(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Nina tells Jax, she’s sorry, but she has no time to talk. He tells her, just listen. Whatever she’s planning, don’t. The only option that will leave any of them standing is for her to walk away – now.
In bed with Chase, Willow says she can’t believe he got a hotel room. They have a perfectly good bed. He asks if it’s a complaint, and says they can go, but she pulls him back, and says, don’t you dare. She likes the hotel and the bed, and loves the guy in the bed. Chase says that guy loves her too.
Sam tells Jason that this is the last time she can see him, and he asks, what happened? She says the only way she can stay free, is if she stays away from him.
Ned and Brook sit with Diane at the MetroCourt. Brook says she knows Diane is a master. If anyone can find a way out of her contract, it’s Diane. Diane asks if Brook consulted an attorney before signing it, and Brook says, no. Diane says she should have.
Michael asks if he’s told Sasha how good she looks. She says when she got there, and when they took their first drink, and he says, it’s not enough. He tells her to hit him with her New Year’s resolution, and she says she’s so excited to start over. She’ll be leaving Nina and Charlotte behind, but she’s grateful to have him. He says she’s stuck with him, and she says, promise? They kiss.
Maxie tells Obrecht that she looks beautiful; Maxie loves her dress. Obrecht thanks her, and drains her glass. Maxie asks if everything is okay, and Obrecht says she’s anticipating the festivities, whatever they may be. Peter says he thinks it’s called a wedding. Obrecht tells them that despite her sordid history with Valentin, he makes her niece happy. She hopes Nina chooses happy, and Maxie asks if that isn’t why they’re there. Obrecht says, from her lips, and moves on. Peter asks, is it him, or is Obrecht stranger than usual? Maxie says she’s not and never will be a Valentin fan, but obviously, Nina loves him. If a liar like Valentin can turn things around, maybe there’s hope for the rest of them.
Up on the tower balcony, Valentin tells Ava that he doesn’t change plans. He acts with precision, and she gave him an opportunity he can’t pass up. She asks, what opportunity? and he says she’s been drinking heavily, she’s in a fragile emotional state, and it’s icy up there. He pushes her over the parapet, and Charlotte appears. She asks what he’s doing out there. I am so angry about the turn this took. Why must Valentin continue to be a jerk?
Valentin asks Charlotte what she’s doing out there, and from behind her, Lulu says they came to look at the moon. Valentin says, it’s cold. Why don’t they look from the conservatory inside? Lulu says, that’s not a bad idea, and Valentin says he has a job for Charlotte. He tells Lulu that he’s glad she came, and asks Charlotte to check on the bride. He’ll see Lulu downstairs. Charlotte tries to look over the edge, but Valentin pulls her along.
Laura tells Doc, she tried to convince Charlotte that her bodyguard wasn’t real, but Charlotte insisted she saw him, and he was wearing the Cassadine crest ring. She compared it to her father’s tattoo, and described it perfectly. Doc asks if she’s certain it was a ring, and if there’s any chance Charlotte had seen it before. Laura says she’s never seen Valentin near one, and Nikolas was dead long before Charlotte came to town. None of it makes sense.
Sam tells Jason, it’s all her fault. If only she hadn’t gone undercover to take Shiloh down. Look what it’s done to them. Jason says, back it up for a second, and asks the officer’s name. Sam gives him Delores’s card, and he asks if she came in hostile at all. Sam says Delores was definitely expecting her to make a mistake. Jason says Sam didn’t do that. She just showed Delores the house. Sam says, yeah, but Delores got fixated on the stockings. She asked about Danny, and knew Jason was his father. Then she asked if Jason was living there. Jason says, first, Sam needs to understand it’s not her fault. Nothing could have been done to stop it. The officer saw his file, and knew he was Danny’s father. She came to the house gunning for him, not her. Sam asks if there’s any way to fight it.
Willow tells Chase, it’s been an amazing year, and Chase says, except for going to jail. She says, apart from that, she met him, they fell in love, and moved in together. He says, it’s been a pretty good year, and Willow says, she has the feeling 2020 will be even better. Chase thinks they both have that feeling, and they kiss.
Diane tells Brook, the contract is tightly written, and gives little wiggle room. Brook asks if it isn’t Diane’s job; she’s gotten Sonny out of worse. Diane says, not really. All of her clients are well-advised not to sign anything unless it’s been reviewed by her or another competent attorney, which Brook neglected to do. Her manager has exclusive rights to everything, until she provides her obligation. Ned asks if they have any options, and Diane says, if it was anyone else, she’d say there are none, but since they’re Quartermaines, the only straightforward solution would be to buy him out. Her phone dings, and she says she has to run, telling them, happy New Year. Brook says they’re in the middle of something, but Diane says she got a call to consult with a client who has her on retainer. As she leaves, Brook says, it was a text; not a call.
Sasha tells Michael that she keeps telling herself that Lucy is a good businesswoman, and she made the right choice. Is she boring him? He says, no; he’s interested. She says, if he’s so interested, why has he been looking over there the whole time? He apologizes, saying he’s close to his cousin Ned, who’s hands down the most Quartermaine of all of them; whatever good and bad that entails. Ned was distracted before, when he was mayor, but now that Ned’s daughter is back, Michael has the feeling they’re gearing up for some Quartermaine infighting. Sasha asks if that’s a thing, and he says, it is in their family. If he’s right, he could use favor from her. She says, anything, and he says he needs help keeping his perspective. He needs to appreciate the good things around him, and once in a while, she can make him smile. She kisses him, and says, like that? He says, yeah; just like that.
Jax tells Nina that she has two options; marry Valentin or destroy him, and neither is worth it. She says he doesn’t know that, but he says he does. Valentin is dangerous. He’s lied so many times already, does she want to marry into a dysfunctional situation because Valentin is a good father, and there have been a few moments he made her feel good? To be honest, plan B, her big revenge, is probably worse. Charlotte will get caught in the middle. Nina says she thinks about that constantly, and Jax says she should. Charlotte is on cloud nine about Nina marrying her father. If she takes Valentin down, she’ll take Charlotte too, and she doesn’t want to do that. She says, no, she doesn’t.
😠 There was a brief interruption here for remarks about the airstrike in Iraq. Sorry, I just didn’t have time to backtrack later, but I didn’t miss much.
Laura tells Lulu that Charlotte could end up resenting her, and Lulu says, true, but it’s hard. Laura gets it. She knows, no matter what else Valentin has done, he’s the father of someone they love. She’s not saying they should turn a blind eye to it, but Lulu needs to let go of some of the rage, at least around Charlotte. Not long ago, Charlotte blurted out that she knew they hated each other. Lulu says she hasn’t done a good job of hiding it, and Laura tells her to do better, for Charlotte’s sake. Inch toward the middle. She’d like to think, if Nikolas lived, it’s what he would want them do. I laugh, knowing how wrong that is.
Charlotte asks what Jax is doing in Nina’s room, and he says he came to talk to his friend. It’s an exciting night for her, so he’ll leave them to it. Nina tells Charlotte how beautiful she looks, but Charlotte says there’s no one prettier than Nina. She’s excited for Nina to be her forever stepmother. They hug, and Charlotte says she needs Nina. Papa needs her. It will be his happily ever after once Nina marries him.
Jason says he’s never been convicted, but Diane says, one nolo contendere is all that’s needed. He knew when he took the plea bargain, that it was going to follow him, and someone might use it as ammunition. He says, they let him out, and Diane says, because the police needed his help to apprehend Franco. In the eyes of the law, he’s a felon, and the officer is within her rights to make it a condition of Sam’s parole. Sam says, it’s fine. It’s nothing they haven’t dealt with before. They’ll deal with it again.
Martin tells Valentin, it’s almost midnight. Is he ready? Valentin says he never thought he’d be getting married in a room of his enemies. Martin says, it’s a humdinger, and Valentin says, if anyone had made the guest list other than Nina, he’d be worried. Charlotte runs in, and Jax isn’t far behind. They both sit.
Brook asks if Ned heard what Diane said about the option they have. Ned asks if she wants him to pay the guy off, and she says, yes. He says, no, and she asks, why not? He says she had a manager; her mother. It was her choice to leave, and go out on her own, signing with a supposed brilliant producer. Brook says he hit on her. After she signed. She realized it was less about her being a recording artist than arm candy. Ned asks if the producer forced himself on her, and she says, no, but he made it clear there were terms not specified in the contract that he wanted met. Ned calls him a pig, and Brook says, now he understands why she needs him to give the producer the money. He says, sorry. His answer is still no.
Sasha asks Willow what it’s like having someone head over heels in love with her. Chase is obsessed with her, in the most sincere way. She has the feeling when the time it right, they’re going to make the best parents.
Chase says Michael and Sasha seem good. Michael says it’s crazy, after all that happened, and Chase says he’s relieved that he didn’t have to testify in the fraud thing. Michael must be glad it’s over. Michael says, the lies are done, and Sasha has the Deception thing going on. The sky’s the limit for Sasha, and it’s all he wants for her.
No Nina yet. Martin looks at his watch. Everyone waits. Nina stands outside the door for a moment, and walks in. She and Valentin smile at each other.
Diane says she’s speaking not only as an attorney, but someone who has a vested interest in Sam and Jason’s happiness, and that of their children. In all these years, it hasn’t sat well with her that Sonny’s children have paid in a million different ways for the choices he made. If they’re going to do this, sneak around, and try to circumvent the stipulations of parole, Sam could be locked away for the full two years, possibly more. She has to ask if that’s a risk they’re willing to take.
Michael, Sasha, Willow, and Chase clink glasses at the MetroCourt, saying, happy New Year. Michael says, it really is, and kisses Sasha. Chase says, get a room, and Sasha says, like they did? Michael says Chase is making him look bad. Sasha asks what he and Chase were talking about, and Michael says, lies. He’s happy the drama is behind them. They clink glasses again, and Sasha says she has enjoyed so much of her time there though. She obviously fell in love with Nina as a maternal figure; she’s an amazing mom to Charlotte. But the whole time, she kept thinking, it’s not real; she can’t trust it. Willow says she gets it. Giving up Wiley was hard, but the second hardest thing was the lying and covering up, especially with Michael. When they would meet at the grief group, and she wasn’t telling him the truth, she hated every minute. They all turn to Chase, and he says, don’t look at him. He’s a cop; honesty is always the best policy. Michael says neither one of them would last in his families. The Corinthoses lie about facts, and the Quartermaines lie about everything, but the love is real.
Ned tells Brook and Olivia, happy New Year to the two most important women in his life. Brook says the countdown isn’t going to make her forget. She asks if he doesn’t believe that the guy was inappropriate with her, but he says he does. She can’t work with him again, but he doesn’t think throwing money at him is the solution. Now, he has the leverage, and can set the price, if he knows she’s desperate to get out. If she’d just read the fine print. Brook says it sounds like he thinks she asked for it, and Ned says, of course (🍷) he doesn’t think she wanted sexual harassment by a loser. She says, why not then? and he says if thought she was in danger, they’d figure something out. What happened was inexcusable, but she can stay there and regroup. Brook asks why she should give up her dream, but Ned says, the contract will eventually expire. Brook says, years from now, when she’s dead, or worse, married. Ned says the uncomfortable truth is, they’re Quartermaines, and there’s a world full of people who want to take advantage of them. If they give in just once, everyone knows they can be taken advantage of. Brook asks if he can’t just do it one time, but he says, that’s not how it works. Sorry. She leaves, and Olivia looks at Ned.
The Wedding March plays, as Nina walks down the aisle, which doesn’t take long since they’re in the living room.
Diane says she doesn’t want to know how good Sam and Jason are at avoiding surveillance. They only need to be caught one time. The parole officer is gunning for Sam, probably to get at Jason. The best option is to get Spinelli involved. Have him do a deep dive on the parole officer, and see if he can come up with something, like a conflict of interest. Get Sam assigned to someone new. It has to be done behind-the-scenes, or the officer could get more combative, or make a worse report. Sam says, so Diane is telling them the officer has total control. Diane says, for the moment, and Jason says, the best way to beat her, is to make her think she’s winning.
Ned asks Olivia what she thinks, and Olivia says, it was an amazing speech, but not one word landed. Ned asks, why? and she says, because Brook may have a tough exterior like Lois, but the Quartermaine who Brook is most like is Ned’s mother.
Martin officiates, but Valentin tells him, before the official stuff, he’d like to say a few words. He tells Nina, in this world, two things changed his life forever. First, his beautiful daughter, and then there’s her. He wasn’t certain she and Charlotte would ever meet; he thought they’d be separate parts of his life always. But then Charlotte came to live with him, and the most remarkable thing happened. He met the side of Nina that loved his daughter. She introduced him to a new level of happiness. She’s a wonderful mother, and he can’t imagine sharing his daughter with anyone else; like he can’t imagine sharing his life with anyone else. She’s it. She’s the one.
Ned says, it’s amazing how clearly Olivia sees his family. Does she want out? Olivia asks if he thinks his family drama is going to scare her away. He hugs her, and says she’s still getting her feet wet when it comes to the Quartermaines, but Olivia says she thinks she’s waist deep. Ned says they have a lot of flaws, but the one virtue in the midst of the chaos and backstabbing, is that they can take a moment to enjoy themselves, and see the big picture. He’s glad Brook is back in his life, and he can spend time with her. And he has Olivia, her love and acceptance, and her kicking him in the ass when he needs it. Olivia tells him, don’t ever forget it, and they kiss.
Jason asks how Diane got there, and Diane says, an Uber. Jason tells her, they’ll openly leave together. Sam says, it’s the last time, and Diane agrees. She says they can’t come face to face unless accompanied by their attorneys. Sam says, it’s not fair. This is how they’re supposed to bring in the New Year? He’s Danny’s father. Jason says, if there’s a fix, Diane will find it. He hates it, but they can deal with it. What they can’t deal with, is the kids missing her. He’d go prison for her, but they can’t risk her going back. They’re parents, and what’s right for Scout and Danny is to be with her, which means… He kisses her, and tells her that he loves her so much. She says she loves him too, and they hug. He leaves with Diane, gesturing to Sam with his index finger and pinky on his way out the door, which I assume means he loves her, and not that he loves heavy metal. Sam cries. In the hallway, Diane asks if Jason is okay, but he says, no.
Nina guesses she’ll say something too. Valentin has made her happier than anyone else in her life. She didn’t know what love was until she fell into it with him. What they learn when they’re kids, they think love is a fairytale. A happily ever after, permanent state of bliss, but that’s not love. Love has its ups and downs; beautiful transcendent moments alongside heart wrenching ones. But the happiness is worth the pain. On thing she’s learned, and knows for sure, happiness with him is so sweet. So no more secrets between them, right? He says, no, and I feel sick. Martin says, on that note, and reads the vows.
Just as Nina is about to say, I do, the door is kicked open. Nikolas stands there with Ava in his arms. Everyone is shocked, including me. I have to admit, that was good.
On Monday, Cameron says Trina should have stayed out of it, Lulu accuses Jax of being behind everything, and Nikolas tells Valentin that he loses everything.
🏰 To The Mansion Reborn…
To be honest, I didn’t even notice until Tracy mentioned it. I just thought it was a different part of the house.
Hey, as long as they’re not nasty or sloppy, if someone wants to drink to excess, that’s their business. Although LuAnn seems to be both. Just sayin’. I was surprised when she got brought back to court after outing herself about those two mimosas. I’ll bet she was surprised too.
The Haves and the Have Nots begins a new season this Tuesday, January 7th. As does Vanderpump Rules. I’ll have to see how I’m going to finagle that, since they’re both on at 9 pm. I’ll be glad to see HAHNagain, and just as glad to stop seeing the ad for it on OWN every five minutes.
👂 A Yearworm…
I know it’s way off, but every time I hear 2020, this song pops into my head. Somebody make it stop.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Julian sits in ICU, and deliberately knocks a tray over. Alexis comes in, and asks, where’s Lucas? Julian says, it’s all his fault.
Olivia tells Ned that she has errands to run. She’s giving him some privacy, and hopes he gets to the bottom of what’s going on. He says he told her that he would. Brook walks in, and says he summoned her, so she came. Olivia says she’ll leave them to it. She tells Ned about watching the kids skate at Rice Park, and how nice it was with all the Christmas decorations. He says, speaking of Christmas, are they having the pleasure of keeping her through the holidays? Life on the road never stops. She says she doesn’t have a gig before New Year’s, and he asks why she fired her mom.
Willow sees Chase looking at his phone, and says, really? He says, sorry. There’s been a shooting at GH. She says, at the hospital? How bad is it? He says there’s only one victim, but the PCPD needs all hands on deck. She tells him, go, and asks him to do her a favor; check on Lucas. His family is always there for him, and Brad and Wiley. It’s amazing. Chase says, families are like that. There’s a knock at the door, and Chase opens it to find Harmony. She asks if he remembers her, and he says she’s Willow’s mother. Willow comes to the door, and asks what Harmony is doing there.
Carly tells Sonny they need to confirm Donna’s christening date, but Sonny suggests they postpone it. He’ll handle Father Flanagan. She doesn’t want to push it back indefinitely, and Sonny says they’ll do it soon. He wants to track down the doctor in Sweden for his dad.
Nelle asks Martin, what took so long? and he says he does have other clients. She asks if they’re giving him a crazy payout, and he says he had a rough night. He didn’t get much sleep, and was hoping for an early evening. She says she’s hoping to resume life outside of her cell, but he says he told her; he can’t do anything until her next parole hearing in sixteen months. She says he has to figure something out. She has to get out immediately – tonight.
Josslyn tells Michael that she can’t decide if Wiley is better off not understanding what’s gong on, or if that makes it scarier. Both of his fathers have disappeared. Michael says they’re surrounding Wiley with love while Lucas recovers. Josslyn says it’s important to stay positive with Lucas fighting for his life. He loves Brad and Wiley so much. Michael says, Wiley is easy to love. Brad… She laughs, and says she’s glad he’s her brother; she loves him. She wants to tell the people she loves how she feels while they’re still around to hear it. Michael says, good policy. He says he loves her too, and they hug.
Carly tells Sonny that she thought the trial wasn’t until March. Three months is a long time. They don’t know what condition Mike will be in by then. Sonny says the doctor he contacted is working on a drug to repair the damage done by Alzheimer’s. It concentrates on clearing the plaque from the brain. The sooner they get Mike on the drug, the sooner he can be ready for the trial. Josslyn comes in with Michael, and Sonny says, there’s still food left. Josslyn says she’ll have a snack before she visits Mike. Michael asks if it’s part of her love appreciation tour. Carly says she’ll take Josslyn to see Mike in the morning, Josslyn asks, why? and Sonny says, yeah; why?
Harmony says she’s obviously interrupting, but since she’s there, can she come in? Chase says, sure, and Willow says she’ll go get him a shirt. He says he hasn’t been alerted to any prison escape, so he assumes she was released. She says she got an early parole release because of overcrowding. She’s going to a rehabilitation center where she’ll need a job, have a curfew, and be closely monitored. Any violation, she’ll be sent back, but she has no intention of squandering her second chance. Willow comes back, and says she’s happy for Harmony. Harmony knows it’s inconvenient, but she was hoping to talk.
Alexis asks Julian how Lucas is, and he says, Lucas is getting an MRI to see if the swelling in his brain went down. She asks how Julian is holding up, and he says he’s worried about the swelling, and what happens when it goes down. What if Lucas can’t speak? What if he has to learn to walk again? What if he can’t practice medicine? Alexis tells him to stop tormenting himself. He has to have hope. Julian laughs, and Alexis says Lucas will wake up, and chase his baby again, and sing to him. And he’ll practice medicine again, because he’s strong, like his father.
Olivia sees Lulu at the hospital, and asks if there’s any news. Lulu says her mom went home, but she promised to let her know if anything changes. Olivia asks if Lucas is allowed visitors, but Lulu says, only family. Brook was not happy. She thought Brook would be going on tour starting yesterday.
Brook can’t believe her mom snitched. She didn’t know her mom and Ned still spoke. Ned says, anything for their pride and joy. She left L&B Records; why? She says she was tired of playing amusement parks, supper clubs, and malls. It wasn’t working out. He thought her new manager was aggressive, and she says, he’s a shark. Ned asks why she’s free until New Year’s. Maybe she was hasty in ditching her mom. She says she thought Lincoln had a hard-hitting launch strategy, but it hasn’t worked out. He says, it’s only been a few weeks. What could go wrong so fast?
Martin says if he had five dollars for every client who wasn’t guilty, had a medical condition, or a religious epiphany, he wouldn’t need her payout. She says she’s never seeing her son grow up, and he says, that has no bearing on it. She says, it should. Carly and Michael put her through hell. If she doesn’t act soon… He says, what? and she says they’re going to get the satisfaction of seeing her rot in prison. Martin says challenges don’t scare him, but clients who lie are another matter. He doesn’t like to lose. If she’s withholding information, she’s sabotaging herself, and him, she needs to tell him. Try again. Is there anything else she’s been keeping from him? Anything at all?
Carly asks if Michael is taking Josslyn to see Mike, but he says he has an ELQ meeting. He was checking on Wiley. He asks if it’s cool if he checks in on Donna, and Carly tells him, just be quiet. Carly says, if Josslyn is set on going tonight, she’ll take her, but Josslyn says Milo is already going to do it. She spent no time with Mike on Thanksgiving, and she wants to have a quick visit to tell him that she loves him. Carly says, that’s sweet, and Sonny says Mike will love to see her. Carly says, Mike is worse at night, and it’s late. Sonny says if she wants to go, go. Josslyn says she won’t stay if Mike’s not feeling up to it. She’s going to have a quick bite first. Sonny asks Carly, what was that about?
Nelle asks if Martin is promising to keep what she says secret, and he tells her not to disclose any illegal activities; he can’t be party to a crime. She says she was going to knock over a convenient store as soon as she’s out, and he says he’ll take that as sarcasm. Why the sudden urgency? She asks if he remembers her friend Brad from her parole hearing. He and his husband were in a terrible car accident. Fortunately, Brad is okay, but his husband is in a coma. Martin says he’s sorry to hear that, but what does it have to do with her? She says, they have a young son, Wiley, and without Lucas to help, Brad will be overwhelmed, which he’s prone to do. Legal services might get involved, and take the baby. Martin says, by no jurisprudence would she be given the child. She says, who said anything about give?
