(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
In a voiceover, Carol tells us that she didn’t plan on surviving. She was going die with the horde, but her family pulled her back; they always do. The Whisperers destroyed Hilltop, and she had to tell Maggie that she’d sent Negan to be part of them. They’re working tirelessly to rebuild in Alexandria, but the Whisperers destroyed their crops. The return of Maggie, along with more people, meant more mouths to feed, and she and Daryl found that the horde had killed everything worth hunting. Every tough decision Carol made was to protect them, and she’ll do whatever it takes. She’ll do what she can to make things right.
Carol walks with Daryl and Dog on a path through the woods, Daryl gives Carol a knife to open her canteen (I find out later on Talking Dead that it’s Leah’s knife), and they share some water with Dog. Carol says she wishes they had more to show for their trip. All the new mouths to feed… He says she’ll make it work. She always does. She says, he’s not coming back? and he says he’s staying a while longer. He asks if she wants a ride; his bike isn’t far. As they walk, he says, hey… and she says he doesn’t have to apologize. He tells her that he was just going to say good luck. She says, good luck to him too. They walk in opposite directions, and Dog is conflicted, but goes with Carol. Daryl says, fine.
Daryl pushes his bike out of woods, and starts it up. He drives off.
Carol returns to Alexandria with Dog. Dog pokes at a ratty scarf on the ground, and Carol picks it up and keeps walking. She goes into where she and Daryl stay, and gives Dog a bowl of water. Funny, I see Dog drink a lot of water, but never see him pee. She tells Dog, for the record, she didn’t need an apology from Daryl. She knows what he said – an apology is just a truce. It doesn’t fix anything. She pets Dog.
Carol walks through town, and sees Jerry. She says she was thinking of working on the north gate post, and if that works out, she’ll clean the dead fish from the fishery, but Jerry says Rosita already has a crew fixing the gate post, and the fishery has been cleared out. She says, it doesn’t smell like it, and he says it’s being used for fertilizer. He asks how the trip was, and she says, good. He asks if she need help, but she says, no. She has to figure something out. He asks what she’s got in her hand, and she says she found it in the street. Somebody must have dropped it during the evacuation, and she thought she’d mend it. She just wants to fix something. Tell her how she can help; anything at all. He says he’s thinking, and his stomach rumbles. He says, food is important to thinking. She says she’s sure she can whip up something from what she found, and he tells her, a bunch of people are crashing in Michonne’s kitchen, and the solar panels are messed up; Whisperers probably. They also had to throw out a bunch of grain. Carol asks, why? and he says, rats. She says, anything else? and he asks what she’s going to make. She says she doesn’t know; maybe soup. She’s got a couple of fish, nuts, and mushrooms. She’ll make it work. He says she always does, and she asks if he ever heard the story of Stone Soup. They used to read it in school. (I actually remember having that book as a kid.) A stranger came to a village, and had nothing to trade but rocks. He convinced the people that he could make stone soup. Then he told one person that he needed to borrow some salt, and another, a little bit of onion. A little bit of this, and a little bit of that from everyone in the village, until there was real soup, and everyone was happy. Jerry says, it doesn’t sound very tasty. Maybe Ezekiel and the others will bring help soon, and she won’t have to make soup out of rocks. She says she hopes so.
Daryl is riding along the path, and his bike stops. He checks something, takes up his crossbow, and begins to walk.
Carol checks out the pantry/garage, and finds a few things. She cuts some mushrooms, and chops up some fish. She puts some salt in the pot, and throws some over her shoulder. She hears Dog growling, and runs into the living room where Dog is attacking a blanket. She says, hey, and he grabs the scarf. She picks up a book that belongs to Daryl, The Golden Age of Piracy, and says Dog is being a bad dog. He knocks over a lamp, and she tells him, back off. Take it easy. She rights the lamp, and sees the cord has been chewed. She looks down and sees rat droppings. And tells Dog, it’s okay. It’s a rat, She hears it too. Dog takes off through the house, and knocks the pot over in the pantry. She says, bad dog. Go. She tells Dog not to look at her like that. This is serious. They need that food. Go. Dog goes back in the living room, and Carol closes the door. She looks at the spilled ingredients, and says, dammit. She devises a trap, and sets it on the floor, saying, see you later, a-hole, and leaves.
Jerry sees Carol, and asks how the soup is coming. She says, great. She needs a couple more ingredients, and she’s going to see what she can rustle up. He tells her, rustle up some stones too, and she laughs. She walks around a field, gathering some greens. A zombie toddles along, and more come out of the woods. She asks if they think she can’t take them herself. She says, first, you, and stabs the loner in the head. She points to the others, and says, then you, you, and you, and you.
We hear zombie noises, and the sounds of zombies being whacked in the head. We see the wildflowers in the forefront, while Carol dispatches zombies in the background. Carol picks up her greens, and continues on.
Daryl walks through the woods on the path. He sees an abandoned car, opens the hood, and pulls something out. How convenient! He sees a truck, and goes underneath, taking something else. It’s like a mini graveyard of cars, and he sees another with a decrepit zombie inside. He opens the hood, but can’t find what he needs. He puts down his stuff, and slides under the car. I say, don’t do that, but he doesn’t listen. The zombie moves to the backseat, and the car moves, nearly squashing Daryl. He tells it, stop moving, and the car rocks as the zombie scrambles to the front. Daryl grabs some wires, and slides back out. He bangs on the window, picks up his stuff, and says, thanks, buddy.
Jerry sees Carol coming back with blood on her, and asks, what the hell happened? She says, nothing, and tells him that she got some greens for tasty nutrition. He asks if she’s sure she’s okay, and she says, yeah. Back to it. She returns to her place, and dumps out the greens. She checks the trap, but nothing yet.
Daryl goes back to his bike. The music is tense, so I wonder what’s going to happen. He checks his pockets, and remembers handing Carol his pocketknife. He takes out a bigger knife, and screws around with something on the bike. He walks the bike out onto the road.
Carol rights a solar panel, and strips the ends of the wires. Jerry comes by with a wheelbarrow, and asks if she’s got it. She says she’s good, and he says, let him know if she needs anything. He keeps walking, and she says, sure will. Then she single-handedly fixes the solar panel. On his way back, Jerry sees the panel, and just looks at her. She goes back in, and tries the light switch. The light comes on.
Daryl continues to walk alongside his bike, and pushes it up a hill. He comes to railroad tracks, and sees some zombies in the distance. He takes out binoculars, and checks them out, seeing one wearing military camo. He puts his backpack on the bike, takes up his crossbow, and walks toward the zombies.
Daryl gets his bow ready, and walks toward the zombies. He steps on a twig that cracks, and it captures their attention. He walks faster past them, and they follow. He aims his bow at a zombie in camo caught in a tree near the edge of a hill. I guess he figures, why waste a shot? since he puts the bow down, and tries to reach for the zombie. He slips, and the zombie goes sliding down the hill along with him. He manages to throw it off of him, and gets on top of it, grabbing for the knife on the ground. He stabs its head, and goes through the zombie’s stuff, pulling out what he needs. He hears the others coming, and sees them at the top of the hill. He sidesteps, and one slides down, the rest following like lemmings. He heads back to his bike. He messes with the engine, and a zombie crawls toward him. He’s like, enough already, and shoots it with his crossbow. He takes the arrow out of the zombie, and goes through its pockets, finding some good stuff. Too bad there isn’t an engine in there. He says, nice, and fiddles some more with the bike.
Carol tells Dog, come on. Dog sits, and she says, don’t make her beg. She tells him, good boy, and he comes into the pantry with her. She puts the greens in a pot, and tells him, if he’s good boy, she’ll save him some scraps. She lifts the trap, and is startled by the rat, who gets away. She chases it all around the pantry, knocking things over, and Dog is like, WTF? She yelled at me for doing that. The rat runs into a hole in the wall, and she stuffs a towel into it. She tells Dog, what? Are you two friends now because I yelled at you earlier? She says, screw it, and unplugs the pot, saying, she’ll make soup tomorrow. She goes into the bedroom, but dog hesitates. She tells him, come on, and he jumps on the bed without any coaxing. He lies next to her, and she says she feels the fight coming out of her. Dog misses him, doesn’t he? Don’t worry; he’ll come back. He always comes back. She doesn’t though, does she? She asks if Dog thinks they should scram, and get out of everybody’s hair. They could. Dog gives her kisses. I love Dog.
Daryl does an elaborate fixing of the bike, using a multitool, and holding a flashlight in his mouth.
Dog stirs, and wakes Carol. He makes a small bark, but she tells him, shh, and gets up.
Daryl tries the bike, and it starts. He drives off.
Carol goes downstairs, lighting the way with a flashlight. Dog goes ahead. I also constantly worry about Dog. She looks around the pantry, and hears Dog making noises near the wall where the rat was. She pokes through the wall with a knife, and makes a hole. She listens, and waits. She slashes at the wall some more, and waits again. She goes back another time, and makes more holes in the wall. She knocks over a shelf, and starts bringing down the wall by hand. She leans against what’s left, and slides down to the floor. Dog looks worried, and comes over to her, lying next to her. She puts her hand on Dog and pets him, because dogs calm everyone down and make everything better.
Carol cleans up the pantry, sweeping up the mess. Jerry knocks at the door, and she slides it open. She says, hey. He looks inside, seeing the wall, and she says, it’s fine; she’s fixing it. What’s up? He says his cover story is that he’s coming by for soup, but no poker face. He’s going to fess up. He’s just checking on her. She asks if he thinks she needs checking on, and he says he does. Ezekiel would agree with him. She says she can’t argue with that, and Jerry says he wishes he could check on Ezekiel too. She says she’s sure Ezekiel is coming back as fast as he can. He likes checking up on people as much as Jerry does; it’s pathological. Why can’t they just let people like her suffer in peace? Jerry says, it’s a real problem, and she says, yesterday wasn’t her best day. It was a bad day. He says, the wall is all busted up. Ezekiel would have a saying for this kind of thing. She says maybe she just needs to fix what she broke. He says, a friend thinks you’re perfect even when everyone thinks you’re broken. He noticed Daryl didn’t come back with her, and two plus two equals eureka. She says, what if you’re broke, and your best friend realized later than everyone else? and he says, Ezekiel probably has a saying for that too. He just doesn’t know what it is. She asks what he would say, and he hugs her. The rat walks out the door, and goes around the corner. He says, was that… and she says, yeah. Come on in. The soup is almost ready.
Daryl drives into Alexandria. Carol is putting the wall back together. She starts to put on the scarf, looks at it, and says, sorry, throwing it in the trash. She goes over to close the door, and Dog runs out. He runs to Daryl, and she asks, what the hell happened to him? He says he was going to ask her the same thing. The usual. He says, yeah, same, and she asks if he found anything. He says, yeah, and asks if Dog was good. She nods, and wonders if he’s hungry. She made soup for everyone. He says he’s all right, and thanks her. She says, sure, and tells him that she forgot to give him his knife back. He tells her to keep it, and she says, really? He nods, and she puts it in her pocket. He says he’s beat. He’s going to hit the sack. She says, her too, and he goes off with Dog. Carol goes back inside, seeming lighter.
Next time – the finale – Here’s Negan. Negan’s backstory, and the birth of Lucille. Hilarie Burton Morgan – Jeffrey Dean’s real life wife – will be playing Negan’s wife, the first Lucille.
The weekend has come to a close, so back to the same old after two days of the other same old. Whatever same old it is for you, stay safe, stay being open to opportunity, and stay thinking your friends are perfect, even if they’re broken.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
In a voiceover, Eugene tells us that he, Ezekiel, and Yumiko embarked on a journey to look for another civilization, and met Princess along the way. We flash back to that, and he says, arriving at the railyard, it appeared they’d missed their rendezvous. We see what look like a group of stormtroopers grabbing them, and Eugene says they found themselves in a nefarious pickle.
They stand back to back, hands up, and the soldiers take Yumiko. She tries to run back, yelling for them to leave Princess alone, but they grab her again, saying it’s her last chance. Yumiko yells, don’t hurt her, sh*theads! but they drag Princess away in the other direction. She’s thrown into a wooden boxcar so violently that she whacks her head on the far wall. She hears noise outside, and yells, what’s going on? She looks around, but the car is empty. She looks up to the ceiling, and sinks to the floor.
Princess tries to pry the door open, but no luck. She walks back, counting her steps in Spanish. She sees shadows of people outside, and remembers what happened. She recites the state capitals, and breathes a sigh of relief that she can still do it. She looks under an old tarp, but there’s nothing. She tries to look out the slats, but can only see part of the soldiers walking by.
She goes to the other side, and manages to pull off part of a slat, cutting her finger. She hears a voice say, Princess, are you there? and says, Yumiko? Yumiko tells her, shh. It’s her. She’s in the next car over. Princess says she’ll try to get to Yumiko, and asks her to move closer. She says she feels terrible, but she’s going make it up to Yumiko. She’s just got to find a way through the wall. She suggests Yumiko get the soldiers to come over there, so they can talk to them, but Yumiko says it’s a terrible idea. Princess says she has to do something. She says Yumiko sounds a little groggy. Did she hit her head? Yumiko says she did, and Princess asks, how bad? Is it bleeding? Yumiko tells Princess to calm down, but Princess says she can’t sit while Yumiko is hurt. Yumiko tells Princess, just do what she says, and Princess agrees, saying, sorry. It’s just that it’s dark and small. Can Yumiko still hear her? Yumiko says, yeah, and Princess says, stay awake. She’s going to try and get help, but keep talking. Princess picks at the wall, and tells Yumiko about an infection she got when she was 14, and had to stay home from school. There were some cool kids at school, and a girl who totally changed her life. Princess wonders where she is now, and blesses herself. She asks if Yumiko is still with her, but gets no answer. She says she nagged her mom, and her mom sent her back to school, but her finger got infected again. It swelled up like a birthday balloon; she felt like a swamp monster. Her stepdad wouldn’t let her eat at the table. He was mad, but she said he couldn’t push her away. It was her house first. He smacked her hard across her jaw. She told her mom, and asked if her mom was going to do something. Don’t send her out to eat by herself. Her mom said, don’t eat. She calls to Yumiko, but doesn’t hear anything. She tells Yumiko, wake up. Answer her. She hears someone, and yells that her friend needs help. She hears them come into Yumiko’s car, and asks where they’re taking her. Are they helping her? She’s told to shut up, and she starts to recite the state capitals again.
The soldiers walk outside of the boxcars, and Princess calls for Yumiko, asking if she’s back. There’s no response, and Princess walks the length of the car. She sees light coming through, and says, no way. She sees a loose board, and takes it off. There’s an opening bug enough for her to slide through, and she sees Eugene in the next car. He tells her, stop. Get back in. They’re making frequent checks. She tells him, they took Yumiko, and he suggests their potential benefactors are giving Yumiko assistance. Princess asks him to come with her, but he says, not a good idea. They’ll see what’s going on when they clear the process. Their metal is being tested. He’s sure the soldiers are required to keep them in good enough shape to talk. Princess says, this is bad sh*t, and he says, stop it. The soldiers walk past, and she slips around the back of the car, and watches them. They keep going, and she goes back to Eugene. He says, if they catch her, it could be disastrous. They’re in the middle of a fierce battle, and he’s being counted on to be a cross between Santa Claus and a guardian angel. They have to present themselves as being in allegiance. There’s no room for miscalculations. Don’t make things worse. She goes back into the car, and covers the opening.
The door opens, and a soldier tells Princess to come; hands up, move slow. She asks where they’re going, but he just says, walk.
Princess is naked, and asks what they’re going to do to her. A soldier tells her, turn around, and she says, if he’s looking for bites, she doesn’t have any. She does have a splinter that’s driving her nuts. Can they take it out? She sits at a table, and works at the splinter, while the head soldier watches her from the other side. She says, please tell her why she’s there, and he says, start with her name. She doesn’t say anything, and he asks if she doesn’t know her name. She says, Princess, and he asks if she thinks this is a joke. She asks how her friend is. They’re helping her, right? He asks, how old is she? and she says, 28, 29. She could be 50. She’s lost track. He asks where she’s from, and she asks where she is. He says, okay, fine. Where was she when the fall happened? She asks why any of that is important? then says, Pittsburgh. Just tell her if they’re alive. He asks why they came there, and she says her friend hurt her head. He tells her that she’s avoiding the questions, and she says her friend might have a concussion. Just let her see… He says tell him about her friends. Start with the one she’s worried about. What’s her name? Princess asks why she’s there, and he says, the others; what are their names? She says, can’t he ask them that? and he says, tell him why they’re there. Where are they from? He gets up, and she asks what he wants. He says, they’re done. She says she gave him answers. Why can’t she see her friend? He says because she’s being a bitch, and Princess says she wants to see her friend. He whacks her across the face, and she falls to the floor. He says she should have answered.
Princess is back in the boxcar, and looks through the slat. She says, Yumiko? She’s so sorry. She tried to do like Yumiko said, and didn’t tell them anything. They kept grilling her, and asking what she knew about them, like she’s some kind of narc. Her friends… They used that word. She hears something, and listens where the opening is. She takes the board away, and slips out again. She looks into the next car, but Eugene is gone, and all she sees is his dousing rod on the floor. She hears the soldiers coming, and slips around the side, going back in the car, and replacing the board. She tries to get the image out of her head, and the car roof opens. Ezekiel looks in, and puts his finger to his lips. He drops down, and tells her, it took some maneuvering not to be spotted. She hugs him, and says, they got him too. He says, not the most fun interview he’s ever had. He tells her, they’ll be here soon, and she asks if he has any idea where the others are. Yumiko and Eugene are gone. He says he doesn’t know, but they’ll figure it out. They have to get out of there. She says, right now? and he says, no; next week. Yes, right now. She says she thinks they took Yumiko, and she didn’t do them any favors during the interview. He asks what she did, and she says, nothing… She got a little bit upset, and she might have… She hits her palm with her fist, and he says, the inquisition was aggressive. These people are toying with them. He tells her, let’s go, and asks, what’s wrong? She says she doesn’t think running will help, but Eugene said these people would help, and Ezekiel says he doesn’t know if they can be trusted. She asks if they can find a way out, but he doesn’t know. He tells her, it will be fine, but she says, nothing is fine. He can see something is wrong, and she says, d*ckhead nailed her over an old fracture, and she nurses her jaw. He examines it, and she says she’ll be okay. It healed fine every time before. He says, no one is going to hurt her anymore. Not while he’s there.
Ezekiel tells Princess, he’ll keep watch at the top for when they change the guards. She asks where Eugene is, and says, they can’t leave the rest of them. He asks if she thinks he doesn’t know that. They’re his friends. She says he doesn’t have to be an a-hole about it. She knows how to be friends with people, and was just trying to be helpful. He says, fear brings out the worst in them, as it just did in him. He apologizes, and they sit on the floor. He asks, what if Eugene trusted the wrong people this time? and Princess says, people suck. He says, they say one thing, and mean another. They tell you they love you… She says, and don’t act like it. People are a-holes, especially family. He says, not all families, but she says, most families. She just wants to do the right thing. He says he knows. They need a better plan. The door suddenly opens, and Ezekiel somehow makes himself scarce. A soldier brings in a plate of food, and Princess says, sorry about before. She didn’t mean to be difficult, but this is a little scary. The questions, the guns, the whole get-up. Ezekiel comes up behind the soldier, and knocks him out. Princess asks what the hell he just did, and Ezekiel closes the door.
Princess wonders what’s going to happen to them now. What about Yumiko and Eugene? This is not a better plan. He says, the opportunity presented itself, and he took it. Who cares?He’s here now. He takes the gun, the soldier rouses, and Ezekiel tells him, quiet. What did they do with their friends? The soldier says they don’t have to do this, and Princess tells Ezekiel to let her do the talking. She says, she just needs to know her friend is okay. His boss said she’s getting help. Is she? He asks why she wouldn’t be. She’s probably with a medic. Ezekiel asks if they’re supposed to believe him, and the soldier says, for the benefit of all; and for all who seek solace. It’s what they stand for. She says they beat up her friend, and he says she doesn’t know that. What if it’s possible they’re not the bad guys? Just stay calm. She says, they’re locked in cars, and he says they can help. They have access to things that are valuable in times like these. She says, like food and medicine? but he tells her, he’s not saying yes, and he’s not saying no. They’re organized. Let them help. It’s why they came, right? She tells him, let’s say they’re actually helpful, even though they look like scary action figures come to life. What’s the point of messing with them? He tells her, this just standard protocol. They have paperwork to fill out. The place where they live is a good place, and it’s their job to keep the good people who live there safe. They have to be careful; they have a lot to lose. She says she gets that, but she still needs answers. Like a good will gesture. Where are her friends? He says he doesn’t know. His orders are to keep then fed until they’re ready. She says, for what? but he says he’s just a grunt. Three squares and a uniform. She has to believe him. He’s so green, the gun isn’t even loaded. He’s on probation, and this is going to get him fired, being snatched up by some chick. He tries to get away, and Ezekiel jumps him. He starts to pound on the soldier, and Princess tells him, stop. She says Ezekiel is going to kill him. Ezekiel keeps punching, and says, no one is going to hurt them anymore. Princess looks down, and sees the soldiers blood on her hands. She flashes back to everything that’s happened in this episode, and realizes she’s alone with the soldier.
The soldier handcuffed in the car, Princess takes off running with his gun. She tries crawling under a fence, but the gun gets caught, and hangs her up. She remembers her friends, and turns around. She hears Ezekiel say, come on, girl. Get your sh*t together. Don’t be so hard on yourself. She looks back at the fence, and sees Ezekiel, standing between two zombies. He says, time waits for no one. They say we start dying the day we’re born. He tells her to come over there, but she says she doesn’t think she can. What about her friends? He says she met them a week ago. She says, that’s lifetime in apocalypse years. He says she’s learned to trust her instincts by now. She knows better than that. She looks at the splinter in her finger, and he says, she’s good on her own. She says she’s a superhero on her own. He says, so go on, and she says she wants to. He says, believe him. He knows it makes him like her like mom. She says her mom was a survivor, and he says, she was a monster. There are always monsters. She says she’s scared, and he says, everybody gets scared. His mom was like hers. They had to learn their lessons the hard way, and take their freedom. She says, not everyone is bad. Travis… She smiles, and says, Sammy and his people, and them. Ezekiel says, there are the stories you tell yourself, and then there’s the truth. She says, maybe, but they came back for her. She walks back to the cars, and we see there are only two zombies on the other side of the fence, yoked together, guarding it. She goes back into the boxcar.
