn’t mind… He says, of course (🍷). He’ll send her his contact information. If she sees an opportunity she thinks he might be right for, let him know. He leaves, and Harmony says, what was all that about? Alexis says she doesn’t know, but it was scary.

Sonny says, Brick doesn’t have to worry. He survived all those months in Nixon Falls; he can survive anything. Brick says, but he wasn’t alone, and Sonny asks if he’s talking about Nina. Brick says, yeah. She must be one helluva lady to come between Sonny and Carly. Sonny asks if Brick still has something for his wife, and Brick asks if he doesn’t mean ex-wife. He just admires Sonny’s taste, but he gave up Carly. Brick just hopes this new lady’s worth it.

Nina and Scotty get a drink, and Nina says, okay. He needs to hear her say it. She clears her throat, and says she made a mistake. He says, what? and she repeats it louder. She says, she shouldn’t have pinned all her hopes on Willow’s compassion. Does he feel better? He suggests she hire Martin Grey, that folksy downhome charm works with a few judges. She says she doesn’t need folksy downhome charm. She needs a fighter, a killer, that will leave his opponents bloody in the field. He says, that’s him. However, he’s busy right now with Trina Robinson. Nina says she needs his help, and she’s willing to put him on retainer immediately. He says, before he takes her money, he needs to know she’s going to fight for Wiley, no matter what. And if that means kicking Sonny to the curb, then she’s going to do that.

Trina comes back downstairs, and Portia asks what she thinks. Trina says, great room, and thanks her. Portia says she made it up like Trina’s old room, but she probably wants to get rid of the stuffed animals now that she’s grown up. Trina says, no, never, as all of us who have them past our teenage years would say, but she’s still looking forward to returning to her dorms when this nightmare ends and she proves her innocence.  Then this place is theirs. Portia says, it’s Trina’s home too. And she doesn’t have to be brave. They’re in this together. Curtis says, all of them, and they have a family group hug.

Josslyn says, what part of no way doesn’t Smoltz understand? and Smoltz says, give it up, man. Ava faces him, and says, a journalist like Mr. Smoltz won’t stop until you slam the door in his face, or better yet, on his writing hand. He asks if she hasn’t heard of the first amendment, and she says, it comes right before the second, and I literally lol. Smoltz says, that sounds like a threat, and Ava says she was hoping it would. Cameron says he and Josslyn can handle this, and Josslyn tells Smoltz, they’re not interested in boosting his career. Cameron says, in other words, get lost. Smoltz says, fine; their loss. He stomps to the door, and says, and their friend Trina’s. He slams out, and Josslyn says, this wasn’t Ava’s fight. Ava says, on the contrary. Avery would never forgive her if she didn’t stand up for her sister. Cameron says, that guy had one thing right. Trina’s in deep trouble until they prove she’s innocent. Josslyn says, and Esme’s guilty.

Spencer looks out the window, and Esme tells him, she just got an alert on her phone; Trina pled not guilty. He says he hopes she can prove it, and she says, even if Trina tries to accuse her instead, when she might be carrying his child? He says, let’s find out. Why hasn’t she taken that home pregnancy test yet? She says she’s scared, and he asks if she’s scared that she’s pregnant, or that she’s not?

Harmony says she assumes Brendan was there talking about his brother, and that’s what caused all the tension when she walked in? Alexis says, it was really weird. He shows up all sympathetic, not at all like the guy who heaped abuse on her at Neil’s funeral. Harmony asks if something changed, and Alexis says, he thought the Mr. Nice Guy act would convince her to help bail him out of his troubles. When she refused, he went from Jekyll to Hyde. He thinks she owes him because she caused the relapse that caused Neil’s death. Harmony flashes back to injecting Neil, and says, it was good thing she walked in when she did. Just stay away from Neil’s brother. The farther the better.

Ava tells Josslyn and Cameron, don’t lose any sleep over Esme. The truth will come out. Trina will be vindicated. Cameron says she sounds confident, and Josslyn says, Esme has skated so far… Ava… Ava says she’s spoken to someone who has an interest in seeing Esme punished for targeting the two of  them. Cameron looks at Josslyn, and says, who’s that? Ava says she knows it’s difficult for them to trust her, but this time they’re going to have to. Esme is going to get what’s coming to her. Ava strides out the back way.

Esme says she wants Spencer with her when she takes the test, but she doesn’t need a test to tell her what she really wants. He says, which is? and she says him; she wants to be with him. Does he want to be with her? Don’t answer that now, but ask himself this. If it were without the baby, does her being here work to his advantage? He asks, how? and she says, by driving a wedge between his father and Ava. Isn’t that what he wanted all along?

Sonny tells Brick, he’s taking it day to day. As far as him and Nina, he can’t read into the future, but he will say this. The connection they had in Nixon Falls was real. Brick says, he knows Sonny, and when he wants something, he goes for it, and he usually gets it. Sonny flashes back to him and Nina dancing at Charlie’s, and Brick says, Sonny is thinking about her right now, and Sonny asks if they can get back to the matter at hand. Brick says, the future… without Jason. That’s something they can work on. The future without love, with all due respect, is not for Sonny.

Nina says, Sonny knows she won’t force him to pick sides, but Scotty says, Carly, Michael, and Willow will. So if Sonny has to choose… She says, Sonny is going to do what’s best for his family, and she’s going to do what’s best for hers. He asks if she’s willing to lose lover boy, but she says she won’t lose him. Not if he’s the man she knew in Nixon Falls, and the man she sees in Port Charles. He asks what makes her think she can have it all? and she says, she’s going to have her grandson in her life, and she’s going to have the man who changed her life for the better. He says, sorry, nobody gets it all, nobody, but she says, there’s always a first time.

Sonny says, he and Brick will regroup after Jason’s memorial service. In the meantime, is Brick willing to take on more managerial responsibilities? Brick says he can search for a facilitator to take on some of Jason’s other skill sets; don’t worry about that. Sonny says, okay. He has one more job for Brick. He wants Brick to find out how Esme Prince engineered that video. Brick says, he’s on that; no problem. Sonny asks if Brick wants a drink to seal the deal. Raising his glass, he says, sparkling water. Brick says, to think he’s always admired Sonny, and Sonny says, not anymore? but Brick says, now more than ever, and they clink glasses.