Harmony tells Willow that she has a nice place. She’s not pretending they still don’t have healing to do, over what Harmony put Willow through with Shiloh. Willow says she doesn’t even like hearing his name, and Harmony says she won’t dredge it up, but she wants the chance to make amends. She wants to show Willow that she’s not that woman anymore. Willow asks why she’s still calling herself Harmony, and Harmony says, she tried to go back to Lorraine, but she’s not that person anymore. She still uses Willow. Willow says she changed her name to escape Shiloh; Harmony is the name her mother took for him. Harmony says, he was toxic. Following him and getting involved with DoD was the second worst mistake of her life. Willow asks, what was the first? and Harmony says, pressuring Willow to join, and handing her over to Shiloh. She completely failed Willow. Willow says they weren’t going to rehash it. Harmony messed up, and Shiloh took advantage of her, but to revisit the pain is to give him power. Why did she keep the name? Harmony says her life as Harmony was more than him. She built a community center in Beecher’s Corners. She did things that were good, and that she’s still proud of. Willow says that’s true; she did some good. Harmony says she’s focusing on her strength, and not her weakness and exploitation as a blind follower. She wants to be her true self, including being the mother Willow deserves. She asks Willow to let her.
Lulu tells Olivia, Brook staying in Port Charles is the last thing she needs in her life, although she knows Olivia is the one who has to live with her. Olivia says, Brook has her good points. Leo adores her, and she spiced up Thanksgiving. Lulu says, about that. She’s sorry for what she said about Dante. Olivia says Brook pushed her until she snapped. Brook is just like her grandmother, and Olivia has been there and done that. Lulu asks how Dante is doing, and Olivia says it’s probably nothing Lulu wants to hear about. Lulu asks what she means, and Olivia says she’s been writing to Dante, and Robert’s been forwarding the letters. She got them back, unopened, with a note saying he doesn’t want her to contact him. Lulu says she’s sorry; it must be devastating. Olivia says it drives home the point that she’s powerless to help her kid. She can pray and be patient. Brook is Ned’s child, and needs her father right now. She’s jealous. She’d give anything to be able to help Dante.
Brook says her new manager just hasn’t gotten to her yet, and Ned says she needs to be clear about what she wants. Brook says what she made clear was what she wasn’t going to do for her career. He says, it’s the busiest booking time, but she says she doesn’t regret firing her mom. Brook loves her, but she’s not the best manager. Lincoln’s not either. Ned was right about the music business. She asks him to help her out of this mess, and he asks to see her contract.
Alexis tells Julian, she knows what it’s like to be waiting and praying for a sick child. How can she help? Does anyone know why Lucas lost control of the car? Julian says, the undercarriage has too much damage. They know the brakes failed, but don’t know why. Alexis says the forensics department is excellent. They will find out what happened. He can at least take heart in that.
Carly tells Sonny that Griff was clear about Mike’s condition. Sonny says Griff told them Mike wasn’t in the final stage yet, and there was still hope. Carly wonders if he heard something entirely different than she did. Mike hasn’t declined physically, but it’s doubtful that his mental deterioration will stop, much less reverse. He asks what she wants him to do; give up hope? She says, instead of running around trying to find a cure, enjoy the good days while he has them. Sonny says, and just watch Mike deteriorate? Carly thinks it’s better than putting Mike through experimental treatment that he can’t consent to, and won’t understand. Sonny says he’s not sitting around watching his father die, and Carly says, his dad; his call. Sonny says, sorry. He knows his dad has good days and bad days, but he doesn’t think there’s any harm in trying to find ways to help him.
Willow tells Harmony that she’s not up to a big conversation. She has a lot going on. Harmony says she can tell something is wrong. If living with Chase isn’t working out… Willow says she and Chase are fine. Why did she jump to that conclusion? Harmony says she’s sensitive to a man running a woman’s life, and Willow says, Chase is amazing and supportive. Harmony says, good. As long as Willow is happy. She hopes in time, Willow will trust her to be supportive too. Willow says, Wiley’s fathers were in a car accident, and Harmony asks if they’re okay. Willow says, Brad had minor injuries, but Lucas is in a medically induced coma. Harmony asks if Wiley was in the car, and Willow says, no, thank God. He’s with his godfather now, and he’s generous and giving. Harmony wonders if Willow thinks she could meet her grandson, but Willow says Wiley isn’t her grandson.
Lulu sees Chase, and asks, what’s going on? He says, there was a shooting in the OR. Is that why Lulu is there? She says she’s there in case there’s news about Lucas, so Bobbie can get some rest. She asks about the shooting, but Chase says he can’t comment on an ongoing investigation. Lulu says, what about off the record? and he says he’s willing to talk to her, but only if the entire conversation stays off the record. She tells him, nothing he says will show up in The Invader. He says the gunman was in the OR, where Franco was sedated. He attacked Andre, and they struggled. A bystander was drawn to the commotion, and shot the gunman with his own gun. Lulu asks if he has any names, but he says he can’t disclose them, even off the record.
Alexis tells Julian, he has resources and needs to use them. He can’t take this on by himself. Julian says it’s his burden to carry, but she says he has people who love and want to support him. He says he doesn’t deserve that much, and she says she knows how he responds when he’s in pain. He withdraws and shuts down. Don’t do that this time. When he isolates and tries to go it alone, he gets in trouble.
Martin says it’s noble of Nelle to want to help her friend, but it’s not a compelling reason for the parole board to give her an early release. She pleaded no contest to attempted murder, among other charges. Even the sixteen months is vanishingly small. An early release is non-existent. She says what about a sort of special consideration; like a medical one. She only has one kidney. The other was ripped out of her against her will. He says he knows, but it’s not like her life is in danger. She says, interesting. Thanks, Marty. She’ll be in touch. On her way back, she steps into Ryan’s room. She asks if she’s bothering him, but he says he loves their conversations.
Josslyn asks what happened to Michael’s meeting? and Michael says, nothing. He was watching Wiley and Donna sleep, and they were so peaceful. She says he saw how freaked out Mike got when he didn’t recognize her. Then Sonny freaked out about that, and Carly freaked out about Sonny. Michael says, they’re having problems, and Josslyn says, they get defensive when things get tense. She knows it’s not fair to ask, but he’s the best referee they have, so does he think he can talk to them? Michael says it’s his big brother job to be there when she needs him, so he’ll try, but he can’t make any promises. He says, something he learned when growing up is that sometimes when their parents are out of sync, they pull in different directions. It doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. The impulse is to want to fix it, but it doesn’t work that way. They have to figure it out for themselves.
Ned says Brook signed a five year deal without consulting a lawyer? What was she thinking? She says her career was stalled. She needed a change, and Lincoln puts out great hits. He says he might believe that if she was a naïve eighteen-year-old, fresh off the bus from Kansas, but she grew up in the music business. She’s a Quartermaine. Even AJ knew better. She says, Mr. drunk driver who faked his own death lifetime loser?
Olivia asks if Alexis saw Lucas, but Alexis says he’s having tests run. She was just with Julian in the ICU. Olivia asks how he’s doing, and Alexis says, he’s a wreck. Olivia says she put a call in to Alexis’s office. She wants to talk about Charlie’s. She’s going to call off the lawsuit. She doesn’t care. Life is too short to bicker about money. Alexis thinks it might give Julian a boost. The accident is hitting him especially hard.
Chase asks if it’s still off the record, and tells Lulu that there’s been an ID on the victim, but he has no apparent link to Andre or Franco. Lulu asks if he’s a hired gun, and Chase says, it’s possible. He’s an ex-con, so Chase is going to pull his record and see if anything turns up. He says he’s not going to read about this anywhere, is he? She promises he won’t.
Nelle asks Ryan how the infection is, and he says, painful. The medic insisted it was self-inflicted, but the entire facility is one big unsanitary mess. One wayward step could be catastrophic. She’s the one bright spot in this whole wretched place. She says she feels the same way. She’s glad they became friends. They are, right? He says, abs totes. She says there’s something he can do for her; he’s the only one there who can do it. The one person who betrayed her, she thought she could trust… He says, Michael, the man she tried to kill. She says he stabbed her in the back. Not literally like Ava did to Ryan, but it was devastating nonetheless. He asks what she wants, and she says she wants him to punch her ticket out of there.
Olivia goes into ICU, and Julian says, Bobbie will be back later. She says she came to see him. Leo wants to tell Julian that he loves him very much. He asks what she told Leo about Lucas, and she says she told Leo that Lucas was hurt, but Julian is looking after him. Leo said he wanted to visit, but Julian says, it’s probably not a good time.Lucas is on a ventilator. Olivia says she’s praying for him. She’s good at praying. Julian can come by anytime and visit Leo. Julian says he’s not good for anyone right now. the kids are better off without him.
Willow tells Harmony that Wiley is Brad and Lucas’s son, and they’re allowing her in his life on a limited basis. Harmony says they must be grateful that she entrusted them with Wiley, then went above and beyond to protect him. Willow says she respects their boundaries, and she’s not comfortable with Harmony seeing Wiley without permission. Harmony says she’ll follow Willow’s lead when it comes to Wiley. She’s just thankful to be part of Willow’s life.
Carly asks what Michael is still doing there. Doesn’t he have a meeting? Michael says he’s just going over Oscar’s shares with Ned, and they live in the same house. He has more pressing business there. Is his dad okay? Carly says he saw what happened on Thanksgiving. Mike has deteriorated. The good days are fewer, and it’s hard to know the right thing to do. She tells him to be with his dad while she has to go to the hospital. His dad will be happy to have company.
Ryan says Nelle’s plan could work, but what’s in it for him? Nelle says Chase confiscated Ryan’s picture of Ava from the Crimson cover. She can replace it with photos of Ava at the gallery, getting coffee, walking through Rice Plaza. She can be his link; his eyes and ears to the woman he loves and Port Charles. He says she might be on to something, and she says, so help her. He says her plan has merit, but could use a few modifications.
Lulu says, Lucas’s brakes failing saved Alexis’s life, and Alexis asks if she’s writing about it. Lulu promises not to sensationalize it. it must have been something to realize Kendra was Kendra Bower. Alexis says, it was a lot to process. She can give Lulu a quote, and Lulu says, that would be great. Alexis says Dr. Neil Bern and Julian Jerome arrived at the accident site when she wasn’t able to summon help. Julian found the other car, and summoned help. He played a pivotal role saving lives.
Brook comes into the hospital, and sees Julian. He says, oh, it’s her, and she says she’s not a hooker. She just offered to be nice to a total stranger. She won’t make that mistake again. Carly joins them, and asks Brook how life is as a Quartermaine. Julian says, she’s a Quartermaine? and Carly says, she’s Ned’s daughter, and Leo’s step-sister. Brook says Julian is Leo’s dad? There’s zero resemblance; he looks like Dante. He says he’s Leo’s biological dad. Small world. Carly asks if they know each other, and Brook says they met briefly.
Ned asks Olivia how it went, and she says Lucas was still getting tests. She hopes he doesn’t mind, but she told Julian that he could come over anytime to see Leo. Ned says he feels bad for Julian. No matter how old a child is, they’re still your child, and you’d still do anything to protect them. Olivia asks how it went with Brook, and he says he started by helping, and ended up comparing her to AJ. She says, that bad? and he says his darling daughter is in way over her head.
Willow asks Harmony to give her word that Wiley is off-limits. Harmony says she won’t go near Wiley unless and until she has Willow’s permission. Willow asks if she’d like to see a picture, and shows Harmony her phone. Harmony says, he’s so handsome, and Willow says she likes to think so. He’s very bright, and has the sweetest smile. Harmony says she should get going; she doesn’t want to be late checking in. She’ll be in touch. She tells Willow that she loves her. Willow says she loves Harmony too, and they hug.
Sonny asks Michael if everything is okay, and Michael says being with Wiley made him realize how much he wanted to spend time with his own dad. He thinks of Wiley as a baby, and all of a sudden he’s standing and climbing. It’s crazy how time goes by. Michael is going to blow past huge moments in his life if he’s not careful, and he doesn’t want that to happen to him and Sonny. Sonny says, it won’t. Michael is a lot wiser than he was. He always has been. If Sonny could get back a fraction of the time he wasted with his dad; the years of fighting, their years apart, the years he wanted to reach out, but didn’t. Now he just has a little bit of time left. Sonny’s phone rings, and he says it’s the international call he’s been waiting for on treatment for his dad. He answers, and asks if the doctor got the information on his dad.
At Pentenville, there’s a scream, and Chase runs toward it. He busts into the room to find Nelle lying on the floor, and Ryan standing over her with a bloody scalpel in his hand.
Tomorrow, Brad wishes he could take back everything that led up to the accident, Sam has no other choice, Michael asks Sonny if this is what Mike would want, Mike asks Josslyn to help break him out, and Ryan says it’s not what it looks like.
The Real Housewives of Dallas
Bangkok. When Kameron gets back to the room, LeeAnne asks if she has any clue how many sex workers they saw. Kameron asks why LeeAnne is yelling at her. LeeAnne says Kary has to prove how tough she is because she’s from Mexico. Kameron asks why LeeAnne went, and LeeAnne says Kary wanted to go; she was just another member of the group. Kameron says she and Kary ran out; it took them a few minutes to get out. LeeAnne says she voiced that she didn’t want to go. She went because everyone else was going. Kameron says, then LeeAnne yelled at her. In Kameron’s interview, she says she was never yelled at by a grown up. LeeAnne says, it was an upsetting situation, and Kameron asks again why she went. LeeAnne says she wasn’t leaving people she cared about in a place where they had no clue how dangerous it was. Who would protect them? It bothers her when she can’t protect people. In her interview, Kameron asks if she missed something. Where is this all coming from? LeeAnne says she worries about Kameron, and doesn’t want her exposed to sh*t she shouldn’t be exposed to. Kameron says she didn’t even know there was such a thing. She’d never heard of a ping-pong show. When she realized what it was, she wanted out of there. In LeeAnne’s interview, she says Kameron being in the red light district in Thailand is not acceptable in Dallas society. It would be like Laura Bush walking out of a nudie bar. LeeAnne says, the chirpy little Mexican had to have her way, so she drug them there. In Kameron’s interview, she says, you can’t do that; put a verb or noun before a nationality. But the last thing she’s going to do is call LeeAnne on it. She’s not acting like a sane person. LeeAnne says Kameron would never catch her lying or putting Kameron in an unsafe environment.
Kary tells D’Andra that she’s tired, and D’Andra says she’s never going to drink again. She was hit by a ping-pong ball. That dress is going in the trash. Kary says she didn’t think they were going to be part of the show, and D’Andra says it wasn’t what she thought it was at all. Then LeeAnne turned it around, saying they were supporting sex workers. In D’Andra’s interview, she says Kameron was fine in the car, and after they came back, she went to the roof for a drink with the others. She got a text from LeeAnne, saying Kameron was upset. When she got to the room, Kameron said LeeAnne claimed it was going to ruin her reputation. Kary says, Kameron didn’t want to go back with LeeAnne, now LeeAnne is saying, if she’d only listened, she wouldn’t have put herself in that position. D’Andra says, everyone was adults, and Kary says she actually thought it was ridiculous to make Kameron feel guilty. In Kary’s interview, she says the red light district in Thailand is a big tourist attraction. It’s like Times Square in New York. Of course it’s safe. I don’t even know where to start with those statements. D’Andra thinks LeeAnne feels threatened because of Kary’s friendship with Kameron. Kary says, that’s her problem.
Travis arrives at the hotel. He goes to Stephanie’s room, saying, honey, I’m home. Stephanie says, it was a long night, and he asks if they did anything fun. Stephanie says they saw a ping-pong show, and Brandi demonstrates, saying the first act was just shooting them out of her butt. Stephanie says she toots a lot; maybe she could do that. He asks if Kameron went, and Brandi says she had fun. Stephanie says Kameron was laughing. Brandi excuses herself to go to the bathroom, and Stephanie asks about Travis’s dad. Travis says he hasn’t been able to get ahold of him all week. In Stephanie’s interview, she says, tomorrow they’re going to Viet Nam to see if his father is okay, and find out what they need to do to get him home. Travis says he doesn’t think his father is taking his medicine. He knows kind of where his father is at, and it’s only a few miles from where they’re staying. In her interview, Stephanie says she has to be strong for Travis.
In her interview, Kameron says she feels blindsided by LeeAnne. She thought they had a good relationship, but she saw a side of LeeAnne that she’s never seen, and it’s not a good side to be on. In LeeAnne’s interview, she says, going to the red light district triggered bad things for her. She guarantees if she didn’t have God in her life, she’d be on a pole doing what they’re doing, and she doesn’t want to face that. She’s upset because she made Kameron cry, and for some reason, Kary has completely muted Kameron’s empathy button toward her. It’s a painful, lonely place to be. She goes to get a massage.
Kary goes to Kameron and D’Andra’s suite. Kary says she’s tired, and Kameron says she’s cross-eyed. Kameron asks how D’Andra looks so good on three hours sleep. Kameron says LeeAnne was crying this morning. She said she’s going to take a massage, then she’s coming back to watch cartoons and take a nap. I hope they’re at least weird Thailand cartoons. In Kameron’s interview, she’s relieved LeeAnne isn’t going shopping. She needs to get some air after the flames that came out of LeeAnne’s mouth last night.
Kameron says she’s excited about going to the market; they can go to the pool any day. We see a clip of Stephanie telling the women they can go shopping or hang out by the pool the next day. In Kary’s interview, she says she’s found amazing pearls for her jewelry there. It’s special for her to do this with her girlfriends. She negotiates a price on some triangular-shaped handbags for the three of them. In her interview, she says, negotiating is part of the Mexican culture. She’s tried in the states, but got in trouble trying to negotiate with the cops, asking them how much they wanted for a ticket.
Stephanie calls the desk, and asks if someone can meet her by the pool. She wants something super romantic with strawberries and champagne. Like she’s getting engaged.
Kary, D’Andra, and Kameron go to a jewelry store. D’Andra asks if Kary buys beads to make her pieces, and Kary says she buys what she likes, then creates what she wants. D’Andra also buys some jewelry. She says she doesn’t understand what happened last night. They were happy and having fun, then LeeAnne was yelling and screaming. Kameron says, LeeAnne is so dramatic. She can’t remember the words LeeAnne was using, but LeeAnne caught her off guard. LeeAnne was screaming, and she didn’t know what to do. She wondered why LeeAnne was yelling at her. In Kameron’s interview, she says dogs who are violent growl before they bite. LeeAnne is a silent biter with no warning before the bite. That’s a scary dog. Kameron wondered what she did, and where this was coming from. D’Andra says, you can be either for or against it, but don’t have a good time, then say it was a bad choice, and make someone else feel bad. Kary says LeeAnne is guilting Kameron. It’s manipulation. She’s trying to make Kameron feel guilty about not doing what LeeAnne wanted. D’Andra says LeeAnne is jealous because she didn’t bank on Kameron and Kary being good friends. D’Andra asks if LeeAnne has said anything bad about Kary, and we flash back to that. Kameron says the only thing LeeAnne said was that she thought Kary didn’t like her at first. In Kameron’s interview, she says, it’s not the right moment, and could ruin the rest of the trip. There’s already enough tension, and no need to pour gasoline on the fire. Kameron says she has to let LeeAnne know that it’s okay for her to be friends with Kary. It’s not going to change anything. She thinks they need to have that conversation, so LeeAnne can feel more secure and not doubt it. Kary says, it’s not okay. She doesn’t think it’s fair. Real friends don’t do that.
In Stephanie’s interview, she says, being in a foreign land brings out her romantic side. She doesn’t get to show it often, and wants to share it with someone she loves. There are rose petals around one of the lounge chairs, and champagne on a side table. Stephanie blindfolds Brandi, and brings her to the pool. In her interview, Stephanie says things have been hard with the adoption, and she wants today to be special for Brandi. She tells Brandi to bite, and Brandi bites into a strawberry. She caresses Brandi’s face with a banana, dips it in chocolate, and tells her to bite. Brandi is concerned about what Stephanie is going to put in her mouth, but she does. In Brandi’s interview, she she’s definitely not romantic, and doesn’t let Brian do that stuff. She prefers a joke being played on her to being romantic. However, when Stephanie does it, it’s a different story. We flash back to their bubble bath two seasons ago. They clink glasses. Stephanie says, last night was definitely a situation. She thinks LeeAnne was uncomfortable. Brandi thinks LeeAnne is full of sh*t. She gave LeeAnne the benefit of the doubt, but she tries to bring everything down, and she thinks it’s just because of Kameron being friends with Kary. Stephanie thinks LeeAnne feels like she’s losing control, and it scares her. Brandi hopes Kameron stands up for herself if she’s not being treated well. Brandi says Kameron could be scared of LeeAnne; a lot of people are. Travis jumps into the pool, and splashes them.
The women get dressed up for dinner. D’Andra asks if Kameron has seen LeeAnne, and Kameron thinks she’s showering. LeeAnne goes to Stephanie and Brandi’s room, and they leave together. Travis lies down on the couch with the remote.