She says she gets stressed at times, and the soldier asks who she’s talking to now. She says, him. She’s not crazy, if that’s what he’s thinking. There is the ADHD, anxiety, depression, crushing loneliness, an over-active imagination, and PTSD, but it helps her cope. Maybe it’s the only sane response to an insane world. Small dark spaces do bad things to her head. She doesn’t like them. He says, who does? and she says, screw him for judging. He says, he didn’t say anything, and she says, sorry. She doesn’t want mess anything else up. He says, then don’t, but she says she’d like to hold onto the gun a while longer, if it’s all same to him. He says, can she at least…? and holds out hands. She undoes the cuffs, and says, the splinter came out. He gets up, and she thanks him for not screaming. He says this isn’t exactly going to look good for him, and she asks if he’s really going to get busted. He says, what’s it to her? He’ll have to explain this, and he needs his rifle. She says maybe he could say he slipped, but he says, no. He screwed up, and he has to face the consequences. Then she and her friends can go back to whatever sh*tty part of the world they came from. She says there’s got to be a way they can help each other out, and he says he’s listening. She says, what if she answers his boss’s questions. Could she see her friends? He says, it’s not his call, and she says, fine. She just met them, and doesn’t now how old they are. Who cares? If you’re alive during the apocalypse, you’re 150 years old anyway. She doesn’t know where they’re from; nowhere and everywhere probably, like everyone else. She’s from Pittsburgh by way of San Juan. Do days and countries exist or even matter anymore? They had been on the road for a week. They had wheels for a while, then walked; that’s how they got there. He asks why she’s there, and she says, to be with them. Their names are Eugene, Yumiko, and Ezekiel. He already knew her name; it’s really Princess. He says, good, and thanks her. She gives him the rifle back, and he says, see? It didn’t have to be hard. The rules are simple, and the questions are routine. People complicate them. They just need to know she can play ball with them. He puts his helmet back on, and she asks when she can see her friends. He says, right now, and yells he’s got her; let’s go. He opens the door, and she sees Eugene, Yumiko, and Ezekiel kneeling, flanked by soldiers, and wearing hoods over their heads. The soldier slips a hood over Princess’s head.
Next time, another Carol and Daryl adventure. Daryl tells Carol that he’s staying a while longer, and they wish each other good luck. They go in different directions, but Dog goes with Carol.
I hope the weekend brought you something different, or you at least binged a good show. I checked out Showtime’s YourHonor (On Demand), and it was well worth it. Bryan Cranston stars as a judge who has to make a tough decision about his son, who’s been involved in a hit-and-run. It will make you question the lengths you’d go to protect someone you loved. As we move on through March, remember to stay safe, stay attentive, and stay giving a sane response to an insane world, whatever that may be for you.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
We hear Gabriel in a voiceover saying, the Whisperers took their toll, and they saw darkness, but they kept the faith. The righteous enter and are safe. They had moments of despair, but a miracle happened, and by the grace of their friends, they were saved. But they still have more work to do to rebuild their community, provide for their families, and save their souls.
Gabriel and Aaron are surrounded by zombies in a clearing. They hack away, covering the surrounding wildflowers in blood. They walk through the woods and come across some ruins. Gabriel looks at his map of possible food sources. I guess not this one anymore. Aaron sees several burned bodies that are nothing but charred bones now, and asks, what happened here? Gabriel says they’ll never know, and they keep walking. The see a decrepit zombie sitting up against a tree, and it pulls away, part of it staying on the tree. It doesn’t get far, since Gabriel slices it through the top of the head. Gabriel sets a timer, and throws it into a field area. When it goes off, a bunch of zombies rise out of the grass, and head off to who knows where. Gabriel looks at Aaron, and they follow at a distance.
Near a road, they see more skeletons, and a line of cars. Aaron looks at a zombie in a van, and Gabriel opens another car. Aaron asks what he’s doing, and he says, he’s searching; there could be something there. Aaron slides open the van he’s been looking in, and they go through all the cars. Gabriel opens a trunk, and finds some cans of food, but he turns it over to see what looks like a bullet hole in it. He tells Aaron, two more.
They try to smash into an old, boarded up casino, and zombie arms pop out. Gabriel hacks off an arm. Aaron motions for him to remove a board, and when the zombie emerges, Aaron stabs it in the head. They each take an arm to pull it out, but the skin comes off, and they fall back with skin arms in their hands. When they realize what happened, they quickly rid themselves of the skin arms, and I laugh my head off. Aaron sees a shopping cart hanging off the roof, and Gabriel climbs up. He sees a near-skeleton lying down, and another with a little more flesh on it, tied to post, moving around a little. He sees a skeletal couple lying on mattress. Aaron asks if he sees anything, and Gabriel looks at the couple and says, just a ladder. The camera pans out, and we see SAVE US written on the roof.
Zombie arms reach for Aaron, and he hears Gabriel hacking away inside. Gabriel opens the door, and comes out. Aaron says, anything? and Gabriel shakes his head. He sheaths his machete, and looks at his map again. He says, one more, and Aaron says they’ve been at this two weeks, and what do they have to show for it? He can’t. Gabriel says they have to see this through. Aaron says they can go back to the hunting ground, but Gabriel says, it’s spent; there’s nothing there. Aaron says, so is every other place on Maggie’s goddam map. He misses his daughter, and he knows Gabriel misses his too. Gabriel says, one more, and starts to walk. Aaron follows.
They walk through some mud, and Gabriel slips, tripped up by a hidden zombie. It rises, covered with mud, but Gabriel holds his machete point up, and Aaron pushes the zombie onto it. Aaron laughs, and Gabriel says, a little help? Aaron helps get the zombie off of Gabriel, and helps him up. The map is officially screwed, covered in mud like Gabriel. Gabriel says there was a water tower by their last location. They just need to head north until they see it. Aaron says he’s not doing this without a map, and Gabriel says, it’s only an hour. Aaron says he doesn’t care, it begins to rain, and Gabriel says, fine. They’ll follow their tracks back. It starts to pour.
They come out of the woods, and Aaron asks, is this on the map? We see a warehouse, and Gabriel says, no.
They shine flashlights around inside the warehouse. Aaron bangs on something, but there’s no response. Gabriel closes the door, and they split up. Gabriel finds a pile of Bibles, and picks one up, finding a bunch of pages torn out. Aaron hears something from behind a door, and says hello? Gabriel looks in a file cabinet. Aaron says, hello? again. He says his name is Aaron. He’s a friend. Please don’t be afraid. Hello? He opens the door, and Gabriel hears yelling, and takes off. He runs to where Aaron is, and finds Aaron standing over a wild boar. He says, it came at him, and Gabriel smiles. I say, food! Aaron says, what? and Gabriel says, nothing. That was quite the scream. Aaron says, these things are vicious, and Gabriel says, clearly… hence the scream. Gabriel starts to laugh, and says, sorry, but doubles over. Aaron says, all right. Let it all out. Is he through? Gabriel shakes his head, and keeps laughing, saying, oh Lord! Aaron smiles, and Gabriel says, know what he feels like? Aaron says, what? and Gabriel says, dinner. Anddrink. He holds up a bottle of whiskey.
Aaron shows Gabriel a toy, and says, remember these? Gabriel says he remembers news footage of people trampling each other at toy stores to get them. Aaron says, Grace will go nuts. They sit to eat, and Gabriel pours them each a tiny bit of whiskey. Aaron says, that’s it? That’s all they get? Why? It’s just whiskey. Gabriel says, no; it’s not just whiskey. It’s perfection. It’s rare. This bottle is easily over $2000. Aaron says, the fact people would pay that much to get drunk was a huge part of what was wrong with the world. Gabriel says, it’s not to get drunk. Smell it. Aaron does, and Gabriel asks what he’s getting. What does it remind him of? Aaron says, maple syrup… vanilla… breakfast as kid. Gabriel says, take a sip. Let it sit. Pay attention to the finish, and how the flavor evolves. Aaron says, wow, and Gabriel says, exactly. Now eat, and the meat will taste even better. Aaron says, look, he gets that it’s rare and all, but they had a rough day. He holds out his cup, and Gabriel pours some more, but Aaron continues to hold it out.
They play poker for bottlecaps, and Aaron says he’s out. Gabriel says, he has the whiskey. Aaron considers putting his cup in the pot, but folds. Gabriel says, many thanks, but Aaron wants to see the cards. Gabriel shows him what I assume is a really poor hand, and Aaron rolls his eyes.
Aaron asks Gabriel what God would think about him gambling, and Gabriel says, He’d probably okay it. Aaron says, a card shark priest. Did he get training in whiskey class at the seminary? Gabriel says, Reverend George was his mentor. He was a good friend, and a great teacher. His first class was at a boy’s funeral; Tony Franklin. He died of cancer. He was in his freshman year of college and he died. Everyone in town came, and Reverend George performed the service. He spoke, and said all the right things without trying; it didn’t look like he was anyway. They got in the car to go to the wake, and he just took off. He floored it the whole way, saying they had to get there before the others. He was running stop signs, saying a prayer each time, and Gabriel had his eyes closed the whole way. They got there and the Reverend headed for the liquor cabinet. He asked what the Reverend was doing, and was told to shut up. The Reverend snatched off Gabriel’s collar, pulled off his own, and started pouring. The boy’s father walked in, and the Reverend walked over to him with two drinks in hand, and just started talking. He talked to everyone; put them at ease, smiling and laughing. He told Gabriel, just be with them in the moment. Speak from the heart, and don’t worry what you think they want to hear. He tried, but he’s not as good as Reverend George. Later, the Reverend told him, real ministering isn’t preaching from a pulpit. It’s talking to people one on one, on their own terms, relating to them. He smiles, and says, that’s how he knows about whiskey. That’s how he knows about a lot of things. Aaron says Gabriel needs to start preaching again. He’ll be mad if Gabriel doesn’t. When he was out there, finding people to bring to Alexandria, it felt right. Helping people was right. They haven’t done that in a long time, and they’ve got to get back to it. Gabriel says he doesn’t want to preach anymore, and Aaron asks, why? Gabriel says, does Aaron really think things will go back the way they were? Aaron says he does, and Gabriel says, they won’t. The world isn’t built for the way they used to be. Aaron says Gabriel’s head is full of Whisperers, who and what they were, and it’s not most people. Gabriel says, evil people are not the exception to the rule; they are the rule. Aaron says he’s getting sober. After the next round, he’s going to climb up on the roof and jump off head first. Gabriel says he wants to perform last rights, and Aaron says, they’re back to him again.
Gabriel snores, and an obviously hung over and/or still drunk Aaron gets up. Gabriel asks where he’s going, and Aaron says, to piss. Gabriel goes back to sleep.
Light comes in through a dirty window, and Gabriel wakes up. He doesn’t see Aaron, and walks around the warehouse, his machete drawn. He sees a man by the entrance, and the man asks what he was cooking. Gabriel says, boar, and the man asks, how was it? Gabriel says, it was good, and the man walks into the light. He removes his hood, and we see his face is scarred. He says he’d like a bite.
The man eats, and Gabriel introduces himself, asking the man’s name. The man says Gabriel came there with a friend, and Gabriel asks if he’s seen Aaron, but the man says nothing. Gabriel asks what he wants, and the man says it seems like Gabriel is the one who wants something. They broke into his place, ate his boar, and drank his whiskey. Gabriel says it didn’t look like anyone lived there, and he asks if Gabriel thinks the boar got in there by itself. Gabriel says they were looking for food. They didn’t mean any harm. The man takes out Aaron’s metal spiked ball hand, and tosses it on the table, saying, does this say no harm to you? Gabriel says they’re part of a larger group, more than twenty armed fighters. They’ll be coming if he and Aaron don’t get back. The man wonders if they’re joining the card game. He sits back, his automatic rifle in his lap, and asks if Gabriel thinks it’s loaded. Gabriel says, there aren’t a lot of bullets left, and the man lets a load of shots fly. He asks Gabriel if he thinks he made it. Gabriel doesn’t understand, and the man says his friend is in there, pointing to the wall he shot at. He gets up, tells Gabriel, easy, and opens the door. He says, still breathing… he thinks. Gabriel says he wants to see Aaron, and the man asks why he’s still wearing his collar. Gabriel says, probably for the same reason the man keeps the Bibles. Because the Word of God still matters. It’s a light in an otherwise dark world; a reminder that light is still in them… love, mercy, forgiveness. The man says, toilet paper, and Gabriel says, what? The man says, the Bible. He like the bent pages. Gabriel suggests that he read it instead of wiping his ass with it, and the man says he read it, cover to cover. That’s why he wipes his ass with it. He says, it must be hard preaching about something Gabriel doesn’t believe in, and Gabriel says he does believe. The man says, evil people aren’t the exception to the rule, and Gabriel says he was drunk. The man says, drunk is honest. There’s nothing left but thieves and murderers. Gabriel says, there’s still goodness, but you have to look for it, and he man asks who Gabriel is trying to convince, him or himself? He’s so close. Gabriel says, close to what? and the man gets up, keeping the gun on Gabriel. He kicks he door open, and drags Aaron out, tied to a chair and gagged. He puts Aaron at the table, and takes the gag off. He unties one of Aaron’s wrists, and knocks all the bullets out of a handgun. He puts one back in, and says, one round. One in six chances. He spins it, and shuts it, and says they’ve got a choice. Each time, they can aim it at themselves, or the man sitting across from them. The winner goes home.
Gabriel says, they’re not doing this, and the man says, then they both die. Aaron asks how they know he won’t kill them both anyway? and the man says, they don’t. Aaron says, they’ll make it right. They’ll get him a new boar. The man says, it’s not about the boar, and Gabriel asks what it is about. The man says, enlightenment. Go ahead. Gabriel looks at Aaron, and picks up the gun. He puts it to his own head, and pulls the trigger, but it just clicks. Aaron looks freaked out, and the man slides the gun over to him, saying, now you. Aaron follows Gabriel’s example, and asks why the man is doing this. The man asks what happened to Aaron’s arm, and Aaron says, it was crushed in a construction accident. The man asks who blinded Gabriel, and Gabriel says, no one. It was an infection. He wanted to hear someone plucked out Gabriel’s eye or chopped off Aaron’s arm? Why? To prove how evil man is? Does the man think he or Aaron will shoot each other? The man tells Gabriel, pick it up now, and Gabriel repeats what he did the first time, and the gun only clicks. Aaron takes the gun and cocks it, and the man asks if Aaron heard that. It makes a different sound when the chamber loads. It’s his choice to make.
Aaron says, they’re not thieves or murderers. They don’t kill each other; they protect each other like family. The man asks if family is supposed to mean something. He knows about family. When he was with his brother and his brother’s family on the road, he saved their lives more times than he could count. One day, he woke up to find his brother stealing the last of his food. His brother just stared at him, then came at him with a knife. Aaron asks, what happened? and the man says he handled it. He didn’t blame his brother, because his brother gave him something valuable that day. Gabriel says, his brother didn’t give him anything. He’s just trying to make sense of what happened. He walled himself off, believing everyone left out there was evil. It was easier to accept than the truth – that he meant less to his brother than a scrap of food. Aaron says, Gabriel… but Gabriel says the man needs to hear it. He knows about looking for meaning. Most times, there is no answer, no grand design, no enlightenment. The man’s brother ripped up his face, and he’s so hate filled, he can’t see. So he murders good people for what? To prove what? The man tells Aaron, pull the trigger. Him or you? Who’s it gonna be?
Aaron starts to point the gun at his own head, and the man says, what about Gracie. Aaron wants to see her. He knows what he’s got to do. Aaron looks like he’s going to cry, or maybe throw up, and the man says, does he want to see his daughter again or not? Aaron says he does and the man says, then what is he waiting for. Three… two… one… Aaron starts to put the gun to his own head again, the man says, stop. That’s who people are. Gabriel says, he was wrong. People are capable of more than killing each other. They still love and sacrifice for their brothers. His brother didn’t give him truth; his brother only betrayed him. If he punishes them for his brother’s sins, he’s no better than his brother. He wasn’t always like this; none of them were. But they have to remember who they were, and know who they are. The man says he knows who he is, and Gabriel says he does too. He knows people like the man, good people who’ve been broken by the world. He doesn’t have to be; there’s another way. They have a community of real people, people who were lost and found their way back. He can too. They can help if he lets them. The man says he doesn’t believe Gabriel, but Aaron says, it’s true, and puts the gun down. He says the man should believe Gabriel because that’s who they are. The man thinks about it, sighs, and picks up the gun. He sticks it in his waistband, and cuts Aaron free.
The man says, Mays. His name is Mays. Then, stunning all of us, but mostly Mays, Gabriel takes Aaron’s metal hand, and whacks Mays with it, presumably killing him, and spattering Aaron’s face with his blood. He tells Aaron, it’sokay. They’re good. Aaron says, are they? and Gabriel says they couldn’t take him with them. He killed his brother’s family. Aaron says, let’s just go.
Wow. I’m so disappointed. Can we not have one episode where everyone plays nice? I want Z Nation back.
Gabriel says Mays heard everything they said. Where was he hiding? Gabriel opens a hatch, and sees a lantern. They walk through the space, which is flanked by steel shelving holding all kinds of supplies. The see a restrained man, who looks like your classic hermit, cowering in the corner. Aaron says, it’s his brother. They see the brother’s wife and child dead on the floor, and Gabriel says they’re not going to hurt him. The brother is obviously scared out of his wits, and Gabriel moves forward. He undoes the restraints, but the brother suddenly has a gun. Aaron tells him, drop it, and Gabriel says they just want to help him. The brother says, help? and Gabriel says, yes; get him out of there. Aaron asks if he wants to come with them, and Gabriel says, just put the gun down. The brother sees his dead family, and in possibly the saddest moment ever, puts the gun to his own head. Gabriel and I both say, no! but he shoots himself, falling next to his wife and child. I almost want to cry.
Gabriel takes the gun, and grabs some cans of food and other supplies. Aaron looks at pictures of Mays, his brother, and his brother’s family in happier times.
Gabriel and Aaron continue to walk. We see a water tower in the distance, and Gabriel says, the water tower. It’s the last place on the map. What does Aaron think? Aaron looks sad, as he has through a lot of this episode, and he nods. He says, one more, and they walk toward the tower.
Next time, Aaron’s nervous breakdown (just kidding). Princess and the others are captured by stormtroopers, and plan an escape. Ezekiel says they don’t know these people, and they can’t trust what they don’t know.
⚰️ On the flipside, Talking Dead was one of the funniest ever. Seth Gilliam (Gabriel), Ross Marquand (Aaron), RobertPatrick (Mays/Mays’s brother), and writer & co-executive producer Jim Barnes were guests. The lot of them were hysterically funny, with Ross doing a spot-on imitation of Sly Stallone. Robert said Ross had entertained them throughout filming with impressions, and ragged on Seth for being a lousy priest through the entire episode. We also got some nice insight into Robert’s acting technique. He said when playing the brother, he didn’t have much to work with as far as character development went, but tried to incorporate what a rescue dog would have felt like; one that’s been abused, and was afraid of strangers. I thought it was a brilliant choice. Another tidbit we got was that the whiskey brand was named after Duane Jones, who played Ben in the original Night of the Living Dead. This was probably one of the best TD episodes of all time IMO.
🏍 Not So Smooth Daryl…
I’m not sure why he was so nervous. It’s not like there was human contact.
Time to move on to my other job, and hopefully making up for that lost hour this weekend. Until we meet once again at the Hospital and/or on Deck, stay safe, stay looking forward to spring, and stay on Gabriel’s good side.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Dog! Daryl messes with his bike, and gets on. Carol comes by and picks up a map from the ground, and puts it in Daryl’s backpack. The engine isn’t turning over, and she asks if she ever told him about the pedal sewing machine her grandma had. She’d help when her grandma got tired. She said Carol had an especially strong right foot. He says, she followed him out there… She tells him, no one is following anyone, and he says, she wants to come, right? She says she wants to hunt what’s left to hunt, and he needs a spotter. The bike starts, and she gets on. He tells her that he didn’t say she could come, but he takes off, Dog running behind them as they bicker in fun.
They go through the woods. Carol gives Dog a snack, and Daryl says, five miles due south at the east gate. He tells her, stay close, and remember this spot in case she gets lost. She says she’s not going anywhere. Dog spies something, and they follow him to a dead deer. Carol says, the other deer are probably all gone by now. She suggests they find another spot, and Daryl says he’s thinking the river. She says, let’s do it, and they walk.
Carol stops, telling Daryl that she has a foot cramp. He hopes it’s not her very special strong right foot, and she says she’s fine; give her a minute. He thinks they should have gone the other way, but Carol says they should fish before noon. It’s worth a shot. He gives her a stick, and says, be his guest. He tells dog, watch this disaster, and Carol immediately gets a fish. He says, no way, and she shows him. He says, beginner’s luck. She guts and scales the fish, as he watches, and she tells him, say it. He doesn’t think she’s doing it right. He tells her, try closer to the bone, and she says she’s fileted fish before. Why doesn’t he do it himself? He says, it’s fine, but they should go. It’s going to be dark soon. They need to find a place to stay. Carol asks if he thinks their luck has run out, and he asks what she means. She says, Hilltop was hard for everyone to take, but at least they were there to fight for it. But losing Alexandria… He says, they didn’t, and she says, not yet. It feels different, like everything good in the world is not on their side anymore. He says, they’ll build and start over, and she says, until it happens again. They had a good long run; longer than most. He knows this world. The dead will catch up to them eventually. He says, if they let it. He’s not going to let it. He tells her, let’s go, when Dog takes off. Carol wonders if it’s another animal. He calls to Dog, and they follow.
They move faster, and Dog runs into a clearing, where there’s a cabin with a sun porch. Carol asks if Daryl is coming, and she and Dog go inside to investigate. Daryl sees a woman on the porch, petting Dog, but it’s just in his mind. He goes inside, and Carol is there with Dog. He looks around, and Dog acts all busy. Daryl looks out the window.
Five years ago. Daryl sits by the river. Dog as a puppy runs up to him, and he picks Dog up, kissing him, and wondering where he came from. Dog runs off, and Daryl follows. He finds a makeshift shelter, and takes out a map, putting it on the wall. He circles something, and keeps walking. He sees Carol across the river, and asks, what’s going on? She says, nothing, and he asks if she’s sure. She says, it doesn’t matter. Things are just different. He asks, how? and she says, it’s harder to talk; harder to trade. Maggie left. She took Herschel, and went with Georgie. She’s on her own journey now, like him. He says she knows she’s got to do this, right? She says she knows, and he asks how the kids are. She says she doesn’t know. It’s been two years. How long does he plan on staying there? He says he doesn’t know. As long as it takes. She asks if anything has turned up, and he says there’s a spot up the river that he’s going to check out. She says she does understand. If not for Henry and Ezekiel, and things going on back at the Kingdom… Daryl says he gets it. She should go. There’s a storm coming. Carol tosses him a backpack, and he thanks her. She tells him, be careful, and he says he will.