Scotty tells Nina, Michael is out to win, and Diane Miller is a tough cookie. She will dig up whatever she can. Nina says, she understands, and he gets up, asking if there’s anything he needs to know before he files the petition. She tells him, don’t faint, but she thinks her life is pretty much an open book at this point. He says, no little secrets in her diary? No skeletons in her closet? She says, no. Wiley is the only thing left of her daughter in this world. She owes it to Nelle be in his life, whether Michael or Saint Willow like it or not. He says, then hang her hat with him. She won’t regret it. They shake hands, and she says she hopes not.

Alexis says, Harmony never said what brought her by, and Harmony says, it can wait. She’s going to cook Alexis dinner; she’ll make something soothing. Alexis says she could use something soothing. Neil’s brother being here reminds her how horrible Neil’s death was. She can’t help wonder if that eviction is the thing that caused his death. Alexis turns out the lights, and they go to the hallway, but Alexis says  she forgot her phone, and goes back to her desk in the dark. Harmony stands in the doorway, and looks around.

Brendan  looks through a bunch of folders, and finds one that says Harmony Miller. He says he knew that name was familiar.

Trina says, it’s one thing to plead not guilty, but she has to live with that decision. That ADA is obviously out to get her. She couldn’t believe when she said $250,000 bail. Curtis says he believes she was just grandstanding, and the judge ignored her recommendation. Trina says, this time. The ADA thinks Trina’s guilty, and Scotty said she’s out for blood. What if the ADA convinces the jury she’s guilty? Portia says, that’s not going to happen. And instead of dwelling on it, why doesn’t Trina take that nice hot bath she was talking about earlier? It will make her feel better. Trina says Portia talked her into it, and goes upstairs. Portia tells Curtis, she doesn’t know how long she can keep this up. What if Trina’s right? They have no idea what’s going to happen. Curtis says, Trina has a lot of people by her side, and more courage than anyone he knows. Portia says she doesn’t disagree; she has faith in her daughter, just not in the world. Curtis says, as long as they have faith in each other, they can’t lose.

Cameron asks if Josslyn is  ready to go home, and she says, actually, she’d like to go back to the dorms. He says, Trina’s not the only one being brave, and she says, she’s not being brave. She just wants things to go back to normal, if that’s even possible. He says he’ll try to help make that happen, and she thanks him. They kiss, and he says, let’s go. He starts to head to the back, but she says, actually, she’d like to go out the front. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, if she can face a bunch of people on campus, she can face a couple of reporters outside. It’s hard to believe Trina is going to come back here and fight for her innocence. He says, it doesn’t matter what Ava says; this is going to be tough. She says, this is why they need to help Trina. They need to find a piece of evidence that Esme framed her. He asks how they pull that off, and she says, by proving Esme can be in two places at once. She leads him out of the courtroom.

Ava walks into Windymere, calling for Nikolas, and Esme says, he’s upstairs. Ava walks into the living room, where Esme is sitting. She sees Esme is reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting

On Monday, Violet asks Brook how her baby is; Gregory comes for a visit; Ava asks Nikolas what it’s going to be; and Spencer tells Esme, it’s time to take that pregnancy test.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Forgotten Brother…

I forgot about him anyway.

🍾 Happy Anniversary…

A look at GH over the years.

👰🏼 Never Happened…

I think the rules regarding annulments must have relaxed. I thought it either had to be fraud or that you didn’t consummate the marriage. And being realistic, the latter probably hasn’t been an issue since the 1600s.

👭🏼 Sisters Helping One Another…

It’s hard to think of Leah being anyone’s sponsor, but stranger things have happened.

🛥 Her New Deck…

She certainly looks a lot happier than she did on the Mediterranean.

https://people.com/tv/below-deck-med-hannah-ferrier-marries-fiance-josh-roberts/

👰🏻 But She Seemed Like the Normal One…

Proof that the world has gone mad. Maybe Dina is still grieving over Grandma Wrinkles and not in her right mind. In other news, I had no idea Kim D had a last name.

🗽 Reboot Raspberry…

I don’t think Jill Zarin ever stopped expressing a desire to return from the time she was let go.

🐉 Flying In Soon…

An update on House of the Dragon.

🎶 Can’t Stop the Music…

All you need to know.

https://www.grammy.com/news/2022-grammys-nominations-64th-grammy-awards-looking-ahead-how-to-watch

Who’s performing.

https://pitchfork.com/news/grammys-2022-performers-list-see-the-full-lineup/

How no one wants to be there. That’s how I feel seeing a performer in Atlantic City. They don’t want to be there. I don’t want to be there. Why are we here?

🎷 Quotes of the Week

Smile, breathe, and go slowly…Thich Nhat Hanh

Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife. – Kahlil Gibran

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. – Buddha

Music is the soundtrack of your life. – Dick Clark

Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me. – Zora Neale Hurston

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain. – Bob Marley

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down. – Mary Pickford, 1892-1979, American actress

The only truth is music. – Jack Kerouac

I’d rather see my face aging than a face I don’t recognize at all. – Cameron Diaz

There are two means of refuge from the misery of life — music and cats.Albert Schweitzer (Hey, what’s wrong with dogs?)

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. – Steve Jobs

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent. – Victor Hugo

✍🏽 Don’t Forget To Write…

I’ll return to the keyboard at approximately Dead o’clock. Be there or be an octagon. Until then, stay safe, stay seeking truth, and stay letting the courage of others give you courage.