No surprise, the restaurant isn’t nearby. They’re seated in a rooftop area. In Stephanie’s interview, she says, since it’s their last night, they’re going to a fancy restaurant that Travis recommended. She checked, and there are no condoms. They sit, and Kary asks if LeeAnne stayed home. LeeAnne says she had a 90-minute massage. There’s a revolving piece in the middle of the table, and Kameron plays with it, nearly knocking LeeAnne’s drink over. LeeAnne says Kameron can be mad, but don’t screw with her drink. Kameron says she’s not mad, and D’Andra says LeeAnne was upset last night. Kameron says, really, really upset. LeeAnne took her anger out on her. Kary says, it’s not fair to do that to Kameron. Why did LeeAnne go there? LeeAnne says it felt safer if they all stuck together. Kary says they don’t need her to save them. They’re all friends; it’s not like LeeAnne is a superhero. LeeAnne says she’s not trying to be a hero. Kameron said she wanted to go, and she wanted to make sure Kameron was safe. Kary says LeeAnne shouldn’t make Kameron feel guilty about it, and LeeAnne says she didn’t want to make Kameron cry. Kary says, but she did, and LeeAnne thanks her for pointing it out. She says she apologized several times, and doesn’t know what else to do. Kary feels that LeeAnne is being manipulative because Kameron didn’t do what LeeAnne wanted her too. LeeAnne says Kary is wrong, and asks if Kary thinks her intention was to make Kameron cry. Kary says she wanted to make Kameron feel guilty. Kameron thinks LeeAnne’s past makes her more aware of what’s going on. LeeAnne overreacted because of her past. Last night brought back memories, and LeeAnne got out of control. In D’Andra’s interview, she thinks Kameron is somewhat brainwashed by LeeAnne. She’s defending LeeAnne when she’s wrong, and Kameron looks like an idiot for having LeeAnne’s back. Food comes, and D’Andra says LeeAnne is threatened because Kameron and Kary are getting along so well. She’s protective and territorial when it comes to friends. LeeAnne says she is protective of her friends, not territorial; there’s a difference. She didn’t want Kameron to regret going. D’Andra says she put it in Kameron’s head that she would regret it. Kameron says LeeAnne mentioned that someone might get the wrong perception if people knew she’d gone to the show. In Kameron’s interview, she says LeeAnne implied that her reputation would be ruined. She thought about it, and she was only there for two minutes. She made a bad decision. In LeeAnne’s interview, she says, Dallas is a very judgy town, and Kameron’s reputation could take a hit. D’Andra says LeeAnne explained it in a way that got Kameron upset, and snarks at LeeAnne. LeeAnne asks if D’Andra wants to throw down on the roof. D’Andra says she’ll throw LeeAnne’s ass off the roof, which I find highly doubtful. LeeAnne says, please. D’Andra already pushed her. In her interview, LeeAnne says she’s not D’Andra’s mama or her empty bank account. Back up. Brandi asks if Kameron is afraid of LeeAnne; be honest. Kameron insists it’s okay if she goes against Leeanne or if LeeAnne is upset with her. LeeAnne says she let Kameron do what she wanted, and Kary makes a big deal of LeeAnne saying let, telling LeeAnne, thank you, mom. Kameron asks if they think she’s LeeAnne’s pet, and gets silence. D’Andra says she’s trying to process. When they were shopping, she was confused as to LeeAnne’s motive. Kameron says she never said there was a motive; they brought it up. Brandi is having a hard time believing there’s no jealousy, and Kameron says, anxiety maybe. Brandi says their girls night out turned south for no reason, like the elephant sanctuary. They were having an amazing time, and it turns around to be about LeeAnne. In LeeAnne’s interview, she says, wtf? Literally. She thought she and Brandi were getting along fine. LeeAnne asks Brandi, how? Because she was heartbroken over the elephants, and had a different reaction? Brandi says, everything turns into a negative experience. LeeAnne is constantly the victim. D’Andra says it’s not always about LeeAnne. Stephanie asks Kameron if she’s okay, and Kameron says she is. In Stephanie’s interview, she says she and Kameron fought somewhat, but they’re getting along now, and she’s not jumping in. That’s Kameron’s responsibility. LeeAnne says she’s sorry her personal story irritates and upsets Brandi. D’Andra repeats, I’m the victim, like twenty times. LeeAnne says she related to the elephants. She’s sorry that’s tragic and self-serving. Whoever wants her to leave the dinner table, raise their hands. D’Andra says, once again, LeeAnne is the victim. Just listen and understand. Brandi gets up and leaves.
In her interview, Brandi says she tried to go with the flow, but she’s had enough negativity. LeeAnne has ruined moments over and over. We flash back to LeeAnne talking about her past, and Brandi says she doesn’t want to be around it anymore. LeeAnne apologizes again to Kameron for what got started. D’Andra says, exactly, and LeeAnne says she was talking to Kameron. D’Andra doesn’t need to jab at her. D’Andra says she was just confirming what LeeAnne said, and Kary leaves. Stephane says, two down. She feels like everything got heated, and LeeAnne says, it didn’t start that way.
Kary and Brandi get drink at a teeny tiny table on the roof. At the dinner table, Stephanie says, it’s like the last supper from hell. Kameron asks if LeeAnne feels ganged up on. More food comes. In her interview, Kameron says it’s not that she doesn’t agree with some of their points, but she doesn’t want to pile dirt on top of LeeAnne. She’ll always be LeeAnne’s friend. Brandi tells Kary that Kameron can’t stand up for herself, and she couldn’t do it. In the past, she’s thought Kameron was LeeAnne’s puppet. When LeeAnne would hurt someone else, Kameron would say she’d never seen LeeAnne do that or lie right in front of her. Leeanne tells Kameron that she’d never lie or hurt her, and Kameron says nothing will affect their relationship. LeeAnne says she feels like she hurt Kameron, and D’Andra says, this is silly; it’s not a big deal. LeeAnne says then why did she make it a big deal? LeeAnne feels guilty for making Kameron cry, and she’s sorry D’Andra doesn’t feel guilt when she hurts a friend.
Brandi tells Kary that LeeAnne has done that before, saying someone has done something to ruin their reputation. She said it to Stephanie about hanging out with her. We flash back to LeeAnne telling Stephanie that Brandi is going to ruin Stephanie doing charity work. Brandi says she did it to D’Andra last year. Kary says LeeAnne is not a good person or friend. Brandi doesn’t see how Kameron can excuse it when it happened to several of them. Stephanie says she’s tired. She’s glad that LeeAnne made up with Kameron last night, but then it escalated at the market. LeeAnne leaves the table. In her interview, she says she’s back where she started, and she doesn’t know how she keeps getting there. D’Andra says, everything doesn’t have to be dramatic. She can’t take the way LeeAnne is carrying on. It’s getting to be stupid. Stephanie clinks glasses with Kameron. Kameron thanks Stephanie for the girls trip. They check out what LeeAnne was eating, since she left the bulk of it. In Kameron’s interview, she says she feels for someone leaving the table, but come on. Her rule is, you retreat, I’m gonna eat. Stephanie gets up and goes out the door backward, bowing. D’Andra tells Kameron to get a good night’s sleep, and also leaves. Kameron says, and then there was one.
I’m desperate to go to Thailand but not with any of these people. Maybe Kameron. Definitely no one from the Jersey Wives.
Kameron goes back to the suite, and sees LeeAnne in her bedroom. She says, hey, girl, and LeeAnne closes the door in Kameron’s face. Kameron asks, why lock her out? Why not talk about it? In her interview, LeeAnne says she doesn’t want to talk about it. She’s over it. Kameron asks why LeeAnne has a problem with her, and LeeAnne says she just doesn’t want what they say to go to the group. It comes back to bite her in the ass. They want Kameron to be afraid of her. Kameron asks why she’d be afraid. They made up. It escalated because of other people insecurity they’re afraid. It escalated because other people got involved. She didn’t think that was going to happen. It became everyone’s business to deal with their problem. LeeAnne doesn’t understand why. She doesn’t care who’s friends with whom; that’s not who she is. But she can’t be the one who’s constantly picked on by everybody. Please tell her it was unanimous, and Stephanie didn’t have her back either. Kameron says Stephanie didn’t say one word; she was not involved. LeeAnne is sure Kary will want to switch seats, so she can talk to Kameron. Everybody is going to be fake nice her on the plane. Kameron says she hates the fakeness, and LeeAnne says, tell them all to jump off the plane.
They pack. In D’Andra’s interview, she says she’s disappointed in Kameron. She wanted Kameron to see for herself, and be vocal about her feelings, but she let LeeAnne slide. Why can she call out everyone else’s behavior, and LeeAnne gets a free pass? In LeeAnne’s interview, she says she’s ready to be home with her dogs husband. She doesn’t want to talk to anybody. She just wants to get in her seat on the plane, and be home.
Stephanie asks Travis when they’re leaving tomorrow, and he thinks around one. She says, last night’s dinner was awkward. She wants to be a good hostess, and make sure everyone is good. She’s seeing them off in the lobby. She brings Brandi some French fries, and says she’ll miss her. Brandi says she’s excited to get home. She misses her kids. Cheer tryouts are coming up, and she’s having a party. She’s included everyone, so they’ll see. In her interview, Brandi says they’re celebrating the one year anniversary of Bruin’s adoption. It’s crazy how life can change in a year. She can’t imagine not having Bruin in the family. Stephanie hugs Brandi goodbye, and goes to wait in the lobby. She thanks everyone as they come through. LeeAnne says Stephanie won’t have to come on that miserable flight.
In Stephanie’s interview, she says, the trip started with good expectations, but in the end, it s*cked big d*ck… Just like the lady boy show.
Next time – the finale – Brandi’s party, D’Andra tells LeeAnne to own her sh*t, D’Andra tells Mama Dee that the company is going to take a turn for the better, and LeeAnne is accused of being a racist.
🌴 On The Real Housewives of New Jersey, the women were still Jamaica. They swam with the dolphins, which probably terrified the dolphins, even though Teresa said she wasn’t a fan of animals she didn’t know. Surprisingly, their final dinner was non-eventful. Dare I say peaceful? Dolores and Jackie made up, sort of, and Dolores admitted she had been a d-bag harsh. The biggest thing that happened was Teresa telling the women that Danielle had slept with Marty, despite their impending divorce. This prompted Marge to call Joe #3, who was now a buddy of Marty’s, even though Joe pushed him in the pool last season. Or the one before. I don’t remember. Joe wasn’t picking up, so the women encouraged Marge to call Marty, which she did, but he denied, denied, denied, saying Danielle was looking to get out of having to buy him out or get out, since apparently, they were still living together. It didn’t take two seconds before Danielle was calling Teresa, saying she didn’t want to talk about this, and hanging up. No doubt, Marty had texted her. The saddest thing was Teresa, going through old family photos with her girls, reminiscing about when their family was whole. In her interview, Teresa said the girls’ father had made mistakes, but deporting him was going to punish the children. Sadly, I agree with Melissa, who told Joe #2 that she thought the court would make an example of Joe #1. Yep. Court is one time your celebrity (albeit D list) name could work against you. Sure enough, Joe’s appeal was denied. Ever the wiser but sadder one, Gia said it was hard for her to watch Adriana, because she had so many memories of her father, while Adriana had so few. They flashed back to better times with the family, so it ended on a bummer of a note. I have no clue what happens next time.
And I’ve seen some dumb sh*t. In front of horrified onlookers? Really? And if the banana is the idea, how about just paying the artist with an idea of money?
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Dante flashes back to being with Alpha. She says she doesn’t care about his past; they all have a past. None of it matters now. He did well, but she needs something more; eyes inside the walls. He’s the kind of man she trusts. Practical, loyal, and smart. The kind of man her daughter should get to know. He asks where he should start, and she says, find some strangers and join them. We see him walking in the woods with the Whisperers. He moves ahead, takes off his mask, and for help. He acts like he’s fighting them off, and a group of people runs to his aid. We hear Alpha say, go to the gate. They won’t turn you away. We see him arrive at Alexandria with the people he’s hooked up with, and Siddiq examining him. Alpha’s voiceover tells him to make them think he’s one of them. We see him leave a message in a small box and hide it in a tree. Alpha says, exploit their weaknesses until they crumble. We see him messing with the water filtration system, and killing Cheryl. Alpha says, do all this, and they’ll welcome him home when they fall. He has a special place in her heart. She puts her palm on his chest.
In the present, Dante checks for Siddiq’s pulse, and closes Siddiq’s eyes. Rosita comes by, and asks if Siddiq is awake. She saw the light on. They make small talk in Spanish, and she asks, what’s happening? Dante jokes that he and Siddiq have a hot romance going on. Really, they were just hanging, and Siddiq got called out. Something about Andy and Donna’s kid throwing up. She just missed him. He asks if he can help with anything, and Siddiq opens his eyes. Coco cries, and Rosita sees that Dante has a knife. She puts Coco in the tub without taking her eyes off of him. She tries to go past Dante, into the room where Siddiq is, and they struggle. Dante gets her down, and Siddiq comes out and walks toward the crying baby. Dante tries to strangle Rosita, but she stabs him in the leg. She jumps up, pikes Siddiq in the head, then beats the crap out of Dante. She picks up Coco, and tries to process Siddiq turning into a zombie.
Gamma meets Aaron, and he asks if she’s all right. She asks if the baby is still alive. He asks if she means the baby they rescued from Hilltop, and she says, yes; he’s her nephew. Did they name him? Her sister couldn’t do it. He says, the family who adopted him named him Adam. She asks if she can see him, and Aaron says, they left him to die. Why should he agree to that? She says they can trade. She has information for him. He asks, whatinformation? If he sees it’s true, then they’ll talk, but he’s not promising anything. She says she’s not talking unless she can see him. He’s the only family she has left. He tells her to take off her mask. She does, and says, before all this, her name was Mary. He asks what she wants to tell him.
Daryl slugs Dante, and says he hopes it hurts. Dante says, it doesn’t matter. None of it matters. Seeing humans devour each other showed him it was ridiculous to attach yourself to anyone. The truth will set you free. Gabriel asks if that’s what he’s doing to Rosita. Setting her free. Why did he put Siddiq through all that torture just to kill him? Dante says he liked Siddiq. He wasn’t part of the plan, but he found out who Dante was. Carol asks what the plan is, and he says to increase their paranoia so they make bad decisions. People in places like this grumble, and he’ll enjoy seeing them rip each other apart making a decision about him, like they did with Negan. Gabriel asks if he wants his public reckoning, and Dante says that’s what they’re good at. Gabriel says Rosita helped him, but Dante says they got something from him too. They needed a doctor. Places like Alexandria are a cruel promise. People aren’t really kind, but he didn’t put Siddiq’s head on a spike. The Whisperers are selfish and brutal, but they’ve taught him what people are. Gabriel punches him in the face. Aaron walks in, and says Dante has been there for four months. How did they not know? Daryl says, none of them did, and Aaron says, they ate together, they talked about militia, he treated Gracie. Carol tells him not to do this to himself, and Daryl seconds that. Aaron says, the Whisperer he’s talking to, Mary, told him where Alpha is keeping the herd. Carol says they’ll leave after the funeral, and Daryl asks if they’re trusting a Whisperer now. Lydia is still gone, and it’s probably an ambush. Aaron says the baby the Whisperers left to die was apparently Mary’s nephew. He doesn’t think she’s lying. Daryl says they already sent a group to Hilltop, who’s ready to meet them there. On the side, he tells Carol that she should have said something to him about seeing Lydia. Her disappearing again is on Carol. She says they can push on the Whisperers’ wounds too. She doesn’t think Lydia wants to be found. Daryl asks if she’s talking about Lydia or herself.
Michonne, Judith, and Luke ride in a literally horse-powered car, while Scott checks the path ahead. He tells them he’s found fresh tracks, but it could just be a scout. Michonne says if there’s just one set, she likes their chances, but they have to be as quiet as possible. Luke says he knows that was meant for him. He tells Judith that he likes to whistle his favorite music by Rachmaninoff. The only time he gets to hear it is in his head these days. He asks Judith what she’s writing, and she tells him that she’s compiling a history of their people. He says if she’s writing personal histories, she should read more. There’s a library close by in Waterford, and she can pick up some inspiration. Michonne says they don’t have the time, but they stop there anyway.
Michonne picks up a Russian/English dictionary for Eugene, and Luke says, since they’re there, he’s going to check out the music section. Scott says he’ll look around, and see what’s worth taking. Michonne picks up a book, saying she’s always wanted to read it. Judith asks if they could read it together. Rosita calls Michonne on the radio, and Michonne asks, what’s happening?
Luke whistles as he looks through the books, and gets all happy when he sees some music by Rachmaninoff. He flips through it, and laughs, but a zombie is on the other side of the shelf, and grabs him. Another comes out from behind him, and he yells for help. A guy comes out of nowhere, and pikes the zombie. Luke asks what his name is, but he jets. Luke says, thank you, and stabs the other zombie in the head.
Michonne asks, what happened? and Luke says a guy came out of nowhere and saved his life. Then he ran off. Maybe they can still catch him. Scott goes back out, and Michonne loads her bag with books. Luke is like, what the hell? He tells Michonne he’s sorry, and asks if everything is all right. She says, Siddiq is dead, so everything is not all right.
Uh-oh. They announced a surprise cast member on Talking Dead. This usually means a dead character on Walking Dead.
Gabriel officiates at Siddiq’s funeral. He says a scholar who understood the importance of it, wrote, let me live if life is better, or take my life if that is better. He knew the world defied logic and justice, which is why he posed the sentiment. Gabriel tosses dirt on the grave, and says, you were taken from it, and are now brought back to it, and from it, will be raised a second time. Everyone is bummed. Rosita sits on the ground near Siddiq’s newly dug grave. Ezekiel has come to pay his respects, and Carol goes over to him. She says it’s good to see him, and he says, her too. He can’t believe Siddiq is gone. He was one of those people Ezekiel thought would live forever. There are too many things changing. She asks how long he’s staying, and he says, a day or two. She wishes they more time, and Ezekiel says he heard about them looking for the zombie hoard, and asks if they need help. She says, no, and asks if everything is okay. He tells her, good luck.
Outside the gate, Rosita sees some zombies, and takes out brass knuckles with spikes on them. She thinks of Siddiq and Coco, and stabs them, but the last one gets the better of her. Eugene runs over, and knocks it down. She tells him, thanks, but he says, no expression of gratitude is required. It was lucky he was crossing through. He gives her his deepest condolences about Siddiq’s passing. It was a tragedy, and he wishes there was more he could offer. He tells her, travel safe, and then realizes he’s the one who’s going to be traveling.
Gabriel watches the initial interview he did with Dante. He asks what Dante was before, and Dante says, a father just trying to get by. Gabriel asks how long he knew the people he came in with, and he says he lost track of time. They saved his life. Gabriel asks the standard, how many people has he killed? and he says, only one; the man who tried to hurt is son, but the walkers got Jimmy in the end anyway. Gabriel snaps the video camera shut. Rosita comes in. He sees she’s a mess, and asks, what happened? She says she was helping Eugene with the walkers at the gate. She asks if Coco is sleeping, and Gabriel says she fell fast asleep. She tells him, the truth is that she wasn’t helping Eugene; he was helping her, but she should be able to handle the walkers. Gabriel says, it’s been a rough day. She says, it’s not that. She could die She used to think, if it happened, it happened, but now it would make Coco an orphan. She can’t die. She’s afraid, and the feeling isn’t going away. Gabriel says, feelings are not the future, and she says that sounds like a quote. She could freeze again, and won’t have Eugene to save her. Gabriel says he has to meet with the council. They need to figure out how this happened. They need to find Lydia, and find out why she didn’t know Dante. She says he’s not hearing her, and he tells her that he’s saying the feeling will pass. She says, maybe Dante was right about them. They’re not as strong as they think they are.
Aaron quizzes Gracie on state capitals, and she asks him about his travels. He says he once went hiking with a man he loved in California, and they went to Oakland. While they were hiking, the found some ruins that they explored. They listened to the sound of the waves crashing, and imagined what the people were like who were now lost to time. They had their own laws, beliefs, and hopes for the future. He was one of the first ones there when Alexandria started. When they thought they knew what it was going to be. He’s been thinking more and more about that village. Gracie asks, what happened to those people? but he says he doesn’t know.
Michonne and her group arrive at Oceanside. She tells them that Dante showed up before the fire, and whatever process they’ve been using to vet their newest people, they have to do it again. A few of the women drag a guy in, and Rachel asks how he got in there. Michonne asks who he is, and Jules says they caught him trying to steal a sail, and he was probably going to steal a boat. He struggles to get away, and Michonne takes out her sword. She says she’s not asking him again, and he says just trying to get home; to get back to his family. Luke says this is the guy who saved his life. Jules says he was also sneaking around, messing with their security, and Rachel says, they’ve hung men for less. Michonne says, he might be a Whisperer. Luke says he was taking books, and had pictures of his family. Does he look like a Whisperer? Michonne says she doesn’t know what they look like anymore. He tells them to let him go, and Michonne says, answer her question. Who are his people? They hear some zombies coming, and Michonne tells them to hold him, and slices the top off of a zombie’s head. She pikes a couple of them, but then looks panicked at seeing how many are appearing.
Gabriel goes to the cell where Dante is being kept. He asks if Dante even had a son, and Dante asks why it matters. Gabriel guesses it doesn’t, but it’s one of the things he liked about Dante. Dante says, that his son was killed? and Gabriel says, that he had a family. He supposes Dante would like it if he didn’t trust anyone again. Dante says, that was the idea. Gabriel opens the cell and goes in, leaving the door open. He asks if that’s why he was there. He says he was there to show them to look around look. Look at what people did to the world. Gabriel thinks people can be good, and deserve a second chance. Gabriel says he loved Siddiq like a brother. His family will never be the same. His daughter won’t know him. Maybe Rosita will blame Gabriel, and maybe she’s right. He didn’t protect them enough. He hasn’t always been brave. Dante asks if Gabriel thinks people deserve a second chance. Gabriel says he doesn’t know, but sometimes they get one anyway. He stabs Dante, and Dante pushes Gabriel up against the wall. Gabriel just keeps stabbing him, and yelling with every stab. I say, better stab his effing head, and Gabriel does, then stands there and cries. Apparently, no public reckoning for Dante.
At Oceanside, while they’re fighting the zombies, the guy tries to get away. A zombie comes after him, and knocks him down. Judith tells him, don’t move, and kills it. She calls to Michonne, and Michonne says, good girl.
Rosita walks around the house with Coco, saying reassuring words, probably more for herself than the baby. She looks outside, and sees Gabriel coming toward the house.