Daryl sees a lone zombie, and looks near it through binoculars, seeing an overturned canoe near the river. He stabs the zombie in the head, and rights the canoe, seeing a body underneath it. It starts to move, and he smashes its head with his foot. That’s one way to get your aggression out.
Daryl sits in the shelter as it storms around him. He realizes his map is getting soaked and damaged. He grabs it, yelling at the sky. Some of the shelter topples, and he walks out into the storm.
One year later. Daryl sees a knife or something sticking out of a tree. Dog is bigger now, and runs to the cabin, Daryl running after him. He follows Dog into the cabin, and kills a zombie. A woman comes out of another room with a shogun, and asks who the hell he is. Daryl puts his hands up, and she says she asked him a question. He says he’s leaving, and she says, no, you’re not.
Dog digs at the floor, and Carol asks if he found something. She pulls up the floorboards, and Dog gets excited. He pulls out a cuttle bone, and runs off with it. Carol asks if she lived here, and Daryl says, it was a long time ago. He goes outside, where Dog is chewing his bone on the porch. He says he already told Carol everything, but she says, no, he didn’t. He asks what else she wants to know, and she says, whatever he wants to tell her.
It’s night, and the woman pulls the downed zombie outside using the rug. Daryl sits by a fire, his wrists bound. He asks if she’s going to kill him, and she says, should she? He doesn’t say anything, and she says, that’s what she thought. Something tells her that he wants to die. Not today. He says she doesn’t know him, and she says, he’s right; she doesn’t. So she’ll ask him again, who the hell is he? What’s he doing out there on her land? He says his name Daryl. He didn’t come looking for trouble. Her dog found him. He was just trying to help. She says he’s tied up in her cabin with a 12-gauge pointed at his head. What kind of help does he think she needs? She lowers the gun, and takes out a pocket knife. She cuts him loose, and he says, she’s letting him go? She tells him, get out, before she changes her mind. He puts on his backpack, and heads for the door. He asks if she’s going to tell him her name, but she says, no.
Six months later. Daryl is using a tree stump as a desk, when Dog runs up to him. They walk together, and the woman sees him heading toward the cabin. She thanks him for bringing Dog back. She says Dog likes Daryl, and Daryl says, he’s just a dog; he don’t know any better. If she won’t tell him her name, what about his? She says, Dog, and he says, just Dog? She asks if he’s got something better, and he says, no. At least he won’t forget what he is. She says, it’s not for everyone; living out in the wild and chasing the dead. He says, it catches up with all of them after a while, but she says, only if you let it. He says he’s going, and she tells him, be careful, and goes inside.
Eight months later. Daryl walks down the river in the water. In the forest, he gathers wood, and a bunch of zombies come out. He shoots one with his crossbow, and stabs another in the head. He hears a gunshot, and the woman motions for him to come. He follows her, and they hide behind a tree, as the zombies toddle past. They’re in pretty close proximity, and Daryl almost smiles. When the zombies are gone, he tells her that she needs to stay away from his camp, and keeps walking. She says, name’s Leah, as she walk in the other direction.
Three months later. Daryl heads for the cabin, and tosses a fish inside, but it’s quiet, and he leaves. While he warms his hands over a fire in the woods, a fish is flung at his head. Leah says she can catch her own damn fish, and he asks why she’s always throwing something at him. He was trying to be nice. She says she doesn’t need him to be nice. She doesn’t him to be need anything. She wants to be left the hell alone. He says he won’t bother her again, and she says, then she won’t come around again. He says, good, and she says, great; bye. He turns around, and says, she’s still there. He says he thought she was gone, and she says she is. He tells her that he gets it; being out there by herself. She asks if he’s been out there a long time too, and he says, he lost track a long time ago. She looks at his hands and asks if it’s frost nip. He says, no big deal; he’s had it before. She says, it’s not a big deal until you lose a couple fingers or a hand. Come on.
Daryl sleeps on the floor of the cabin, and wakes to Leah picking up pieces of glass from a frame. She says, it’s his birthday today, and he sees her looking at a picture of herself with a little boy. She says she didn’t have a family growing up. She knew she had to find her own way, her own family. She found it in her squad. They fought side by side for years, and when the world went to hell, they swore they’d stay together, fight together. They gave her hope, and she tried to give it to her son… Matthew was her son. She didn’t give birth to him, but he was hers. He was born of her sister; that’s what Leah called her anyway. Leah lost her when he was born. It doesn’t matter; he’s gone. She fiddles with her bracelet, and covers the floor hiding spot, smoothing the carpet over it. She walks past Daryl, brushing tears away, and looks out the window. She says she held Matthew tight, Dog’s mama next to her; she was pregnant. The dead came from all sides; there was so much screaming… so much blood. She cries, and says she was separated from her family, and she ran; it felt like she ran forever. She ended up there. Her boy was bit. She said goodbye to him the same day Dog was born, and hasn’t seen another soul since. She turns to him, and says, not until he came along. Who did he lose? He says, his brother, and she asks, how? He says, it was an accident.They never found the body. She asks if Daryl thinks he’s still out there, but he says he doesn’t know. He’s not stopping until he finds out. She says, always the hero, huh?
At the river, Leah shows Daryl the fish she caught. He says, lucky shot, and she gets another. He walks away, and Dog follows.
Daryl and Leah look at the moon, and she says, it’sbeautiful, huh? They lie together next to the fire, and she motions him closer.
Ten months later. Daryl and Leah eat in silence, and he says if she’s not going to talk to him. She gets up, and he says, it’s only going to be for a few days. She wonders where he belongs. Out there on the river, looking for his dead brother, day after day after day? Or does he belong to the family he left because it became too hard to face what happened? Or does he belong there with her? He says he doesn’t know, and she says he does. She tells him that he has to choose, and leaves.
Carol approaches Daryl, as he’s looking at his map. She says she’s happy to see him too, and he says he’s just busy. He asks, what’s up? and she says she was going to ask the same thing. Does that mean he’s coming back? He says, no, and she gives him a sweater. He says, tell him why she really came, and she asks if she can’t bring a friend a gift. She came because she wanted to tell him that it will be a while before she comes back. He says, okay, and she says, things are tough at the Kingdom, and Ezekiel needs her there. He wonders if she’s asking permission, and she says, no. He says she doesn’t need to ask him to move on with her life, and she says, it’s just… He says she wants him to move on with his? She says she wants him to find some peace. She doesn’t want to lose him because he can’t figure out when to stop. He says she ain’t gonna lose him. He’s just got stuff to do.
Daryl walks through the woods. And walks. And walks. He runs.
Daryl calls for Leah. He sees the broken, now empty, frame, and looks around the cabin, but Leah isn’t there. Dog runs up to him. He packs up some cans, and writes a note. I belong with you. Find me. He puts it under the floor, and leaves with Dog.
On the porch, Daryl tells Carol that he should have been there. He could have helped her. She asks if he thinks Leah is alive, but he says he doesn’t know. She says, it’s possible Leah just left, and he says, what? She says, it’s not an accusation. He says he walked away, and she says he didn’t. He thinks that every time he loses something, it’s because of him. He says he made mistakes, and she says, they all do. Losing Leah isn’t on him. Neither is Rick, or Connie. He says, no. Connie on her, because she never knows when to stop. Carol says she’s sorry for Connie, but not sorry for going after the horde, or making Alpha pay for killing Henry, because she was right. He says, and that’s all that matters; you being right. She says, it’s not just about Leah, or Connie, or anyone else. Why doesn’t he say what he wants, that she shouldn’t have gone. He says she wanted to help, but she says she wanted to run, so she ran. What the skins did to Alexandria, she just couldn’t deal with the guilt. He says, that’s not his problem, and she says, his only problem is that he thinks he can save everyone. She doesn’t need a savior. She doesn’t need a martyr. She needs a friend. He says, friends don’t have the damn same conversation over and over again, and she asks if that’s what’s happening. He says, that’s what’s been happening. He’s sick of it. She says he should have let her get back on the boat, and he says he should have stopped her from running. She’s a runner. Run. He knows where he’s supposed to be, and won’t stop her this time. She says she was right. Our luck has run out, you and me. She tells him, no one is around except them, and it’s going be dark soon.
Next time, Gabriel wonders if think things are ever going to go back to the way they were (as we all do), Gabriel and Aaron explore, Gabriel meets a stranger, and Aaron puts a gun to his own head.
⚰️ Sometime In the Future…
Sadly, Walking Dead will come to an end with season 11, but at least it will be stretched out due to the pandemic. There’s always an upside.
The Dead have come and gone, signaling the start of another workweek, or another stretch of seven days, depending on how pandemically affected you are. But regardless of the calendar you keep, stay safe, stay bouncing back from whatever life throws at you, and stay not having the same damn conversation over and over again with your friends.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Lydia narrates some flashbacks, and brings us up to date. We see the fall of Beta. Lydia says they won, and now they’re on the verge of something else; a bigger world full of endless possibilities and uncertainty.
Maggie hurls a knife into a zombie’s head, pinning it to a tree. Judith walks with her, and Maggie asks what Judith told RJ. Judith said she told him that their mom is looking at same stars under the same sky as they are. She said the same to Herschel. It’s true. Lydia helps get a wagon ready to go out, and Negan tells them, be safe. Maggie looks at him, and he says, hey. He didn’t escape if that’s what she’s thinking. Maggie doesn’t respond, and walks past him. He says, well, sh*t. The credits now give us a short history of the story in silhouette.
Carol and Daryl confer, and Maggie joins them. She introduces her people Elijah and Cole, thinking they can stay at Hilltop. Carol seems hesitant, and Maggie asks what it is. Carol leads them to piles of dead bodies outside the walls of Maggie’s old home. She says, Negan was with the Whisperers that night. She wanted Maggie to hear it from her that he’s in Alexandria. Maggie makes a face, and says, they let him out? Carol says, Alpha needed to die. Negan was their best chance. They were going to lose everything, and Negan was the reason they didn’t. Cole asks, what now? They go to Alexandria, where Maggie will live next to the guy who torched the place and killed her husband? Daryl says, they’re still figuring things out, and Maggie says they need to get to Hershel and the others. Daryl tells Carol that she didn’t have to, but Carol says she did. She owed Maggie that much. Maggie will never come around on him, but it’s good to see her though. Daryl grunts out a few monosyllables.
Kelly finds Daryl, and says she wants to come with him. She can be his lookout. He says, come on.
They walk through the woods, led by Maggie. Daryl shows Kelly a piece of material stuck to a branch. Maggie walks faster, but Cole says, they’re 10 miles east. They might not get there before dark. Maggie insists they keep going, but he says they have a half hour if they’re lucky. They shouldn’t be out there. They come to a lot full of storage containers, and see a bunch of zombies behind a metal fence, Maggie says, okay, and Kelly says, okay, what? Daryl thinks they should find higher ground in the forest, but Maggie says they’ll sleep better in a shelter. Daryl agrees, and Kelly says, so all they have to do is clear a parking lot of sickos and break into a container. Cole says, no sweat. They open the gate, slicing, dicing, and using a slingshot on the zombies. Cole does a nice double stab to the eyes, and slash upward through the head. (Talking Dead later saluting this one as The Eyes Have It walker.) Maggie opens a container, but a load of zombies are inside, and start to push their way out. She tries to shove the door shut, and cuts open her arm. She calls for help, and Daryl pushes alongside her. These are some tough zombies. Elijah joins them, and puts enough pressure on the door to nicely squash the head of the zombie still preventing closure. Very impressive. Cole tells Kelly, maybe a little sweat.
Daryl finds Maggie in one of the containers and tells her, it’s all clear. He’s glad Maggie is there. She says she was close to the drop for a long time, but when she was, she just didn’t stop. He sits next to her, and asks, what happened out there? She says, Georgie had all these good ideas about doing for others, and it felt good. They found groups, and did what they could, but it always went sideways. He asks if Georgie is still out there, but she doesn’t know. They were in a place near Knoxville a couple summers ago, and found a group. They taught the group how to find water and forage. Georgie and the twins went to check out another place, but she stayed behind with Herschel. The place fell, and they ran. She hasn’t seen Georgie since. He asks, what happened to the village? and Maggie says, not now. It does her good to say some of it out loud. She just can’t say all of it right now. Maybe she should have gone back after Knoxville. He asks why she didn’t, and she says she took a detour. Her Nana had a place by the ocean. After Beth died, she and Glenn had talked about going there for a little while, but they never did. Herschel loved it. Waves twice his size would knock him down, and he’d get right back up, laughing. They got up at sunrise, and watched the water crashing against rocks; it was so peaceful. There were hardly any walkers. They stayed up late one night, and she told him stories about his family, and his grandaddy. He asked how his daddy died – she knew it was coming eventually – and she told him a bad man killed his daddy. He wanted to know if the man got what he deserved, and was he dead. The truth is, she left because couldn’t have Negan taking up any more space in her head, and she realized she didn’t want to bring Hershel back to that. The next morning they met a community of people who needed her and Herschel as much as they needed the community. It felt like it was meant to be. That’s over too. Daryl says, come on home; Carol did. Maggie says, it’s what she had to do. God knows what she would have done if she’d been there. He leaves, and Maggie sighs.
They emerge in the morning, and Maggie says, it’s time to go. Kelly sees a truck farther out in the woods, and bangs on it. She knocks on the cab window, and opens the door. It’s empty. She looks up and sees a blanket hanging from the top of the container, and starts to reach up for it. Someone grabs her ankle, and she sees it’s Elijah. Maggie says Kelly left her post, and tells her that she can’t run off by herself like that. Daryl tells Maggie that Kelly’s sister is missing. Elijah jumps onto the truck, pulls down the blanket, and tosses down some other stuff. Kelly picks up a notebook, and looks through it. Maggie says, Elijah just lost his too, and tells Kelly, they have to go. Kelly says she just had to check.
Maggie asks Daryl if Kelly’s sister is still out there, and he says he hopes so. They can only look so many times. She says, they’re almost there. She can’t wait for him to meet Herschel. They see smoke, and Maggie says, no! and takes off running. They run behind her, and Cole says, sh*t. It’s them.
Maggie runs into a smoldering building, and calls for Herschel. Elijah runs in, and he and Maggie walk through the house to the back, where Cole, Kelly, and Daryl are standing by a dead body. Cole says, they were followed. They were so damn careful. He doesn’t know how, but it’s them; they’re out there. Maggie says they don’t know that. Cole says, they have two dead, but where’s everyone else, and why haven’t they come back? It’s the Reapers, and Kelly asks, what’s that? Maggie says the Reapers attacked their home, and Cole says, they wipe out anything in their way… Maggie says, enough. They need to get their heads on straight. They need to find their people; find her son. Daryl looks through the rubble, and sees tracks. He says, they scattered. They were running, headed north. They’ll find them; all of them. He asks Maggie if there were more kids in the group, but she says, that’s it. She tells the others, come on. Be quiet and alert. If they run into anything besides their people, kill it.
Daryl kills a random zombie, and they keep walking. Daryl says, the trail splits, and Maggie asks about Herschel, but Daryl says he lost him. Someone could have picked them up. If they split up the group… Cole says, no way, but Maggie says, splitting up is the best way to find them. Cole says, what if something else finds them? and she says, stay alive. Keep heading north, and she and Daryl will catch up. She and Daryl go in another direction. Cole, Elijah, and Kelly keep walking. Elijah stops for a moment, and looks around like he smells something, and continues on with them.
They duck down in a ditch, and Kelly says, something’s out there. They’ve got to move. Elijah stays where he is, and Kelly asks if he’s okay. She crouches down next to him, and says, can he… He lifts his mask, revealing a the face of a young man about her age, and she puts her hand on his shoulder. She says, it’s a lot, but you’re not alone. You and me, okay? Maggie is counting on them. Cole hears something, and Kelly tells Elijah, come on.
Daryl seems to be following a trail as he and Maggie go through the woods. We see someone with a spear crouched down, but Daryl grabs them from behind. Maggie tells him, stand down; she’s one of theirs. (Her name is Ainsley, which I also find out later from Talking Dead, and she’s with Maya and Gus.) Daryl says, sorry, and Maggie asks, what happened? Ainsley says, everything was fine, then the whole place was set on fire. Daryl asks if they saw who did it, but she says, no. They just ran. She tells Maggie a few people didn’t make it out. There was something in the woods that took one out, but they couldn’t get a clear look. Gus says, it’s the goddam Reapers. The Reapers are hunting them one by one. Maggie asks where Herschel is, and Ainsley says, he’s out there somewhere, but they’re the first people they’ve seen. Suddenly, a dart hits Gus in the throat.
They move, darts flying at them. Maggie and Daryl crouch behind some trees, then keep moving. It’s quiet, and they move forward silently. We hear a shot, followed by a scream, and Maya falls in a clearing, clutching her stomach. Maggie and Daryl run toward her, but Daryl says, it’s a trap. They’re trying to flush them out; pick them off one by one. Ainsley runs to Maya, and Maggie says, oh sh*t, calling out Ainsley’s name, but it’s too late. Ainsley falls, but before she dies, points toward them. Maggie says she thinks Ainsley saw Herschel, and that’s what she was trying to say. Daryl says they’ve got to get to Herschel first. Someone shoots at them, and Daryl says, there’s only one shooter. Maggie says, they’ve used three shots. When is it time to reload? She says she’ll go around behind, and tells Daryl to keep their attention. She slips around, and moves toward the shooter, her bow at the ready. She sees the gun sitting on a stand, and looks around.
Daryl goes the other way, and we see an eye watching through the bushes. Maggie hears something, and turns around. A huge dude in tree camouflage appears, and she tries to fight with him, stabbing him. He steps back, and takes out the knife. Maggie steps back as well, and right into a noose that tightens around her ankle. She’s pulled several yards, and he follows, but gets an arrow in his side for his trouble. Daryl flies at him, but arrow or not, this dude tosses him aside like he’s a tissue.
It’s blurry, and we see tree guy remove his camo. He takes a knife out of a tree, while Maggie struggles with the rope. She gets herself loose, and Daryl crawls forward, picking up a weapon on the way. Maggie is on her feet, and says, come on. Tree guy gets an arrow in the chest, and Kelly, Elijah, and Cole surround him. Maggie asks who he is. He’s one of them, right? He attacked their home, and killed her friends and family. Why? They did nothing to them. Who is he? What does he call himself? Tree guy remains silent, and she says, they know it’s just him. Answer or die; his choice. He sees he’s surrounded, and drops his knife. Maggie asks why he did it, and he smiles. He says something that sounds to me like bo-bo chick, but I find out from Talking Dead (tonight’s font of information) that it’s, Pope marked you. He reaches in his jacket, and bringing his hand out holding the pin of a grenade. Maggie yells, get down! and tree guy explodes.
The dust clears, and they move on. Maggie whistles, and hears a whistle back. She looks up to see a cute little Glenn mini me, wearing a baseball cap, and sitting in a tree. He says, hey mom.
Cole sleeps, and Elijah gives Kelly something to eat. They fist bump. Kelly chows down like she hasn’t eaten in a while. Maggie thanks her for helping Elijah. He’s been through a lot. Kelly says, it’s okay. They all have. Maggie asks who’s older, Kelly or her sister? and Kelly says, Connie is. She came as a surprise for their parents. By that point, their parents were too tired, so Connie kept an eye on her. Even when she had her own life, she shared it with Kelly, and tried to take care of her. She says, Maggie had a sister too. Is she the oldest? Maggie asks how she knew, and Kelly says, you can just tell sometimes. It seems like Maggie has been in charge her whole life. She protects them, so she must have protected her sister. Maggie says she hopes to get to meet Kelly’s sister someday, and Kelly says she will. Daryl looks in, and asks if they’re all right. Maggie nods, and says, yeah, and Kelly leaves. Daryl tells Maggie, it’s real quiet out there, and she says, for now. He says, that guy knew he was a dead man. He was just messing with her. They’ll stay a couple more days, sweep the grounds, and make sure. They’ll take the long way back, cover their tracks, and make sure nothing follows them. He asks if this means she’s coming home, and she says, her people deserve it, and so does Herschel. She’ll deal with Negan if she has to, but right now, all that matters is Alexandria.
They get to Alexandria, and see everyone building the city back up. Daryl asks Carol, what happened? and she says the Whisperers left a parting gift. Cole says, home sweet home? and Maggie says, yeah, it is. She takes Herschel’s hand, and walks in. Negan watches as she walks past him, and he goes inside. Maggie walks through the town with Herschel.
Next time, Carol says it feels like everything is not on their side anymore. She and Daryl both know this world is going to catch up with them. Daryl finds an occupied cabin in the woods, and lots of zombies are killed. You’d think we’d be running out of them by now.
🏆 Tomorrow, Fashion; Tonight, WTF…?
I don’t even know what to say in a year when Borat wins over Hamilton. People have no taste? It fits with our pandemic times?
Gloria Jean Watkins, otherwise known as Bell Hooks, is an author, professor, activist, and feminist who was born during a time when the United States was experiencing lots of change. These changes and their lasting impacts became the topic of many of her writings and professional career. Her unique perspective has given readers insight into how race, gender, and class intersect and shape each person in society.
Get ready to be impressed beyond your wildest dreams. Kathryn Finney is founder and CEO of digitalundivided, an author, and mentor. It seems she has always been a dreamer and a go-getter her entire life. She graduated from Rutgers University having participated in their student government, honors program, USA Today All Academic team, and had other awards bestowed upon her.
Tomorrow brings a new season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, but whether you’re on board or not, stay safe, stay away from trees that are really dudes in camouflage, and stay continuing to learn about Black History every month, not just February.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Curtis tells Finn, word on the street is, he’s getting married. He congratulates Finn, and they bro hug. Finn invites Curtis in, and Curtis says, look at him, all cool and calm. How’s he feeling? Finn says he doesn’t know about cool and calm, but he’s okay; he’s good. Violet is so excited, she’s practically levitating. Curtis says he can imagine. He’s happy for Finn, and Finn says he’s glad Curtis is there. Curtis played a big part in this. He helped Finn get his life back on the right track. Curtis says, it was all Finn. Finn got sober and stayed sober, and now he gets to live the life he deserves. Finn says, still, he’ll never forget what Curtis did. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s Chase, who says, this is it, the big day. Is Finn ready to spend the rest of his life with Anna? Finn says, sure. Why not?