March 27, 2022 – Time To Gut Up, Return Within a Return, Rick Theory, Best Zombies, Two Kinds Of Academy Wins & No Time

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

The Walking Dead

The people Carlson kicked off the roof are beginning to reanimate. Carlson radios Lance, who asks the status. Carlson says, the location is secured, and Lance breathes a sigh of relief. The shipment? Carlson says they’re searching floor by floor; the residents have been cooperative. Lance is surprised, saying, the people have regressed so far is like getting mad at a rat who can’t tell right from wrong. Carlson tells him that a small taste of law and order made them remember. A trooper tells Carlson, we have two down be the east exit, and Carlson runs inside.

Maggie hears screaming, and sneaks down the hall, followed by Aaron, Lydia and Elijah. They hear gunfire, and slip quietly toward it.

Daryl meets Carol on his way to work, and says he’d been looking for her. She tells him that she’s been doing more of her side thing, and he asks if she’s heard anything about home. She says, not exactly… and trooper boss lady asks if Daryl is going to be joining them. He asks if Carol wants to have lunch, and she says, noon at the diner? He says, it’s a date, and goes in. Inside, the troopers are given their assignments, and Rosita and Daryl are paired for Sector D. They leaves with troopers Alves and Castle, and pass where Sabastian is hanging out with his friends. Sebastian brags that people have problems when they panic, but when he’s around the rotters, his heartrate goes down. He says, Daryl has seen how he handles himself, and Daryl says, good stuff, applauding, but Sebastian isn’t really sure how to respond. They go outside, and Alves says, a swarm was spotted by the north perimeter. Daryl wonders why the plans changed, and Alves suggests they’re being tested on what they can do outside the walls. He tells them that their sectors are covered, and says, let’s go. Daryl and Rosita go with him.

Maggie and the others go into an apartment. They hear shooting and yelling, and Maggie suddenly has a gun to her head. Annie tells her, one more step, and you die. Drop your weapons. Elijah then comes up behind Annie, and holds a gun to her head, and Lydia says, you first. Maggie says, they’re here to help, and Negan joins them. He pats Elijah on the shoulder, and says, let’s everybody put our sh*t back in our pants and zip up. He tells Lydia, hey kiddo, and she asks what he’s doing here. He stands next to Annie, and says, we live here. Aaron says, they have Gabriel, but Negan says, they don’t. He tells them, come on, and they follow him. He goes to a closet, and moves the clothes aside. There’s an opening, and he goes through, explaining that Ian walled up the doors in some of the apartments. Gabriel is there with some others from the building, and he hugs Maggie. Maggie asks if the people there hijacked the convoy, but Annie says, no. Aaron asks if she’s sure, and she says she’s sick of people asking. Negan says, him too, why doesn’t Aaron just come out and call her a liar? Aaron says, their boss has a wall of skulls, and he’s calling bullsh*t. If they didn’t do it, who did? Maggie says, it doesn’t matter. They have to get these people out of here. They hear a trooper saying they’ll sweep each floor and see who’s left. Annie says, they’re not leaving their people; they leave together. They pair up, and Negan tells Annie to go with Maggie.

Rosita and Daryl walk through the woods with the troopers, and Rosita asks, how much longer? Alves says, not long, and they get to a hill overlooking a valley where there are houses. He says, there it is, and Daryl asks, where’s everybody else? Alves says, there is no one else, and Rosita says, they expect only four of them to take all the zombies out? Sebastian appears, and says, no, she and Daryl are going to go through them. He and Cooper grew up together. Cooper lived down in the valley, and his dad was a bank president. He was also a prepper, and his office had a panic room where he kept drugs and cash – lots of it. Sebastian needs them to get it for him. Rosita says, this is a joke, right? but Sebastian says, no. His bitch mother cut off his line of credit, so he has to think of creative ways to support his lifestyle. The troopers can’t shoot their guns without the ammo being tracked. Cooper gave him the code… Daryl says, they’re not doing it, but Sebastian says, they’ll slime themselves up with guts, walk through the swarm, and get his cash. Daryl says, or what? and he and Rosita start to walk away. Sebastian asks how their kids are doing, and Daryl grabs him, putting a knife to his throat. Alves tells Daryl, drop it, or they’re both dead, but Rosita has drawn her gun, and says, not before she blows junior’s head off. Daryl says, if Sebastian threatens their kids again, he’ll gut him. Sebastian acts like it was the furthest thing from his mind, and tells Daryl that he was just saying he could make their lives easier. Alves says, or more difficult, and Rosita says, they do this and that’s it? Sebastian says, totally, and Daryl lets him go, taking the code from his hand.

Daryl and Rosita walk through the zombies, who come up to their faces, snarling. We see it from their perspective through their helmets, and it’s pretty creepy.

They go inside, Daryl shining a flashlight around. They see the keypad, and Rosita says they’ll need power for the lock. Two zombies toddle out, and she stabs both of them in the head. She says, it can’t be more than a few days since they turned. They hear a live human banging on the other side of a door, and a woman says, hey. She tells them that she was with another group, and Rosita says, they’re with the Commonwealth army. She says, she’s sorry. The money is in here, but she’s the only one left. Daryl says, Sebastian has done this before, and the woman begs them not to leave her. Rosita asks what she did, and she says she was in debt, and one day man showed up, saying he could get her out of it. She had two kids… She has two kids. Rosita asks how many people were sent in her group, and she says, twelve. Only three made it inside. They got the generator on, but then the two guys turned on each other. She ran in, and the door locked. She’s been trapped in there since. Rosita asks her name, and she says, April. Rosita introduces herself.

Negan says, they’ll make this work, okay? Lydia says, he left without saying a word, and he says, he left because he gave a sh*t. He left because it’s what everyone needed. Aaron asks how he met these people, and… What is Anna to him? He shows Aaron a wedding ring, and says, crazy, right? Aaron says, Negan being here fits, and Gabriel insists the Commonwealth is different, but Lydia says, she’d hoped it was, but it isn’t. They just want to swallow up communities. They’re like the Whisperers; they just wear different masks. Annie radios, and tells Negan that the troopers are on the fifth floor, but they’re going to spread out. He asks if Maggie is still with her, and she tells him to stop worrying. She’ll see him soon. Negan looks outside, and says, sh*t.