On his bike, Daryl leads Aaron and Carol, who are on horses. He parks, and they meet Jerry, Connie, Kelly, and Magna. Jerry asks how Rosita is, and Carol says, as you’d expect. Daryl thanks Connie for helping, and she writes, anything for us.
It’s starting to get dark out when they cross the border where the head stakes are. Daryl crosses last, and follows Carol. Carol takes out a sword, and snaps an animal trap. She says if they’re laying traps, it means they’re closer. Daryl tells her, stop this sh*t. She wants Alpha dead so bad, she doesn’t care what happens to her. Carol says, not true, and he says she never came off the boat. It’s like talking to a goddam ghost. He’s the one she should talk to. Carol says she doesn’t know how, and Daryl says, try. He hugs her, and says, she’s not worth it. She’s a dead woman anyway. They have a future. Don’t let her take that too. He asks if she’s good, and she says yeah. He tells her that he’ll lead, and snaps another trap. A zombie comes along, and Carol kills it, barely breaking her stride.
Gabriel watches Dante’s body burn. Rosita joins him, and puts her head on his shoulder.
Unnamed guy wakes up with his wrists bound. Judith is sitting near him, reading, and he tells her, don’t go through his stuff. The book belongs to his daughter. Judith says it fell out, and she picked it up. It clearly belongs to the library. He says it’s for his daughter; put it back. She continues to read, and he tries lunging for the book. She changes position to be more out of reach, and tells him, be careful. He’s going to rip his stitches. Michonne joins them, and asks if he’s comfortable? He inches back to his original spot, and Michonne asks Judith to give them a minute. When she’s gone, Michonne ask what he’s really doing there. He says her daughter is a demon with a sword, and she says, like mother, like daughter. Only her swords won’t leave anything to heal. Answer her damn question. He says he didn’t mean it in a bad way. No way could they make it this long without being comfortable with violence. She asks how long he’s been watching Oceanside, but he says he wasn’t watching. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody. He left home for supplies, and now he’s trying to get back. She asks if him helping her friend was part of the play, but he says, there’s no play. He just did it. What if he needed help? The same thing might happen to him. He’s glad he did it. Mercy’s in short supply these days. He doesn’t expect it, and maybe he doesn’t deserve it. He asks if something is wrong, and Michonne says he reminded her of something a friend of hers used to say; my mercy prevails over my wrath. She looks off into the distance, and brushes a tear away. She asks him to just tell her where home is, but he says he can’t tell her where he lives. His family is there. She asks if that’s how he’s getting back to them or keeping them safe. They don’t know where he is, or even if he’s coming back. She tells him, don’t put them through that. He says he lives on Bloodsworth Island, south of Tangiers. It’s hard to find. He didn’t mean to break in and cause chaos, but he needed a boat. She says good intentions or not, he owes Oceanside for the damage. He’s not going anywhere until she figures it out. He says they have enemies to fight. Maybe they can help each other. She asks what he means.
Michonne goes to Judith, and Judith asks what he told her. Michonne says he lives on an island two days from there. It’s an old Naval base, and there could be enough weapons for them to destroy the horde. He’s going to let her have them, but she has to find a way to bring them back. Judith asks, what’s wrong? and Michonne says it has to be just her taking that risk. If anything happens, they shouldn’t be together. She has to find out if he’s telling the truth. Is that okay? She holds Judith close.
Daryl’s group walks deeper into the woods. They see an empty clearing from the top of a cliff, and Daryl says, dammit, and Aaron says, that doesn’t mean she lied. They put traps around. The herd could have been there. They had an obligation to check it out. Daryl says they have time to find Lydia; let’s go. Aaron tells Carol that he knows it looks bad, but he wasn’t wrong about this. Carol looks out to the clearing.
Michonne tells nameless-so-far guy that whatever weapons are on his island will pay his debt. She’ll take him home, and bring them back. He says, it can’t be that simple, and she says, or thank you, you’re welcome. It’s up to him. He asks if he can have his stuff back, and she gives him his backpack. He holds out his hand, and says, he’s Virgil.
Michonne tells Luke, tell everyone back home that she’s only a couple days behind, and to radio if they need help. Keep her posted. Luke says, don’t worry. Judith will be looking after them. Michonne tells him, keep her safe, and tells Judith, it doesn’t have to be emergency to check in. Do it every day. She gives Judith a radio, and hugs her. She says she’ll see Judith soon. Be good for Uncle Daryl.
Michonne and Virgil sail out to sea.
Daryl’s group walks through the woods. Daryl suggests taking the river downstream. Carol loiters off to the side, and says she’ll meet them in a few minutes, but Daryl says they all stay together. Carol looks at the clearing, and sees Alpha staring at her. She takes off after Alpha, who runs, and the group all run after Carol. Alpha goes deeper into the woods, and the group continues to follow. Alpha runs into a cave, and some zombies appear. Daryl tells the group to get Carol’s ass out of there. He pikes the zombies, and walks toward the cave. It’s pitch black inside, and he walk holding knives out ahead of him. He quietly calls to Carol, then tumbles down into a hole. The others are there. It’s a ledge, and zombies reach up from beneath them. They’ve found the horde.
On February 23rd, 2020 – Gamma tells whoever’s left at Alexandria that their friends are in trouble, trapped in the cave where Alpha placed the horde; Alpha sets the cave on fire; Gamma is brought into Alexandria, and tries to see Coco; Negan tells Alpha the spy she’s looking for is in her camp; Daryl can’t turn his back on Carol; and Daryl tells Carol they’re not fighting for revenge; they’re fighting for their future.
Good cliffhanger.
👹 On Talking Dead, my prediction was correct, and Dante (Juan Javier Cardenas) was the surprise guest. Chris Hardwick mentioned that the book Judith was reading was The World Before, which was also the title of the episode. We also found out that the cave set had once been used for the Sanctuary, and that a spin-off show, The World Beyond, is slated for 2020. You can read about it here:
A bounty of delicious foods. This song is originally by Ray Charles, but this was the only version they had where you don’t have to stare at an album cover through the whole thing.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Siddiq flashes back to Alpha. He wakes and sees Cheryl, lying in bed, shaking. He gives her some water and tucks the covers more tightly around her. He goes out to get more water, and tends to more sick people. The infirmary is full. A song plays – We Don’t Know Why. He drifts back to sleep.
Siddiq opens his eyes. A hand comes out from the couch, and covers his mouth.
Daryl goes to the jail cell, and tells Lydia, get out. Carol puts her captured Whisperer in the cell. Outside, Carol asks if Lydia knows him. Lydia says, he’s one of the guardians. Carol asks if he would know where her mother’s horde is, and Lydia says, probably. Gabriel tells Carol that she put them at risk, but she says they have to find the horde before it’s at the gate. He says, so she put them at risk? Daryl says, it doesn’t matter. They have to find them. Gabriel says he’s sticking around, and Siddiq is going to treat the guy’s wound first. Carol says he can bleed until he answers some questions, but Gabriel thinks the council would agree with him. Carol tells Lydia to stay with her, and brings her to the house. Carol thanks Daryl for backing her up. He says they aren’t going to give up easy.
Daryl takes his shirt off, making women everywhere happy, and whistles for Dog. Never mind shirtless Daryl, I have anxiety every time Dog is on the screen. We see whip marks on Daryl’s back. He sits on the couch, and pets Dog. My anxiety heightens. He looks at the double-capper acorn Carol gave him.
Carol gives Lydia back her pokey stick, saying it’s still hers. She hands Lydia some salve for her bruises, and Lydia says she’s had worse. Carol asks what else Lydia knows about the prisoner, and Lydia says he’s one of the ones who watch the horde. She tells Carol that they were given no choice. She knows Carol hates them, but Lydia knows them too. Carol says a line was drawn, and Lydia has to choose which side she’s on. Lydia says her mom twists people to get them to do what she wants; to make them think it’s what they want. People obey because they think they have no other choice, but if they let him see what they have there, that a place like this can survive, an idea like that is dangerous. It would spread, and there’s nothing her mom could do to stop it.
Siddiq and Dante go into the Whisperer’s cell. Dante tells him, don’t try anything. They check him out, and Siddiq says his wound needs stitches. The guy says he knows them, and Siddiq freezes a little. Gabriel says Dante can take it from there, and Dante tells Siddiq, outside. Now. Siddiq leaves.
Siddiq pauses at the top of the stairs. He flashes back to Alpha cutting someone’s head off.
Gamma watches Aaron at the bridge. He eats a piece of bread, and she says he has bread every day. he says, made fresh this morning. He has some extra, but she says, no. She asks how people make so much, and he says, flour. She says, every day? A lot of people must be doing that. He says, as many as needed. She sees a child’s drawing sticking out of his backpack, and he says his daughter made it. She says, he has children, and he says, just one. That’s about all he can handle. She says, there are more? and he tells her, there are. He asks if she has children, but she says, children hold you back. They make you weak. He asks if she has a family, a brother or sister, but she says she’s an only child.
Carol goes to the Whisperer’s cell, and sets down a tray covered with a towel. We all assume it must be surgical instruments. Gabriel and Dante watch as she sits. She says, let’s get started, and uncovers the tray. It has bread and some pots of jam on it. She asks, what’s it going to be? Honey or jam? Strawberry or apple? He leans forward, and says, all of it. She says, not a problem; they have plenty there. She slathers it on the bread, and says for lunch she was thinking salted fish. She likes to wrap it up in fresh lettuce. He asks what she wants, and she says, right now, they’re just going to talk. He says, pass, and she says, okay. She gives him the bread, and says, then eat. He takes a small bite, then devours it. She says, good? and he spits it at her, saying, no.
Siddiq feels Rosita’s forehead. She asks if he’s okay, and he says, yeah. Is she okay? She says, yeah; nice and pasty. He says if it weren’t for Gabriel, he’d be making his move. She says don’t let that stop him. There isn’t a jealous bone in Gabriel’s body. He tells her, scoot over, and gets in the bed next to her, putting his arm around her. She says she’s been thinking about Eugene, and he laughs. He says, sorry. Her other other man. She says they set a date to talk, and she missed it. She doesn’t want Eugene to think she was ditching him. Siddiq says, he’ll be fine. He bounces back; not everybody does. He tells her that he checked out Eugene’s baby tips, and his poop chart is on point. He’s a bonafide sh*tologist. He says, they have a kid together, and Rosita says, yes; they do. She never thought she’d be a mommy in this world. He says he tries not to think about it. It freaks him out. He wants to do right; be a good dad. She says it freaks her out that he’s a dad. Coco is lucky to have him. They both are. She coughs, and he gives her some water. She asks again if he’s okay, and he says, yeah. He has a lot of patients to see, and miles to go before he sleeps. He tucks her in, and kisses her forehead.
Standing over the Whisperer, Carol asks, where’s the horde? She presses her fingers into his wound, and he says she has animal in her. If she was out there, he would take her like a bitch in heat. Daryl and Gabriel watch as she puts on a ring, and punches the Whisperer in the face, again and again. Daryl says, that’s enough, and the Whisperer says, they’re all weak. Daryl takes out a knife like the one Paul Hogan carried in Crocodile Dundee. (What happened to him anyway? And what about Pauly Shore?) Daryl says he’ll start with the fingers first; then both of his ears. After that, he’ll take all the guy’s teeth. The Whisperer says they lie to themselves, and to each other. They fight for what? Sandwiches. Daryl pins his hand down, and the Whisperer says, they ignore the truth when it’s staring them in the face. He’ll never betray Alpha. She rescued him. She protects him, and loves him. She loves them all. She sacrificed her own daughter for them. Carol says, she killed Lydia? and he says, she did. He’s willing to give his life for her. Carol and Daryl look at each other.
Outside, Daryl tells Carol, stop. She’s not getting Lydia mixed up in this mess. Carol says the guy swallowed every ounce of Alpha’s bullsh*t. Once he gets that she’s not his great leader, he’ll be itching to talk. Daryl says, Lydia has been through enough, but Carol says, let Lydia make up her own mind. That’s the only way they’ll know it.
Siddiq checks Cheryl’s temperature, and she says, not good? He says, better than last time, and she asks him if he knows how she can tell if a man is lying – his lips are moving. He says she’ll get through this. He’ll make sure of it. She tells him, sit down, and he does. She says he looks worse than she does. Rest. He says he can’t, and she says, for her. She’s made her peace, but the others need him to have his head on straight. He closes his eyes.
Aaron tells Gamma, go ahead, and hands her the drawing. She looks at it, and he says his daughter likes to stay out with her friends. What about her? Gamma says, she’d find every excuse to stay out. As kids, they used to take the long way home, around the lake. He says, brother or sister? He apologizes, saying, he had a brother, a couple of years younger. He loved cars, but he loved people more. They loved him too. He still thinks about his brother every day. He knows what it’s like to lose someone you love. It helps to talk about it. What she’s doing, the questions, digging for intel; he supposes he should do the same, but what’s the point? Maybe they could just talk about nothing worth reporting. He can go on about his brother, or maybe him. She walks quickly away, and back into the forest.
In the cell, the Whisperer chants in his head – we walk in darkness; we are free. Dante and Siddiq come in, and Siddiq says, he’s burning up. Dante asks, what’s the problem? and the Whisperer says, how the hell should he know? Just make it stop. Dante says, there’s no sign of infection. It doesn’t make sense. The Whisperer suddenly has a seizure, and dies, just as Carol is coming in with Lydia. Daryl is like, no, and they go back out. Siddiq looks at something in a jar, and asks if Dante gave this to him. Dante says, for pain and inflammation, and Siddiq says, it killed him. Dante says, how? It’s yarrow. Siddiq says, it’s hemlock (which does look frighteningly the same); he didn’t know though… Dante looks at Siddiq, who says, what? Dante says he never thought hemlock would be in the bag because Siddiq packed it.
In the woods, Gamma takes an unmasked breather, then puts her mask back on. A zombie toddles toward her, and lunges at her. She pushes it away, but it won’t quit, so she cracks its head against a tree, where it gets a branch through the brain. Alpha walks up, and says it was a guardian for the horde. Alpha stands in front of Gamma, and says, the man with the metal arm… Gamma says, Aaron. He has a daughter. Alpha asks, is that all she learned? Did she ask after her sister’s child? Gamma says, there’s nothing to ask. Alpha says, he’s one of them, and will slaughter their kind. He’ll use her sister against her. She tells Gamma to remove her mask. Gamma does as she’s asked, and rolls up her sleeve, holding her arm out, palm up. Alpha whips Gamma’s arm, and says, she’s always being tested. She must remain strong. Alpha believes in her. Gamma rolls her sleeve back down, and Alpha says, tell her, this Aaron; he tempts her. He’s a liar. Do not be seduced. Gamma nods.
Gabriel tells Daryl, if the people find out, they’ll panic. If Alpha finds out… Daryl says, she won’t. He’ll clean up the mess. Gabriel says he’ll help, but Daryl says it’s not his mess to clean up.
Carol asks if Lydia still wants to help, and Lydia says she does.
Siddiq goes to Cheryl’s room, but she’s not there. He goes outside, and sees Dante burying a body, while Cheryl’s body lies wrapped in her quilt. Dante says he was going to find Siddiq, but… Siddiq walks through the house, and flashes back to being with the Whisperers. He starts to get dizzy, and remembers Enid backing away, holding a knife. He runs outside, and jumps into the water. He remembers Alpha smiling, and raising something. He sees a pool of blood. Alpha looks at him, and he cries out. He’s floating face down, and someone else jumps in as he’s sinking. It’s Rosita, who brings him back to the surface. She says she heard what happened. He says he doesn’t want to talk about it. He tells her to go home; she should be in bed. She says, no, and he says he has nothing to say. The Whisperer died because of him… She says she wants the real sh*t; what’s been eating him up for weeks. He says, it’s like he’s still there all the time. He never left. It’s just pieces jumbled together like a puzzle; screams, blood. He can’t stop it, and people are dying. Cheryl… Rosita says, Cheryl was sick, and he was doing everything he could. He’s not alone. He says why it bothers him so much is Enid. She’s there, and he thinks about how much he misses her. He gets to remember how he failed her. Rosita says, no. it’s not his fault. This is what that skin bitch did. It isn’t on him. He says, she wasn’t there. Enid, the people who he loved, died in front of him. Now he gets to watch it over and over, and he did nothing. He didn’t move; he didn’t help. He just watched. Because of him more people… He says, he’s not smart enough. Rosita tells Siddiq that he has to pull through. He has to fight it; for Coco, her, and everyone else who loves him. He can and he will, because he’s not alone, and he’s the smartest person she knows – except for her, of course. He laughs, and says he still can’t figure out why she’s sick. The patients didn’t live together or work together. They don’t even eat the same things. There isn’t a common denominator. Not one he can… He looks at the water, and she says, what? He tells her, go home.
Siddiq looks at the water pump system; drinkable and undrinkable. He pushes a lever down, then back up. He swipes everything off of a nearby table, and destroys it.
It’s nighttime, and Aaron goes to the bridge. Gamma holds out the drawing, and he says it’s hers now. She says she doesn’t want anything from him. Take it or she’ll burn it. He takes it, and she grabs him, putting him in a headlock. She says she has questions, and she wants answers. Got it? He tells her, don’t do this. It’s not her. She says he has no idea who she is. How many people do they have? Carol comes out, bow drawn, and says, let him go. Lydia comes out behind her, and Gamma is like, whaaat? She says, no! and backs away, then runs. Carol says Lydia’s mother told people she’d killed Lydia. Lydia says, Carol told her that she wanted her help. Carol says she did, and Lydia says, Carol used her. Carol says, sorry, and Lydia says Carol is just like her, meaning Alpha. Aaron shakes his head, and Lydia says they wanted her to choose sides. She chooses her own. Aaron says Lydia can’t go; it’s too dangerous. Lydia tells him that he can’t stop her. Carol moves to Lydia, who punches Carol and runs. Aaron tells Carol, wait. They might be watching.
Lydia goes through the woods.
Gamma, sans mask, sits in the woods, crying.
Dante knocks at Siddiq’s door. He says he knows it’s late… Siddiq says, leave him alone, but Dante says he just wants to chat for a second. He’ll go, but not before saying he’s sorry. With Eugene gone, he hasn’t pulled his weight. Siddiq tells him, stop. It’s his fault, not Dante’s. Dante knows Siddiq wants to blame himself. For a second, it makes everything make sense, but he’s sorry. That’s not how this works. This place is special; he got that right away. It works because it’s a village. It takes everyone to grow, fight, raise rug rats, and heal people. Everyone carries equal weight, so when something happens, it’s all their fault; every one of them. Siddiq is suffering, and he’s there to help. Siddiq says Dante doesn’t know him, and turns to the window, but Dante says, sure he does. Siddiq is his friend. It’s going to be okay. He pats Siddiq’s shoulder, and Siddiq says, yeah. Siddiq flashes back to Alpha telling him, look, as she chops heads off. He sees pools of blood, and calls out to Enid. A Whisperer holds him from behind, forcing his eyes open. He screams, and the Whisperer’s face turns into the face of Dante’s reflection in the window. He tries to go past Dante, but Dante tackles him. They fight, but Dante gets Siddiq in a headlock. Dante says he didn’t want to; not like this. Siddiq struggles, but Dante tightens his arm against Siddiq’s throat. Siddiq goes limp, and falls to the ground.
Now we all go, whaaat?
Next time – the mid-season finale – Ezekiel says, none of it matters, knowing sets you free, accept the future; Daryl asks if Carol is trusting a Whisperer now; Carol says she’s doing nothing; Judith and Michonne capture a stranger; and there’s a battle in the woods.
🔊 On Talking Dead, Chandler Riggs said he was also surprised that Dante had been a Whisperer. Like me, he thought Dante was off, but not that off. I just figured he was some kind of creeper. Also, the cellblock Whisperer didn’t really spit at Carol. Michael Cudlitz, who directed the episode, threw a handful of food at her face. I thought it seemed like an awful lot of food for a spit.
💀 Who Thought This Up…?
I’m still resenting this whole mid-season finale business.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Carol wakes. It’s still dark out. She washes her face, and makes some coffee. She packs her knapsack and arms herself. She looks at her gun in the drawer.
Daryl is sitting on the porch smoking I don’t know what. Carol gets some food to-go, and heads out. Daryl comes up behind her, and asks if she’s feeling better. He asks where she’s going she tells him, to look for Negan. He asks if he can come along.
They get to a cliff in the forest, and Daryl asks if she thinks he crossed the border. He can’t see Negan putting on a mask, but she says, stranger things have happened. She takes out binoculars, but Daryl says Negan isn’t going to be wandering around to be spotted. He’s not dumb. She scans the vista, and Daryl asks her to tell him what they’re doing out there. She says, looking for Negan, and he says, tell him what they’re really looking for. She says, the horde. They have to find it and destroy it.
In the infirmary, Dante jokes that a tiny part of Cheryl is thrilled that she’s sick, so she can spend more time with him. She says, oh yeah. She’s puking because she has a crush. He says it’s a textbook case of the butterflies. Emotions manifest themselves in different ways.The heart wants what it wants. He checks her vitals, and she says she’d break him like a twig. Siddiq comes in, wearing Coco in a snuggly, and asks Cheryl how Dante is doing. She says, the jury is still out. Dante acts crushed, and says he thought they were having a moment. Siddiq says, this makes seven, and Dante asks how Rosita is. Siddiq says, same as everyone else. They have to keep everyone hydrated, and wait it out. Dante tells Siddiq to lap up the daddy/daughter sh*t while he can. They grow fast. He reaches to hold the baby, but Siddiq says he has some boundaries. Dante says, his bad, and tells Siddiq, go; have fun. If Siddiq needs him to peek in on Rosita, say the word, and he’ll make sure she’s on the mend. Boundaries again? Siddiq nods, and Dante says, noted.
Carol she’s Daryl a map, and says she’s been tracking them along the border. A small group connected at the jungle area. She thinks they should stake out a spot, and Daryl says they should see where the Whisperers go. They’d need a big place. He points to a spot on the map, and says they wouldn’t be able to sneak in without starting sh*t. They should figure out where they are, and tell the council. He asks why she didn’t say anything, and she says, after what happened with Alpha, she didn’t want to worry him. She asks if he’s sticking around, and he says she’ll need him, but she tells him that she’s picked up a few things over the years. He says they’ll see.