Jordan walks into Anna’s house, and says, her official ride has arrived, and her dress has been delivered to the MetroCourt. She sees Anna sitting on the couch, staring into space, and says she’s ready, and Anna is… Anna says, oh, hi. She’s just finishing her tea. Jordan says, forgive her for saying it, but Anna doesn’t seem very excited. Is everything okay? Anna says, yeah, and asks if Jordan will be okay with seeing Curtis. Jordan tells her not to worry. She and Curtis are adults. They can handle being at the same social events. The doorbell rings, and Jordan answers it. Anna flashes back to Peter burning the evidence, and Jordan says Valentin is there. Valentin walks in looking grimmer than we’ve ever seen him look.
Peter sees Britt at the MetroCourt, and asks where his bride is, but she blocks the door. She says he’s not getting anywhere near Maxie.
Inside on the phone, Maxie tells Felicia that she got the presents. Open them before the ceremony? She figured. She tells Felicia, it’s okay. They’re Aunt Liddy’s only relatives, and she needs Felicia. She has Nina there to help her get ready. She has to go, and tells Felicia that she loves her too. Nina asks if she’s okay, and Maxie says although she’d love to have her mother there, her aunt Liddy, who is really her great-grandmother Mariah’s cousin, took a fall and needs Felicia, which she fully supports. Nina says Felicia is being generous, since she’s sure Felicia would want to be there on her daughter’s big wedding day. She takes Maxie’s hands, and asks where they start. Maxie asks if Nina is sure she’s up for this.
Jason sees Sam, and says she looks great. She thanks him, and says she’s on flower duty. She told Maxie that she’d make sure the ballroom looked perfect. She asks how he is; how’s Carly after Nina’s meltdown? He says, she’s okay. The Feds are satisfied that Nelle’s death was an accident. Sam says Carly is really lucky to have a friend like him.
Laura brings Lesley some coffee in the hospital boardroom, and says it went so much better than she expected. Lesley says Laura can be very persuasive. She doesn’t know where Laura gets it from. Laura says, Cyrus’s day is about to get a whole lot worse, and they laugh.
Cyrus comes stomping out of the elevator, looking at his tablet. He throws it down in front of Jackie, who’s standing at the reception desk, and says, what the hell is this?
Cameron is reading The Invader, where the headline says, Criminal Ties, next to Cyrus’s picture. Franco comes downstairs and sits on the couch, and Cameron asks if he wants breakfast. Franco says that’s nice of Cameron, but he doesn’t think he can manage it right now. Cameron says he picked up some extra shifts at Kelly’s since it’s winter break, and starts to put on his coat. Franco sits up straight and says, before Cameron does that, can they please have a conversation about his decision to not go to college? Cameron says, what about it? and Franco says Cameron has to go to college. It’s a bridge to his future. He has to go and practice being amazing, so he can be amazing in the world. Cameron says, the world will still be there after Franco… after Franco doesn’t need his help anymore. Franco says he won’t allow Cameron to postpone his life, and Cameron says, being there is the right thing. Elizabeth comes downstairs, as Franco says he wonders how Cameron can even say that after he attacked him. Cameron looks at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth asks, what happened? Franco was asleep when she got home last night, but Cameron didn’t say anything about an attack. Cameron says, Franco is just being dramatic. Franco was sleeping, Cameron woke him up, and it startled him. Franco says he almost hurt Cameron, and Cameron says, but he didn’t; he’s fine. Elizabeth says, just tell her what happened, and Cameron says, Franco was having a nightmare, and when he woke Franco up, Franco grabbed him. Franco says he didn’t just grab Cameron. He pinned him down on the couch. Cameron says, and Franco stopped the moment he realized it was him. Franco starts to argue, and Elizabeth says, okay. Was Franco angry when he grabbed Cameron? Franco says, the point is, he attacked Cameron, and Cameron asks if they can stop saying attacked. Elizabeth asks if Franco is talking about moving out, and Cameron says, no. He was just saying that he’s not going to college. Elizabeth looks startled.
Chase asks how Finn is, and Finn wonders why everyone is asking him that. Does it look like he’s trying to find the exit door? Anna is the best thing that ever happened to him, except for Violet. Chase says, and him, and Finn says, yeah. There’s a knock at the door, and Chase says, by the way, he invited dad. Finn says, what? and Gregory comes in.
Laura tells Lesley, she still can’t get over the fact that Lesley and Monica worked together on this. Lesley says, she and Monica will always have their differences, but General Hospital comes first. She and Laura join hands.
Jackie tells Cyrus, it’s called journalism. Part of the free press aspect of our society. He says, that’s libel, and if she talked to his mother, she’s an accessory to kidnapping. She says, Florence gave her no indication that she was being held against her will, and he says, tell him where his mother is now.
Spinelli gets off the elevator at the MetroCourt, and walks over to Jason and Sam. He says, greetings on this most curse-ed day, and Sam asks if he’s going to be able to handle the wedding. He says he promised Maxinista that he’d come… to witness what he knows will be the biggest mistake of her life.
Maxie tells Nina, when she, Nina, and Britt were all at the cemetery, they said they were family, right? Nina says they did, and Maxie says, family means telling each other the truth. Nina just found out the daughter she was searching for was Nelle. It’s a pretty traumatic thing to process. Is Nina sure she’s in the wedding mood?
Peter asks Britt what he did now, and she says, nothing is wrong. Tradition says she can’t let him see the bride before the wedding. He says, oh, that, and she says, of course (🍷). What else? She suggests they go get a drink in the lobby, and he says, it’s 10 o’clock in the morning. She says, so? They’ll dress it up with coffee.
Anna tells Jordan, she just wants to make sure everything is sorted out, and has to talk to Valentin. Jordan tells her, don’t be too long, and leaves. Valentin asks Anna how she is, and she says, devastated. She’s furious, at herself mostly, for not seeing what was right in front of her face. She finally gets it. Peter is not the man she thought he was. He’s beyond their help. Robert tried to warn her; Jason tried to warn her. She put Maxie in harm’s way, and now it’s up to them to make sure Peter never hurts anyone again.
Chase says Finn left is tux in the bag; he has to let it breathe. Finn says, it’s a suit, an inanimate object, and asks Gregory if he has enough coffee. Gregory says, it’s fine. He’s just preoccupied about Jackie. He married two incredible women, and has two fine sons to show for it. They make all the pain and heartache of love worth it. Finn gets a text on his phone saying, your DNA test results are ready.
Jackie tells Cyrus that she doesn’t know his mother’s current location. She’s sure Florence was moved following their conversation. He asks who set up the interview; Jason Morgan? She says a reporter never reveals their source, and Florence specifically said she didn’t want to see him. He says, she’s an old woman in poor health, and easily confused, but Jackie says her mind seemed clear as a bell when they spoke. A woman approaches Cyrus and says, the Board meeting is about to begin. She hands him some papers, and he snatches them from her. He tells Jackie, they’re not done.
Curtis approaches Jordan, and says, hi. She tells him that he looks great; she was just texting Anna. He says, she’s not here? and Jordan says she’s sure Anna is on her way. How has he been? Sam comes in, and apologizes for interrupting. She tells Curtis that her lawyers have been waiting on the paperwork for the sale, and asks if his have drawn them up yet. Jordan says, sale? and Sam tells Curtis that they can talk later. Curtis says he’s sure there was a mix-up. He’ll have his lawyer get it to her as soon as possible. Sam leaves, and Jordan wonders what’s going on… or is she not allowed to ask anymore?
Cyrus walks into the boardroom, and sees Laura and Lesley. He asks where the Board is; they have a vote scheduled. Lesley says, had, and Laura says, it’s all over.
Spinelli tells Jason that he’s glad Georgie has tonsilitis and isn’t there to participate in this farce of a ceremony. Sam sees Peter and Britt come in, and says hi loudly. Spinelli asks what one of the grooms is doing wandering around the lobby, and Peter says he’s glad he ran into Spinelli. He’d like to have a word about the wedding. Spinelli says, sure, and follows Peter to somewhere more private.
Nina tells Maxie that she admits it crossed her mind that she’ll never help her own daughter get ready for her wedding. That’s what makes helping Maxie get ready more precious. She asks what present Maxie wants to open first, but Maxie says she can’t chose, and tells Nina to pick one. Nina hands Maxie a jewelry box, and Maxie opens it, finding a garter laced with a blue ribbon. Maxie says, of course (🍷), and Nina says she’s proud of Felicia. She took care of the blue and the new. She gives Maxie another jewelry box, and there are beautiful earrings inside. Maxie says they belonged to her sister Georgie, and were her great-grandmother Mariah’s before that. Nina says, there’s the old and the borrowed, and truly loved. You can’t beat that. Maxie says, you can’t.
Cameron suggests he postpone college, and get a job. Franco says he’s leaving out the part about the college being in California, and that he’s been admitted. Cameron tells Elizabeth, he got accepted to Stanford, and asks Franco if he’s happy now. Elizabeth says it wasn’t even on Cameron’s list, and Cameron says, it was a reach. Franco says, apparently not. Before they have this conversation about possible postponement, he feels a gap year is to find out what your passion is, and figure things out, not for taking extra shifts at Kelly’s to unfairly help with your parent’s financial responsibilities. Elizabeth suggests they put a pin in this important conversation for now. They need to talk about what happened last night. Franco says, they’ll totally put a pin in it, and they’ll talk about everything, but not now. There’s something else he has to say. He can’t stay there anymore.
Anna tells Valentin, Peter doubled down on the lie about Obrecht framing him. When she confronted him with the incriminating documents, he took them right out of her hand and threw them in the fire. Valentin says, burning the evidence, and she says, but it was the way he justified it; his sense of entitlement and his blatant disregard for the truth. She saw him clearly for the first time. Valentin says she wanted to believe in his redemption – they both did – but he was raised by Faison. She says, Faison is dead, and Peter is a man now, responsible for his own choices. People can change, but it appears Peter doesn’t want to. He killed Drew, and almost killed Andre and Franco. And not out of malice or vengeance but to cover his tracks, which means he’ll continue to do that. Valentin says, it’s up to them, and she says, it is. Any hope she had of Peter’s redemption went up in flames, along with the evidence.
Valentin asks why Anna didn’t call Peter out on his lies, and she says she wanted to give him one last chance. One last test to see if he’d tell the truth, but he didn’t. She’s done. She can’t delude herself any more. Peter has to face justice for what he’s done. Valentin says, not quite yet.
Finn looks at his phone, and Chase asks what’s so fascinating. Something from Anna? Finn says, it’s an emergency at the hospital. He has to leave. Gregory says, don’t be ridiculous. He’s the groom. Finn says he’ll be right back. He can get ready in five. Chase tells Gregory to save his breath. If his patients need Finn, he’s there. He’s a dedicated doctor. Gregory tells Finn, go on then. They’ll be there waiting. He puts his arm around Chase, and says, right, son? Chase says, right, and Finn leaves.
Britt tells Jason, the Board was supposed to vote today, but she hasn’t heard anything; she’s been there. Sam asks if there’s something going on at GH, and Jason says, yeah. He’s just been keeping tabs on Cyrus. Britt asks if Sam has spoken to Dante. How’s he doing? Sam says, he’s doing fine, and Britt says, alrighty. Good talk. She leaves, and Jason tells Sam to take him through exactly what made her mom go after Franco. Sam says, her mom was drinking, and read the article in The Invader. She thinks it pushed Alexis over the edge, and made her act out. He asks how Franco was acting, and she says, he was agitated. At one point, he was talking to himself again, the same way he did when he showed up at the penthouse. She was scared. He says, okay, and thanks her. She says, of course (🍷), and he leaves.
Franco tells Elizabeth, he can’t stay there anymore. They talked about it; him not being a danger to her and the boys. Cameron says, Franco… and Elizabeth says if Franco feels he might be a danger to someone, then they can check him into Shadybrook. Cameron says, what? and she says, just until they figure out what’s happening. Cameron says, Franco’s not dangerous; he had a nightmare. She says, this is just for Franco’s peace of mind, and Cameron says, what about their peace of mind? They need him there. Jake and Aiden are still young. They need Franco. Franco says he’ll still see them, and Cameron says, just not at home. Cameron runs upstairs, and Elizabeth says it’s just because Cameron loves Franco; they all do. Franco says, and he loves them, but wants her to understand this is what he has to do. They agreed if he ever acted dangerously… Elizabeth thinks he was just startled. Cameron woke him up in the middle of a nightmare. Franco says, a nightmare about Jason.
Spinelli says he doubts Peter invited him up for a toast, so he’ll just say it… Peter says, stop talking. He’s tired of the games. He doesn’t want Spinelli at the wedding. Spinelli laughs, saying he doesn’t want to be there, but he promised Maxie, and they have a child together. Peter says he’s come to grips with Spinelli and Maxie co-parenting, but he’s not going to have Spinelli lurking at the wedding, stirring up trouble. Go. Away. Now.
Nina says she’s always admired Maxie, and Maxie says she’s always had a flair for accessorizing. Nina says, she has, but she admires Maxie for having the courage to find love after losing Nathan. A blow like that isn’t easy to recover from. Maxie says, James drew her a picture today. It said, happy wedding day, mommy and daddy. Nina asks, what is it? and Maxie says, it’s just that drawing… James always referred to Peter as Peter, and James has pictures of Nathan. They talk about him all the time. So for James to call Peter daddy, it got to her. She doesn’t know why. Nina says she gets it, but if Maxie is feeling guilty or disloyal, don’t. Doesn’t she think Nathan would want James to have a father? Maxie says she does, but she doesn’t know if Nathan would want him to be Peter. She went to Nathan’s grave, and asked for his blessing, but she didn’t get it. Nina asks if she’s sure, and Maxie says, usually when she visits Nathan, she can sense him; she feels warmth in her chest. This time, all she felt was cold.
Cyrus asks Laura, what’s going on? and she says, as he knows, her mother is a board member emeritus. When the Board read Jackie’s article, they agreed to meet early to discuss the vote. He says he can’t believe anyone paid attention to that article. It was a hatchet job; sensationalist tabloid garbage. Laura says, still, Jackie’s credentials carry a certain amount of prestige. Her mother and Monica simply suggested they read it. Lesley says, it was a close vote, but ultimately, the Board decided to turn him down. Laura tells him, don’t bother trying to fight it either. The drug was developed at GH, and GH isn’t going to submit it to the FDA.
Elizabeth gives Franco his shaving case, and tells him that his meds are in it. He thanks her, and says Doc is going to meet him there tomorrow morning, and help him check in. He’ll stay at the MetroCourt until then. There’s a knock at the door.
Chase tells Gregory that he steamed Finn’s suit. He can’t believe Finn spent the night there so he wouldn’t see Anna before the wedding. Who knew either of them was so traditional? Gregory says, it’s a way to mark the end of your single life, and take a pause before your life as a married partner begins. Chase says, he and mom didn’t do that, did they? Mom is anything but traditional. Gregory says, actually, Jackie insisted on it. He didn’t see or hear from her for 24-hours before the wedding. Part of him started to wonder if maybe she’d changed her mind.
Jackie comes out of the elevator at the hospital, and sees Finn. She asks if he isn’t getting married in a few hours, and he says, something came up that couldn’t wait. She says, what could possibly be…Is it about Harry(Chase)? He says he did the DNA test, and the results are at the lab. When he gets them, he’ll know if Chase is his son. She says he can’t do this.
Cyrus says Laura and her mother had no right to meddle. GH needs the income stream this new drug could bring. Lesley says she thinks he’s talking about his income stream. Doesn’t he hold the patent for the drug? Laura says, it’s for the best. The FDA would have done more testing, and what they did was save General Hospital from public embarrassment. He says, this isn’t over, and leaves. Lesley says, it felt so good, and Laura says she thinks Lesley and Monica should team up more often. Lesley says they may not see eye to eye on much of anything, but they agree Cyrus is wrong for GH. Laura says, Cyrus was just handed his first major setback since he took over as Chairman. Lesley says she’s going to savor the memory as her plane takes off, and Laura says, she’s leaving?
Curtis tells Jordan, all he needs to do now is finalize the paperwork, and she says she didn’t realize that he was unhappy being a P.I. He says, neither did he, until he recognized and decided he needed a change in his life, a different direction. She asks if he has any idea what he’s going to do next, and he says he’s buying a nightclub.
Anna asks if Valentin still wants to protect Peter after everything he’s done, but he says, no. Peter burned the evidence, which is a good thing since Anna withheld it. She could have gotten arrested. They need proof of Peter’s crimes. Anna says, and let him marry her goddaughter in the meantime? No. Maxie needs to know the truth about who she’s letting in to her life. He says, if she tells Maxie the truth, it could get Peter killed.
Nina says she had no idea Maxie had doubts about marrying Peter, but Maxie says she was talking about Nathan. Her phone rings, and it’s Spinelli. She asks if everything is okay with Georgie, and he says, Georgie’s condition remains unchanged. His, however, is not. Sadly, he’s succumbed to an unfortunate stomach malady, and needs to go home. He’s so sorry. She says, what? He’s not coming to the wedding? He says he’s afraid not, but please know he wishes her only the best of everything. Her happiness is truly all he’s ever wanted. Again, he’s so sorry. He hangs up, and says, satisfied? Peter says, quite. Now go home. If he sees anyone, pretend to be sick. Spinelli says, he won’t have to pretend. This marriage nauseates him. He leaves.
Maxie tells Nina, Spinelli just apologized. He said he’s sorry, but he’s not coming to the wedding. Nina says she’s sorry, but Maxie says, it’s fine. It would probably be too hard for him to watch her marry Peter anyway. Like it’s too hard her for Nina for different reasons. Nina just had her heart ripped out, and shouldn’t be forced to paste on a smile and be in a partying mood. Nina says, of course (🍷) she’ll be there, but Maxie tells her, consider herself uninvited. Nina says, what?
Jason asks Elizabeth if Franco is there, but she says, it’s not a good time. Franco says, it’s fine; come on in. Is there something Jason wants to ask him?
Cyrus stomps around the reception area. Finn tells Jackie that he knows how she feels, but sorry; the test results are waiting, and he needs to know the truth. She says, at any cost? A woman brings a phone to Cyrus, and says, the Board is on the line, and wants to discuss the vote. He takes the phone. Jackie says, Finn hasn’t changed a bit, has he? It’s all about facts, not people. He doesn’t stop to consider the ramifications of the truth. He says he thought the truth didn’t matter in journalism, but she says, not with this. Gregory will always be Chase’s father, and they’re still family. If Finn finds out Chase is his son, it will devastate Gregory. Finn has no idea what Chase means to Gregory; they’re so close. Chase will lose everything; the father he’s loved his whole life, the mother who kept the information from him, and the brother he’s come to care about and adore. Is it worth taking all that from Chase?
Chase asks if Gregory thought his mom was going to leave him stranded at the altar. Was he paranoid? Gregory says, they fell in love fast, Jackie was younger, and he kept wondering what this beautiful, intelligent adventurer saw in a quiet history professor. Chase says, there must have been something; she showed up, didn’t she? Gregory says, she did. She spent so long in the bride’s room, he thought she’d never come out, but when she did, his life was never the same. Chase asks if she ever said where she was, and Gregory says he didn’t ask. Once they were married, it didn’t seem important.
Jason tells Franco, Sam said he was talking to himself before Alexis attacked him. Can Franco tell him what that was about? Cameron comes down, and asks what Jason is doing there. Jason says he came to speak to Franco, and Elizabeth tells Cameron, they’ve got this; go upstairs. Cameron says he’ll go when Jason goes, but Franco says, please do as his mom asks. They’re fine. Cameron leaves, and Franco says Cameron thinks Jason is a threat to him. Elizabeth says, but his fears are unfounded, because any agreement Jason made with Franco is off. Franco says, so Jason was asking why he was talking to himself. He’s hearing voices.
Valentin says, if Anna tells Maxie, she’ll tell Spinelli. Anna says, and he’ll tell Jason. Valentin says she knows how Jason will react, and she says Jason tried to warn her, but she didn’t listen. Valentin says, Jason will kill him, and she says she wouldn’t be surprised if Peter turned up dead. They wouldn’t be able to trace it to Jason, but it would be his work.
Anna says she doesn’t want Jason involved. She wants Peter to face justice, but not killed in cold blood. Valentin says, then don’t they have to wait? Gather evidence, so the WSB can prosecute Peter themselves? Anna says, at Maxie’s expense? She can’t do that. He says, so what do they do?
Laura says she wishes she and Lesley had more time together, but she’s grateful Lesley is going to be with Lulu. Lesley tells her, don’t worry. She’s going to consult with Lulu’s doctors, and make sure her granddaughter is getting the best possible care. Laura says she keeps hoping and praying Lulu will wake up, and Laura says, they have to keep believing. Lesley says, their girl is strong, like her momma, and Laura says, and like her momma. They hug, and Laura tells her mother that she loves her.
Jackie says she’s begging Finn, please think about the people he loves and what they stand to lose. Finn nods, and says, okay. Maybe she’s right. Today is not the day for this. He won’t go to the lab and get the results. She thanks him, and says he’s saved them all a lot of pain.
Jordan tells Curtis that she hopes it works out. He deserves to be happy. He thanks her, and she asks him to save her a table for his opening night at the new club. He says she’s got it, and she says she’d better go. Anna will be there any minute. She walks to the elevator, and Curtis says she looks incredible. She goes into the elevator, and tries not to cry.
Jason says, Franco is hearing voices? and Franco says, just the one. Elizabeth says the doctor in Switzerland thought it was left over from Drew’s memories, not the tumor. Jason asks if Franco recognizes the voice, and Franco says he does. It’s Peter August.
Peter looks at his tux, and says, it won’t be long now before he marries Maxie.
Sam and Britt go to the bride’s room, and Britt asks if Maxie is ready for the finishing touches. Sam wonders if she’s still getting dressed, and goes into the other room. Britt sees the garter, and Sam comes back, saying, Maxie’s not here; she’s gone. Britt wonders where she could be.
At Nathan’s grave, Maxie says, it’s her again. She’s getting married in a few hours, and had to come check in with him first, because she doesn’t know what to do. He always knew the right thing to do, so please, she needs his guidance. She hears footsteps, and says, oh my God. What are you doing here?
Maybe Obrecht?
On Monday, Curtis says he feels solid in his decision, Sam says they have no idea where Maxie is, Maxie says Peter isn’t the man someone thinks he is, and Valentin says, it’s not too late.
Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think that you’ve lost time. There is no short-cutting to life. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time. – Asha Tyson, American Author and Public Speaker
It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things. – Leonardo da Vinci
A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions–as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all. – Friedrich Nietzsche
Everything you can imagine is real. – Pablo Picasso
If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself. – Albert Einstein
Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well. – Mark Twain
It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. – Lewis Carroll
The difference between genius and stupidity is: genius has its limits. – Alexandre Dumas-fils
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston S. Churchill
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou
🍌 Making Like a Banana and Splitting…
We’ve come to another weekend, or 24-hour cycle if you haven’t foregone time altogether. This Sunday, the Dead go back to walking and talking, and until they do, stay safe, stay being more genius than stupid, and stay not opening a DNA test at an inappropriate time.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
I missed the first minute and nine seconds. Or however much time is before the opening credits. What happened was, Ava got the real gift from Nikolas, a bracelet, and Willow told Chase that they had to learn from what had happened. Michael got a call telling him Wiley wouldn’t stop crying, he decided to check on his son, and Sasha offered to go with him. Josslyn and Trina told Cameron that he should sing the song he wrote for Franco, but Cameron ran upstairs instead, and TJ finally got to the clerk’s office. Then…
Elizabeth says she’s sorry Cameron is being so rude, taking off, and Josslyn says, Cam is just being Cam. Trina says, sometimes Cameron has trouble expressing how he feels, but she and Josslyn have learned to read between the lines. Elizabeth thanks them, and they go upstairs. Franco tells Elizabeth, there are plenty of grown-ups who don’t know how to deal with cancer. He wishes it wasn’t happening now, with Cameron being in his senior year and getting ready for college, but Elizabeth says, it’s a part of life, and the boys shouldn’t be afraid of it. If they have questions, they should just ask. Franco raises his hand, and says, his question is, will she still be madly in love with him when he’s bald? She says, no fair; they already talked about it. He says, hypothetically, but now it’s happening, and he never heard her mention she likes bald. She says she loves him, with or without hair, and she already told him that his hair isn’t his best feature. He says, his sense humor, and she says, definitely his bod, and they hug.
Cameron looks in the bathroom mirror, and says he can do this. He has to. Not just for Franco, but for Aiden and Jake. He needs to show them that it’s not scary or weird; just show them that it’s normal. He’s the big brother, and it’s time for him to step up. Outside the door, Trina asks if he thinks they’re going to leave, and Josslyn says, have they met? Open up.
Ava tells Nikolas that the bracelet is beautiful, and he says, just like his wife. It’s engraved. She reads, June 13, 2016, and he says, it’s the day they ran into each other on the flight to England. She says, of course (🍷). When he pretended to be Niles Carradine, the most ridiculous fake name ever. Did he even put any thought into it? He says, yet she protected him from the start, and she says, she thought he was sweet, and they had a little spark. He says he thought so too. In the time he was gone, he found himself thinking about her. She says, they barely knew each other, but he says she was always in his thoughts. She says, and here they are. Back in the same place. He says, he’ll always keep her safe, and takes her hand.
Chase tells Willow, the wine is good. He salutes her expertise. She says she’s a long way from being an expert, but it was fun expanding her knowledge. Michael insisted on putting a wine rack in the gatehouse. It’s so ironic. The best thing about the gatehouse is the location. Chase says, a short walk to Wiley. The best part is that she’s close to her son.
Michael thanks Sasha for coming with him. She’s being brave and unselfish. She says she feels the same way about him, and he tells her to make herself comfortable while he figures out what’s going on with Wiley. She asks if he minds if she tags along. He says, even if Wiley is melting down? and she says, after all she’s been through, she understands a meltdown.
Britt tells Jason, it’s time to spread some Valentine magic, and he asks why she cares. She says she’s the Chief of staff; it’s good public relations. He says, maybe, but he doesn’t think that’s why. She asks if he’s implying that he can read her. Trust her, he can’t. He says, the kids are feeling lonely, being in the hospital on Valentine’s Day. He thinks she knows what that feels like. She tells him, quit stalling, and he follows her into the elevator. She says, let’s get to work.
Molly says she told the clerk TJ would be there, and he apologizes for being late; about a million things went wrong. He’s glad Kristina could join them, and hopes they don’t mind that he brought a guest of his own. Molly says, the more the merrier, and Jordan comes in. She says TJ couldn’t find a Ride Share, so she gave him a lift. Molly says she’s happy Jordan is there, and TJ says he is too. They still have some stuff to work out, but it’s a start. The clerk says if they’re done with the family therapy session, do they want to get this show on the road? They all say, yes, in unison.
At the club, Portia comes back to the table to see Curtis with his phone in his hand, and asks if he got a call. He says he’s deciding if he should make one. His client wanted to know the second he got proof of his wife cheating. She says, on Valentine’s Day? She doesn’t suppose he could tell his client tomorrow. Otherwise, he’ll forever associate Valentine’s Day with cheating. Curtis says his client is such a good dude, he’d hate to ruin the holiday. He’ll tell him tomorrow. Portia wonders what they should do with the precious time they have, and asks him to tell her what lake trout is, and where it fits in with Baltimore.
Molly tells the clerk, their paperwork is filled out, and the clerk looks at her license, then looks at Molly. Molly says, she knows it’s a horrible photo, but it’s really her. Jordan tells Kristina, the clerk isn’t very friendly, and Kristina says, don’t get her started. Moly asks if they just need to sign the document, and the clerk says, correct. Kristina gives Molly a pen, and Molly asks if TJ is ready. He says, more than she’ll ever know, and she says she knows he originally wanted to get married, but doing it this way feels right. He says it feels right to him too, and she says she loves how he loves her and all her peculiarities. He says he wouldn’t have it any other way. Her first. She signs, and then he does, and everyone smiles, even the clerk, a little. They hug, and Kristina says, congratulations. Jordan says, may their life together always be as joyous as it is today.
Nikolas asks the waiter if he found out who the package was from, but the waiter says his manager told him it was there when he got to work, with instructions to deliver it to Mrs. Cassadine. There was also a note. He hands Ava an envelope, and she looks at it, then at Nikolas.
Franco wonders if Cameron is still upset, but Elizabeth says, he’s with his friends. Franco knows how teenagers are. They don’t always want to talk to their parents, and would rather talk to their friends. She’s sure between Josslyn and Trina, they can get Cameron to talk it out.
Josslyn knocks again, and says, come on, when Cameron opens the door. He says he’s only letting them in because he needs help. Josslyn asks, help with doing what? and Cameron says, this is important to him. He doesn’t want pushback. Trina says he’s scaring them, and Cameron says, shave his head, handing Josslyn an electric razor.
Brad calls Lucas, and leaves a message saying, it’s him. He means, it’s Brad. He realizes he lost that privilege a long time ago. He’s in GH, and saw Lucas with Felix. He’s still on the 10th floor. Please. They don’t have to talk. It’s just nice being in contact. Maybe Lucas can swing by, and show him pictures of Wiley.
Sasha and Michael come back downstairs, and Sasha says, poor Wiley. It must have been a bad dream. He says Wiley was definitely happy to see her. He stopped crying the moment he did. She says she’s happy Wiley remembered her, but thinks Michael was the one who had the calming effect. He says, he’ll take credit where it’s due, but he saw how it went down. Wiley obviously missed her… He did too. She says, knowing how everything turned out, she’d probably do it again, but she’s very happy it’s behind them. He says, so is he, but they should focus on the here and now. She says she’s game, and he says, it’s Valentine’s Day. She asks what he has in mind.
Chase asks if Willow saved room for dessert, but she says she couldn’t eat another bite. If he wants to get something though, go ahead. He says he shouldn’t, and asks if she’s ready to leave. She says, yes, and he asks where she’d like to go.
Ava sees Mrs. Cassadine on front of the envelope, and says, it’s typed. Is Nikolas sure this isn’t from him? He says, definitely not. He’s guessing it’s the same person who gave her the roach. She opens the envelope, and he asks what it says. She reads, secrets and cockroaches, the only two things that always survive. Except for us.
Elizabeth gives Franco a mug, and says, chicken broth; it’s good for the stomach. He says, it’s not how he envisioned this evening turning out, and she says, really? With a house full of teenagers? He lifts the mug, and says, to their anniversary. He still hasn’t made it up to her, getting married in a jail cell, and they never had a honeymoon. She says, they will. Right now, life with him and the boys is a perfect consolation prize. He says, cheers to that, and she asks, what’s bothering him? He says, it’s just that it’s Valentine’s Day. They should be upstairs with the door locked, making love all night. Or at least once. She says, when he feels better, they’ll get a room at the MetroCourt, or better yet, have their honeymoon. There’s no rush. Right now, this is plenty for her. He says, it’s not enough, but she says, it is. Two years is just the beginning for them. They sit on the sofa, and she puts her head on his shoulder, but she looks sad.
Trina says, not to sound superficial, but Cameron’s gorgeous hair? Josslyn asks if he really wants to be bald in his senior yearbook picture (which I think would have been taken by now), but he says he doesn’t care. He wants to support Franco. Franco is going through radiation, and losing his hair. Trina respects the gesture, but says the girls at school will never forgive her. He says he couldn’t care less. He has to be the big brother, and make it less scary for Jake and Aiden. He asks Josslyn if her mom was going through radiation, wouldn’t she want to make it less scary for Avery and Donna? Josslyn says she guesses she’d have to, since he’s setting the bar so high. Trina says, they have his back, and always will, but maybe he wants to sleep on it for a night. He says, it’s happening. If they won’t help him, he’ll do it himself, and make a mess out of it. He turns on the razor, and Josslyn takes it. She says, last chance. Is he sure? He says, absolutely.
Curtis tells Portia that he remembers when he and Jordan were partners. They’d end their shift, and get some lake trout; it was so good with Louisiana hot sauce. She says, bonding over food and crime. It was literally the opposite with her and Taggert. They didn’t have work to bond over. It sounds cliché, but they literally just grew apart. She thinks they shouldn’t be spending Valentine’s Day talking about stale relationships, and he says, it’s a hazard of the holiday. It sets an artificial standard of romance. She says, not always. When you see some couples, you can tell they radiate genuine love. Hmm… Did she look at him the way I thought she did?
The clerk says, congratulations. The state of New York recognizes TJ and Molly as domestic partners. TJ looks at the certificate, and says he thought it would be more special, but Molly says, it’s just a document. Just like they didn’t need a big, splashy wedding, they don’t need an over-the-top commitment ceremony. It’s what they feel in their hearts that’s important. He asks how she got so wise, and how he got so lucky? and she tells him that she’s the lucky one. With him in her life, she always will be. They hug.
Britt tells Jason, it’s not so bad, seeing the kids’ faces lit up. He says, not at all, and a little girl tugs at his sleeve. She says, hey, mister. She was in the bathroom when they came to her room. Does he have a Valentine for her?
Cameron turns on the razor, and hands it to Josslyn. He sits, and she begins to shave his head. Everyone looks like they might cry, and we see his hair on the floor. Seriously though, I knew a kid who had long hair in high school, and for whatever reason, decided to come as close to shaving his head as he could without being totally bald, and it grew back fast and gorgeous. He was still cute, and while people were surprised, no one laughed.
Sasha and Michael play chess, and she says, no. She didn’t see that move coming. He says she’s too focused on her queen, and she says she’s not a good chess player, but no surprise, he’s a shark. He’s always strategizing, and thinking about options and plans. He asks if she’s implying he can’t be spontaneous, and she says, if it fits in the plan. He says, if nothing else, chess is good for distancing yourself. If you dial in, you can lose yourself – in a good way. She asks why she feels there’s more to his statement, and he says he doesn’t know the right way to say it. He’s been having talks with Kristina, and her mom is having a hard time staying sober. Alexis has to fight the urge to drink. She says, and he’s wondering if she has the urge to use. He says, yeah, and she says she’s been going to sober classes at GH, and they give a lot of good tips about what to do if you’re craving the drugs again, but she hasn’t thought about doing anything else. She makes a chess move that surprises Michael.
Nikolas tells Ava, whoever wrote that isn’t much of a poet, and she asks if they’re on the same page about who sent it. He guesses Ryan, but Ryan can’t speak or move. The only part of him that he can move is his eyes. Ava asks if he remembers the last time she saw Ryan. She dug her nails into him, and he didn’t even flinch. Nikolas wonders how Ryan could have sent it. They don’t know it’s him. She says, it’s got to be. He’s got more lives than a cat. She asks if he thinks it’s possible that Ryan gained movement.
Jordan takes a photo, and says, just like that, her baby is grown up. Kristina asks Jordan to send her the pictures so she can send them to her mom and Sam, and Jordan says, Aunt Stella will want them too. She takes a group shot, and Kristina asks if they have anything to make it a more special occasion. Molly says they’re planning a big party in the summer, and TJ says they want to celebrate with something casual with friends, and music, and maybe a domestic partner cake. Molly says, maybe, but tonight is just perfect; exactly the way they wanted it. Jordan’s phone rings, and she steps away to take the call. Nikolas says, sorry to bother her on Valentine’s Day, but she says, that’sokay, and asks what she can do for him. He says he and Ava were having dinner at the Port Charles Grill, and Ava got an unusual, slightly creepy gift. It was anonymous, and their first thought was that it was Ryan. He was calling to see if there’s been any change, but she says, not at all. He asks if she’s absolutely sure, and she says she’s always kept informed of any change. Ryan is too big of a threat for her not to be. He’s paralyzed, helpless, and still. Nikolas shakes his head.
Franco asks what Elizabeth thinks about Bahrain. It has beautiful beaches, great weather year round. And there’s a 400 year old tree there that has magical powers. She says he won’t need it by the time they go on their honeymoon. He’ll be healthy and well enough. He says, absolutely, and they almost kiss, but Trina comes downstairs, and says, don’t be alarmed. Josslyn follows her, saying, the intention was a good outcome, but it may be distressing. Franco asks, what happened? and Josslyn says, it’s Cameron. Cameron comes down wearing a beanie, and smiles. He takes it off, and he’s not quite bald, but like that kid I knew. And FYI, he’s still just as cute. All the kids at school will be shaving their heads now.
Britt tells the little girl that she’s sorry they missed her before. The treats she had were all given out, but it’s a big hospital, and a big job, so she has a helper. Jason hands the little girl a bag, and tells her, happy Valentine’s Day. The little girl says, yay. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Cupid. Britt laughs.
TJ thanks Jordan, and she says she loves seeing him this happy. She’s so proud that he and Molly are carving out their own path. He says it’s the best night of his life. He probably wouldn’t have asked her to be there, but he’s so happy that it turned out the way it did. He’s glad she could be there, and loved the fact that she used the police siren. They hug.
Elizabeth asks Cameron what he did, and Franco wonders if he’s seeing things. Cameron says, nope; it’s all gone. Trina says they tried to talk him out of it, and Josslyn says, they told him how the kids at school were going to react. Franco asks, why? and Cameron says, two bald heads are better than one. He’s with Franco in this; with him all the way. Elizabeth runs her hands through his crew cut, and says she’s so proud of him, and Franco says, promise him something right now. He gets to be there when Jake sees Cameron for the first time. He grabs Cameron and rubs his head, and Cameron says, okay, okay. He’s going to put it back on if Franco doesn’t quit it.
Michael asks if Sasha is sure she has to leave. Can he interest her in a rematch? She says it’s better if she doesn’t, and he asks, why? She says she’s having trouble leaving behind what they had. He’s saying they have to start over, but they were so good together before. She keeps remembering their love for each other; how he believed in her, defended her, and gave her a second chance when no one else would. He says, that’s how much he loved her, and she asks if he doesn’t think they can go back and pick up where they left off. He says, there’s emotional scar tissue they have to deal with. He has to learn to trust her again. That’s why they have to start over. He takes her hands, and asks if she can do that. She says, yes; she wants that badly. They start to kiss, when Willow and Chase walk in. Willow and Michael smile at each other.
Willow says she’s so sorry. She just wanted to check on Wiley before Chase walked her to the gatehouse. Michael says they came back because Wiley wouldn’t stop crying, but he’s fine now. Sasha says, it’s time to call it a night, and Michael says he’ll text her some dates, and they’ll make plans. She says she’d love that, and leaves. Michael tells Chase and Willow, happy Valentine’s Day, and goes into the living room. Willow tells Chase that she can walk herself to the gatehouse, and thanks him for a lovely evening. Next time, maybe they can make a whole night of it. He says, whenever she’s ready, kisses her cheek, and jets. She joins Michael, and asks if Wiley is really okay. He says, so far, so good, and asks how her night was. She says, good, and his? He says ,not exactly what he expected but… She says she should go, but he says if she’s not too tired, he found a good movie, Love Actually. Willow asks if that isn’t the movie where everyone is in love with the wrong person, and he says, that’s the one. She sits down.
Ava looks at the roach under glass, and Nikolas says, no change in Ryan’s condition. She says, maybe he had some help. He suggests they stop and plan their wedding. They can plan a wedding that will be real, and full of meaning. The wedding they should have had. She says their version of true love is different than most; a little tainted. He says he looks forward to them spending the rest of their lives together. He loves her. She says, forever, and they gaze at one another.
Curtis helps Portia put on her coat, and she thanks him. He thanks her for partnering with him on the case. She was right; it was better together. She says she had a good time playing detective, and he says, sometimes you have to step outside your comfort zone, and shake things up. He looked this place up online, and the owner is having financial issues. It’s for sale. Maybe it’s time for him to shake things up a little.
Jordon finds a song on her phone, and says, it’s perfect for a first dance. TJ says, it’s not a wedding, but Molly says she actually thinks she’d enjoy a dance with her domestic partner. She loves him with all her heart. He says he loves her too, and they dance while Jordan films it. The clerk kind of smiles.
Britt says she knows it wasn’t Jason’s first choice for the night, but he made a lot of kids happy. He says he’s had worse nights. Happy Valentine’s Day. She says, same to him, and he leaves. She takes the last bag, and goes in to see Brad, who was peeking through the blinds. She asks what he’s doing out of bed, and he says, spying on the staff; looking for a scandal. He came up empty. She says, not completely, and hands him the bag. She says he can take it back to Pentenville, and the other inmates will think he got lucky. They hug, because apparently, it’s catching.
Cameron and Franco goof around, putting on different hats, while there’s a song part. Franco says, it’s the best Valentine’s Day a husband and stepdad could ask for.
Tomorrow, Carly says she’s going to stick to her statement; Obrecht says, the proof is out there; Valentin tells Anna, it’s as bad as they feared; and Britt tells someone, the sparrow has landed.
Below Deck – The Reunion
Eddie was rocking a beard; Francesca was in Sydney, where it was 4 am; Rachel was in quarantine, having moved on from lockdown; and Rob was in Fiji, digging for gold. Izzy wasn’t surprised, and Andy asked if she thought he was really digging for gold, or just didn’t want to be on the show. She said he might be digging, but hadn’t wanted to be on the show, was rude to production, and acted like an a-hole the whole time. Andy moved on to Shane (who showed up for five minutes), and Shane insisted he’d given his job as deckhand his all, although he admitted he hadn’t realized how much hard work was involved. Andy asked about Eddie calling Shane stupid, and Shane whined that if the show was about roasting him, he was going to log off. Apparently, Shane has never seen a reunion, where roast would be a kind term. Shane said it was upsetting, and Eddie said he didn’t really think Shane was stupid, but there was a difference between the kind of smarts Shane has and what’s needed in the yachting industry. Shane said he didn’t hold a grudge, and Andy pointed out that he’d gone on the show to raise awareness for the environment, when yachting is hardly environmentally friendly, and yachts are gas guzzlers. Shane said that didn’t mean you couldn’t make the industry less sustainable, and since Izzy is actually a decent person, she supported Sunshine, saying that she’d learned a lot from him. When Andy asked if Shane had any parting words, Shane told us, stay sustainable.
The topic turned to Rachel leaving, then coming back. Andy said Eddie had been offended at how Rachel handled the situation. She hadn’t apologized to the crew, but redeemed herself. Eddie said she was the best chef he’d ever seen, and Rachel said he deserved his stripes. Andy asked Rachel who she thought was more to blame for the lack of communication, Francesca or her team? and Rachel said, in retrospect while watching the show, she realized what was going on, and how it could have been overwhelming. Francesca said she didn’t think it had been that hard. She did feel like she had to walk on eggshells for a while, but they ironed things out. A viewer asked why no one confronted Rachel about her antics while drunk, and Francesca thought they were all scared of her. Elizabeth said, let her have her fun, and Eddie said she was entitled to blow off steam, but he got frustrated when it affected everyone else. Rachel said she held Eddie’s opinion in high regard, and wished he had approached her at the time. Andy said she had apologized to Captain Lee, and asked how she felt when the captain compared his concern for her to that of his late son. She said his words definitely made an impact. I noticed Captain Lee was wearing what looked like a black suit, and wondered if he was going somewhere else afterward. Like a funeral. He said if talking about it helped one person, it was a step in the right direction.
James’s eyebrow grooming was discussed, and Andy asked if James had misled Elizabeth, or if he could have handled the situation differently. He said he thought they were on the same page. A viewer asked how Elizabeth could think it was okay to use the guest cabin without permission, then not take responsibility. We flashed back to Francesca having to ask fifty different ways before Elizabeth admitted to it, and Elizabeth told James to get creative. Then James tried pinning it on her, saying it was her idea, but Elizabeth said it was the other way around, and I distinctly remembered it was James who texted Elizabeth to meet him there. James said he balanced the risk and the reward, and Andy asked if one night of passion was worth it. James said it was, but Elizabeth, after rolling her eyes at night of passion, said, not so much. Andy polished his devil horns, and asked about James being relieved when he heard Elizabeth would be leaving the boat. James said he didn’t know what people expected out of him. I dunno. Being a decent human maybe? Reading my thoughts, Izzy suggested compassion, and James said he regretted nothing. Captain Lee said he thought it would have been a one-night stand had it been on land. James said the captain knew him too well.
They talked about Rob a little, and Izzy said, he might be digging for gold, but he didn’t want to confront his actions by sitting and watching the show. He’d never seen it. Rachel said she and Rob talked a lot, and he was definitely working. Andy asked why Izzy hadn’t originally applied to be a deckhand, and she said she wanted to be on deck, but after she’d been assaulted, coupled with bad experiences she’d had with deck crews, she wasn’t comfortable working with men. A viewer asked why Izzy was promoted instead of James or Rob, like it wasn’t obvious, and what he thought about the pushback she got from the deckhands. Eddie said while James and Rob had both worked hard (yeah, when strongly urged or cajoled), he didn’t think either of them wanted the extra responsibility. Whoever gets a promotion usually gets flack, and he thought Izzy handled it well, but should have let more roll off her back. Everyone agreed Izzy was the MVP of the deck team.