A trooper tells Herschel to sit and stay. He gets on the radio and tells the sarge that he found a kid hiding in a truck. Negan clocks him before he can say anymore; then kills him.   

Annie eats some ginger, and tells Maggie, she’s twelve weeks, give or take, and yeah it’s his. Not that he’d want her telling Maggie. Negan radios Annie, and says they found Maggie’s son. Maggie grabs the radio, and says, what? Negan says, they had a stowaway they didn’t know about. Maggie says she’s coming, but he tells her, stay with Annie. Her son is safe; stay focused. Maggie says, if anything happens to him… and Negan says, it will have to happen to me first. They hear more gunfire, and Annie tells Maggie, he’s in good hands. Maggie says, he’s in the hands of the man who killed his father. They hear a trooper say, he’s outside five; it’s clear. Annie says she knows who he is and he what did. He told her. Maggie says, and she’s still with him? and Annie says, none of them have clean hands. She’s seen what people do to survive. Sometimes it’s been done to her, and sometimes she did it to them. She’s not proud of it; she can just try to be better. Like him. Maggie says, he doesn’t get to forget, and Annie says, he hasn’t. What matters to her is who he is now, someone who will do what he can to protect her boy.

Herschel says, his mom told him to stay away from Negan, and Negan says, his mom’s a smart lady. Herschel asks why his mom doesn’t like Negan, and Negan says, because of something that happened a long time ago. Herschel says, something bad? and Negan says, yeah. Herschel asks if he’s a bad man, and Negan says, he was. I want to cry, this scene is so touching. Negan says, look, kid, and Heschel picks up a gun. He says his mom told him that a bad man killed his dad. It was him, wasn’t it? Negan says, yeah, and crouches down so he’s on Herschel’s level. He says, what he took away from Herschel and his mom, there’s nothing he can say or do to make that better. He knows Herschel wants to pull the trigger, and he doesn’t blame Herschel, but if he does – everyone gathers, watching from the other room – the bad people will know where they’re hiding. Maybe he deserves to die for what he did to Herschel’s family, but these people here don’t. Herschel looks at them, and lowers the gun. Lydia approaches, and takes it from him, and he runs to them.

Daryl tries to get the generator going, and flips switches like he knows what he’s doing. He does something with pliers, and sparks shoot out. The lights blink on and off, and zombies come at Daryl. They keep coming, and he keeps fighting them. Finally, he dispatches the last one, and goes back to work. The lights come on.

Rosita asks if April is still with them, and puts in the code. The door opens, and April hugs Rosita, thanking her. Daryl joins them, and April shows him the safe. He uses a crowbar to open it, and an alarm goes off. Rosita pushes buttons, but it only gets louder. April starts to freak out, saying, the zombies are going to be drawn to the house. Rosita pulls the alarm off the wall, but it’s still attached by a wire, and April yells for her to hurry. Rosita finally smashes it, and it stops. Daryl pulls out the safe, and he and Rosita stuff money into a bag. April tells them, they’re coming; hurry. They block door with a dresser, and wait.

Daryl says, they’ll go out how they came in; no sudden moves. They put zombie guts on April, and there’s banging and growling outside for a while. When it settles down, they move the dresser back, and open the door. Mercer is there, and asks if he was going to let them in. Daryl asks how he knew they were there, and Carly walks in. She says, when Daryl didn’t show for lunch, she found out where he was. Mercer asks if Daryl is looting houses now, and Rosita says, Sebastian threatened their kids. April tells Mercer that she was promised a cut of the money, but she’s the only one left. The lights blink, and Mercer asks Carol how many rounds she has. She says, maybe ten, and he says, there are more walkers than that. Daryl says, gut up.

They go out among the dead, moving slowly. April’s eyes are like saucers, and I know that one is going to freak for sure. Mercer keeps his gun drawn, and sure enough, one gets hooked on the uniform April is wearing. She panics, and stabs it. Apparently this is a dead (no pun intended) giveaway, and the zombies grab at her. There’s slicing and dicing and shooting, and Mercer is a master with the butt of his gun. All is quiet, but Rosita sees it’s too late for April, and stabs her in the forehead. Mercer opens the door to the outside.

Maggie and Annie hear gunfire at the end of the hall, and a man saying, no, please. The man is shot, and Carlson says, these people… He tells his soldiers, if they refuse to give you something useful, pop them in the in head and move on. They find the guns in the next hour or they burn the place to the ground. Maggie and Annie come out of an apartment, and Maggie radios Gabriel and Aaron. She asks if Elijah is with them, and Aaron says he is. She says she has a plan.

Troopers kick in the door to the apartment with the secret exit, and throw stuff around. A trooper goes to the closet, but the clothes have been pushed back together again. Carlson says, anything? and he says, nothing. They leave, but Carlson lingers. Negan and the others wait behind the opening. Carlson picks up a whiskey bottle, and examines it. He sees something on the floor, and whistles for his men. Negan is a couple of feet away, gun drawn, and Carlson is about to slide the clothing over, when he hears something. He says, it’s that goddam priest again, and he and his soldiers go to the roof. They find Aaron and Gabriel, and Aaron throws his gun down. Carlson slams the roof door shut, and says he’s had enough of this sh*t. What were they thinking, turning on him and the Commonwealth? For what? A tenement warlord and his followers? He thought they were smarter than that. The others come out to the roof, and Carlson calls for back-up, but his soldiers have their hands full with Elijah and his ninja moves. Carlson laughs, and says, the wisdom to know the difference, right? Things got out of hand, and they need to take a breath. Maggie and Annie join them, and Carlson says, they need to talk things… Daryl shoots him off of the roof edge, and he falls down the to the people he’s pushed off, who are now zombies. Aaron and Gabriel look down and watch, as the zombies crawl over Carlson, and have a feast. I love a fitting end.