As he walks blindfolded with the Whisperers, Negan says he wants to join; he’s a joiner. Give him a damn application. They’re a class outfit, with their back to nature paleo vibe. And no more being eaten by the dead; that’s the real selling point. They’re a survivor’s wet dream. He asks if they’re going commando under there, and Beta has enough. He turns around, and puts crisscrossed knives against Negan’s neck. Negan calls him the Jolly Green Giant, and tells him to cool his jets. Beta says, no more noise. He’ll slit Negan’s throat and be done. Negan says he’s never properly introduced himself. He’s Negan (as we all are, I add in my head). For the last eight years, he’s been locked up by their enemy. Take him to his leader, and he’ll spill every secret he knows. Beta takes Negan’s blindfold off, and puts it in his mouth as a gag. I laugh.
Eugene thanks Nabila for choosing to assist in the radio relaunch boon. She says she’s happy to be part of the Hilltop AV club. He asks if he can show her the souped up soviet satellite version of the radio, and asks if she can parlez-vous Russian. She says, nyet. That’s all she’s got. He says, you haven’t lived until you’ve bounced a transmitter off the biosphere. She says, it sounds cool, but she’s got to get back to the kids. He tells her, there’s no expiration date on the invite, and she tells him to have fun. When she’s gone, he says, solo trip it is. Let’s see how far you fly. He turns the radio on hears Rosita’s voice. She tells him that she was looking for him. She just wanted to see what he was up to. She jokes that she has a fever, so she could be delirious. He asks what she has, and she says, it’s just a bug; she’ll be fine, and Coco is okay. What’s he up to? He says he’s revamping the radio set-up, but everyone wants a slice of Eugene. She asks if he’s coming back soon, and he says, to be honest, he hadn’t given it much thought, but it’s good to hear her voice. She says, her too. Some sparks fly out of the back of the radio, and he says there’s been a malfunction. Mother of pearl. She asks if he’s okay, and he says, he has to fix the radio proto before it all goes fubar. He’ll call back this afternoon.
Daryl and Carol (why do their names have to rhyme?) take turns throwing acorns at a can, trying to knock it over. Both fail miserably, missing by a mile. Carol says, without his crossbow, his aim isn’t that good. He says, it’s not his thing, and she says it’s not hers. His acorn grazes the can, and he says he wins, but she says he’s got to knock it over, not kiss it. He calls her a sore loser. She finds two acorns fused together, and says she’s got a double-capper. She says it’s good luck, and gives it to him, telling him, maybe it will help with his aim. He tells her to watch her own throws. She asks how Hilltop is, and he says, fine. The king sends his best. She asks how Connie is, and he says, she’s fine too. Carol says she sees, and he says, it’s not like that. She says, why not?There’s not many people left to find, much less good ones. Why not? He asks why it matters, and she says, because it does. They don’t have to be alone. He can’t hide out with Dog forever. Daryl knocks the can over, and says, see? His aim is better already. He says he’s hungry, and asks if she has any food. She takes out the loaf of bread she got for the trip. He glances in her bag, as she breaks off a hunk of bread for him. He looks out, and says, see that? She looks through the binoculars, and a group of zombies comes trickling out of the woods. She gives the binoculars to him, and he says, Whisperers. She smiles.
Beta tells Alpha that Negan cannot be trusted. She looks over at Negan, and says, test him. If he passes, he’s worthy; if not, kill him. Beta says, it’s a mistake, showing him their ways. Alpha says questioning her judgement is becoming a regular occurrence. The Alpha is to be obeyed. He says he was only thinking of their people. She asks if it’s finally time for Beta to be the Alpha, and he kneels before her. Negan watches, as Beta says, never. Negan smiles.
Negan asks Beta if he’s Beta with benefits, and he slides his little omega in on the side. Beta says if Negan says anything about Alpha, he’ll kill him. Negan says, keeping it professional; he respects that. He saw Beta kneeling – not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s tickled the d*cks of many a fine man. He’s had people kneeling before him, and understands the benefit that sh*t provides. He’s never done it himself, and admires Beta’s self-restraint. And respectfully, the bald head thing tightens his britches.
Siddiq goes to Rosita’s house to grab a change of clothes. He finds her on the couch, and says he thought she was supposed to be in bed. She says she was feeling better, but now she feels worse. He says she’s going on a field trip to the infirmary. She protests that she has so much to do, and sits up. She says, sh*t, and Siddiq says, how about if they all go? He helps her up and out the door.
Eugene sits at the radio, trying to call Hilltop, but only gets static. He plays with the dial, and says, it’s Tater Bug, live over open channels. If anyone is out there, give him a copy.
Continuing to watch the zombies, Carol says, it’s getting bigger, and Daryl says, they’re gathering strays. Carol says the sun is going down. They should see where the zombies go, but they have to get closer. Daryl asks if they were to cross the border, would she? and she says, if that’s what it takes. He asks if she’s sure she doesn’t want to take another shot at Alpha, and she says she didn’t say that. She asks what his problem is, and he says, if they’re going to do this, they have to be smart. They have no back-up. It’s just them in the middle of the night. Carol asks, since when are they not enough? Daryl says if they mess up, everyone else pays. She says, they already did, and they’re going to keep paying, no matter what side of the line they’re on. She tells him that she has to pee, and leaves. When she’s out of sight, he looks in her bag.
When Carol comes back, she asks if he found what he was looking for. He asks if she brought her gun, and she says, no; he took the ammo. He says there’s still ammo in the storage room, and she says she didn’t bring the gun. He can frisk her; go ahead. He says, okay. She asks if they’re enough or not, and he says, all right; he’s still in. It might as well be them. They move ahead.
Negan asks if he’s going to be bathed and reborn into the Whisperers’ image, or will he have a mission or quest? Beta throws a shovel at Negan, and says, dig. Negan says, he can do that. Is there anything in particular Beta is going for, as to size, depth, or width? Beta says, just dig. Negan digs. The background music is a twist-type song, Yo-Yo (see below, yo), as Negan hangs a piece of skin on a branch. It’s not that big and kind of ragged, and Beta hangs a piece next to his that’s a larger, perfect square. Negan is digging up bodies, and he and Beta drag them to a pile. I wonder when Negan got a fade? Is the a hair stylist among the Whisperers?
At the Whisperers’ camp, Beta, a boar hunting expedition is in progress, and Beta gives Negan a pocketknife. A Whisperer shoots a boar with an arrow, and Negan is left to finish it off. It knocks him down, but he still manages to kill it. It’s put in a cooking pit, and covered with dirt.
Siddiq brings Rosita to the infirmary, where a lot of people are waiting. Dante yells out to grab a seat; he’ll be with them in a second. Siddiq asks, what the hell is going on? Dante thinks the illness is spreading faster, and they’re out of antibiotics. Siddiq gets angry, and tells Dante to start crushing herbs, giving him a list of what to put together. It’s going to get worse if they don’t get ahead of it.
Daryl and Carol go to the border. Daryl says, if things go sideways, they head back. If they get split up, this is where they’ll meet. Carol says, be safe, and Daryl says, luck is on their side. They go into the woods.
Negan says he took the bastard down. This is the kind of badass sh*t he’ll do for his new family. Beta says, only those good enough to walk among them may eat. Negan says he helped cook, and kill the damn pig. He at least deserves a piece of bacon. Beta throws him to the ground, and Negan says, whatever you say, boss. He sits with another Whisperer, who gives him something to eat. Well that was nice.
Eugene says, it’s Tater Bug on the open air. Any interested airholes, come on back. Anyone, anywhere, it’s Tater Bug. A woman’s voice says, hello? She receives him loud and clear. He asks if she’s really out there.
The group of zombies moves into a clearing. Carol and Daryl watch. Daryl signals Carol to go another way, but she shakes her head, indicating she wants to stay. He starts to step forward, and his foot crunches some twigs. The zombies have supersonic hearing, and follow the noise. Daryl backs up against a tree, and they go past. He lifts the crossbow, and begins to slink away. A straggler heads in his direction.
Eugene says he would have prepared the proper remark if he’d known he was going to establish first contact. He thought he was wasting his time. He thinks they should exchange questions in order to grease the wheel. He asks where’s her location, how long she’s lived there, and how many people live there? And do they need to continue to say over? Over. The woman doesn’t think she should share that information, but she’s okay with not saying over. He understands. He asks if she’d like to hear his life story. Should he skip ahead? She suggests he start when he was born, and he tells her that he was born in Dallas. She says she’s from Pennsylvania. Stroudsburg. He says he knows it well. As an adolescent, locomotives were his jam, and his parents took him to the railroad museum for his birthday. He mentions the ice cream shop, and she says, the Inside Scoop. She was there all the time. They might have been there on the same day. He says he does have a critical question. Cake cone or waffle cone?
The straggling zombie comes up behind Daryl, and he cracks it’s neck. He slits it open, and pulls out its guts, smearing them on himself. Other zombies come by, but just keep walking. We hear whispering. I think it’s, why are you here?
Siddiq sits by Cheryl’s bedside, and she says it’s been ages since got so much attention from a young man. Siddiq says, it’s kind of his job. She says he’s all gloom and doom. She feels like she’s napping next to the Grim Reaper. He says, sorry; he’s just concerned. She says, in this world, most people don’t get the luxury of drifting off in a comfortable bed. Dante comes in, and Siddiq tells him to get some rest. About what he said… Dante says, no worries. He gets it. They’re stuck with pre-industrialized meds, but they’ll figure it out. Siddiq appreciates his help, and Dante says he should. He’s kind of amazing. They laugh, and Siddiq says, get some rest.
Siddiq checks Rosita’s forehead. Coco cries, and he picks her up. He tells her, it’s okay, and rocks her. He starts to drift off, and hears whispering. He opens his eyes, and he’s on one of the windmills, holding Coco.
Negan continues to travel with the Whisperers and their zombie crew. He says he and Beta are clearly not jiving. He gets it. Beta’s got to be a tough guy to keep everyone in line. He had guys to keep his sh*t tight. Beta says he’s not like Negan, and Negan says, whether Beta likes it or not, he’s joining. They’ll have to find a way to get along. Beta says Negan will never be one of them. He’s too loud, too weak, and too full of ego. He’s a waste. Negan says, cards on the table, he’s not there for Beta. He’s there for Alpha. Throw him, test him, he doesn’t give a sh*t. He ain’t going nowhere. Beta says, finally. Something they can both agree on. Negan won’t be going anywhere. Beta kills a zombie – or a Whisperer, I have no idea. Negan says he was just making a joke. He thinks Beta would be impressed if he wasn’t so pissed off. Negan kills another zombie and/or Whisperer, and the knife breaks. He’s suddenly surrounded.
Daryl finds Carol with a Whisperer she has tied up. Daryl says, what the hell? Carol says he saw them, and she’s taking him back. They can see what he knows. Daryl asks if this was her plan all along, but she says no. He asks, what’s this? indicating the plastic tie around the man’s wrists. She says it was in her bag; he must have missed it. She tells him they have no time to argue.
Still talking over the radio, Eugene says roller rinks make no sense, according to the risk and reward analysis. Along with the combined humiliation, it wasn’t his favorite pastime. He says it’s been a very enjoyable conversation, and at the risk of said humiliation, can they have a real talk? She says, it’s been great, but she doesn’t know him. He might be a threat. He asks what if he shares specifics, and she says, who’s to say she’s not a threat to him? People are dangerous. Eugene says he’s well aware of that, yet he has a twinge in his belly that leans toward the good column in the alignment chart. He does know her. His given name is, Eugene Hermann Porter. He proposes they continue their convos in the hope of building more approval and interest. There’s a moment of silence, and she says, well, okay, Eugene Hermann Porter. She’d like that very much. He says, so they’re in agreement? She says, they are, but they have to keep it between them for now. She wants to trust him, but if she hears anyone else, she’ll know she can’t. He says, okay. Just her and him. Copy that. Over.
The Whisperers work at hanging skins. Beta tells Alpha, he was weak. She says she expected more. Negan comes out of the woods, and says he’s ready for his goddam skim suit. They’ll need an extra-long tape measure for his humongous balls. He walks up to Alpha, and says, he’s Negan. They haven’t formally met, but he sure as hell knows who she is. Whether his reputation precedes him or not – he kneels – he’s all in. Whatever she wants, whatever he’s got, it’s hers. Beta is like, whoa. Alpha looks Negan over, and puts her finger to her lips. She says, shh… and he smiles.
They were definitely speaking my language with this episode. Negan is exactly what the Whisperers needed.
Next time, Carol tells Daryl it’s the only way, Alpha tells her people that she lvoes them, and Siddiq jumps into the water.
💢 Exactly Why I Stopped Watching…
While I never mind the occasional catfight, these girls take it too far.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Kelly is out in the woods. We see tattered rags on a clothesline, and a wild boar. Kelly gets her slingshot ready, but she’s having trouble hearing. The boar is down, but not dead, and she has to stab it. A zombie sneaks up on her, and she stabs that too. Zombies fall on the boar, devouring it, so Kelly has to abandon that idea. She runs, and a zombie follows. She tumbles down a hill. She’s hurt, and crawls forward. She leans against a tree, and a seriously creepy-looking zombie reaches for her from behind.
Negan looks at his reflection in the creek, and splashes water on his face. He debates drinking some, but decides not to. A voice says, gotcha. Don’t try anything. Negan turns around to see Brandon, who says, the look on his face. He was just messing with Negan. Brandon tosses him a canteen, and says Negan is fast. It took forever to catch up to him. Negan smiles. Damn he’s handsome.
Yumiko and a couple of others are still working on killing straggling zombies outside the wall. Yumiko goes inside to check in with Eugene. Aiden says Eugene has come up with a zero waste plan, and Eugene says, it seems as good a time as any to master the Pueblo art of basket weaving. On the side, Aiden suggests to Yumiko that they make weapons and catapults. She thinks it’s a good idea, just not now. Things are too complicated. Yumiko moves on, and Earl tells Aiden, the Whisperers toppled their wall with a tree, and now they’re throwing walkers at them, but they’re twiddling their thumbs. Breanna tells Yumiko that Connie was in the root cellar again in the middle of the night. Yumiko asks, who was on watch?
Yumiko goes inside her house to find Magna listening to music and reading. Yumiko shuts off the gramophone. She tells Magna that someone stole the crate of fish they got from Oceanside. Breanna said it was gone from the root cellar. Magna says, everything is strange at the moment. Yumiko says it would help if they stuck to the jobs they were given. Magna turns the music back up, and goes back to her book.
Ezekiel leans against a fence and ponders. Daryl rides in on his bike, and Siddiq follows behind on a horse. Connie waves, and signs talk later to Daryl. Ezekiel says, no sign of Negan? and Siddiq says they searched day and night, thinking about what he took from them, and they didn’t take from him. Ezekiel says they could use a hand in the infirmary, and Siddiq says they were planning on leaving tomorrow, but of course he’ll help.
A group of hunters comes back, and Connie writes, Kelly? Aiden says, she’s not there? She was tracking something, and said she’d meet them back at Hilltop. She should be back by now.
Negan cuts little sucker branches off of a big branch. Brandon whistles, and asks Negan if he got it. His dad used to tells him how the Saviors whistled back and forth. He asks how Negan got out of the cell, but Negan doesn’t say anything. Brandon says at least tell him what they’re looking for, but Negan says he wants to play it safe. Brandon says he heard how badass the Sanctuary was. Then Rick comes along, and talk about a hypocrite. He kills their parents, drags them to Alexandria, and gives them a lecture on community. He heard Negan made Rick cut his own kid’s hand off, and then killed him. Negan says he never did that. Carl was… He would never kill a kid. Brandon says they’re both Negan. Negan starts walking again. Brandon follows.
They come across a mess of barbed wire, and Brandon asks, who would do this? Negan says, the skin freaks. Brandon asks if they should cross. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Negan says, no, and a zombie comes out of nowhere, knocking Negan down. He holds it off with his newly fashioned stick, pushes it off of him. and uses the barbed wire to cut three-quarters of its head off through the mouth. Then he smashes the head with his foot. He says, thanks for the help, and Brandon says, sorry. He needed a second to wrap Negan’s gift. He holds out Lucille, wrapped in barbed wire. He says he swiped it from Alexandria, and was waiting for the right time to surprise Negan. He takes Negan’s leather jacket out of his backpack, and says, it took forever to find it. It was in the back of an old storage garage. His dad said he never saw Negan without it. Negan tells Brandon to put it in his backpack. He doesn’t want to be recognized. Brandon asks if he likes it though, and Negan says it’s a big hit.
Aaron looks around on the bridge, and hears something. He goes into the woods, and watches Gamma dispatch a zombie. She cuts it open, and blood flows into the creek. She shoves the body into the water; its entrails popping out.
Negan and Brandon stare at some zombies meandering around, and Brandon tells Negan that he’d say she’s a seven. Negan just looks at him, and he asks if this isn’t this kind of stuff the Saviors did to kill time. Negan tells Brandon that he can’t say he remembers rating walkers on their hotness. And she’s clearly a three. They hear screaming, and Negan takes off, Brandon following. Negan runs to a bus, where the screaming is coming from, and slams a zombie against the side of it. He breaks the knife in the process of stabbing it in the head. He looks at the handle, and says, you’ve got to be kidding me. He goes inside the bus, where he finds a woman screaming and fending off several zombies. Negan kills one, and she takes down another. Negan smashes the third zombies head in the bus door until there’s nothing left. A little boy peeks out from behind one of the seats. Brandon says, damn. Classic Negan.
Connie and Daryl search the woods for Kelly. Daryl says it’s not her fault, but Kelly signs that she should have gone with Kelly. Daryl asks if he’s told her about his brother Merle. One time Merle took him fishing on a big lake that was private property, in a boat that was stolen. Merle was drinking and fishing, and fell in the lake. Daryl had to swim back to shore while holding onto Merle. He saved Merle’s life, and know what he says? He writes, Dummy, go get the beer. Connie laughs, and he says, idiot, right? He tells her it’s going to be all right, and Dog barks. I always get nervous when dog is on screen
They see the rock from Kelly’s slingshot, and the remains of the boar. Daryl almost shoots Magna, who comes from another direction. Kelly gives Magna a questioning look, and Magna shakes her head.
Yumiko says she should be out there with them, and Aiden says if she was lost in the woods, who would she want to find her? Somebody has to come back with her. Killjoy Earl asks if Aiden really thinks Kelly is okay, and Aiden says he hopes so. Earl says, what about them? The tree didn’t fall on its own. He thinks they might be coming back with something worse. Isn’t Aiden thinking about them at all? Aiden says, after what happened to his family, he thinks night and day about them. Earl says, don’t stop.
Ezekiel tells Siddiq, they took a quarter of the medical supplies. Ezekiel holds a metal tiger, and Siddiq says he’s sorry. Ezekiel says Henry forged it during his apprenticeship. He has a sudden coughing fit, and Siddiq says, that doesn’t sound good, but Ezekiel says, it’s nothing. The regular slings and arrows. Siddiq says it could be from smoke inhalation, and reaches out to touch Ezekiel, who slaps his hand away. Ezekiel tells Siddiq that he said he was fine. After a moment, Ezekiel pulls down his sweater to reveal a protrusion on his neck, saying, it’s grown. Siddiq touches Ezekiel’s neck, and says, it could be a lot of things, but Ezekiel says he knows what it is. Siddiq says, without a test, he can’t be sure, but Ezekiel says he knows. Siddiq sits, and Ezekiel says when he was growing up, his grandmother had it, and so did his father. The pain, the coughing, and swelling; he watched them fight it and win. There was 98% survival rate for thyroid cancer with the treatments that were out there. Now, they both know what it means. Siddiq says, it can be managed; acupuncture, hypnosis… He’s struggling with own condition. He can’t stand how everyone looks to him for some kind of answers. Maybe Ezekiel can’t get away from it, but they can talk about it. What are they there for if not for each other?
Amelia, the woman on the bus, tells Negan that she and Milo have been walking for weeks, since the Whisperers scattered everyone from their camp to the four winds. They went back to what it was before, and what it is in the end, moving from place to place, surviving. Brandon says he’s been there. Amelia asks if Milo wants to walk, and Brandon says, be safe. When they’re gone, Brandon says he knows what Negan is thinking. Negan says, people are a resource, but Brandon says, not them. He starts to go after them, and Negan grabs him, shoving him into a seat. He says he appreciates what Brandon has done for him since he left Alexandria, but it’s only going to get more dangerous from there. It’s best for him to go on alone, and Brandon should go home. Brandon says, okay, but if he goes back, everyone will want know where he’s been. What is he supposed to say? He’s never been a great liar. Negan laughs, and asks if Brandon planned that. He can go wherever the hell he wants. Brandon can go back to Alexandria and tell the whole world exactly where he is. He doesn’t give a sh*t, as long as doesn’t have to see that creepy pasty-ass face of Brandon’s again. Brandon says Negan is just like all the others. He grabs his bag, and gets off the bus.
Alpha watches as a Whisperer slices the face of off a zombie. She says, the ears are tricky. (I find out later on Talking Dead, that this is actually the zombie Kelly killed in the beginning scene.) Gamma approaches, and Alpha touches her face, saying she has something for Gamma. Gamma says she just came back from the creek, and Beta says, another one lost. Alpha says, strategy takes time. If they treat the water, and build a dam of zombies, it will crush them. A Whisperer wants to talk to Alpha, and Beta grumbles, but Alpha tells him to speak his piece. He says instead of what she’s doing, why not cut their enemies down all at once? Alpha asks if anyone agrees, and gets silence. She says, there’s democracy for you, and slices his hamstring. The Whisperer falls to his knees, and she says, the human body is fragile. All it takes to collapse it are a few nicks in the right spot. He makes a feeble attempt to stab her, and she slices his arm. She says, the strong ones know where to come to be safe, and hands Beta her knife. Beta slits the Whisperer’s throat, and Alpha says Gamma wanted another guardian.