Brandi from California asked why Francesca had been so hard on Elizabeth, when she wasn’t the best chief stew. Francesca said she hadn’t been mean, but directional, and Elizabeth agreed Francesca hadn’t been mean, but thought she was condescending. Francesca said perhaps she should have praised Elizabeth more, but Elizabeth had more mishaps than well-dones. Ashling thought they worked well as a team, but Elizabeth’s work ethic got in the way. I assumed she meant, lack of work ethic. Ashling was the two-faced snake that she is through the entire reunion; a fake smile plastered on her face, contradicting herself when it made her look better, and gaslighting Elizabeth. Francesca said she thought Elizabeth hadn’t learned proper procedures, because she’d never been on a yacht long enough, having worked off and on. Elizabeth said she thought Francesca and Ashling were bullies in the end, and said she thought they should have been more straightforward, especially Ashling, if there was an issue with her. Ashling made her stupidest comment yet, asking if she should have been nasty rather than fostering a positive work environment, like that was the only other option. Elizabeth said, nooo, but maybe she could have been honest if there was a problem. Francesca griped that Elizabeth talking behind her back was bullying. Um… First, does she understand the definition of bullying, and second, she did plenty of talking about Elizabeth behind her back. Elizabeth said Ashling calling her a lost cause was offensive, and we flashed back to Ashling saying that on Watch What Happens Live. Ashling pivoted, claiming she was only repeating what someone else had said – when she clearly stated in the clip that she agreed. Rachel pretended to eat popcorn, and Francesca said bullying was a strong word, after she just used it inappropriately. She complained that Izzy had called her extra, and Rachel had also been talking sh*t behind her back. Izzy said there was no malintent, but perhaps people were expressing themselves too much, and not thinking of other’s feelings. Rachel said she’d felt backed in a corner, and Ashling just came off like an asshat. Captain Lee said Elizabeth excelled at what she likes to do, but he didn’t think she enjoyed being a yachtie. Elizabeth said she had mad respect for him, but thought some of his opinions were biased, and he was coming from a different place. He didn’t know her well enough to give an opinion about her being a yachtie. Ashling, who continually had to put in her two cents until it could have paid my mortgage, said that Elizabeth was just upset because she’d been called out on her work ethic. Again, I think she meant lack thereof. <sigh> Rachel said people tended to reach for gratification from the captain, and for once, Andy exchanged his horns for a halo, and suggested they hear from Elizabeth. He said everyone was talking for her, and Elizabeth said it was kind of a trend. She said a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and she thought Francesca wanted to make her feel weak. She didn’t feel supported or encouraged. She realized it wasn’t Francesca’s job to be her cheerleader, but it as a leader, what’s wrong with that? Captain Lee said he understood Francesca’s frustration, but also understood Elizabeth thought she was doing a good job.
Andy asked about Elizabeth’s reaction to seeing her birthday cake come out, and she said it was hard and weird to watch. She wanted to call Rachel, and thank her for being supportive. She was sure it wasn’t deliberate on the crew’s part, but it felt malicious and creepy. Rachel said she thought it was f***ed up, and Andy asked why Rachel was so affected. Rachel said when they were digging into the cake and laughing, she thought it was nasty. Andy asked if Francesca made the right decision in firing Elizabeth, and Rachel said she understood why, but there were only two charters left. When she was watching the show, she realized she hadn’t understood how bad Francesca and Ashling were feeling about the situation, but Elizabeth should have finished the season. Francesca said she was exhausted, and when someone isn’t pulling their weight, you have to take on more. She said she felt badly about the cake, but she hadn’t had a close relationship with Elizabeth, so it didn’t register that it was her birthday cake. I guess the sparklers, and the words Happy Birthday on it didn’t give her a clue. She said she wasn’t laughing about Elizabeth being gone; she would never do that. Andy asked if Elizabeth accepted Francesca’s apology, even though there was no sorry involved, and Elizabeth said if someone was genuinely sorry, she was all about forgiveness. Forgiveness is the highest form of love. Francesca said yachting is ruthless, and it wasn’t personal. Andy asked Francesca to name one thing that she enjoyed about Elizabeth, and she said, personally, they had a lot in common. They’d also had a couple of laughs. Andy asked if Elizabeth could look at the positives, and Elizabeth said she appreciated the side of Francesca that was vulnerable and open. She felt they could connect more when Francesca was open, and she wondered if there couldn’t have been a balance. Captain Lee wondered why Elizabeth wasn’t coming up with something good about Francesca, and I wondered if he wasn’t paying attention. Maybe he was thinking about where he had to go afterward in that suit. Andy revealed that it was Josiah who had been ready to replace Elizabeth, but the virus had derailed his plans. He was literally waiting at the airport. Andy asked if he would have been a good replacement, and the captain said that Josiah was extremely capable. He knows what needs to be done, and his anticipation of the guest’s needs is remarkable. I love Josiah, and especially love him and Kate together. I don’t guess we’ll ever see that pair together again.
In an abrupt ending. Andy said he’d leave it there, thanked the crew for a great season, thanked us, and that was it.
👠 Revisiting Fallon…
The Dynasty stars will be coming out virtually on March 20th, 3 pm ET to raise money for research in Long-Covid.
Last night, Chris Hardwick hosted an Extended Season 10 Preview for The Walking Dead, along with remote guests like Seth Gilliam (Gabriel) and Paola Lázaro (Princess). There was a lot of Q&A, and some table readings, and showrunner Angela King promised exploration of the Maggie/Negan dynamic in the upcoming extended season.
Allensworth is the first all-Black Californian township, founded and financed by African Americans. Created by Lieutenant Colonel Allen Allensworth in 1908, the town was built with the intention of establishing a self-sufficient city where African Americans could live their lives free of racial prejudice. – from Biolgraphy.com
I actually have some work to do first, but those sheep are definitely calling me to count them. Whatever you’re counting, even if it’s days until you get out of whatever prison you’ve been trapped in, stay safe, stay discriminating, and stay stepping out of your comfort zone sometimes and shaking things up.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Josslyn finds Carly crying in the living room, and hugs her.
Phyllis is surprised to find Sonny/Mike up. She says the thought he’d be asleep by now. Sonny is enthusiastically wiping the tables, and says he’s been working. It feels great. She says the tables haven’t gleamed like that since they bought them, and tells him, take it easy. He’s still recovering from a head injury. He says, that made him forget everything except how to use a gun. She says, he’s getting his energy back, but go slow. He says, doctor’s orders? and she says, stricter than that – nurse’s orders. He says he’ll just finish what he started.
Nina sees Curtis at Kelly’s, and asks if he’s waiting for his beautiful wife.
Alexis tells Olivia, she has to apologize and make amends. Olivia says, apologize for what exactly, and Alexis says she knows what. Olivia says she wants to hear Alexis say it. Now be specific. Alexis says, for sleeping with Ned, but Olivia says, that’s a load of bull, isn’t it? What the two of them did, sleeping had nothing to do with it. I love Olivia at this moment. I’m the same way. I want the person to say what they’re apologizing for, so we’re both clear on that. I also think sleeping has nothing to do with it.
Tracy tells Ned, it’s late. Why don’t they talk about it in the morning? He says, that might not be possible. That insane plot of hers to frame Alexis for drunk driving just might get her arrested. She says, and he can be grateful he can’t get arrested, for criminally poor judgment; he cheated on his wife. Don’t dare try to blame her for trying to protect him, and save yet another failed relationship.
Scotty comes by Franco’s house, and Franco asks if he wants coffee. Aiden also made some killer brownies. Scotty says had a beautiful martini going in front of the fireplace before Franco summoned him. Now does he have the remote? Scotty wants to finish watching the Burt Lancaster/Tony Curtis movie he was watching. Franco says, it’s a little bit more important. He needs Scotty to represent him. Scotty asks what Franco did now.
Elizabeth comes into the gym to find Jason punching the heavy bag. She says she called the warehouse, and they said she could find him there. He tells her that he could have come to the house, but she says she’d rather have this conversation alone. He asks if something is wrong; is it Jake? She says, it’s him. He agreed to kill Franco. Franco gave him the green light, and it was like his dream come true.
Lenny says he found this on his desk, showing Sonny some papers. What is it? Sonny says, it’s suggestions Lenny can try. They have three scotches, two vodkas, and one brand of tequila. Their customers want a choice. Lenny says their patrons like whiskey and beer. Their idea of being exotic is getting bourbon twice a year. Sonny says Lenny could give them the brand on the list, and he’ll be surprised at what he sells. Sonny can start working on it tomorrow morning. He can think up some specialty drinks. What do they think? Phyllis says he seems to know his way around a bar, and Sonny says he checked out the stock, and it just came to him. He knew how to improve it. Since they’ve done so much for him, he owes them. He says, he’ll be back, and heads upstairs. Phyllis asks Lenny what he thinks, and Lenny says he thinks he did the guy a favor by taking him in, and now the guy thinks he can take over the whole damn bar. He crumples the list.
Carly says she thought Josslyn was sleeping, and Josslyn says, so Carly could cry without anyone seeing her? She gets it. After Oscar died, Carly would see her struggling, and come up to her. She would give Josslyn a hug, or stroke her hair, just to show Josslyn that she loved her and was there for her. That meant more than anything. Carly says Josslyn is incredible, and asks Josslyn to come sit with her. She asks why Josslyn is up. What’s on her mind? Josslyn says, a million things; Sonny, Oscar’s death. It’s been hard enough to handle. She was on her way to get some water, and stopped by Avery’s room to check on her out of habit. Seeing Avery’s bed empty hit her so hard. It’s so hateful that Ava took her. She’s sad for Avery, but she’s sad for them too.
Jax joins Nina, and she asks if he doesn’t mind an impromptu double-date. He says he doesn’t, but he doesn’t want to intrude on Curtis and Jordan. They might have other plans. Curtis says he’s solo tonight, but he’ll do his charming best. They sit, and Curtis asks if there’s a special reason for their happiness. Did Nina find her daughter, or has she gotten some new information? Nina says Phyllis Caulfield came to Port Charles, and they saw each other. She’s sorry she didn’t tell him. Phyllis saw her baby girl, and confirmed Madeline arranged for an adoption. Phyllis transported her daughter to her new adoptive family. Curtis asks, where? and she says, a small town in north Florida. Phyllis handed her child to what seemed to be loving parents. Curtis says, now they have a place to start. He’ll do a deep dive into towns in north Florida. Nina says she appreciates Curtis caring, but it’s over. She decided to give up the search for her baby girl.
Alexis tells Olivia, she needs to apologize, but hearing the sordid details won’t help. Olivia says, so they were sordid, and Alexis says, it was a mistake. She and Ned were drunk, and it was wrong on every level. They regretted it almost as soon as it happened. Olivia says, almost. That’s a very interesting measure of time. All the time before it happened that they had to reassess what was going on. The buckles unbuckling, the buttons tugged at, zippers going down, flesh exposed. Never in that time did they think to themselves, what the hell are we doing here? And after that regrettable mistake, Alexis spent the next few months looking her in the eye, pretending to be her friend.
Tracy says for the first time in Ned’s life, he actually has a relationship that’s working, and he puts it all at risk. If he can’t see that she acted out of love… He says, come on. They both know it’s not about him and his past mistake. It’s about her, and her own empty life.
Franco asks why Scotty always makes those assumptions. He didn’t do anything. Scotty says Franco’s done something, or he’d still be in his swanky penthouse. Franco says he wants to be prepared in case big, bad Franco shows up, and tries to run the show. He’s counting on Scotty representing him after he’s dead.
Elizabeth tells Jason, Franco’s not a rabid dog that needs to be put down, and don’t act like he hasn’t wanted to. Jason says, Franco came to him, and she says, why not tell her? He says, it wasn’t his place, but she says he didn’t want to have the conversation they’re having now. Franco knew Jason wouldn’t say no, and find a valid reason to kill him once he had. What’s it going to be? What’s his criteria to kill her husband?
Phyllis tells Lenny, Mike wants to repay them, even though they owe him for his help with the attempted robbery. Lenny says, Mike knew his way around a gun, but Phyllis says they don’t know why. He could have been in law enforcement, or an enthusiast. Lenny says, and he knows about liquor. Sonny comes back, and says they need to rethink their stock. Get a bigger selection, or maybe come up with a signature cocktail. He wants to put this place on the map.
Carly tells Josslyn, Ava promised not to keep Avery away from her sisters, and Josslyn says, Ava told her the same thing when she stopped by a couple of hours ago, but she didn’t believe her. Carly asks what Ava wanted.
Curtis says, after all Nina went through, now she’s dropping the search? Nina says her daughter is now an adult, and the searching was consuming her. She was trying to undo something from the past that was out of her control. It was holding her back from living in the now. He says he’s glad she’s happy. He never wants to be the one to bring her back to a painful place, but is she sure she wants to let it go? She says she has to think about her daughter. What if she doesn’t know she’s adopted? She can’t uproot her daughter’s life from a loving family, so she decided to let her daughter look for her, if that’s her decision. She can’t impose herself on her daughter’s life. She’s had a change of perspective, and she’s closing the chapter on the things she’s lost, and letting herself enjoy the things she’s found. She looks at Jax.
Franco says he wants Scotty to let the court know his wishes before he’s dead, and Scotty says, like a will? Franco says, kind of, but not exactly. Scotty says he doesn’t know what Franco is talking about. He must have something in his mind. Franco says he’s getting worse. He keeps hearing Peter’s voice, and now it has something to do with Drew.
Elizabeth asks what line Franco has to cross to make Jason pull the trigger. What if he screams at the coach at Jake’s basketball game? What if he paints a violent scene? What if he picks up toy a monkey and shows it to Aiden?Will that be enough? Jason says, if Franco becomes a threat, he’ll know. The better question is, will she know?
Ned asks why Tracy is even there. She showed up on Thanksgiving, out of the blue. Why? She didn’t rush back there when Brook was in the hospital with a slashed throat. Tracy says she was in another country, and he says, now she’s in this one – away from Luke, who he imagines is galivanting who knows where. Luke won’t let her control his life, so she’s come back to control his. She says he needs help, but he says, not hers. She says she couldn’t let him destroy the only good thing he has left in his life, and it almost worked. He says, her failed attempt to frame Alexis was nearly perfect, but Olivia was too good a person to let an injustice go without speaking up. Tracy says, now Olivia has to deal with his injustice. She couldn’t fix that. What is he going to do about it?
Olivia wonders if everyone knew, and no one had the decency to look her in the face, and tell her what happened. Alexis came into her home. She came into Olivia’s place of business, and got in her face; why? Alexis says she’s so ashamed of what she did, and Olivia says, shame? Was it shame when Alexis told her that she should be concerned about her own marriage? It felt like a warning. She told Olivia that Ned was helping her deal with her grief over Neil. It’s classic. How was Ned helping her? With special one-on-one time? In all of this, the one thing Olivia has never detected is a shred of regret, until now, when Alexis got caught.
Franco tells Scotty, if someone were to kill him, he wants the authorities to know they were doing the right thing. Scotty wonders if Franco means in self-defense, but Franco says, hopefully, before he hurts someone. Scotty says, someone is trying to kill him? Did he hire someone to kill him? Franco says, he may or may not have, and Scotty says, who? Jason? Maybe there are a lot of people who want to kill him – Scotty doesn’t know – but the only person he knows who would agree to it is Jason.
Jason asks how Elizabeth knows the tumor hasn’t already affected Franco, and she says, Franco asked Jason to kill him before he hurts someone. He’s a changed man. The old Franco wouldn’t have done that. He says, the old tumor came back, and will affect Franco in the same way, but Elizabeth says, it won’t. He asks how she knows, and she says she doesn’t need protection from her husband. He’s a good man, and his family loves him. Cameron, Aiden, and yes, Jake. Jason’s son loves Franco. How can he think of taking Franco from them?
Josslyn tells Carly, Ava claimed she wanted to do something for Avery, and Carly says, Avery is Ava’s all-purpose excuse. Carly feels sorry that Avery lost her father, and now she’s alone without her family on that godforsaken island. Her heart breaks for Avery. Josslyn says, hers too, and Ava was definitely taking advantage. She said Avery was asking about her good luck charm, a necklace in the shape of a half-heart. She asked Josslyn to look for it. Carly asks if she found it, and Josslyn says, yeah, in Carly’s jewelry box. The only reason she gave it to Ava was for Avery, but she made Ava work for it. Carly asks, how? and Josslyn says she called Ava out for what she did to Morgan. She said she’d never forget, and Ava looked like she’d swallowed a porcupine. She hates being reminded of who she really is. She got out so fast, she left a paper trail. Should she have not given Ava the necklace? Carly says, no. It was for Avery, and she did the right thing.
Jax tells Curtis that Nina has made peace with her decision, and Nina confirms she has. Jax’s phone rings, and he steps away. It’s Carly, and he asks if everything is okay. She says she’s at home, and needs to see him. He asks if it’s Josslyn, and she says, no, but it’s urgent. She’ll tell him when he gets there. He says he’s on his way. Nina says, Carly? and Jax says, yeah. She asks if it’s Josslyn, and he says, Josslyn is all right, but Carly needs to see him; sorry. Nina says she’ll take a car home, but Curtis says he’ll take her. Jax says he’ll call later. He leaves, and Curtis asks if this happens all the time; Carly calls and Jax drops everything. She says, it’s a recurring theme in their relationship, and Curtis says, too bad.
Phyllis asks if Sonny is wiping down the bottles, and he says he wants the barback to shine. Lenny says, it’s nice of him, and Sonny says he likes to keep busy. Lenny says he sees, and asks if Sonny isn’t tired. Sonny says he feels so good, he doesn’t even care that he doesn’t know who he is. What matters is, he’s a new man. Phyllis and Lenny look at each other.
Sonny manically cleans, and Lenny tells him, wrap it up; they’re going to bed. Sonny says he can lock up, but Lenny says, it doesn’t work that way. He has to put the money in the safe, and get it squared away. Sonny says he can do that, and Lenny says, not a chance. Sonny says he’s not a bad guy, but Lenny says, he doesn’t know that, and neither does Sonny. On the side, Lenny tells Phyllis, he said from the start, they’ve got to get rid of this guy.
Carly thanks Jax for coming, and tells him that Ava was there while she was gone. She convinced Josslyn to give her the necklace. Jax asks if Josslyn is involved now, but Carly says Josslyn doesn’t know what’s going on. They have to figure out how to get it back. Jax thinks that’s going too far, but Carly says, if Nina traces the necklace back to Nelle, she’ll figure out Nelle was her daughter, and she’s going to look for someone blame. She was the last one to see Nelle alive. Jax says Carly wasn’t to blame, but Carly says, who knows what Nina will believe? She’ll put the blame on both of them for keeping the truth from her.
Nina tells Curtis, she was concerned at first; Valentin and Ava warned her that Jax would put Carly first. They got into her head a little bit, but it’s not Carly he’s putting first; it’s Josslyn, and that’s the way it should be. He says, didn’t Jax just say Josslyn was all right? but Nina says, Carly just lost her husband. She and Jax are more than co-parents; they’re friends. Jax is Carly’s confident, and if she needs to lean on him at this critical time, Nina is fine with it. Jax loves her, and Carly can’t – she wouldn’t – get in the way.
Alexis says she doesn’t blame Olivia for being furious. She deserves every ounce of it, and she’s sorry she damaged their friendship. There’s nothing else to say, so she’ll just go. Olivia says, it came out because she was trying to help expose the lie. She threw her mother-in-law under the bus, but the joke is really on her. Ned comes in, and Alexis can’t get out of the room fast enough. Olivia refuses to look at Ned.
Alexis sees Tracy trying to go upstairs, and says, oh no you don’t. You’re not going anywhere.
Scotty tells Franco, he’s calling the police to pick up Jason for conspiracy to murder. Franco takes the phone, saying, it was his idea. Jason doesn’t deserve jail for ridding the public of a menace. Scotty says Franco’s not a menace, and Franco says, when he’s gone, Jake will need a father. Jason is a good father, but he can’t be if he’s in prison. Can’t Scotty draft some official document to exonerate him?
Elizabeth tells Jason, Franco relates to the boys, each one in a different way. Does it make him jealous that Franco stepped up to be a constant father figure? The occasional visits and sleepovers don’t stand up to nightly dinners, the homework help, and family rituals that she and Franco provide for Jake every single day. Jason says she’s talking about the life she had with Franco before the tumor, and that life doesn’t exist anymore. Geez, he meets with Britt twice, and now he thinks he’s a doctor. Jason has always bordered on a-hole for me. Along with his bestie Carly. Okay, I’ll say it. I can’t stand either one of them.
Alexis says, by her own admission, Tracy set her up. She drove Alexis’s car off the road, made sure she was asleep. put her in the driver’s seat, and called the police. Tracy says Alexis was blacked out, and Alexis says she was drunk, but not so drunk she doesn’t remember her conversation with Olivia. Olivia said something to upset her, and she said something about Olivia’s marriage. Then Tracy came up with this brilliant scheme to keep her from talking, when she wasn’t going to talk anyway, but Tracy didn’t care. She just wanted to minimize her risk, and had Alexis arrested to protect her son’s marriage, and save it. Tracy says she did it to save Alexis.
Ned says he should have told Olivia about him and Alexis, but he didn’t know how to. Olivia still won’t look at him, and he says he never intended for it to happen, obviously. She says, they’ve been over this again and again. He ran to Alexis because she was off with Robert, and he couldn’t reach her. The funny thing is, Robert was the one who convinced her to call him, and she did. She wanted to be honest. Brook deleted the messages because she was mad, but he still assumed the worst of her. He projected on her something he would do, and went off and had revenge sex. He says, no, but she says, yes, and mommy came in to fix it, because that’s what Quartermaines do. She doesn’t know if she can stomach being part of this family anymore, let alone subject her child to them.
Elizabeth tells Jason, Franco is still himself; he’s not dangerous. And it’s possible the tumor won’t affect Franco in the same way, and there might be treatment. He hopes she’s right, and she says, does he? It’s not the first time she’s had to tell him to back off her husband. She knows how he really feels about Franco, and right now, the only person her family needs protection from is him. So she’s warning him, don’t even think about hurting Franco. If any harm comes to him, Jason is going to be sorry.
Scotty takes his phone back from Franco, and says, enough with this crazy idea. He wants no part of it. Franco says, he’ll find another lawyer, and Scotty says be his guest; it won’t be binding. Franco says, plenty of people will do it, but he wants Scotty to do it. Please. He needs someone to support him right now. Scotty says, okay. If Franco dies by Jason’s hands, he’ll do what’s in the best interest of not just him and Jason, but everyone. Franco says, okay, everyone, and Scotty says, do him a favor; don’t die. Franco says he’s not planning on it anytime soon, and Scotty says, good. Goodbye, presumably going back to his martini and movie.
Nina says she thinks it’s time she had Curtis and Jordan over for dinner, and he says, sounds great. She says he doesn’t seem too sure. She knows Jordan has had her hands full with Cyrus. Let her know if there’s anything she can do to help him. He says, just keep being his friend, and make the most of this moment. This is the magic time, when they’re happy and getting to know more about each other. He’s got a good feeling. He tells her not to worry about Jax being dishonest like did you-know-who. Nina says, maybe she’s the one not being honest with Jax.