Mercer, Carol, and Daryl go back up the hill, where Alves and Castle are waiting. Mercer says, they could have used some help, but Alves says they don’t answer to Mercer. Did they get the money? Mercer gives it to him, and Carol asks, how many others were sent to get it? Alves says, thirty or forty, he’s not sure, and in a surprise move, Mercer shoots Alves and Castle. Daryl looks at him like, respect, and I laaaugh. Mercer says, they’ll have to pay Sebastian. If they don’t, Sebastian will come after them, and it’s a fight they’re not going to win. He picks up the bags, and says he’ll carry them through the gate. They won’t search him.

Daryl, Rosita, and Mercer sit at a table, and Sebastian comes in. He says, there they are. So? Daryl points to the bag, and Sebastian practically skips over to the table. He looks inside, and he dances in a circle, and says, well done. Where are…? Mercer says, Alves and Castle didn’t make it. Sebastian takes out a packet of bills, and puts it on the table, telling Daryl, your cut. Congratulations. They did it. He’s glad they’re friends again. He smiles and leaves. Daryl looks at Mercer.  

Lance radios Open Range (i.e. Carlson), but gets nothing but static. He sits at his desk, looking like he has a headache. There’s a knock at the door, and Carol comes in. He says, it’s late, and asks where she’s been. She says, helping friends out of a jam. They were on a mission for the governor’s son. He’s been finding desperate people, and sending them through swarms to get to a stash of cash. Most didn’t make it out. Lance says, he sent her friends? and she says, yeah. He asks if they made it back, and she says, barely. He says, good. Did they get the money? She says they did, and he says, finally, and sighs. Carol asks why the other people were sent; what did they do? He says, they put themselves in bad situations, either because of stupid choices or their unwillingness to play by the rules. He tried to throw them a lifeline. This place works because everyone plays their part. If they can’t or won’t, it hurts everyone. That’s when the system breaks down, and we can’t let that happen. He asks if Carol knows what he’s saying, and she says, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. He says he knew she’d get it, and she says she’ll let him get back to work. He says, it’s nice to be able to talk to someone who sees the big picture; not many can. She smiles, and leaves, looking like Jamie Lee Curtis, Lance picks up the radio again.

Negan looks at Herschel, and walks over to him. He says, he and Herschel have unfinished business, don’t they? Tell you what. Herschel goes back with his mom, and helps rebuild their home. When he’s grown up a bit, come find him, and Negan promises they’ll settle it. Another great scene between these two. Negan walks off, and Maggie asks Herschel what Negan said to him, but Herschel stays silent. Maggie asks what Aaron and Gabriel are going do. They can’t go back to the Commonwealth. Aaron says, Lance is going to want to know what happened, and Gabriel says, the more immediate need is the people here. It’s only a matter of time. He wonders, if Ian didn’t steal the weapons, who did?

Two weeks ago. We see the dead troopers next to the arms shipment. One is still alive, crawling down the road, leaving a trail of blood. She yells, please, no, but a woman reaches from behind, pulling the trooper’s head up, and slitting her throat. Blood gushes out. We see the murderer is Leah.

Next time, Lance wonders if the warlords weren’t strangers to Aaron and Gabriel; Max says they can change this place; and Daryl asks Maggie to trust him. Eugene wants max to steal files

🛠 What the Dickens…

More on the returning FWD and Madison.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-season-7b-episode-titles-madison-clark-kim-dickens-return-amina/

🤯 Everybody Has One…

I actually forget all about Rick until I read one of these articles.

https://screenrant.com/fear-walking-dead-madison-rick-grimes-crm-brainwash-theory/

⚰️ Only the Best…

Checking my temperature… Yep, still bitter about Z Nation being canceled, even after several years.

🏆 You Know You Want It…

The winners. Oh, wait, the award receivers.

https://www.avclub.com/oscars-2022-complete-winners-list-1848710035

And the more important fashion.

https://www.avclub.com/oscars-2022-red-carpet-arrivals-gallery-1848709842

Stars Fading, But I Linger On…

Save room for some soap and what’s on Deck tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay pragmatic, and stay having the wisdom to know the difference.

March 20, 2022 – Meeting With a Warlord, Dead Guesting, Returning, Lance’s Hint, Dead Synopsis, Dead End, Spinning Under Water & Window

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

The Walking Dead

In the woods, some zombies toddle around and snarl. Elijah and Marco are on the wall at Hilltop, and Elijah shoots one with an arrow. He asks where they’re at, and Marco says, eight to nine; he’s still winning. Lydia comes by, and Elijah says, her too? She says she talked to Maggie, and he asks what she said. Lydia tells him, not much. Maggie just gave her directions to the closest Commonwealth checkpoint. Elijah says, a lot of people changed their minds, but she’ll be back, right? She says she thinks so, and goes out the gate. He asks if she needs an escort. It’s a long walk, and she might get bored. They hear a horse coming, and Elijah looks through the binoculars and sees Jesse from the Commonwealth. He calls out, rider coming. Nobody we know. Marco says, hold or we’ll shoot, but Jesse is bleeding, and falls off his horse. He lies on the ground, coughing, and Lydia runs to him. She says, he’s been shot. Get help. Jesse says, don’t… They’re slaughtering them… Liars. He hands her a map, says, you’ve got to go, and dies.

Maggie tells Lydia, she’s not going. Someone sent him, or it’s a trap. Lydia says she doesn’t think it’s a trick, but Maggie says, even if it wasn’t, they can’t go up against another group without people to fight. Elijah says, being outnumbered never stopped them before, but Maggie says, it should have; they’re barely holding on. Lydia says, that sounds like the group Jesse was talking about too. It’s the kind of group her mother would have targeted, and she helped. She’s not letting that happen to someone else. Maggie asks if Lydia’s not leaving, and Lydia says she is, but she has to help these people first. Lydia, Elijah, and Marco load the car, and Maggie comes out. She holds her hand out for the keys, and says, Lydia can take over at the halfway mark. Herschel runs out, and asks Maggie, how long this time? and she asks what she always says. He tells her, as long as it takes, and she tells him to hold down the fort.  