Milo plays with a toy plane, and Negan asks how he is, telling Milo that he doesn’t bite. Milo’s mom it packing, so he has time to kill. Milo asks where Brandon is, and Negan says, he went looking for supplies. He tells Milo that he’s going to be rea; he told Brandon to get lost. It turns out he’s not the best co-pilot, if Milo catches his drift. He says Brandon doesn’t, does he? He’s never been on a plane. It’s not Milo’s fault that God turned the world into an ass pit before he was born. It feels like you’ve been sitting on the runway forever, and suddenly you hear a groan. The plane creeps along, moving faster and faster, until everything out the window turns into a blur. The wheels come up, and you’re flying, like voodoo magic. Up and up, higher and higher, until it’s like you’re floating on top of the world. The houses and cars look like toys. The food is a no. He was served beef stroganoff that looked like baby sh*t. There’s so much Milo is going to miss growing up in a screwed up world. Driving his first set of wheels, video games, nut tapping. He explains that you catch a guy off-guard. Keep your wrist loose, and snap your fingers on their nuts. You can’t go too low or too high, or you’ll get nothing but d*ck. He has Milo demonstrate the technique, and says he’s a natural. If nut tapping was a sport, Milo would be in the hall of fame. He tells Milo a fire isn’t happening without wood. Is he packed? Milo says he is, and Negan says he knows it sucks, but tells him mom that Negan knows a place where they’ll probably take them in. It has high walls, farmland, and has a mansion in the middle. They can’t tell who brought them there, but he’ll get them as close as he can. There’s one condition. Milo has to keep his fingers holstered when Negan’s nuts are around. Deal? Milo says, deal, and they high-five.
Gamma walks with the new zombie to the creek. She stabs him again and again, remembering throwing her sister into the zombie horde, and seeing Alpha kill the Whisperer. She’s stabbing so aggressively, she ends up cutting herself, and dropping the knife in the water. Aaron sees, and tosses her a bandage wrap. He says, it’s okay; it’s for her hand. He tells her that his name is Aaron. He knows they don’t do names anymore, but she’s got to be from somewhere. He’s from Vermont. Gamma jets, and he says, you’re welcome.
Connie and Daryl continue to search. Dog barks, and they find Kelly passed out, leaning against the tree. Connie wakes her up, and asks if she’s okay. Kelly signs that she couldn’t hear before, but she’s fine now. Magna gives Kelly some water, but she chokes on it. Connie signs that they have to get back to Hilltop. Daryl thinks they need to find somewhere closer. Connie walks over to a brush pile, and uncovers a big box of supplies. Daryl asks if she knew about this, and Connie takes a medical kit out of the box. She signs something to Magna, and Daryl asks what she said. Magna tells him that Connie doesn’t trust her. Daryl says Hilltop took them in. They have sick children and mouths to feed, and she steals from them. All she’s good for is talking sh*t. Connie writes not to tell them. Let her handle it.
Negan carries a small pile of wood in his arms. He hears whistling, and sees Brandon. Brandon says, that’s it, right? Negan drops the wood, and sees that Amelia and Milo are dead; their bodies next to the bus. Brandon says he remembers Negan kicked people out, but he was messing with them; keeping them in line. He realized this was a test. Negan said it was going to get a lot more dangerous, because he wanted to make sure Brandon had the balls to do what had to be done. Brandon looks at the bodies, and says, what does he think? Negan picks up a big rock, and Brandon turns around, saying, I passed. I am Negan. Negan slams the rock into Brandon’s head, and pounds his head to a pulp. He takes Lucille and his jacket, and walks.
Daryl returns with Connie, Kelly, and Magna. Yumiko runs to them, and asks, what happened? Connie signs that she’ll explain later.
Dante jokes to Siddiq on the radio. He says either Siddiq’s mic is out or he’s laughing balls off. He says he’s still there, and asks how Rosita is. Dante says he didn’t want to tell Siddiq, but she got a bump. She’ll be fine. Siddiq says he’ll leave for home tonight. He asks if Carol is around, and Dante says he’ll grab her. Ezekiel takes Siddiq’s place at the mic. He touches the metal tiger, and listens to Carol’s footsteps coming toward the radio. He shuts the radio off. Not that it’s ever in a happy place, but this show is just heartbreaking tonight.
Yumiko tells Magna it’s scary to think, but they probably wouldn’t have made it if they hadn’t found that stash. It sounds like they were far off the main road. Magna tells her, say it. Yumiko thinks she stole the supplies and hid them out there. Yumiko says, it wouldn’t be the first time, and Magna says Yumiko has thought she was selfish and stupid for the past thirteen years. That’s how she looked at Magna the day she showed up in her fancy suit. Yumiko says she was thinking, here’s an innocent person locked up for a crime she didn’t commit, and she’s never trusted anyone because no one trusted her. She was mad at everyone. Magna says her cousin was a little girl who had to go on living life when nobody came for him. So she did it. There it is. (For clarification: A man sexually assaulted Magna’s young cousin, and she killed him.) Magna tells Yumiko, they’ve both killed how many? and still that look.
Gamma approaches Alpha, and shows Alpha her bandaged hand. She says, the man with the metal arm gave to her. Seated on the ground, Alpha says, shh, and Gamma sits next to her. Alpha takes Gamma’s mask off, saying, different masks for different times. It’s kind of a sacrifice, like Gamma sacrificed her sister. Gamma says Alpha’s sacrifice was much greater, and Alpha says, the man with the metal arm could be useful. Gamma might just have to wear a new mask.
Connie walks through the stables, and hangs up a lantern. Daryl is there with his bike, and she asks if he’s leaving. He says he has to go back, and asks if Kelly is okay. Connie smiles and nods. She writes, sorry about Magna and Kelly asking him to lie for them. Daryl makes the sign for family, and Connie smiles. He gets on his bike, and she signs goodbye. He rolls out, whistling for Dog to follow.
Negan walks through the woods, wearing his jacket, and carrying Lucille. He walks past the barbed wire, and says, hey, sacks of sh*t, what does he have to do to get something to eat? Are they all scared of the big bad wolf? Little pigs, little pigs, let me in. (Which is what he also said when he first went to Alexandria.) He sees some zombies and says, there they are. He’s done talking. He whacks one with Lucille, and says he’s gonna blow their asses all the way home. He wallops a few more, and gets knocked down by Beta, who’s there with some Whisperers. I say, oh sh*t, and Negan says, all right, you big ass freak. Let’s do this.
Next time, Carol takes her gun and goes out walking, Alpha wants to test Negan, and Negan says he wants to join the Whisperers. They’re a survivor’s wet dream.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Judith and Michonne are having dinner. Judith giggles, and puts a napkin on her head. Daryl brings a tray upstairs, and leaves it outside a bedroom door. I’m guessing for Carol
Siddiq sees Lydia, who’s on wall patrol, and she smiles at him. Carol puts fresh bandages her arm. Magna and Yumiko make love. Magna watches Yumiko sleep, and gets up.
Ezekiel sleeps and wakes suddenly. He hears whispering outside and looks out the window. He jets outside, and hears gunfire. By now, lots of people are up, wondering what’s going on, and there’s yelling in the distance.
Aaron is concerned the gate isn’t going to hold, and Earl agrees. A tree has fallen, and compromised the wall. Connie signs to Kelly, the tree? wondering if the Whisperers are to blame, but Kelly signs she doesn’t know. Luke asks if Connie thinks it’s them, and Earl says, of course it was. They’re already at war; they just didn’t know it. Jerry carries his wife in, and says there were nine injured. The bridge collapsed, and they were under it. Ezekiel tells Jerry that he’s fine, and not to worry. The others need help. Magna suggests they empty some trailers to deal with the injured, and Yumiko recommends using mattresses for stretchers.
In the daylight, and Aaron is training the young people. One of them fumbles, and he says they’re dead. They were looking at the ground. They have to get back on the training track. Head to hands always. If you lose focus, you get killed. Alden says the Whisperers took their friends, their land, and must be stopped again. Margo asks Lydia – who’s been minding her own business – if she thinks mommy will take her in, and Lydia tells her, get the hell out of here. Aaron tells them run it again.
On their way to help at Hilltop, Michonne rides her horse next to a carriage carrying Judith and several others. Judith notices Michonne looks worried. Michonne tells Judith not to worry. It’s her job, and she’s good at it. Judith suggests she can be a fresh set of eyes or friendly ears. Michonne tells her, Alpha said she’d release the horde if they crossed the border, but Carol took a shot at her, and she took more land. Judith says, maybe the rules are changing, but Michonne says, you can’t negotiate with a bully, or there’s no end to how much they’ll try to take. Some bullies, you can live with, but some you’ve got to fight. Judith wonders if they can live with the skins, but Michonne says they can’t take them at their word, and have to measure them by their actions. And their actions are unexpected… Judith says the fastest way to get RJ to sleep is to let him run around until he’s tired. Maybe the Whisperers want them to keep fighting so they get tired, and they have the advantage. Michonne says, not bad, and Judith says, eventually RJ had to be good for something. She asks if she’s right. Michonne looks at her, and says she’s thinking. She frowns, and stops the horses. She looks through the binoculars, and sees Ezekiel, riding down another path. Judith wonders why he’s out there, but Michonne doesn’t know. She tells the others, keep riding to Hilltop. She’ll be right behind. She goes to toward where she saw Ezekiel.
Michonne sees Ezekiel’s horse, minus Ezekiel, trotting in the opposite direction. She looks around, and finds Ezekiel on the edge of a cliff (perhaps where the bridge was?). She calls his name, and he says she should go. She asks him to step away from the edge. Can he? He shakes his head, and she says she’s not going anywhere. He breathes heavily, and hugs her. She tells him, it’s okay, and he kisses her. She kisses back for a moment, then backs away a little. He apologizes, but I’m thinking she liked it.
Negan finds Lydia sitting in between clotheslines that have sheets on them so she can’t be seen. He asks if she’s looking for a job, but she says she’s there to clear her head. He tells her, keep it up, and there are going to be socks with her name on them. She tells him that they started with her again today. He says she’s obviously having a day. What happened? She says she was rolling with it. She did it his way. She didn’t run away and hide. He’d said to kill them with kindness, and she did. He says they just want a reaction; don’t give it to them. Screw ‘em. Daryl sees her, and says, let’s go. She says she’s good, but he says, now. Negan tells him, she’s just trying to fit in, but Daryl says it will never happen if she hangs out with him.
Daryl catches up to Lydia, who says she and Negan were just talking. He says Negan ain’t her friend, but she says, Negan gets her. He tells her, stay away. As they get to Daryl’s place, they find Silence the Whisperers is written on the front door in big yellow letters.
Michonne and Ezekiel sit down, and Ezekiel says, maybe in another universe. He lost his kingdom. He had reign, and what did he do with it? He failed. Ben, Shiva, Henry, now Hilltop. He doesn’t know how to talk to Carol anymore. He didn’t know what he was going to do when he came out there. Michonne says she’s been there before. Not there, but – she indicates his heart – there. A long time ago. She was alone and in a dark place. She envied the walkers. Every time she got one, she was going to let it bite her. She’d put her sword down, and kill it with her bare hands. Eventually, she gave up. Ezekiel asks what it felt like, and she says, it feels like a mask – until it doesn’t. Ezekiel says he can only wear one for so long. Michonne says, then you have to start all over, just like that. Somehow it’s harder the second time, especially if you get used to having someone there; that partner in crime, that sounding board. She tears up, and says, now, it’s all on you; just you.
They walk, and Michonne says, for what it’s worth, Ezekiel’s not a half-bad kisser. He says he’s not at the top of his game, and she says she hasn’t kissed anyone under four feet tall in the last six years. She tells him, next time… He says, when he starts to act like an idiot? She asks him to just promise he won’t ride out by himself. He thanks her.
Zombies continue to gravitate to Hilltop. Magna says, there’s more of them, and Luke says, that’s not good. Thanks, Captain Obvious. Earl says he’ll get some timbers to reinforce the gate. Jerry asks how much time they have, and Earl hopes it’s enough. Everyone who’s been zombie fighting runs back in.
At mealtime, Lydia sits with the group who’s been harassing her, and slaps a dead squirrel on the table, cutting it open with a knife. Blood spritzes onto Gage’s face. Alfred says, she’s crazy. What’s wrong with her? Ozzie and Helen died to save her, and she’s making fools of them. Margo says, not here, and Lydia puts her finger to lips and says, shhh… They leave, and Daryl says she wants to live there, right? Lydia says, they deserved it, and Daryl says, he knows, but she can’t do sh*t like that. She says, but they can write what they want on their door? He says he’ll talk to them, and set them straight, but she says she doesn’t want him to fight her fight. They want her to give up, but she’s not going to; she can’t. He says he gets it. She takes her pokey stick, and goes outside. He says, great, no doubt anticipating more problems.
Outside, Lydia sees Margo, and is suddenly surrounded by her, Gage, and Alfred. (Yes. I cheated, and looked up these names. I have no clue who the blip these kids are, although I vaguely remember Gage.) Lydia asks why they hate her, and Margo says they’re friends were killed. Lydia says she wasn’t there, but Gage says, Ozzie was a fair man. In his honor, they’ll give her one last chance. Margo tells her, run now, and they’ll play dumb when anyone asks. Lydia says this is her home; they’re her people. Margo cracks Lydia in the head. Lydia falls, and Alfred grabs her. Lydia says she loved Henry. They know she did. They start beating on her, although Gage doesn’t really seem on board with it. Negan comes out, and starts shoving them away. Gage says they were just trying to scare her. Siddiq comes out, asking, what the hell is going on? During the melee, when Negan pulled Margot off of Lydia, she got slammed up against the wall. Negan realizes she’s dead, and says, sh*t.
Gage yells, Negan killed her, but Lydia says he didn’t do anything. Daryl says, get him out of here. People start to gather, and Siddiq remembers being with the Whisperers. He goes inside, and plunges his face into a bowl of ice water. Dante bandages Lydia. Daryl comes in, and tells Lydia that he’s sorry this happened. She doesn’t say anything, then mumbles something I can’t understand. He asks her to tell him what happened, and she says, Negan saved her life. She leans on Daryl’s shoulder, and he puts his arm around her.
Daryl goes to see Negan, who’s back in his cell. Negan asks how the kid is doing, and Daryl says, she’s banged up, but she’ll be all right. The young people are talking about putting Negan down, now that Rick isn’t around to save him. Negan says if Daryl came there looking for a confession, keep walking. For the record, it was accident, and for the record, screw her. Goddam a-hole, beating on a kid. The world is better off. But Daryl already knows that, doesn’t he? He says Daryl came there to look him in the eye, but doesn’t know what to do with him. All the times he’s fantasized about Negan’s death, and tried to kill him, now he’s not so sure. Daryl tells Negan, listen to him. They’ve never been in a room, toe to toe, with no one to save him. What does he want to do? Negan says, the people out there are out for blood and guts. Daryl says Negan is no hero, and Negan agrees. He’s a sucker. He started to believe Daryl’s way of life, and moral code. He was given a taste of freedom, and it was yanked away when he did the right thing. He has to admit, it’s pretty messed up. They both know and appreciate messed up sh*t, but who’s the sucker now?
Daryl asks how Carol is feeling, and she says, sore. She heard what happened. Daryl says, a mess, and Carol says, everyone is talking about Negan again like time never moved. He doesn’t think…? Daryl says, he believes Lydia, and Carol says, it’s just a distraction. Alexandria was attacked. He says they don’t know that yet, and Carol says, the real enemy is out there. He says, enough bad is happening inside. If they don’t fix that, it won’t matter. There won’t be anything left. She says they should have gone to New Mexico. He says, yeah, and walks off.
Magna and the others kill zombies outside the Hilltop gate under a huge moon. Kelly uses a slingshot, and Yumiko, a bow and arrow. Luke thinks they should go back in; there’s more coming. Yumiko agrees they should get out, and calls to Magna. Magna says they have to protect the wall. Kelly says they need kelp. Yumiko grabs Kelly, and Magna tells them, go. Connie grabs Magna, and pulls her with them. They go back inside. Even I’m getting exhausted just watching. The wall starts to shake, and zombies bring down the door.
The zombies begin to stream in. I say, sh*t! Ezekiel and Michonne run out, along with Judith. Judith and Michonne fight side by side, Judith with her own, smaller machete. Judith is quite the little fighter, and Michonne stops for a millisecond to admire that. They continue to do some mother/daughter bonding by slaying zombies together.
Daryl radios Michonne, who asks, what’s going on? He tells her what happened to Lydia, saying, Lydia was lured there, and Negan was with her. She was attacked, and she’s in the infirmary. One of their friends is in the grave, but Negan is on the right side. He’s not sure if it makes a difference. Michonne says maybe she should come home. They have to protect Lydia. Daryl says, they’re trying to, but Michonne says, they have to. for all of them. They went to the border, and met Alpha. It was working, until Carol took a shot at her. Alpha could have killed them. Why does he think she didn’t? Daryl says, they’ve got Lydia. Michonne says Alpha wanted her protected, but she’ll definitely hurt them if Lydia gets hurt or runs off. She has to stay In Alexandria to keep the peace between them. Daryl says he’ll make sure. He admits to being a little afraid of the situation there; there’s going to be a council meeting. Michonne wants him to be her proxy, and vote for her. He says, all right, and she says she knows he’ll do the right thing.
After signing off with Daryl, Michonne gets another call on the radio.
At the council meeting, Gabriel suggests maybe Negan has been redeemed; maybe he has changed. But then again, a man like that, who’s done the things he’s done… Aaron says, and killed who he killed. Something inside him is broken. But they have to face the fact that killing Negan over this could undermine the civilized society they’ve built. Siddiq says, the Whisperers are the ones attacking them. Look what’s going on at Hilltop. Gabriel says the council wasn’t made for this; deciding a man’s fate in the dead of night; a group of people carrying pitchforks. Daryl says they’re supposed to make the people’s decisions for them. Michonne told him to vote for her, and he votes no on killing Negan. Aaron says, the vote is tied, and asks what Gabriel says. Gabriel wants to take the night to clear his head, and consider his vote. He suggests the rest of the council do the same.
Michonne wants to head out to Oceanside. Another mask was found. It might be nothing, but just in case it is them. Although they usually move as a pack. Eugene says, one hundred or more, and uses a bunch of big words. Luke simplifies, saying, like a cockroach family. He asks if she thinks they’re planning another attack. Michonne says the first time, it could be a coincidence, and the second, bad luck, but the third? They need to check. Luke says he’s feeling the ocean calling to him like a loon. Yumiko says he means Jules is calling to him, and he pretends not to know what she’s talking about. He’s never heard of her… Oh yeah, the tall one. Michonne says Eugene needs to lead a wagon back to Alexandria, but Eugene says he’s staying put, and uses a lot of words to say that Hilltop wall might need fortification. Michonne says Judith is coming with her. Who else could be her pair of friendly ears?
Magna is annoyed at Yumiko for making the decision for them to come back in when they were fighting the zombies. She says it was her decision, but Yumiko says it was a split second decision. When the sh*t hit the fan, someone had to. She wonders where this is coming from, and Magna says Yumiko isn’t her lawyer anymore.
Gabriel ponders as he walks to Negan’s cell. He goes inside to see Negan.
Gabriel bangs on Daryl’s door. Daryl opens it, and Gabriel says, he’s gone.
Gabriel tells Daryl and Aaron that a set of keys is missing. Aaron wants to know who was on watch. Lydia has come out of the house, and says she did, as she walks past them. Daryl says she didn’t. He kept watch, and she never left. Lydia walks into Negan’s empty cell, and says, it doesn’t matter. This is where they want her. Daryl says, it doesn’t matter what they want, and she says for a long time, she blamed herself for what happened. She kept thinking what if she’d just stayed in the cell where they found her, and never let them take her alive? What if she never went off with Henry, or said anything to her mother? Daryl says she’s not to blame, but she says, her mother was right. The people there put on polite faces, but they’re just masks. When things get bad, or they get scared, they pick a target, and aim to shoot. Her, Negan, anything but him. Daryl says, Negan is different. She didn’t know him. She says he stood up for her when he didn’t have to. She tried to hate him because she wanted to be like Daryl. Daryl says she doesn’t belong in a cage. She says, it’s better there. She feels safe. He closes the door, and it locks.
Ezekiel tells Jerry, he means it; he’s good. Jerry loads up a truck, and everyone gets ready to move out. Luke says goodbye to Connie and Kelly, and hugs Magna. He gets in the truck bed, and blows Yumiko a kiss. Michonne gets the horses going, and they pull the truck. I wonder how many people are making jokes about real horsepower.
Carol looks out from a rooftop. Below, Daryl takes the graffiti off the door. The camera pans around Alexandria, and we see Silence the Whisperers written in several places, including above the main gate. We hear the Whisperers get louder.
Next time, Negan on the road, Kelly is in trouble, and Alpha tells Beta, strategy takes time, but the Whisperers will crush them.
🎃 Both audience members and Chris Hardwick celebrated Halloween tonight by donning Walking Dead cosplay outfits. Chris came as Dale, and I would not have recognized him in a million years. Guest MattJones sported a Eugene pigtail, and suggested Negan had found his calling as a child psychologist. He might be right about that. He also thought Banksy might be responsible for the graffiti showing up around Alexandria. Mike Cudlitz (ex-Abe, who also directed tonight’s episode) and Cassady McClincy (Lydia) were also guests. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guest have as good a time as Cassady did. She was just happy to be there, to be on TWD, and not be dead.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
6 am – Hour 1 – A timer goes off. Carol wakes, and takes a pill.
Hour 2 – Carol goes out of the gate. Above the wall, Eugene watches through binoculars.
Hour 4 – The older kids practice killing zombies, and show off to each other.
Hour 6 – Everyone gets ready for… something.
Hour 11 – Aaron is attacked by a zombie, but manages to pike it in the head.