Jax asks what Carly proposes. Sneaking into Windymere, and stealing the necklace off a sleeping Avery? Carly tells him to lower his voice; Josslyn could hear and come downstairs. He says he doesn’t want Josslyn anywhere near this, and Carly says, Nikolas was hiding out at Jax’s house, and owes him. He can get Nikolas to do it. Jax says he’s not conning Nikolas, but Carly says, if Nina learns about this, it could damage their relationship. He asks if she doesn’t think he knows that. She’s the one who made him realize he loves Nina. He told Nina, and she loves him too. It’s the real thing. Carly says, even more reason not to break her heart, and he says, it would devastate Nina if she found out Nelle was her daughter, but the truth is going to come out; it’s inevitable. He should be the one to tell her. If she hears it from someone else, she’ll wind up thinking he’s as bad as Valentin. Carly asks him to give her more time. She’s afraid it will blow back on them in ways they can’t imagine. He says he’s the one who convinced her to stay quiet, and he owns that. She says she’ll find the necklace, and save his relationship with Nina. Trust her.
Sonny stacks the chairs, and Lenny tells Phyllis, it seems like he’s on drugs. She says, he has no money. There’s no way he’s on drugs. Lenny says, something is wrong, and she says she’s had patients like Mike. She doesn’t know his mental history, but she thinks it’s a psychological disorder. He says, this gets better and better. Now he’s mentally ill. She says, lots of people deal with mental illness, and Lenny tells Sonny, if he doesn’t calm the heck down and go to bed, he’s going to be out. Sonny says he wanted to sweep the floor, and Lenny says, the floor can wait. It’s upstairs or outside in the cold. His choice.
Alexis tells Tracy, she’s heard a lot of spinning in her life, but this takes the cake. Tracy’s audacity in framing her for her own benefit… Tracy says she thought Alexis would choose rehab over prison. Either way, she’d hit bottom and quit drinking. If she keeps going the way she is, she’s going to implode, and take some innocent with her. Think what she wants, but Tracy tried to help her. Tracy goes upstairs.
Ned asks Olivia not to give up on the family. Can’t they talk through it? Olivia says, not now, and he says, okay. Now is not the time, but maybe she’ll feel up to it tomorrow, or in a few days. At any rate, he’ll go, and she can stay there. She’s not sure she wants to be there now, but he says, stay tonight. Let Leo sleep. Tell him that I love him. He loves her too, and when she’s ready, if she’s ever ready, he’ll be waiting. Olivia continues to look anywhere but at Ned, and when he leaves, she sits on the couch, and sobs.
Nina tells Curtis, what she’s keeping from Jax isn’t that big. Jax thinks she’s fine with giving up the search, and she is intellectually, but emotionally, it’s hard to let go. She can’t help it. Curtis asks what she’s saying, and she fingers the necklace.
Jax says he’ll hold off on telling Nina, and give Carly one more shot at getting the necklace back. How is she going to do it? She says, the less he knows, the better, and he says, right. Then all he’ll say is, good luck and he hopes she gets it back,
Sonny tells Lenny, it’s cool. He doesn’t have to be upset. If he feels that strongly, Sonny will stop working, but don’t touch the chairs; he’ll finish in the morning. If he hasn’t told them, he just wants to say he’s grateful. He appreciates what they’ve done for him. He’s not making their lives harder; he’s going to make their lives easier. He tells Phyllis, thank you, my friend, and goes upstairs.
Jason turns out the lights in the gym. He looks really cranky as he loads his gun.
Elizabeth comes home, and Franco asks, what happened? She says she couldn’t get Jason to back off, and he says he’s glad Jason is a man of his word. She says, she’s a woman of her word. She warned Jason, and now she’s warning him. If Jason comes for him, he has to go through her first.
On Monday, Maxie has an idea, Valentin tells Jax that it makes him an accomplice, Michael asks if Willow needs more time, and Carly says someone has no idea how glad she is to see them.
I have to confess, I’ve seen nary a film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Maybe it’s a commitment issue. But WandaVision looked fun and weird. You don’t have to be up-to-date on your Marvel history, but it doesn’t hurt. I enjoyed it regardless. And I want to get my money’s worth out of Disney Plus by watching something other than an endless loop of Hamilton.
Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment. – Arthur Jersild
It is, of course, quite true that God will not love you any the less, or have less use for you, if you happen to have been born with a very second-rate brain. He has room for people with very little sense, but He wants everyone to use what sense they have. – C. S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity (He sounds like Anthony Hopkins in my head.)
It is not as much about who you used to be, as it is about who you choose to be. – Sanhita Baruah
The moment you doubt you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it. – J. M. Barrie
If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking. – George Patton
Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. – Lou Holtz
There is no stronger bond between man and dog than that formed during war. – Pen Farthing, 2014 CNN Hero of the Year
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. – e.e. cummings
There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate. – Linda Grayson
It’s like living in a household of Howie Mandells. – Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), TheGolden Girls
⌨️ Step Away From the Keyboard…
I, for one, have had enough of this week. Pfft! Be gone! At least it looks promising that we’ll be able to roam the streets again by the summer. Whether this week was tough for you too, or you breezed through it, stay safe, stay warm, and stay rethinking any brilliant schemes you might have to save someone.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walkng Dead: World Beyond – Finale, Part One
Last time, we found out Huck, whose real name is Jennifer, was Elizabeth’s daughter. Huck got pretty excited over a sandwich that Elizabeth brought her. Huck told Elizabeth that Hope wasn’t ready for integration yet, but she’d make it work. She said there were others, but it had been unavoidable. Elizabeth said nothing was unavoidable, and she wanted this to succeed. Elizabeth insisted Huck take her dad’s watch giving her some bullsh*t about it uniting their family. I noticed they’ve followed Fear the Walking Dead’s lead in changing up their opening credits each week.
The girls worried about Elton and Silas. We got backstory on Felix, who flashed back to interviewing Huck for security intake, and Will crashing the interview.
The tire blew on the group’s truck, secretly courtesy of Huck, and they had to look for somewhere to find supplies. They came across a mini horde of zombies, and fought them off. Iris looked like a born zombie fighter, but Hope stuck her flashlight in a zombie’s mouth, which did nothing but distract everyone. Felix had a wound, but it was unclear as to how he’d gotten it exactly. He brushed it off when Huck asked about it, saying he’d been hooked by barbed wire.
Meanwhile, Elton moped over the his mother’s necklace and the book. Then ripped up the book, scattering the pages to the four winds. Thinking better of it, he gathered up the pages, but the dedication page (it was dedicated to him) kept blowing from his grasp. When he finally pinned it down, there was blood on it. He searched around, and found Percy dealing with a zombie. Percy babbled something about having the money, and fell over.
The girls, Felix, and Huck searched a retirement home for something rubber and waterproof to fix the tire. Felix said it looked like the house has been evacuated quickly. Huck felt like Iris was avoiding her, and told Iris that she could have trained with them. Hope only did it because wanted to go to Omaha, and it took Hope months to catch on, while it only took Iris weeks. Huck said Hope was more like her, but Iris was disciplined and principled, and was who Huck wanted to be. She suggested the situation with the girls’ dad might not as bad as they thought. While she and Iris were searching the house, Huck looked inside a room, and quickly came out, closing the door. She said the people who lived there were still there, and they weren’t leaving, making a triggering gesture at her temple. She told Felix that they should ditch the car, and go by foot from there, but it would be over mountainous terrain.
Felix remembered getting busy with Will, who said Felix had been in a mood. Felix told Will that Dr. Bennett wanted him to stay behind and watch the girls when he left for the research facility, but he thought the doctor might have wanted him to stay because he was happy. He felt like he owed Dr. Bennett, and the doctor had made him promise, even though Felix wanted to go on security detail. Will said that Felix didn’t trust anyone to take care of things, and just because someone had saved Felix’s life didn’t mean he had to live the rest of it for them.
Elton dragged Percy to an open field. Percy asked why Elton was bothering with him at all, since he was going to die anyway. Elton said he needed to try and save Percy. The wind had brought him there, and it was a sign. Percy said Elton had better bandage him before he bled out. It turned out that the Percy Elton was talking to was an illusion; a stress relief. The real Percy was unconscious. Illusion Percy said Elton didn’t want to look at him too closely because he was scared to find out what Silas had done, and Elton wanted to prove him wrong. He looked Percy’s body over, and saw he’d been shot. Since a wrench doesn’t shoot bullets, it obviously wasn’t Silas.
Felix and the others came across a bunch of school bus blockades, and Felix suggested they go around, but Hope insisted on climbing over. Felix ended up falling off of a bus, and managed to hurt himself even worse by rolling his ankle. He said the pain was no big deal, and he’d already started on antibiotics for the cuts. Huck told the girls to look for a splint, and told Felix that he wasn’t going anywhere for a while. In a flashback moment, we discovered Huck had been the one to slash Felix with the barbed wire.
Felix remembered hanging with Dr. Bennett, Will, and the girls. Felix pumped Dr. Bennett for information on the security detail, and found out Will was being added, and to make it worse, Will had asked to go. Later, Will said he only wanted what was best for Felix, and he was going for Felix, so Felix didn’t have to worry about Dr. Bennett. When he got back, maybe things would be different. Will told Felix that he loved him, but it wasn’t up to Felix to carry everyone else. Felix had to figure out how to let it go and trust other people.
Elton tried to tend to Percy’s wound. He asked who did it, and Illusion Percy asked if it mattered, since he was a figment of Elton’s imagination. Elton made a poultice for Percy’s wound, but Percy said it wouldn’t make any difference; he was dying. Elton insisted it wasn’t over, and Percy told Elton to look behind him. Elton did, and saw several zombies headed their way.
Hope said Felix wouldn’t make it far, and wondered if taking more time would make a difference. Iris said they weren’t going to leave him.
Elton dragged Percy up the hill. Figment Percy told Elton it was okay to leave him and save himself. It was over for him, but not Elton. It was cool. He told Elton that he had a minute, and the zombies slowed down. He and Elton sat on the hill, and Figment Percy told Elton, good people could sometimes be disappointing, but it was still a beautiful world. Elton was no longer just the guy behind the camera; he was part of it now. Elton said this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be, and Percy said, it never was. Elton didn’t want him to die, and that was a noble thing. He told Elton that he would save people down the line who would change the world. Elton said it would be only fifteen years before the world was extinct, according to his mom’s research, but Percy said Elton’s mom had more faith in people than Elton thought. Otherwise, why would she have a son, and a daughter? He told Elton, there was a big, beautiful world waiting, and to fight for it. Be brave like his mom knew he could be. Elton wept as the zombies came closer. He looked at his mom’s necklace, and finally turned his back.
But then he said, no. He dropped his stuff, and took out a pokey/wrench stick, and a thing you zip-tie bundles with. He whacked one zombie, bundled another two together, who fell over, and smashed the fourth’s head with the wrench end of the stick.
Felix thought about the night Will left. Hope had made herself scarce, and Will told him that anger was the soul’s attempt to avoid sadness. Some people couldn’t bear to say goodbye, but there was no point trying to outrun pain. It would wait patiently until you were too tired to run.
Iris thought the highway would be easier, but Felix wanted to stick to the original plan. She said it would be impossible for him to hike, and he said they didn’t need him. He would hold them up, and put them in more danger. They’d needed him in the beginning, but not anymore. He said Iris was more than capable, and he believed in her; in who she’d become. Huck said they were leaving first thing in the morning. Iris thought it was bullsh*t, and they shouldn’t even be discussing it. Huck told her take a deep look inside, and she’d see it wasn’t bullsh*t. She’d know her purpose was to find her dad. If Felix stayed there, he’d be safe.
Hope brooded by herself. Iris found her, and asked about Huck’s life before this, and Hope said Huck had been in the military. Her mom died when she was little, and she’d been found on a raft. She wondered why Iris was asking, and Iris said, what if they couldn’t trust Huck? She thought something was off, and she had a gut feeling that Huck was untrustworthy. Hope asked if that was because Huck was willing to make hard choices. Huck had been there for her in ways Iris didn’t understand. Huck had saved her life, and when Hope had told Iris how their mom died, Iris had started to look at her differently. She’d told Huck everything, and said Iris didn’t know her as well as she thought. Iris asked if Hope was originally going to tell her that she was going to Omaha, and Hope said, no.
After everyone was asleep, Hope woke Huck, and said they had to talk. She told Huck that Iris didn’t want to move on without Felix, and he’d drag them down. She wanted to leave immediately. Huck said she’d grab her stuff.
Elton found a walkie talkie and tried to radio Felix. To his credit, Percy was still breathing.
On the road, Hope thanked Huck for believing in her, and Huck said she was glad Hope felt that way. I could see wheels of doubt turning in Hope’s head though, when Huck wanted a moment alone. She went behind a shed, and took out her radio, hearing Elton. Elton started to tell her where they were, and told Percy that he’d gotten ahold of Huck instead of Felix. Percy sat up, and said she was the one who’d shot him.
Iris told Felix that Hope and Huck were gone. Felix aka Captain Obvious said they’d been left.
Hope flashed back to figuring out some codes on a map. It said, en route to pick up the asset in a raft, and all four expendable. She reached into her back pocket for a gun.
⚰️ Part Two ⚰️
Will tripped near a super old zombie coming up from the ground, that looked like a Halloween decoration. He was being chased by military men.
In no one in particular’s flashback, Dr. Bennett thought about his daughters as he had dinner with Dr. Belshaw. She asked what he thought they’d be doing, and he said Iris must be helping someone, and Hope must be getting in trouble. Dr. Bennett told Dr. Belshaw that it had been sad to lose Dr. Abbot. Dr. Belshaw said, apparently he’d gotten word that his sister wasn’t well. I had no idea/couldn’t remember who Dr. Abbot was, so it was like a non-conversation.
Hope asked who the hell Huck was, and held a pistol on her.
Elton saw smoke from a chimney, and found Silas, who said he shouldn’t have come. Elton said he’d found Silas’s cassette player and headphones, and something else. Sitting in a wagon, Percy said, just for the record, he was doing good.
Iris couldn’t believe Huck and Hope just left, and Felix said sometimes it was easier that way. Iris said she’d told Hope something she hadn’t wanted to hear. She didn’t trust Huck; something was off with her. Felix said just because there was something wrong with Silas, didn’t mean there was something wrong with Huck, and Iris told him the room Huck said was filled with bodies was the only one they hadn’t searched.
Hope told Huck that she had decoded the map, and knew who she was, but wanted her to say it. Huck said she didn’t want to hurt anyone. It was like the night with Hope and her mom. Huck’s manipulation didn’t work, and only irritated Hope, who fired a shot. Huck said part of Hope knew she was on her side, and Hope said when Huck had agreed to come with her, she knew she was the asset. A load of zombies started coming out of nowhere.
Huck swore she wouldn’t hurt Hope, and told her to put the pistol down, so they could fight together. Hope didn’t have to, since a zombie knocked it out of her hand. There were about a dozen of them by now.
Felix and Iris checked out the room, which was full of medical supplies. Iris said they could have used some of it treat Felix’s ankle, and fix the tire, but Huck had avoided it.
Percy told Elton and Silas that Huck had killed Tony, and tried to kill him, but he didn’t know why. Elton told Silas that what they knew for sure was that Silas hadn’t done it. Silas was hella relieved not to be a monster, and said they had to save Hope and Iris.
Huck said, all the training showed what Hope could do if she applied herself. Hope said she thought Huck was a friend, and cared about all of them. Why were the others expendable? Huck said it wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. Her dad was never in danger. The last two messages weren’t from him; they were from her. She thought it was the easiest way get Hope to leave, and Huck thought she was strong enough to go. She was right. She’d thought Iris would try to talk Hope out of it, Hope would come to her, and just the two of them would go. She needed Hope to see civilization, and that the world was worth fighting for. It was the same thing the Civic Republic was fighting for. That’s why she told Hope about the greater good. Other people getting in the way of her seeing it made them expendable. Huck did everything she could to split them up, so they could go on their own. Hope asked about Tony and Percy, and Huck said if the second location had been compromised, the whole thing would have been over. She killed them to save everyone else. Hope asked, why her? and Huck said Hope had no idea who she was.
Dr. Bennett told Dr. Belshaw about how, when Hope was six, she completely took apart a computer because she was curious. She had it put back together by the by next day, all by herself. Maybe she’d save the world.
Huck was impressed that Hope had cracked the CRS cypher, and Hope said she thought they were a bunch of idiots. Huck said people like her had to make sure the gifts of people like Hope weren’t being wasted. Hope asked, what if they’d just made it there like they’d intended, and Huck said, it would have been easier. They had to find shelter for the night, but Huck told Hope not to think of running. The CRS wouldn’t do anything to her, but they always find you.
Silas, Elton, and Percy decided to find Hope. Percy said Huck would pay for what she’d done. They saw a truck, and Silas said there were refueling stations close by. Percy told them, men had just gotten out with guns, and they ran.
Iris repaired the tire, and Felix thought, with luck, they’d get 50 miles out of it. He told Iris that she’d have to drive, and she said she’d never learned. He said she was going to now, and told her to be one with the car. She said, he did not just tell her that, and he said her father had taught him to drive.
Huck said there was more going on than Hope knew; maybe more than she knew. They heard the truck, and Huck doused the lanterns, saying Hope had to trust her. Felix and Iris came in, and Huck wondered how they’d gotten the truck going. Iris jumped right on Huck about supplies being in the room she’d claimed bodies were in, but Huck told Iris that she must be mistaken; she’d never said that. She said they were there, and safe, all together; all good things. Huck said she’d pull the truck around, and Felix handed her the keys, making sure she’d drop them. When she bent to pick them up, he grabbed her gun, and asked what the hell she was doing with Hope.
Dr. Belshaw said she cared about Dr. Bennett, their future, and everyone’s future. She said Hope was going to be there in the morning. When he’d told her about Hope’s gifts and genius, he trusted her, but she’d had to tell them. They need generations of great minds. Hope had seen the world, and now and she was ready to bring back the world. It would take the brightest minds brought together, but if they didn’t make progress, human life would be gone in 30 years. She could live with him hating her, so the world could live. We see saw she wasn’t actually talking to him, but practicing her speech.
Felix aimed the gun at Huck, and told Iris to take Hope and go. Iris said the CRS wanted Hope, but Huck said they couldn’t save her by walking away; bringing her there was the only way they’d live. She said she wanted Felix to be happy, and she was sorry, then knocked him down the stairs. A lantern went with him, and started a fire.
In the meantime, Silas, Elton, and Percy hid from the trucks. Silas said he thought he knew a way out, and told the others to follow him.
Huck and Felix struggled, and Felix told Iris to take the truck and go. Iris told Hope to find the gun, and Felix and Huck fought like characters out of Conan the Barbarian, while the house started to burn. It was a pretty decent fight, and for a guy with an ankle injury, Felix brought his A-game. Hope found the gun.
As he led Elton and Percy to the back gate, Silas thought of all the good stuff he’d done. As soon as the other two were outside, he locked himself in. He cut his palm with a knife, and said he was saving them.
Felix told Hope to take a shot as he struggled with Huck. Zombies started coming toward the house, and Iris fought them off. Huck was in a position to kill, and said she was sorry as she stood over him, but Hope fired a warning shot. She told Huck if she didn’t get away from Felix, she’d shoot herself, and held the gun to her own head. She told Iris and Felix to take the truck. The CRS needed her to help her dad with research because of who and what she was, and Huck’s mission was to get her there. She’d decoded the message, and realized she was the asset. She was smarter than they’d thought.
Silas told Elton that he’d be okay. Getting him would slow them down. Elton had believed in him when he didn’t believe in himself. Elton was his best friend. He told them to protect Iris, and gave himself up.
Felix said it wasn’t too late, but Hope said the CRS would just keep looking for them. She was doing what she was doing because she had what she had. She told Iris that they’d always protect each other, and they’d all be okay. Felix said Hope was just a kid, but Huck said, not anymore. She wanted Felix to know he was ace, and sometimes you had to do bad to do good in this life.
Dr. Bennett told Dr. Belshaw, something sensitive had been eating at him. The place was important to them – he wasn’t questioning that – but the military scouting mission had been gone for a few days. He thought it was possible they were being lied to, but he needed her help to find out for certain.
Percy and Elton had no idea where they were going. Elton said he didn’t know what lay ahead, and it wouldn’t be easy, but they were part of it now. He’d thought they were the last of their species, but he’d seen the impossible happen. He knew they could find the others because they could do the impossible. They could make their lives count, not because they were the last generation, but the beginning.
As they walked, Hope told Huck that she was thinking about the big picture. They walked out into a field where a helicopter met them. Elizabeth popped out, and she said Huck’s judgment had been in question, and she had to make sure the mission was an unmitigated success, with no loose ends. As far as the campus colony went, they’d talk. She said the Bennetts would accomplish great things together.
Felix told Iris that they had to find shelter and food. Telling Felix about their conversation, Iris thought back to talking to Hope, and saying they would get them back, and kick Civic Republic ass. Hope said, the two of them together were the asset. Iris was smart, had good instincts, and bravery. She had no clue how they were going to beat them. They thought they were saving the world, but Iris would save the world from them. Felix asked Iris, how? and Iris said they just would. They were the future.
Iris and Felix heard something in the woods, and saw people in the distance. One of them broke away, and it was Will. He and Felix embraced, and a bunch of people came out from the forest.
🎬 Another Reason…
I’m sure most of us will be glad to kiss 2020 goodbye for many reasons, but one is television going back to filming new season. If all goes according to plan, World Beyond’s Season 2 should see it’s premiere in the summer of 2021.
While the non-stop eating was fun, part of me will be glad to get back on the exercise and food moderation track tomorrow. While there’s no new Deck, I’ll see you at the Hospital, and I’ll also pour you some tea. So whether it was a long weekend for you, or just a coupla more days, until then, stay safe, stay blue skying, and stay believing civilization is worth fighting for.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Living Dead
The dead feed on a deer. Some Rangers on horseback shoot them. In a car with Victor, Dakota says the Rangers are slowing them down. Without an escort, they’d be there already. He says, without an escort, they might not make it. She asks if he thinks the Rangers are there to keep her safe. He says he assigned them, so yes. She says they’re keeping an eye on her. They’re just a bunch toy soldiers. They’re keeping an eye on him too. Ginny doesn’t fully trust him yet. He says, she will, and Dakota asks when he’s going to do it. He says, do what? and she says what he was planning at the molasses plant. He says he has no idea what she’s talking about, and she says she’s sure he doesn’t. She looks out the car window, now covered in blood. She says they could run away; there aren’t enough Rangers to stop them. A lot of the Rangers are dead, and John has been missing for a week. Now is the time to do it. Victor says, people are at their most dangerous when they feel threatened, and calls Dakota a font of sisterly love. She says he doesn’t know the half of it. A Ranger says, hold up, and they slow to a halt. Victor tells Dakota, wait here, and gets out. Terry’s horse comes back without Terry.