Maggie drives, and Lydia asks why she doesn’t want help from the Commonwealth. Maggie says, they can get by without it, but Lydia asks why they should just get by. Maggie says, it’s just temporary. Before the Fall, she lived on a farm with her family. Corporate developers tried to buy them out, but her dad kept saying no. Then there was a bad drought, and the developers offered them three times what the farm was worth. The developers knew they were desperate, but also knew the drought would end. All they had to do was outlast them. They dropped off food to help out the livestock, but her dad let it rot. He said they were being tested. The drought ended, and they got back on their feet, and the developers never bothered them again. Lydia asks why Maggie’s father let it rot, and Maggie tells her, he said if they were seen taking it, the developers would know they needed it. Elijah says, the cattle were hungry, but Maggie says, they didn’t lose any. They made it through. Lydia says, they got by. She was forced to get by her whole life. She was told it makes you stronger and wiser, but it doesn’t; it hurts. Maggie asks what Lydia would have done, and Lydia says, asked everyone what they wanted instead of deciding for them. Maggie says, the people of the Commonwealth haven’t been tested in ten years. Does she want to be there when they are? Lydia says she just wants things to be the same every day, and Maggie asks if Elijah agrees. Elijah says, with most of it, yeah. They suddenly skid to a stop, three troopers blocking the road.  

The get out, and realize they’re facing zombie troopers, and put them down. Maggie takes a closer look, and says, the knife slashed through the neck guard. She finds another has been shot between the armor. A man yells to them in the distance, and as he gets closer, Maggie says, it’s Aaron.  

One week ago. Aaron goes into the church where Gabriel is preaching about the prodigal son. He says, the son squandered his riches, and found his soul empty. He was in need, and begged forgiveness from his father. His father embraced him, saying, his son was dead, and is now alive. He was lost, now he was found. He says, there were a lot of stunned faces when he asked them to sit by a stranger this morning. A lot of awkwardness, stiff backs, and clenched butt cheeks. They laugh, and he says, those who were out in the wasteland knew it didn’t matter if they were strangers; they were forced to see the humanity in each other, and strangers became more than friends. Strangers became family. Why was it that way out there, but not in here? Romans 3:23 tells us, we’ve all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It’s the thread that binds them together. If they strip away the superficial labels, they’ll see the person by their side as they see themselves in the mirror; the way they were before the world fell. It can’t be like it is now. They must remember the thread. It’s what makes them try. It’s what makes them forgive. It’s what makes them return from peril. It’s what makes us, us.

After the service, Aaron sits with Gabriel in the pews. He tells Gabriel that it was great, but he was expecting more fire and brimstone. Gabriel looks happy. Gabriel says he thinks he might be. In the beginning, he was going through the motions, but then it was like a switch flipped, and he wasn’t. He could hear Him again. Aaron says, that hell they went through feels like it wasn’t real; like it was a nightmare or something. Gabriel asks, what about Alexandria? and Aaron says, the Commonwealth is giving them more manpower and resources to rebuild, and while they’re finishing, they asked if he would help with their immigration initiative. Gabriel says they didn’t seem keen on immigrants when they came, and Aaron says, they weren’t, but when the found out he’d worked for an NGO, and was good at reaching out to people who need help, they asked him to work on their policies. Gabriel says, the Lord’s work, and Aaron says, yeah, that’s why he’s here. There’s a group of about 40 living in an apartment complex near Westborough, Virginia. He offered to help, and they thought it would be good if Gabriel tagged along. Gabriel asks, why? and Aaron says, it’s a religious group so… There are hostiles in the territory, but his boss Carlson will be with them. He’s a little… His heart’s in the right place. Jesse comes in, and tells Aaron that Carlson is ready when he is, and Aaron asks what Gabriel says. Gabriel asks what Aaron knows about these people, and Aaron says, according to the scouts, they’re a friendly group of settlers.

Carlson and his group stand in a clearing, looking at the apartment building. Carlton asks if they feel that rush of dopamine and adrenaline. It’s just the anticipation that they’re going to change lives. They’re going to make the world better than it was yesterday. Aaron says, Carlton told him they were just friendly settlers, but it doesn’t look friendly. Carlton says, what if they aren’t? If they’re angry, it just means they’re afraid, but when they meet Aaron, the won’t be. He can’t wait to watch Aaron and Gabriel do their thing. Gabriel asks Aaron if Carlton is going in, and Aaron says, he usually does, but doesn’t do the talking. There will be backup nearby. Gabriel looks at some troopers putting up a tent, and asks if they’re setting up camp. Carlson joins them, and Aaron says, the troopers aren’t coming with them, are they? but Carlson says, they don’t want to spook the natives. He tests the radio, and the trooper a few feet behind him copies. He tells Aaron, it’s all good. Gabriel looks at the building and says he’s not doing this. Places like that usually have an old man with a shotgun is looking for an excuse to shoot someone who stepped on his lawn. It practically screams, do not disturb. Aaron says, it might be better to leave them alone, and Carlson wonders if Aaron has pre-game jitters. Gabriel says Carlson’s plan is sh*t; he doesn’t want to die. Carlson says they’ve done this before, and will do it again, and Gabriel asks what the largest group was. Carlson says, four, and Gabriel says, there’s 40 in there. With that many people, all it takes is one nervous guy with an itchy trigger finger. Aaron says Gabriel is right, but Carlson says, it’s not up for discussion. They need to trust that he knows what he’s doing. Gabriel says, fine, and takes his collar off. Carlson says he needs to wear it; it’s part of his costume, but Gabriel says, this is how this is going to go…