Hour 13 – Eugene beckons to Aaron, who looks through Eugene’s binoculars. Eugene says, they keep coming, constantly. Wave after wave. Carol says, it’s her, and Michonne tells them, lock it down.
Hour 14 – Zombies continue to come. They stream in throughout hour 19, hour 22, hour 24, and hour 31. The Alexandrians continue to fight.
Hour 37 – There are lots of bodies. Gabriel rests. Michonne wonders, wtf? Judith sits by the window in Michonne’s bedroom, and says, well? Michonne says, well what? and Judith asks, is it safe? The radio crackles, and Aaron asks if Michonne copies.
Hour 48 – Michonne looks through the binoculars. More zombies are coming. She goes up into a windmill to get a better look through the window.
Michonne asks Eugene, how long until the next wave? He says, one hour from the north, and two from the south. Coming from the north, they’re thicker then fleas on a farm dog. Not so much from the south. He estimates they’ll be fighting through night again. Michonne snaps at Daryl, then apologizes. Eugene maintains his post. Daryl says, heads up, and he and Michonne meet Gamma at the gate. She says, north border, now. Michonne tells her to call off the walkers, but she says, it’s not them. Go to the north border, lay down their weapons, and wait. Daryl asks, for what? Gamma says, her.
The Alexandrians have a meeting. Michonne tells Lydia, this is her mother, but Lydia doesn’t think so. Michonne asks, why? and Lydia says they crossed into Alpha’s land again, and they have to answer to that. Aaron says, they don’t have to do anything. They should just not go, but Lydia thinks that’s a bad idea. Aaron says, they’re already being attacked, but Lydia says if Alpha wanted them dead, she’d send a horde, not waves. Aaron thinks they’re being worn down. Eugene says he has every reason to believe the satellite and fire… but a woman cuts him off, saying she doesn’t want to hear anymore. They’re friends died trying to save the Alexandrians, and ended up with their heads on pikes. The Highwaymen want justice. All she wants to hear, is that they’re taking the lead bitch’s head off. She thinks they should put the Whisperers head’s on pikes. There’s a lot of mumbling, and Michonne gets up. She asks how many walkers have they seen in Alpha’s horde, and Daryl says, tens of thousands. Michonne asks what plan the Highwaymen have for taking them out. She gets silence, and says, that’s not a rhetorical question. The woman says they don’t have one, and Michonne says, does anybody else? Once again, it’s quiet, and she says, if Alpha sends the horde, that’s it. Right now, all she wants to do is talk, and they’re going to listen. Here, they’re going to focus on what’s coming from the north and the south. They’re tired and on edge, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better, but they’re not getting through it at all if they don’t act as one.
Michonne lays out a plan, with Aaron leading the fighting in the north, and Gabriel in the south. She and Daryl will be going to the border. Carol says, they’re going alone? and Daryl says they have no choice. Carol gets a gun from under her bed, and takes more pills.
Aaron tells Gabriel, they’re good, but Gabriel says Aaron is low on soldiers, fatigued, and Negan is on clean-up duty. Aaron balks, and Negan says, if it’s all the same, he’d like to stay there, picking tomatoes, and burying corpses. He tells Gabriel, look around him. People are amped, and pissed. and stirring up sh*t with each other. He doesn’t want the hateful vibes taken out on him. Gabriel says, Aaron is a saint. Gabriel tells Aaron, Negan can fight, and he’s low on fighters. PB meet J. End of discussion. He walks away, and Negan notices the spiked mace Aaron has in place of a hand. He says, it’s awesome that Aaron is putting the old stump to use.
Michonne heads for the border with Daryl, Carol, and a few others.
Aaron and Negan kill zombies outside the walls. Negan – who only got a less-than-pokey stick to fight with – picks up tire iron, and Aaron says, drop it. Negan says, God left it there for a reason. His broomstick ain’t cutting it. Aaron stares at Negan, and he puts it down. Negan says he’s trying to make things better. He’s not that guy anymore. A few zombies are headed their way, and Negan gives Aaron a thumbs up, and says he’s on it.
The group walks to the border to meet Alpha. It’s dark and quiet. They put down their weapons, and stare at the posts the heads were on. Daryl asks Carol if she’s all right. She says she needs a minute. She puts down her bow and arrow, but the gun is in the back of her waistband.
At Alexandria, Rosita and Eugene team up, killing zombies at the gates. Eugen thinks the killing could go on all night. Rosita says, he wants to go back, doesn’t he? He says, yeah, but they keep going.
Daryl says, heads up, and they see the Whisperers walking toward them in the distance. The Whisperers stop, and Alpha removes her mask. She says they had one rule between their people; one law. Stay where you are. They disobeyed it. Daryl says the fire would have destroyed the Whisperers’ land, but Alpha says fire is part of nature. They have no conflict with nature. Michonne says it could have wiped out their communities. They couldn’t sit back and let it happen. They crossed once. Alpha says, three times. During the fire, they walked her land. During the winter storm, they walked her land. And when they searched the river, you – she points to Carol – and the man with the metal arm walked her land. That’s three times. They’re always watching. What did she tell them about crossing her borders? They have to be punished. The Whisperers draw their guns, and Carol starts to reach for hers, when Alpha says, but she’ll consider the context. There will be no bloodshed this time. Michonne asks what they want, and Alpha says, land. The creek is their new southern border mark. Carol says that cuts off their hunting ground. They don’t have to stand for their… Michonne cuts her off with, Carol! Alpha asks, their what? and Carol says, bullsh*t. Daryl says they’re done. Let’s go. Alpha says, they’re not. This one – again pointing to Carol – rolled her eyes to Alpha’s face. Carol faces Alpha, who says she should be afraid. Carol says she looks at Alpha, and feels nothing at all. Alpha says Carol’s boy called her name before they took his head. Carol whips out her gun, and shoots, but Daryl pushes her arm down, so she misses Alpha. He holds Carol back, and Michonne apologizes for her friend. She says, they haven’t slept, and Alpha knows what Carol lost. Alpha says she forgives Carol, mother to mother. This is her land now. Better run. Daryl says, let’s go, and pushes Carol in the other direction. Alpha smiles.
In the woods, they rest a moment. Carol tells Michonne, the bitch has to die. She walks away, and Daryl approaches Michonne. Michonne says Carol’s not the same since she got off the boat. Daryl thinks Carol is better off on it, but Michonne says she belongs with them. Daryl says Carol’s not sleeping, and she’s out all night. Carol sees a few Whisperers streaking through the woods, and shoots at them. Daryl asks, what happened? and she says, Whisperers; three of them. They decide to split up, and Michonne says, capture, don’t kill.
Aaron and Megan are still hard at work. Negan uses the tire iron on a zombie, and scratches at a rash on his arm. Aaron asks, what did he say? indicating the tire iron, and Negan says he had to. Aaron says he’s going to tie Negan up, and take him back. Negan says that’s the best freaking news he’s heard all day, but he’s not being tied up like a POW. Aaron says, yes, he is, and Negan says, or what, cowboy? Aaron takes out a knife, and Negan says, you know what he sees? Someone pretending. He tells Aaron, let’s go, and starts to walk past him. Aaron knocks him down, and Negan says, did Aaron just trip him? What is he, twelve? I laugh. I love Negan. Negan asks, what is wrong? He put his neck on the block for them all day. Aaron says, Negan doesn’t give a damn about them. If he did, he’d leave. That’s what everyone needs. Negan says he did what he had to back then. Aaron tells him, open that up. Tell him why the love of his life had to die. Negan says, okay. One simple fact. One truth. If you don’t protect what belongs to you, sooner or later, it belongs to someone else. That goes for your land, your wallet, your home, your country, everything. It’s your job as a man to protect it. That’s the story of America; of the whole goddam world. Nothing can change it. Not him; not nobody. Aaron asks if Negan is saying Eric’s death was his fault. If he’s saying Aaron killed Eric, then Negan killed his wife. Negan says, careful, and Aaron says, she died hating him, and he’s never seeing her again. He asks if Negan wants to say something, and Negan says, yeah; he does. Another group of zombies comes toward them, and one gets Aaron down. Aaron stabs it, and his vison is suddenly blurry. He calls to Negan, who jets.
Michonne tells the others to meet back at the creek. She tells Carol, there are no signs. no traces, no tracks, nothing. Is she sure she saw three? Carol says she’s sure. Carol shakes out another pill, and Michonne asks how long she’s been taking them. Carol says since she got back. She’s fine; they’re like coffee. Michonne says they can’t stay out there, and Daryl suggests they hole up for a while, and get some sleep
They walk into Barnett Academy. They shine a flashlight into the broken windows, and I wonder where they get batteries, since they never last very long in my flashlight. They walk in, and quietly look around. Daryl says, it’s clear. Carol steps on a book in the hallway, and picks it up. It’s a book on economics, Working in the Home. She stares at the picture of the family on the cover. Daryl tells her, come on. She looks at it again, and tosses it down. They go to the cafeteria, and Daryl says he’ll take first watch. Carol takes more pills, and Daryl notices.
Aaron stumbles around, looking for Negan. He goes into a cabin, and crashes around inside, being loud and reckless. Negan is there, sitting on the floor, but says nothing.
Daryl sits on the floor across from Carol, and she asks what he’s thinking. He says, about his dad. He was a trucker, and would tell them crazy stories about his trips. One time, he was flying down the highway in Kentucky. It was pitch black out, and he saw a girl on the side of the road. She looked like she was crying. As he got closer, she stepped out in front of the truck, and he slammed on his breaks. He called the local PD, and got out to look for her, but she wasn’t there. He looked under the cab, and there was nothing there or under the tires. There was no blood on the grill. Carol asks how that was possible, and Daryl says, there was no girl. His dad didn’t sleep much, and would sometimes stay up 24-hours to make one of his runs. Stay up all the time, you start seeing things. Carol says she’s not a snorting truck driver. She’s not his dad. She says, sorry, and he says, she’s right. That doesn’t mean he’s wrong though. Her alarm goes off, and he says, don’t take it. She needs to sleep. She says she can’t, and he asks, why?Bad dreams? She doesn’t answer.
Aaron keeps crashing around the house. Zombies come toward it because he’s making so much damn noise, and inadvertently flashed the lights. He ends up letting them in, and Negan kills them. The tire iron drips blood. Aaron says, Negan? Negan asks if Aaron is all right. Aaron says he can’t see, and Negan explains what was on the walkers was hog weed. It’s nasty sh*t, and causes rashes and blindness. (I learn on Talking Dead that hog weed is an invasive species that kills all plant life around it.) Aaron asks if it’s permanent, and Negan says, sometimes. He asks if Aaron washed his eyes out with water. He says he did, but his water is gone, and he’s parched. Negan gives Aaron some water to drink, and helps him up. He starts to go, and Aaron says, wait. Where’s he going? Negan says, to keep watch. They’ll leave first thing in the morning. If that’s okay with Aaron. Aaron says, yeah.
Carol wanders around the school. She sees a broken pane of glass with blood on it, and follows a trail of blood to a woman sitting on the floor with her head bowed down, looking like something from out of The Grudge. She hears Henry say, mom, and he’s standing behind her for a moment. Daryl’s light startles her, and Daryl asks where she went. She’s been gone a half hour. She says she was on patrol. She’s fine. She’s not his dad seeing ghosts. Daryl says, what? and she says the story about the girl, and his dad, the truck driver. He says, his dad’s not a truck driver. Carol’s timer goes off, and she takes a pill. He says, come on, don’t take that, but she does, saying, one more hour, and Daryl says, all right, and leaves her. She checks her gun, and I worry she’s going to end up shooting the wrong person or wasting the bullets. She sees a shadow, and follows it to the gymnasium. She sees a Whisperer coming toward her, and walks over the broken glass that’s everywhere, right into a snare trap. She’s suddenly hanging upside down, and shoots at the Whisperer. She begins slashing at them, and shoots again. She sees a pack of zombies and/or Whisperers coming toward her, and yells for Daryl to help her. She manages to cut herself loose, and falls to the ground. She stabs the zombies. An alarm goes off. She’s standing there with bodies all around her. Daryl and Michonne come in.
Back at Alexandria, Daryl tells Siddiq that Carol fell and cut her arm real bad. Siddiq needs them to leave. He tells Dante to pull the shard out, and he’ll go in. Siddiq remembers the Whisperers, and Alpha with a knife. Dante says Siddiq plans on going in? and Siddiq says he’ll be fine. Dante says he’s not, and takes the instrument out of Siddiq’s hand.
Michonne and Daryl are outside, and Siddiq tells them, Dante got it out. She’s all patched up. Daryl says, great, and Michonne pats Siddiq’s arm. They go back in.
Negan looks out the window. Aaron wakes up. Negan asks if Aaron can see him. Aaron nods, and says, yeah. Negan says, good
Finished for now, Rosita and Eugene sit down inside. Rosita says she’s tired, and Eugene says she was a badass today. She says he didn’t do too badly himself, and he asks if he was as tough as a stewed skunk. She says, a batsh*t badger. He asks about Coco, and she says the baby is with Barbara. He says Coco can’t be without her mama, so he went with her today to protect her. Rosita says she taught him how to fight. She says they’re never going to happen. He’s not Coco’s father, and they’re not together. She needs him to hear that. She says, sorry it was harsh. She’s tired, and she feels drunk. Eugene asks if she’s familiar with the expression, a drunk mind speaks a sober heart. When you’re under the influence, the secret truth pours out, and it’s similar to when you’re tired. When she says it’s not going to happen, it’s the unfiltered truth. She says she’s been trying tell him that, but he didn’t listen. He says he thought someday, they’d have something special, but there’s nothing; there never was. She asks if he thinks their friendship is nothing; his unfiltered truth? He says he’s in the midst of experiencing a moment of crushing clarity. Their friendship was premised on the mistaken belief that she’d change her mind, and rezone him to love town. What kind of friend is that? He says he’s sorry, and leaves.
Siddiq sits outside. Eugene looks at him, and keeps walking. Michonne says, still awake? and Siddiq says they’re both awake. She asks how he’s holding up, and he says he should be asking her. She says, as a mother, no sleep is her baseline reality. He says he’s a father, and he’s tired. She asks if she’ll see him later, and he says they’ll be good as new. She tells him, speak for his damn self. She leaves, and Dante comes out with some moonshine. Siddiq shakes his head, and says he has to sleep. Dante says that’s why he brought it. Siddiq says, cheers, and they clink mason jars. They each take a sip, and Dante says, you go in one person, and come out different. When he was in Iraq, there was one guy everyone knew; cocky, broad-shouldered. The dude the never broke. Until he did. He came back from the war broke, with the shakes, and thousand-mile stares. Siddiq asks, what happened to him? and Dante says, you’re looking at him.
Carol sleeps, and music plays. She wakes up, and goes downstairs. Daryl is cooking. She says they need jam, and he says, there’s probably some at the store. He hands her some money, and she asks if he’s sure they’re open. Henry sits at the dining table, and asks where she’s going. She wakes, and looks at the empty pill bottle. She goes downstairs, and Michonne asks, how is it? Carol says, it hurts. She says she did see the Whisperers. Michonne says she’s the only one who did, and there were seven of them out there. Carol says she did see them, and Michonne says, only she did.
Michonne sees Judith by the window, and Judith asks if it’s safe. Michonne says, for now. They get on either side of RJ in the bed.
Carol goes out on the patio, and sees Daryl. She says, Michonne doesn’t believe her. Does he? Daryl says, yeah, but I don’t think he sounds convincing, and neither does Carol.
We see the blood bath in the gym, and follow it outside where the Whisperer that Carol shot lies on the ground. She opens her eyes.
Next time, the people are restless, and want to silence the Whisperers; Earl says they’re already at war; and the battle continues.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
This was one of those episodes that goes back and forth from past to present, and I tried to make it as easy to follow as possible. The present is also set in the same time frame as last week’s episode, but from the Whisperers’ point of view.
The Walking Dead
Seven years ago. A car has crashed, and the woman inside is unconscious, but her head is on the steering wheel, causing the horn to blare. Zombies come toward the car, but she can’t get the driver’s side door open. She opens the passenger door, kicking them away, and tries to crawl under the car, but it’s too late. They grab her and rip her apart. A little girl walking with the zombies screams, and her mother grabs her and they run. It’s Alpha and Lydia covered in zombie yuck. Alpha tries to find an unlocked door, and isn’t having much luck. They run to a rehab, and Alpha struggles with the door, but finally gets it open. A zombie pulls at Lydia, but they get inside. Lydia says, sorry. They’re in a hallway, and see a man wearing a ski mask standing in the doorway. It’s Beta.
The present. Beta tells Alpha, it’s time the pack returns. She says they’re far from the enemy, and the pack’s fear will subside. She asks if he doubts her and their mission, but he says, never. Alpha looks at two girls making masks, and says, the sisters have a real gift.
Seven years ago. Alpha tells Beta (at this point, they don’t actually have names, so for clarity’s sake), they don’t mean harm. She asks, can he talk? She moves closer, but he hits a bat against a pipe as a warning. Lydia says she doesn’t like this, calling Alpha mama. Alpha tells him, if he tries to kill them, know two things. She doesn’t tire easily, and he’ll have to kill her daughter. She won’t leave without her. She readies herself, and he says, one night. She thanks him, and he says, do not leave the hallway. Lydia asks Alpha if she can wash up; the smell. Alpha asks, is there water? and he points. Lydia asks if he’s a monster, and Alpha says, we’re all monsters now.
The present. Beta tells Alpha, gather all of them; every last one they can find. As they walk, Beta signals to another Whisperer using two fingers. On of the sisters looks up at clouds. Sister Two sidles toward her, and says he’s watching her. Sister One says she feels different today. Does she feel that? It’s like it’s burning into their skin. Sister Two says, stop it. Her head’s in clouds. She should have left her sister behind while she had the chance. The Whisperers whisper.
Seven years ago. Alpha washes Lydia in an old steel tub. They hear zombie noises, and Lydia covers her ears. Alpha kisses her head. She looks around, and finds some canned goods. She looks through them, humming. Alpha paces in the background, and asks if she’s singing. She says, if you call it that, and he says, don’t do it again. She keeps looking, quietly. He asks if she has a name, and she says, the dead don’t have names; they shouldn’t either. Names are the past. They’re strong enough to be alive. The dead fear nothing, and only feed. They’re free. She asks how he ended up there, and he says he got into a tussle with the dead. They ran over his camp. She asks why he wears a mask, and starts to walk toward him, but he’s not receptive to that. He says he likes it; the sound of the dead. It’s the only song he never wants to end.
The present. Beta looks into a parking garage containing a small crowd of zombies, and bangs on the security gate. He makes zombie noises, and runs his hand over the gate. The gate rises.
The Whisperers walk through a field. Sister One looks at clouds again, and Sister Two tells her, stop it, but Beta sees her. Sister One flashes back, and we find out she was the girl who had to leave the baby that Connie ended up rescuing. She remembers putting the baby down, and Alpha shrugging. She starts to make anguished sounds, and the real dead notice. Alpha kills them, and Sister Two asks what’s wrong with her? Beta says she will pay. Why he just didn’t let her get eaten, I have no clue
Beta throws Sister One down in a clearing. She whimpers, saying, she’s gone. Beta brandishes a knife, and Alpha says, stop, glaring at him. Sister One continues to weep. Beta asks if she’s uncommitted now. Her actions threaten the entire pack. Her child broke her. Alpha says she understands how Sister One feels, abandoning her child. Alpha’s child was dead to her long before Alpha ended her. She sharpens a knife, and tells Beta that she’s going to the deeper place. She’ll be waiting.
Seven years ago. Alpha tells Lydia that she’ll sleep in there and guard the door. Lydia asks, why not lock it? but Alpha tells her walls could never contain someone like the man in there. Lydia asks if she likes him. Alpha holds out a stuffed bunny, but Lydia says she doesn’t want it. She’s not a baby anymore. She doesn’t want a stupid bunny. She doesn’t want to be scared. She wants to be more like Alpha. Alpha says she’s waited so long to hear that, and hopes Lydia will be. If she can’t, Alpha will have no choice but to leave her behind. Lydia begs Alpha to never leave her, and says she’ll do better. Alpha will see. She says she loves Alpha, calling her mama, and Alpha says stop calling her that.
The present. Sister One goes into a cave. Alpha reveals herself, and Sister One says she’s sorry. She begins to beg, and Alpha tells her to remove her mask. She does, and Alpha says, kneel. Alpha lifts her face, and putting her hands on either side of Sister One’s head, squeezes. Sister One screams. Beta hears. Alpha pets Sister One’s head, saying, shhh. Sister One thanks Alpha.
Omg, the first three commercials have a TWD promo in the background. Are they that desperate to make people look at what they’re pushing? Just because Michonne and Eugen are the wallpaper, doesn’t mean I’m going with Sprint.
Beta sees Sister One. Sister Two goes to her, and she says she’s thinking about that place. Sister Two grabs her, and takes her away from the group. Beta is like, wtf? He finds Alpha, and tells her it was unwise. Alpha says if Sister One strays again, she’ll skin her alive. Beta says, she unsettles the pack. Her moment of weakness will affect the others. Alpha says, being alive is a fantasy, and Beta says, the pack must learn it again; see it up close. She says, they will; soon. He asks if she’s content, and I laugh, because it seems like an insane question. He says he’s seen her wander away from the camp alone at night. She says she’s right there, as she’s always been. I dunno. Maybe being alive is a fantasy, but being a Whisperer seems like boring drudgery.
Seven years ago. Alpha wanders through the building, humming. A zombie appears, and she pikes it in the head. More zombies come down the hallway, and she nails them one by one, until one gets the better of her, and pins her up against the wall. Beta has been watching, and skewers it from behind, then finishes the rest of them off. She smiles at him, and follows him. They slaughter more zombies together. #Bonding. We can tell, she likes him. She slices into one of the zombies, and puts the guts into a container. She says she’s different. She never trusted people. She doesn’t trust anyone. He asks if there’s a reason why, and she rips open another zombie. She tells Beta that his name is Big Man. He’s like, no, and she says, Mr. B. He says he thought they had no names, but she says, it’s not a name; it’s a letter. He says if B is his name, what’s her name? She says, A. He asks if she can move with them when she’s covered, and she says, you’ve got to become them. Feel what they feel. He asks what they feel, and she says, nothing. There are only two kinds of people left. Those brave enough to walk with the dead, and everybody else. Tell her, which one is he? She reaches toward his mask, and he grabs her hand, saying, don’t. He walks away, and she hums.