They walk to the building, and Aaron loudly introduces himself. He says he comes from a community called the Commonwealth, and they’d like to extend friendship. They’re the people who left these where they would find them. He holds up a bag of rations, and says, since they were gone, he assumes they did. They have more back at camp. He asks if there’s anyone he could speak face-to-face with. There’s banging on the door from the inside, and a guy opens it. A woman comes out, dressed kind of barbarian, and says, weapons. They remove their weapons, and she walks around taking them, and looking everyone over. She looks at Aaron’s arm, and he says, it’s kind of a bitch to take off. She nods, and asks if it’s just the four of them. Aaron says, there’s a group of peacekeepers nearby waiting for them to check in, and she says, sounds scary. They follow her inside, and the door closes. One of the men locks the ton of humongous locks on it, and it’s kind of dark. They’re frisked and the woman says, can’t be too safe. Last door to the right. Aaron asks, what’s down there? and she smiles. She keeps walking, and they follow another guy, seeing various people hanging out along the way. The guy takes Aaron’s bag, leaving it in the hallway, and knocks on an apartment. They go inside, and a man sits at a desk, his back to them, and says, seats. They sit, and the door closes. The man turns around, and it’s Michael Biehn… er, warlord Ian. Aaron tells him, like he said outside, they come from the Commonwealth. It’s a bit like the old world. Their population is 50,000, they have a functioning government, protective walls, housing, restaurants, and two movie theaters. Ian says, and soldiers, and a church. Why did Gabriel lose his collar? Gabriel says he wanted Ian to see who he was before learning what he was, and Ian says, they tell him their place is like the old world. If they have a church, then they have hookers too; gambling and a sh*t side of town. Gabriel says he hasn’t seen that, and Aaron asks if he can have his bag back. He’d like to show Ian something. Ian nods, and someone gets the bag. Aaron takes out his cellphone, and gives it to Ian, who looks at pictures of the Commonwealth. Aaron says, that’s where they live. When people see it, they want to live there. Ian says, they’ll just be let in; it’s that easy. Aaron says, it’s not easy. There’s a screening process… Ian says, an audition. Let him get his tap dancing shoes. He asks where they’re located, but Carlson says they can’t tell him. Ian asks, why? Because Carlson says so? Carlson says, that’s right, and Ian says, then why is he talking to Aaron? Do him a favor, and look in the back corner. One of Ian’s men puts on a light, and we see skulls in a glass cabinet. Ian says, raiders, murderers, rapists, a few cannibals; all of them sat in the same seats they’re sitting in. Most were wolves dressed as sheep, and all meant his people harm. He tells Carlson, so Mr. Head Wolf, Carlson knows where Ian lives, but he doesn’t know where Carlson lives. How dumb would he be to let them go? He asks  Carlson’s name, and he says, Toby Carlson. Ian shoots in the air, and tells Carlson to get on his knees, and everyone else, their asses stay in in their chairs. He aims his gun at Carlson, now on his knees, and says, answer his question. How dumb would he be to let them go when they know where his home is? Carlson is all shaky, and says, it would be dumb. Ian says, yes it would. Carlson reminds him of Ol’ Billy Johnson. He came to them a few years ago, promising them wealth and prosperity, but he wasn’t bringing them to the Promised Land. He just wanted to get them out in the open, so his raiders could kill them. He ended up on the shelf because he thought Ian was stupid. Does Carlson think he’s stupid? Carlson says, no, and Ian says, because he has plenty of room on the shelf next to Billy. Carlson says he doesn’t want to be on the shelf, and doesn’t think Ian is stupid. Ian says, show him where their raiding party is or bodies will hit the floor starting with Jesse. Aaron asks if they look like raiders, and Ian says, wolves dressed as sheep. They have no idea of his responsibilities to this place and its people. They’ve entrusted him with their very souls. Why did they come, and what do they want? Gabriel says, exactly. Why would they want anything from them? This place is a sh*thole. Why would they want it? Ian says, meat, and Aaron asks if he thinks they’re cannibals. Cannibals with prepackaged MRE’s? All they’ve done is given them food and water. They’re not starving because of the Commonwealth. Is that real or a lie? Gabriel says, those are also real soldiers in the pictures. If they don’t come back, the soldiers will come and kill them. Aaron says, or nobody has to die. Let them go, and they won’t bother them again; he promises. Ian says, what a day. What a goddam day. They’ll leave and will never come back… Carlson jumps up, grabs Ian’s gun, and shoots Ian, wounding him, and kills his men. Gabriel asks what he did, and Carlson says, his job. Aaron says, he was going to let them go, but Carlson says, shut up. Lock the door, and he’ll be back.

One week and one hour ago. Carlson goes to Lance’s office, and says, he got his call; what’s up? Lance offers Carlson a drink, but Carlson says, he’s four years sober. What’s wrong? Lance says, he got Milton to agree to being communal with some of the hick towns, and he used some of the resources to send convoy, but scouts hijacked the troopers who were guarding it. They’re all dead, and all evidence leads to an apartment complex, where the leader dresses like a general. They’re also religious, and have mass on Sundays and Tuesdays. Carlson asks what he’s missing. He’s some warlord. Just snuff him out, and if Lance assumes the worst, send in a squad to cut them down, then send in a company to raze the building. Lance says, if he asks for troops, there’s no way Milton won’t notice. He needs a surgical solution. Carlson says he doesn’t do that anymore, but Lance says he needs the former CIA guy; he needs an assassin. Carlson says he likes being retired. He gets up, he meditates, he gets to go out and find people who need help, and gives them a second chance. It’s Zen. Lance says, it can be taken from him, and Carlson moves closer to Lance. He asks if Lance is tired of living, and stirs Lance’s drink with his finger, and puts the finger in his mouth. Lance says, most of the dead troopers were kids in their 20s. This is on him, and he needs to make it right. Carlson says, okay. What is Lance thinking? Lance asks how Aaron is, and Carlson says, great. Aaron easily connects with people, which makes his job easier. Lance says, and what about his buddy? Carlson says, Gabriel? and Lance tells him, go in and make contact with the priest. Go to the apartment complex, and get them to let their guard down. When they do, and let them in to see the big chief, he wants Carlson to do what he does. He doesn’t have to tell the others about the plan. They’ll fall in line. Everyone does.

Back to now, troopers take bodies out, and Carlson tells them, sweep the rear. Ian sits on the floor, leaning up against a column, and Carlson asks him where the guns and cargo are that they hijacked and massacred their soldiers for? Ian says he has no idea what Carlson is talking about, and Carlson hits Ian with his gun. He says, there were three sets of tracks that all led here. Try again. Ian says, the caravan was like that when they found it, but Carlson says, Ian just lied to him, and hits him again. Ian punches him back, and troopers run over. Aaron yells, stop! and moves forward, and Carlson tells the troopers, cuff him.  They take Aaron away, and Ian says, hey, d*ckless, those found weapons… Carlson shoots him, fatally this time. Carlson says, ready for shelf, warlord? Top shelf, center, right above Billy. How does that sound? All that talk, and he died so quick. Carlson kicks the dead Ian, and does some crazy loud yelling. Aaron is stunned, and Carlson says, don’t look at him like that. He was a damn animal. Aaron says, they’re supposed to be helping people, and Carlson says, they are. This is the other side; snuffing out threats. That’s how they make the world safe. They hear a horse whinny and gallop away, and run outside to see Jesse getting the hell out of there. A trooper shoots him, but he keeps on going, and Aaron pops the trooper in the face. Carlson draws his gun, and is about to shoot Aaron, but his gun only clicks. Carlson says, interesting. Let’s go. Aaron isn’t about to budge, when there are gunshots. Carlson becomes distracted, and Aaron jets. Several troopers run up to Carlson, and one tells him, a trooper is dead inside. Carlson goes in, and says, he turns his back one minute… He takes the dead trooper’s gun, and tells another to get him the trooper’s armor.

Back at Aaron meeting Maggie, she asks if he thinks the people at the complex are lying about the stolen shipment. He says he doesn’t know, and she shows him the map, telling him, this is the best way in. He asks where she got the map, and she says, he gave it to the guy who rode to Hilltop. Aaron says, no, he didn’t, and she says, then who did?

12 hours before. Jesse finds some horses, and starts to unleash one, but Negan appears, and says, don’t move. How many are there? Jesse says, twelve, and Negan asks what they’re armed with. Jesse says, machine guns. He didn’t know… Annie joins Negan, and he asks what the people look like. She says, there’s a priest, and a guy with a spiked arm, and Negan says, Gabriel and Aaron. Jesse asks if he knows them. They came from the Commonwealth, and this is not what he signed up for. Negan tells him, shut up, and takes out a map. He tells Jesse to go to Hilltop, and ask for Maggie. Talk to her and no one else. Tell her that Aaron and Gabriel are in trouble.

Carlson tells Aaron, this is other side; snuffing out threats. This is how they make world safe. Jesse takes the horse, and Carlson and Aaron run outside. Inside, the trooper guarding Gabriel goes down, and Gabriel says, Negan? Negan unties him, and Annie says, they’ve got to go. They hear gunshots, and slip away. The troopers come in and see their dead comrade. Carlson comes in, and says, he turns his back for a minute…

In trooper armor, Carlson tastes some whiskey with his finger, and grabs a bullhorn. He says, residents of complex, you have been deemed enemies of the Commonwealth. One of them has stolen from them. That cannot stand. Their warlord is dead, but the good news is, they can make things right. Give them what’s theirs and they’ll leave. Inside, Gabriel asks where the weapons are, but Annie doesn’t know. Negan says, if she says they don’t have them, he believes her, but Gabriel says he’s praying they stole them. Without the weapons, they’re dead. Carlson isn’t going to let them leave alive. Two guys stand on the edge of the roof, hands on their heads, and look down. It’s a pretty long way, and Carlson asks where the weapons are, but the first guy says he doesn’t know. Carlson says he believes him, and kicks him over the edge. He asks the other guy, and says, how about him? The guy shakes his head, and Carlson pats him on the back, then pushes him off. Inside, they hear screaming and a thud, then more screaming, yelling, and thuds. Carlson gets back on the bullhorn, and says, your people have let you down. He tells the troopers to hit each room, and kill anyone who won’t talk. The troopers go inside, and Annie tells the their group that they need to stick together. Forget about giving up or begging for forgiveness. Ian is dead, but he’s not the first leader they had. He wasn’t what kept them together. They did, and they did it by working together as a family. Their family is scattered all over the building, but they know this place better than those a-holes do, and they’re coming out on top. On the side, Negan tells her, that was pretty good, but the Commonwealth they took out their best. Annie says, but they needed to hear it.

Carlson gets on the radio, and asks Hodges to come in. Standing over a dead Hodges, Maggie takes the radio, and shuts it off, putting it on her belt. She and Elijah sneak up the stairs, and Aaron closes the door behind them.

Next time, Lance says, this place works because everyone plays their part, and If they can’t or won’t is when the system breaks down, and we can’t let that happen; Carlson says, find the guns or they’ll burn this place to the ground; and Mercer says, that’s a fight they’re not going to win.

⚔️ The Warlord Speaks…

I love Michael Biehn, so it was a real treat to see him on TWD, albeit briefly. Grindhouse is one of my all-time favorite films. On Talking Dead, he said his favorite line was the one about the tap shoes. Mine too. I literally lol’d. The delivery was perfection.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-michael-biehn-warlord-ross-marquand-interview-season-11-episode-13/

🏍 He’ll Be Riding Back…

He’s a hardy one, our Daryl.

https://ew.com/tv/the-walking-dead-norman-reedus-schedules-return-to-work-after-concussion/

💰 Glimpsing Gold…

Lance is a man of many secrets to be sure.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-lance-hornsby-gold-coin-commonwealth-hint/

⚰️ Finale Of the Finale…

What’s to come in the Walking Deadverse.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-final-season-11-part-2-finale-episode-16-synopsis-god/

🚣🏾‍♂️ No Treading For Him…

When things get stagnant, it’s time to split.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a39483787/fear-the-walking-dead-end-colman-domingo/

🌏 Keep On Spinning…

At first I thought, is it April 1st already?

Apparently not.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-spinoff-special-dead-in-the-water-nick-stahl-amc-plus-premiere-date/

🦢 Feather Ball Time…

Stop by tomorrow for soap and Deck doings. Until then, stay safe, stay controlled, and stay helping people and giving second chances, but leave the snuffing out of threats to the professionals.