The present. It’s nighttime, and the sisters lie together, unmasked. Sister One says, can you imagine? Alpha is so powerful; so calm. Her head feels right again. Alpha sacrificed her daughter. She said when she watched her daughter die, it was gentle. Sister Two says, Alpha doesn’t cry. Sister One says she’s sorry, and Sister Two says she’s risking what they have there. Don’t do it again – ever. Sister Two asks if she meant what she said before? That she wishes she’d left her behind. Sister Two says, did she say that? and rolls over, turning her back.
The Whisperers walk through a field. Beta does that signal thing again. A pack of real zombies ambles toward them. They see the fire streak in the sky from the satellite. Beta is startled, and looks up for a moment. He says, do not break; there’s too many. Sister One smiles, looking at the clouds again. A zombie wearing a baby carrier toddles toward her. She remembers putting the baby down, and Alpha shrugging. She suddenly breaks her zombie character, and jumps on Alpha’s back, yelling, and attracting the zombies’ attention. Beta starts stabbing the zombies, and Sister Two pulls Sister One off of Alpha, throwing her sister into a group of zombies, who feed on her. Beta looks at Alpha.
Alpha asks Sister Two if she regrets what she did, and tells her to take her mask off. Sister Two does as she’s told, and says her sister wasn’t committed. She no longer belonged with them. She had to protect the Alpha. Beta says she did. It’s her destiny; the purest most honest way to avoid chaos. Her purity will never be forgotten. Alpha says there’s a tear in her mask; she should repair it. Beta tells her, leave us, and she leaves. Alpha removes her mask, and Beta asks if she’s hurt. She says, no. She feels calm. He says they lost three of their own. It was mayhem. Alpha says there’s a clarity amid the chaos. She is no more. Alpha walks away. Beta grunts, and follows her.
Seven years ago. Lydia explores the building, and finds the buckets of guts near where Beta is sleeping. Covering herself with them, she walks the hallways, saying, we’re all monsters now.
The present. Alpha tells Sister Two, for her bravery and sacrifice, and putting the needs of the pack above her own. She dubs Sister Two, Gamma. Everyone says, to Gamma. Alpha looks skyward.
I don’t know if it’s me or it’s that the Whisperers whisper a lot, but I’m having a hard time hearing the dialogue in the episode. I don’t think I’m going dead deaf…
Beta approaches Gamma, and says Alpha has been gone for hours. Gamma asks if he’s angry, and he says he feels nothing for her, and Gamma says she’s also empty, as Alpha wants. Beta asks, where is she? and Gamma says, she was moving toward the old camp a while ago.
Seven years ago. Alpha wakes and looks for Lydia, who’s busy roaming the halls. Lydia walks up a staircase, saying, we’re all monsters now.
The present. Beta strides through the forest. Even though he said he feels nothing, I’d say he’s pretty angry.
Seven years ago. Lydia hears zombie noises behind a door, and walks toward it. Alpha follows Lydia’s bloody footprints, and takes a visible breath. Lydia reaches for the door knob, and opens the door. Alpha whispers Lydia’s name. Is she practicing for being a Whisperer? There’s a display case on the wall, and Alpha sees pictures of two men with their faces scratched out; one tall guy, and a shorter guy with a shirt that says, Have A Happy Day. Presumably, the tall guy is Beta. A shadow falls over her.
The present. Alpha goes to the old camp, which is very Blair Witch. Beta shows up, and she asks if he lost his way. He says, has she?
Seven years ago. Beta says he told Alpha never to go over to that part of the building, but she says she doesn’t care. She needs to find her daughter.
The present. Alpha holds the stuffed bunny, and Beta says she kept that? She says, it’s for Lydia, and he says Alpha claimed she was dead. She said she killed Lydia, but she wants Lydia back. Alpha says he shouldn’t have come there. Why? He says, why did she lie? Lydia is never coming back, no matter how much Alpha wishes she would, or how hard she tries to replace her with someone else. She is gone.
Seven years ago. A zombie walks in behind Beta. It’s the guy wearing the Have A Happy Day shirt, and Alpha kills him. Beta says, noo!
The present. Alpha tells Beta, Lydia is her baby; her daughter. She couldn’t kill her. He holds out his hand, and she takes it, whimpering silently. She says they can’t know that Lydia is alive. He says, they won’t. Alpha says Lydia is dead to her; the moment she was born. Lydia wasn’t like her. She repeats, Lydia was not like her. She throws the bunny, and kicks and breaks things, smashing up the old camp. The whole time yelling, she’s not like me.
Seven years ago. Beta throws stuff around, and picks up his sword. Alpha says she knows him better than he knows himself. He’s just like her, but not broken. He goes after her with the sword, and hits the glass case instead. Lydia comes out and says Alpha was trying to save him. She goes to Alpha, and says, she’s strong. Alpha says she is. She’s proud of Lydia, but don’t dare do it again. She holds Lydia, and says, the world went dark so they could see a new path. Beta caresses his zombie friend’s body, and Alpha says, come walk with her in the darkness. He’ll never be alone again. Her Beta. They are the end of the world. She lifts his mask, smiles, and puts it back. She says, come with them. Beta says he can’t leave him, and she says he won’t have to. She hands him a knife, and he peels the guy’s face off.
The present. Alpha tells Beta that she saw smoke by the borders; the enemy crossed. They’re going back. He hands her mask to her, and she puts it on. They interlace their fingers, and say, we walk in darkness; we are free. We love nothing; we are free. We hear nothing; we are free. We need no world; we are free. We embrace death; we are free. We see the pack begin to walk again, as they say, this is the end of the world. Alpha and Beta walk with the pack, but Alpha breaks away to find Carol standing on the cliff, and stares at her. They say, we are the end of the world.
Next time, Gamma tells Daryl to go to the border and wait, the Highwaymen want justice, Alpha confronts says they have to be punished.
📡 Thora Birch (Gamma) and Ryan Hurst (Beta) were guests on Talking Dead tonight, and I got two takeaway points. TWD sounds like a fantastic place to work, and Beta is a funny guy.
⬅ Beta’s Backstory…
Nice interview with the man behind two different masks.
Tyler Perry has a new drama coming out, and it stars Ed Quinn, aka Randy from 2 Broke Girls. Pay no attention to that MariahCarey speech video in the middle of the article. Unless you want to. Personally, I don’t know her.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Training Day. A Russian space capsule lands in the water. A zombie gets out, walks to shore, and gets a machete in the head for his trouble. It’s wielded by Judith. On the beach, everyone marches in formation. Daryl watches as Ezekiel and Jerry bang on the side of an old ship stuck on shore. They open the door, a few zombies come out, looking mighty slimy and weak, and they close it again. Aaron leads everyone forward. The first line of defense holds spiked shields. They part and the second line shoots the zombies down with arrows. They march toward the ship. Jerry and Ezekiel open the door again, and let out more. The first line stands firm, and the zombies walk into their spikes. A spear hurtles into a zombie’s head. Another zombie group is let out, more of them than previously. The ranks open, and Michonne, Luke, and Daryl get up close and personal, with Michonne slicing the tops off of zombie heads, and the others using the smashing heads method.
Ezekiel and Jerry are having a hard time keeping the door closed, and finally give up, stepping away from the ship. The door falls, and takes part of the ship’s side with it. Michonne tells everyone, stay in formation. Remember your training. Daryl slices and dices, Judith pikes one, and Magna stabs zombie heads. Yumiko shoots arrows.
Back at camp, fish is prepared. Luke talks to Jules, as they undo a fishing net for rope. He asks if she’s flirting with him. She says she is, and he says, cool. Michonne tells Daryl, it was tiring, but worth the trip. He says they did good. Rick would have been proud. She hopes so. He says they should bring the kids next time. Rick would have loved it.
Judith and some of the kids dump out shells. While going through them, Judith uncovers a face buried in the sand.
Aaron thinks they should put Alexandria on lockdown, just in case. Michonne says, everyone is still on alert. She appreciates his caution, but they don’t need to start a panic. Cyndie says, it washed up on shore, with lots of other stuff. Aaron tells Michonne, the mask signifies they’re still out there. They need to be sure. Michonne suggests they get a group together. She tells Daryl to make sure Lydia knows not to leave again without saying goodbye.
The group rides into the woods.
Off their horses, Aaron asks what Michonne thinks. She says she thinks a lot of things, and he says maybe they’re the villains of someone else’s story. They’re a threat to their survival. So dangerous, they’re threatened with being wiped out. It makes him wonder sometimes. She doesn’t give a sh*t about the Whisperers or where they stand. He says he’s not talking about the Whisperers.
Michonne says they might not find the answer. Aaron says, the Whisperers cover their tracks. If a mask was found, there’s a reason. He sees some zombies near a trashed car, and rides toward them. She warns him that he’s near a border, but he dismounts, and kicks some zombie ass. One gets the better of him, and another reaches out from under the car, and grabs his ankle. Michonne machetes the first one, and he pikes the ankle biter. She tells him, that was stupid. They agreed not to cross the border. They don’t want to start anything without a reason. If had been the Whisperers, they could have died. It wasn’t them, and they could have died, and for what? Aaron says acting like this isn’t normal. Holding their breath for months isn’t normal. Michonne says they have to keep cool or they win. Aaron says he’s always been the nice guy. The good Samaritan. Eric is dead. Jesus is dead. He’s sick of being nice. Michonne says good and nice never got her anywhere, but smart did. The Whisperers have nuclear weapons; they don’t. It’s not about being nice, but keeping people alive. They’re not going to die over nothing. She hates it too. Aaron says they should go, and Michonne radios the others that they’re circling back.
They ride to where Luke and some of the others have found the remnants of a camp. Magna shows Yumiko a skeleton, and some dead bodies. Aaron wonders if the campers were fighting the walkers. Luke says maybe they’re not connected. They see another body, naked and face down. Michonne says it looks like they’ve been there a while. The keep walking, and Magna shows them a skin. Aaron picks it up on stick, and says, at least one was there at some point. Yumiko wonders, when, and what the hell happened?
They ride to Oceanside, and Michonne tells Aaron, fear can be dangerous. It can drive them apart. They need to squash it before it starts. Aaron says, fear can keep you safe too, but Michonne says, be smart, not afraid. She was thinking about what he said; who they’ve become and who they are. The truth is they are the good guys. She knows who Rick and Carl were… and Eric, and Jesus too. They have to choose to be the good guys, even when it’s hard. The minute they start to question that, they lose sight of it. And when the answer to that question starts to change, they’ll be scarier than any skin mask. Aaron walks away.
Michonne hears Judith talking to RJ, telling him the kid version of Rick’s story. She says, the brave man couldn’t let the walkers hurt his friends, so he blew up the bridge. RJ asks if the brave man went with his friends, but she says he died and went to heaven. Michonne smiles sadly. Judith tells RJ that Rick is in their hearts, and Michonne hugs him. Judith joins in the hug, and RJ says he didn’t like it when the brave man died. Why? Michonne says, some people you love so much, you’d do anything for them, like she would for them. RJ says, and his dad, and they hug again. They hear an explosion, and look up. A trail of fire shoots through the sky, and Judith asks if it’s a meteor. Eugene comes in on the radio, and says he needs to talk to her now.
Bird Wisdom. Aaron asks Michonne if this means they’re back, and she says, not necessarily, but they need to stay on alert. Eugene, who has a bunch of charts hanging up to record everything about the baby, changes diapers. Rosita works out with a punching bag. She feeds the baby, and then Eugene burps the baby. Success! Eugene tries to work, and turns off the music, which causes the baby to wail, Rosita turns it back on, and boxes some more. Gabriel comes by, and Eugene gives him some statistics on the baby. Rosita says the baby isn’t an experiment, and he can’t boil it down to charts and graphs. Siddiq arrives.
In the classroom, Lydia gets frustrated with learning to read. She says she’s gone her whole life without it, but the teacher says, it will open the world to her. Gabriel comes in, followed by some of the others. He says they need the room, and Yumiko asks if Lydia should be there.
Lydia practices with a pokey stick (which I learn later from Talking Dead, is called a Bo staff, but I’m staying with pokey stick). Negan tends the vegetable garden, and asks if everything is okay. Lydia says, it’s the same as ten minutes ago, and he asks why folks are giving her the side-eye. She says they’re eyeing him too, but he says it’s because of what he’s done in past years. A dude tells Negan to get back to work, and says Lydia is supposed to keep her distance. She tells Negan, someone found a skin, and Negan says she needs to watch her back. He winks at her. Eugene and Gabriel walk by, and Negan says, hey boss, but no one talks to him.
Siddiq kisses the baby, who laughs as he puts it in the crib. A mobile of origami paper cranes hangs above. Siddiq flashes back to Alpha. He splashes some water on his face. He sees a big spider, and remembers seeing one in the Whisperers camp. Dante pokes his head in, and Siddiq asks what he’s doing there. Dante says he could hear the baby screaming all the way to where he was. He wanted to make sure everything was cool. Siddiq picks the baby up, and says he was just doing household tasks. Dante says he’s been reorganizing the meds, and tells Siddiq, they’re like gods in the apocalypse. Dante wonders what’s with the yellow alert business, and the Whisperers. Siddiq thinks back again, and Dante wonders what’s up with him. Siddiq says he needs get his kid to sleep, and thanks Dante for checking on him. When Dante leaves, he thinks about Alpha.
Gabriel finds Negan back in his cell. Gabriel is surprised that Negan knocked off early. He thought Negan couldn’t get enough of the great outdoors. Negan says, it’s starting, and Gabriel says, if he wants to say something, say just say it. Negan says let him regurgitate some baby bird wisdom into Gabriel’s pretty mouth. People tend to get mixed up about who they hate. Yesterday, he was public enemy number one, now he’s the guy who tends vegetables and takes out the trash. He’s keeping his head down until this thing passes, in case his category gets moved to them. Gabriel says, that’s not what’s happening, and Negan tells him, he didn’t say that. He said, it will be. The boogey man stuck his mask out of the closet door, and people are putting their sh*tting pants back on. Pants sh*tting is definitely happening. The alert sh*t makes them feel insecure, even if it’s just for show. There’s a guy following him with a spear, like he might brain someone with a tomato. Gabriel says, so his advice is to lie? That’s his regurgitated bird wisdom? Negan says, strategic omission. Not misleading, just using the truth to manipulate things. If it’s what keeps people alive, what’s the harm?
Gabriel tells Michonne they should lock the gates for the night, and double the security. They see another streak of fire in the sky. Eugene radios Oceanside, and gets Rachel. Michonne says she needs to communicate leadership. Something of importance is about to happen.
Sea Dogs. At the beach, Aaron says, the river carried it down, and Gabriel asks if the Whisperers are back. Daryl arrives with Dog. Magna’s group pulls something out of the water with a net. Connie signs to Kelly, what’s going on? Kelly signs back, nothing, and Connie asks if it’s getting worse. Kelly signs that she’s fine. It’s just when there are a lot of voices and sounds, she can’t make out if someone is talking to her, and she can’t predict when it’s going to happen. They hug, and Connie signs, it’ll be okay. Keep practicing to make sure she’s ready. Kelly signs, who will take care of Connie? Who will interpret? Connie signs, we got this. Them together. Being deaf isn’t a disability; it’s a damn superpower. Daryl joins them.
Ezekiel and Daryl meet on the bridge. Ezekiel asks if Daryl ever wonders why bird sh*t is called guano, but Daryl says he just calls it bird sh*t, and Ezekiel says, him too. When he worked in a zoo, birds scared the hell out of him. Lions and tigers were no problem, but an ostrich will disembowel you if you look sideways at it. Daryl says Ezekiel should eat more birds. Show them who’s boss. Ezekiel wonders what seagull tastes like, and Daryl says, not like chicken. Connie brings Dog to Daryl, and shows him her notepad. He reads, I think you lost something, and signs to Connie that he thinks Dog just likes her better. I love Dog, and I don’t want to, because this show always takes the things you love from you. Connie writes, not bad. You sign with a Southern accent.
A boat comes in. Daryl waves and whistles. Carol waves from the bow, and they dock. Ezekiel helps her off. She says it’s good to see him, and he says it’s good to see her too. They hug, but it’s all awkward. Carol goes over to Daryl, and asks if he missed her. He says, not really, and she says she’ll take that.
Daryl asks Carol, how was it? and she says, you work until you feel like your back will break, then work some more. Then sleep like the dead on deck under the stars. Daryl asks if it’s what she was looking for, and she says there was nothing at Oceanside. He says it’s been a while since he’s heard from her, and she says, fishing is hard. He says that’s not what he means. Is Carol looking for her? Carol says, no. She’s trying to forget what happened. If they’re lucky, they’ll never think about that skin freak again. Daryl says they found a mask today. They took a group out to look for signs. Does she want to join them? She says, no, and he asks what she wants to do.
Carol rides on the back of Daryl’s bike on a path through the woods. Daryl says they just cleared it out. Carol tells him, faster, and he says, hang on.
Walking again, Daryl and Carol encounter a zombie. Daryl shoots it in the head with an arrow. More pop out, and they stab the zombies in the head. I wonder if they think it’s like old times.
New Mexico. Daryl tries to shoot a deer but it gets away. He and Carol come across some wrecked cars in a ravine. The deer falls over, and Carol starts to move forward, but Daryl says, it’s one of their borders. She says they can still get the deer, but zombies are already on their way to it. Carol asks, why respect borders they didn’t agree to? The zombies fall on the deer, and feed. Carly says, that deer could have fed 200 people. I say, apparently, now it’s feeding five zombies. Daryl says, sorry he pissed her off. She is too. He says there’s no reason to start sh*t they don’t have to. She says maybe it’s just as well she left, and he says he’s been thinking about that. Why doesn’t she go home now? She sits on the ground next to him, and tells him, get off her ass before she puts him on his. Before she goes to live her life on a boat, she thinks they should have matching friendship bracelets. They can decorate them with seashells. What’s his favorite color? He’s got an idea. Eat, not talk. He shares some snacks with her, and she starts to make a bracelet out of dried grass. She asks if they should make a matching collar for Dog, and he laughs. Carol asks if he ever wonders if this is all there is. Running into people; killing each other. Sometimes she thinks they’re just surviving. Daryl says there’s got to be people out there like them. Who get what they’re doing. He asks if she wants to runaway together, and she says they can be pirates together. He says a little cabin isn’t for him, and Carly says, screw the boat. They’ll take the bike. He says, New Mexico, and she asks, what’s there? He says, people who need bracelets. No more fighting. They’ll get on the bike, and go see what’s left. It sounds good to her. She ties the bracelet. They hear and explosion, and look up.
Lines We Cross. Aaron says, it’s war, and Carol says they have to go now. Everyone runs into the woods. There are patches of fire everywhere, and they see a crashed USSR space capsule. They try to put out the fires. Earl says, it’s going to be a long, hot night. Elsewhere, another group digs a trench. Michonne tells them, keep digging. They have to get done before fire jumps the line. She hacks the head off of a zombie. Michonne and Daryl work on keeping the fires at bey while the others keep digging. The firefighting group passes buckets to each other. Ezekiel starts to cough, and doubles over. Jerry tells him, take a break. Carol says they’re out of water, and now zombies are starting to come out of the forest. Daryl, Michonne, and some of the others take up weapons. They dispatch the zombies, but more come out behind them. Then even more. Michonne gets out her machete. There’s a small herd at this point, and Daryl is like, wtf?
Embers. They just keep coming. Tons of them. Aaron says, there are says too many, but they’re stuck between the zombies and the fire. In a slow motion, the group takes out the zombies, with all kinds of blades and arrows. Eugene and some others continue to douse the fire, while zombies are slaughtered around them. Carol cuts a zombie’s throat, and blood gushes out. So much, that it puts out the fire on another downed zombie. I try not to think too hard about the fact that there probably wouldn’t be that much blood inside a zombie. Eugene tells them to steer clear, a flaming tree is going to fall. A group of burning zombies toddles toward them, and Daryl throws an ax at the tree, toppling it onto the zombies. Although this is a miniscule move in the grand scheme of zombie things, since these zombies are endless and relentless.
There’s lots of smoke, but looks like the fire is out as daylight happens. Michonne tells everyone to pack up and move. Eugene is examining the capsule, and asks if he can have twenty minutes. Michonne says he gets no minutes, and he says, ten. He thinks investigating the capsule could be useful, but uses a million words to say it. Michonne tells him, five minutes and he’s out. Luke says, hey,Eugenius, and asks what about radiation? But Eugene says, radiation is all around them. They’re already infected with whatever they’re going to get. Luke says he understands; no superpowers today. Aaron tells Michonne, they made the right choice, and it benefitted Oceanside too. Michonne tells him not to push his luck. They helped their people, and it’s all she cares about.
Carol and Daryl look out from a cliff. Daryl asks if she still wants to run away together. She says, a year from tomorrow, and he says he needs her to stay. She says she’ll think about it, and he says, otherwise, he’d have to punch holes in all them boats. He leaves Carol on the cliff, and she looks at a slate wall on the other side. She sees Alpha come out, and they lock eyes. Alpha puts her hands on her hips. Rut-roh.
Next time, Beta shaves Alpha’s head; Beta says, it’s time the pack returns; and Alpha says, there’s clarity in chaos.
🔉 On Talking Dead, Chris Hardwick said he wondered what show he was watching when it first started. Me too! the scene with the space capsule made it look like it was a different show. I also found out that Daryl (Norman Reedus, who was a guest) really did hit that tree with the ax. He said he couldn’t do it again if he tried.
🌠 Super Connie…
Like dolls, kids want to see superheroes just like them.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 