Victor and Ranger Samuels ride forward, and Victor says, Terry was scouting ahead. He tries to get Terry on the radio, but there’s no answer. He thinks they should check to see if there’s a horde in front of them, and he and Samuels ride on. They come to a downed tree, and Victor said they’d need to get men with saws out there. He tries Terry again, but still gets nothing. A team of riderless horses gallops by. Samuels and Victor follow them. When they get back to where the convoy was, they find everyone dead, lining the road on both sides. The dead begin to rise, and Victor and Samuels shoot them. Samuels asks if Victor thinks it’s the same a-holes who attacked Tank Town. He says, there’s only one person who matters, and she’s gone. Victor gets down, and looks through the people, but Dakota isn’t there.
Alicia looks at a map in a ranger station in the woods. Charlie is out on the balcony, looking through binoculars, when Victor’s voice comes over the radio. Charlie looks in at Alicia. Victor says, it’s an emergency; he needs her. He sees walker activity. Charlie says, he’s been trying all day. Maybe Alicia should see what it’s about. Alicia says, they’ve been there six weeks. What has Victor done for them? Nothing. So that’s what they’re doing for him. Victor says he needs to talk to Alicia. She’s the only one who can help. She finally picks up the radio, and says, what does he want? Talk.
Alicia and Charlie meet with Victor and Samuels. He asks if he can trust Alicia; lives depend on her agreeing to help them. Samuels takes the horses, and Victor says their convoy was attacked. Alicia asks if he knows who, and he says he thinks it’s the same people who attacked Tank Town. She asks, what happened there? and he says, it’sgone. Luci and Wes are okay though. Alicia asks what they were doing out there, and he says he was taking Dakota to a safe house. She asks where Dakota is, and he says he thinks she fled on foot. He’s screwed if Ginny finds out he lost her sister. She knows they were delayed, and it should be a half a day before heads start rolling. Alicia asks, what makes him think she’ll have a better chance of finding Dakota? and he says Dakota looks up to her and trusts her. If she helps him, he’ll deliver Dakota to the place she’s meant to be situated, then finally do the damage they talked about. He promises. She asks if he means that, and he says that’s what it’s all been for. He tells Alicia, when she finds Dakota, click three times, and she says she knows the drill. She tells Charlie, come on, and Victor thanks her.
Alicia and Charlie walk through the woods. Charlie asks why Alicia is helping Victor, but Alicia says she’s not. It’s not about Victor, it’s about the Rangers who brought her back when she ran. They need someone to deal with the Rangers. Whoever attacked the convoy and Tank Town, can do the damage they need. Charlie wonders if Alicia is going to ask them for help, and Alicia says she wants to see who they are; know who they are. Charlie asks if she thinks Dakota can tell them, when a couple of zombies toddle out of the trees. Dakota and Alicia stab them in the head, but Alicia spaces out as a third comes toward her. The zombie knocks her down, but Charlie stabs it in the head. The zombie looks like it’s been modified, and Alicia says, someone did that. Charlie says, whoever did that is crazy. They see an old hunting lodge, and Alicia says if she was kidnapping someone, she’d go there. She tells Charlie to be the look-out. She’ll go in and check. They have no other choice. They need to find Dakota. She goes to the lodge while Charlie waits.
Alicia smashes a window with her pokey weapon, and goes inside. She looks around with a flashlight. She sees a taxidermied bird, and keeps walking hears music, sees more taxidermy. (Useless trivia: The song playing is Tonight You Belong to Me. Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters sang it in The Jerk.) She goes upstairs, following the sound of the music. She hears sounds of the dead from below looks down, seeing a guy experimenting on a zombie strapped to a table she backs away. She looks again, but doesn’t see him. He comes up behind her, and says, don’t worry, it won’t hurt much. He sticks her with a syringe.
Alicia opens her eyes sees a counter with things like eyeballs in a jar sitting on it. Her hands are tied, and she’s strapped down. She struggles up, and she’s able to cut the duct tape on her wrists, sawing it against a pair of antlers. She hears someone at the door, and looks around for a weapon. She breaks one of the antlers off, and stands to the side of the door. It’s Dakota, who says, no one saw her. Alicia says they have to get out now, and the guy who was working on the zombie says, what’s the rush? Alicia tells him, don’t come any closer, but he says he thinks it was a misunderstanding. Dakota says the convoy she was with got attacked, and Ed thought maybe it was her. Ed says he found Dakota while he was hunting, and she seemed shaken from what happened with Ginny and her community. Alicia says she’s not talking until he tells her what he was doing with the walker. He says he was working on something to scare people; keep them from getting close. Dakota tells Alicia, he’s okay, and Ed says he doesn’t suppose any of them are chess players.
Ed puts on some music, and plays chess with Dakota. I wonder where Charlie is. Ed says Dakota reminds him of his daughter. They used to come there every summer to get out of the city. The last summer they came, it rained the entire time. They stayed in the game room, which wasn’t the worst way to pass the time, especially after the world went south. There’s something comforting about at least one thing not having changed. It’s nice to play with someone again. Dakota asks, what happened to his family? and he says, the same thing that happened with most people’s families. Dakota says, Ginny killed her parents, and Alicia says they should get going. Ed says they’re not going anywhere. Whoever attacked the convoy is still out there. This is the safest place there is. Alicia says she’s cold, and asks if Ed will start a fire. He says he will, but in the meantime, he has blankets. He tells her where they are, and Alicia takes a lantern to go looking for more than blankets. She finds Charlie, and asks how she got in there. Charlie says when Alicia didn’t come out, she snuck in, but now the doors are all locked, and the windows are shut. Alicia says, there’s got to be a way out, and Charlie says, not without making noise. Alicia tells Charlie to stay hidden, and opens a closet, looking at tools. Dakota joins her, and asks, what’s going on? Alicia says, the whole place is locked; they can’t leave. Dakota says she doesn’t want to leave. By now, Ed is there too, and says he’s trying to keep them safe. Alicia says, if that’s what he really wants, he has to let them go. Dakota is Ginny’s sister, and Ginny is going to come looking for her. Letting her go is the only way. Ed says they can leave at dawn. They’ll have a better chance when it’s light. He leaves, and Charlie asks why Alicia told him about Dakota. Alicia says she’s keeping Dakota alive. He’s not who they think he is. The walker he was working on was a Ranger. Charlie wonders why he was doing that, and Alicia says she doesn’t know, but if they stay, they’ll end up like that. Dakota says, when they were attacked, she thought she could finally get away from her sister, and thought this was the place to do it. She can’t go back. Alicia asks if Ginny really killed their parents, and Dakota just looks at her. Alicia asks, why? but Dakota says she doesn’t know. Alicia says they’ll leave first thing in the morning. Get some sleep.
Alicia finds a radio, and shuts the door. She fiddles with the dials, and asks if Ginny copies.
Ginny picks up, and asks what Alicia is doing on that channel. Alicia says she’s with Dakota. The convoy was hit; the Rangers are dead. Ginny says, and Victor? but Alicia tells Ginny, Victor wouldn’t tell her what happened until she found Dakota. Ginny says, smart man, and Alicia says, she found Dakota, not him. Let her and Charlie go, no questions asked. They get a fresh start, and Ginny doesn’t look for them – ever. Ginny asks where they’re going to go, and Alicia says she knows a place. Do they have a deal? Ginny says they do.
Charlie watches Alicia sleep, while outside, the zombies gather. Ed watches from the balcony, and Charlie asks what he’s doing. He says bringing back all of his creations. Alicia wakes up, and seeing all of the zombies outside, asks, what the hell is this? Ed says, they won’t leave until he tells them to. It wasn’t safe; he’s making it safe. He’s not letting it happen again. Alicia says, what? Ed comes downstairs, and says, his father did taxidermy. He couldn’t understand how his father could do that to an animal who was vibrant and alive; freeze them in time. His dad said he was preserving them in their most perfect state forever. It’s the same reason he came up there. He wanted to be able to hold onto things as they were, what the place was to them. They had food for years, and they were happy there. The trouble was, things inside were preserved, but not out there. When he was on a supply run, the Rangers got there, and took over. Emily and her mom tried to protect the place. Ginny killed his family too. He should have done more. He could have done more. He bangs on the door, and the zombies clamor. He says he started making them. He wanted them to be scary (like regular zombies aren’t scary enough). Alicia says, to keep people away, and he says, yes. The kind of people who would hurt them, and her. He can keep them safe. He takes out a gun, and says, let’s go upstairs.
Loud music plays, and the zombies gather outside. Dakota tells Alicia that she should have kept going. She was just looking for a way not to feel trapped. She knows it sounds stupid, but Alicia says, it doesn’t. The door opens, and Charlie comes in. She says, he’s asleep and she got his keys. Alicia says, he’s going to wake up, but Charlie says, not anytime soon. Alicia says, they’ll lower the music, and wait until the zombies clear out, then go. Dakota says she knows a place where Ginny can’t find them. The music stops, and the zombies start to wander off. Alicia says, it’s working. Ed appears, and says, you have to hit a vein to make it last. He holds a gun on them, and Alicia asks why he’s doing this. He says he’s just trying to keep them safe, but she says he can’t keep them there. He makes her put her weapon down, and she says he’s going to get them killed. Dakota is coming with them. Ed tells her, no, she’s not, and Alicia asks if he’s doing this for Dakota, or for himself. He says Alicia is one of Ginny’s people, but Charlie says she’s not. He asks how come his radio was set to Ginny’s channel? Alicia rushes him, and he ends up impaled on one of the many pairs of antlers lying around. Poetic justice, I’d say. Dakota tells him that he’s going to be okay. The zombies outside get energetic again, and Charlie says the zombies heard them.
Alicia pulls out the antler, and Ed cries out. The zombies push at the door, and Charlie says, it’s not going to hold. He tells them to go out the side door. He’ll buy them time. Leave now. He’s resigned to be with his family. Alicia tells him not to do this, but he says the first one he was working on got loose, and it was his fault. Alicia says he did it because of his family, but he says again, it was his fault. He created them, but couldn’t control them. He tells her to go, as the zombies start to break through the door. She leaves, and the zombies start to pour in. Dakota watches from the balcony, and Alicia joins her. Ed opens his arms, as if embracing his fate, and the zombies take him down. Upstairs, the three girls break open the door. They see the zombies leaving the house, and Dakota wonders where they’re going.
Alicia runs downstairs, and sees a zombie with antlers approaching. Morgan comes through, slicing and dicing, and Alicia begins to help. Dakota and Charlie watch from above. When they’re finished, Alicia and Morgan hug. She asks how he’s there, and he says he heard the music. She says, no; how is he alive? Charlie and Dakota join them, and Charlie says they heard what he said on the walkie and a gunshot. Morgan says he had help, and Alicia asks, from who? He says he’s been trying to figure that out.
Ed is buried, and Dakota says he was just trying to keep her safe. Alicia says, he did. Morgan says they should get going, and Dakota asks why he’s wearing Emile’s clothes. He says Emile tried to hunt him down, but it didn’t go his way. Alicia asks who Emile is, and Dakota says, a bounty hunter Ginny sends after people who run. Morgan says, he won’t be going after people anymore. They need to leave before Ginny finds this place. Alicia asks where they’re going, and Morgan says, it’s a spot he’s been building up. Al and Dwight are there already. Pretty soon it will be all of them. They should go.
Alicia sits on a porch swing, and Charlie asks if she’s okay. Alicia says, yeah, and Charlie says what happened to Ed isn’t her fault. Alicia is silent for a moment, and says, he was right. She did make a call to Ginny’s radio. Charlie asks where she was taking them, and Alicia says, the stadium. It’s not as far as Charlie thinks. She just couldn’t figure out how to shake the Rangers. Charlie says, the stadium is overwhelmed. Is that why Alicia was training her to kill walkers back at the watchtower? Alicia says she was trying to do what Ed was, bring back something that was gone. Charlie says, she’s not turning Dakota over? but Alicia says she doesn’t know. Ginny is expecting her to deliver her sister. Charlie says she can’t do that to Dakota.
Inside, Morgan packs whatever supplies he can find. Alicia asks where the place is, but he says it’s easier to show her. She says they’re bringing Dakota, right? Morgan puts his hand on his chest, and she asks if he’s okay. He says they’ll talk about that, but now, how to get everyone back. Alicia says Ginny has people who are important to them, and they have someone important to her. Morgan says, that’s what they’re up against; doing things they never would have done before. Alicia says, it was him. He attacked the convoy. Morgan says he gave them a choice, and they chose Virginia. She says he killed all of them? and he says, there was no other way. They’ve got to get the ones they haven’t lost back. She asks if he blew up Tank Town, but he says it wasn’t him. She asks if he knows who it was, but he doesn’t say anything. Alicia says she gets what he’s doing. She was going to trade Dakota in for herself and Charlie. After seeing what Ed did, creating things that destroyed the people he cared about… They don’t have to do that. Morgan says, it’s the only way to get everyone out. Charlie and Dakota join them, and Charlie asks, what’s going on? Dakota asks why they’re fighting, and Alicia tells them, let’s go. They’re taking Dakota to the place Morgan talked about, but they’re not going there. Morgan says, it doesn’t have to go this way, but Alicia says they can’t do it his way. He begs them not to go. He can’t watch them walk out; he can’t let that happen. Everything they’ve done, they did to get all of them back together. It doesn’t work if it’s not all of them. He’ll do whatever takes to get them all there, and Dakota is welcome. They all are. Alicia says, okay. Alicia, Charlie, and Dakota head out, and Morgan nods, saying, okay.
Outside, Victor picks up a necklace, and radios that he’s checking on the house. Alicia comes out, and he asks, what happened? He saw the smoke, and knew he could count on her. He sees Dakota, and says he’s glad she’s all right. He’s taking her back. Alicia says, Dakota isn’t going there, and Victor asks, why? Morgan comes out, and says, they’re coming with him. It’s good to see him. Victor looks stunned, and asks if Ginny knows Morgan is alive. Morgan says, she does, and he’s guessing she doesn’t want him to be. He found a place that’s safe, where she won’t find them. He’s getting the others; Victor should come join them. Victor says they’ll be targets for the rest of their lives. Ginny is on her way there, and he’s taking Dakota. He draws his gun, and Morgan draws his whatever that new weapon is. Victor asks if he really wants to do this, and Alicia draws her pokey weapon, asking, does he? Morgan says they’ll do what they have to, and Alicia and Victor’s eyes meet. Victor ponders a moment, and says he won’t be there to protect them. He tells Alicia, this is going to dismantle everything they’ve been working for. He gives her the necklace, and we see it’s a St. Christopher’s medal. She says she’s just doing what he asked her to do. She tells the others, let’s go, and they leave.
Victor gets back to Lawton, and Ginny asks where Dakota is; is she safe? Victor says, yes, and she asks if he and Alicia are in cahoots. They made a deal for him to bring Dakota back. He says she’s with Morgan, and Ginny grabs Victor, getting in his face, asking, which side is he on? He says, hers, and she touches his badge. She says, okay; come with her. She knocks on a door, and they go through it into an alleyway. She says she told him the day would come when she’d call him for the big show. Today is that day. She moves aside some shelves to reveal a secret door. She goes inside, and he follows. Grace is there, and Ginny tells her, get up. Victor suggests Grace do what Ginny says. Victor asks where they’re going, and who does Ginny want next? Ginny says, all of them. She wants every single person they took from that damn gulch.
Next time: Death, destruction, and decay; it’s inevitable, but from this death comes life. Someone has been looking for someone like Alicia for a long time.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond
Silas was tied up outside, taking deep breaths, while the others discussed what to do about him. Iris insisted that Tony and Percy must have had enemies out for revenge, but Huck said there was no evidence. Silas was passed out at the scene, covered in blood. Hope said she didn’t want to believe it, but she’s heard the stories. Elton said Silas was their friend, and had earned their trust. There had to be an explanation. Iris said they never found Percy’s body; what if he was alive? Felix said they followed a blood trail to the river, and he was most likely dead. Elton wondered why Silas would attack those who tried to help him. Huck said she thought she knew when she saw this at camp, and pulled a copy of the Tiger poem and Iris’s drawings out of Silas’s bag. Iris said those were hers.
This week, we got more of Silas’s backstory, seeing how abusive his father was; screaming at him. throwing things at him, slamming him up against the wall, and trying to choke him. Finally having enough, Silas cracked his father over the head with a picture frame, and punched the crap out of him. His father seemed to be dead, when there was a knock at the door.
Hope thought it was messed up. Iris had thrown the drawings away. She said Silas liked Iris, and was different with her. Maybe he’d seen that she liked Percy. Elton said all they had was what they carried on their backs, and Silas thought it was important, but Hope thought he had no right to take them. Huck told Felix that they should take Silas back for a trial, but Felix was hesitant. The girls weren’t going to turn back, and Huck wondered if they should leave them behind. Elton disagreed with Silas’s hypothesis, since the only time he’d seen Silas be violent was in self-defense or defending someone else. He didn’t think Silas would hurt anyone without just cause, but Silas said he didn’t remember.
Silas remembered his dad ripping his headphones off at the dinner table. In his flashback within a flashback, the knocking on the door continued. Silas finally opened the door to a woman who wanted to see his mother. She said she didn’t want to alert the authorities, but she knew people who could make sure Silas and his mother were safe. Silas asked her to leave, but when he went back to where his father had been, his father was gone.
Elton told Silas, if he couldn’t believe in himself, he’d do it for him. He was going to find proof Silas wasn’t involved. If he didn’t, Silas was going to be left behind. Huck and Hope dug a grave for Tony.
Felix checked on Silas, and Silas asked, what if it wasn’t him? He couldn’t remember, and his dad was the same way. Felix asked if Silas had killed his dad in self-defense, and if he could trust Silas not to put anyone in danger. Silas said he didn’t want to be like his dad.
Silas flashed back to looking around for his dad. When he saw the picture in the now-broken frame, he remembered the good times they’d had. Silas kept looking, and called to his dad. He followed the blood trail to the bedroom, and remembered his mom covering her bruises with makeup when he saw a bloody towel. He heard noises upstairs, and went up.
Huck told Hope that she had to keep asking herself how to serve the greater good, and Hope said she had the wrong sister. Huck said it wasn’t always about right and wrong, but about doing your best for everyone, even if it was going to hurt. Every choice Hope made had to be about getting her and Iris to their dad, and getting where they needed to go. Iris told Hope, none of it made sense. Even with everything that happened, she had the feeling that Silas didn’t do it; he wasn’t capable of it. One mistake didn’t make you a bad person. Hope said they were so close, they couldn’t let anyone stand in the way of getting to their father. Iris said maybe Silas thought he was protecting her, but Hope said that would make it worse.
Felix found Elton by the river, and told Hope to keep an eye on him. Elton said he’d been following Percy’s trail, looking for evidence that would exonerate Silas. The only fact he knew was that he hadn’t had a family in a long time, and now he did. Hope asked if that meant he’d let Silas get away with murder, but Elton said, you don’t get away with it; it’s something you have to live with. Hope said they had to do whatever was for the greater good, and Elton said he thought that meant staying together.
In his mind, Silas went up an excruciatingly long staircase until he finally found his father. He said he just wanted his dad to stop, but it was too late; dad was zombiefied. He attacked Silas, who was pretty stunned, and pushed him away a couple dozen times. Silas locked himself in a room, and was like, wtf? He tried to get out a window, but there were bars on it, and then I was like, wtf? Going back further in time, Silas remembered his father telling him to lie down on the floor, and putting a speaker blaring loud music next to his head. He told Silas to close his eyes, and said, that’s what a concert sounded like before it all turned to sh*t. He turned it up louder, got on the floor with Silas, babbling about 1988 and how this was what music should be like. You needed to feel it with your entire body. This bummed me out, since obviously there had been better times in Silas’s household. While his zombie father scratched at the door, Silas put on his headphones, and turned the music up louder, until zombie dad finally wandered off.
Here’s where it got kind of scary. While Silas was reminiscing within reminiscing, a zombie came by. It was outside he fence but started banging itself against the seam, which started to give way. In Silas’s head, the tape ran out, and he listened at the door. He heard his mom come home, and then scream. He ran downstairs. In the present, the zombie got through, and moved closer to Silas, while in the past, Silas fought with his zombie dad, finally smashing his head on the floor, and finishing him off. His mother quietly freaked out. Silas got as far away as possible from the zombie, but then seemed to accept his fate and looked up at the stars. He opened his eyes to Hope saying, what the hell? She asked why he didn’t yell, and he asked why she saved him. She said enough people had died, and fixed the fence.
Iris went to Silas, and asked why he kept the drawings. He said they were too beautiful to throw away, and she said if he told her that he didn’t kill anyone, she’d believe him. He didn’t say anything, and she started to leave, but he told her to wait. He showed her that he’d gotten himself free, and said he wished he could tell her what she needed to hear. He just remembered being angry, and it had happened before. He thanked her for believing in him, and wanting him to be a hero. He killed his dad, Percy, and Tony; he was a killer. He didn’t want to cause any more problems, and while he was sorry she met him, he was glad he met her. He said he’d never forget her. Iris went back to the others, and I felt mega dissatisfied.
Iris told the group that Silas was gone. Huck wondered if Silas would come back for them, but Felix said, no. Silas wanted a fresh start. Maybe he would finally get one. Elton told Hope that he’d come to a difficult decision. He was going to join Silas. Silas’s odds of survival would be better, and if Elton didn’t do this, Silas would spend the rest of his life thinking no one believed in him. Silas would be believing a lie, and he couldn’t let that happen. Hope asked, what about family? and Elton said Silas was family too. He told her, everything happens the way it’s supposed to, and he was supposed to find Silas, and his mother and sister. Hope said, what if they weren’t out there? She admitted she’d lied to him, thinking she was protecting him from the truth, but she’d only made it worse. She couldn’t let him look for someone who wasn’t there. She gave him the necklace she’d taken from his mother, saying, he forgave Silas. Maybe he’d forgive her one day. She told him about shooting his mother, and no surprise, it didn’t make him want to stay. He put on the necklace, and headed out to find Silas.
Silas trekked on, wearing his headphones, which was probably a bad idea. Then he whacked a zombie in the head with a 2×4, which was a good idea. Before moving on, he left his headphones, which was the best idea, although just carrying them would have been sufficient.
Flashing back to a few days earlier, Elizabeth, who I all but forgot about, told her guard to bring someone in; her daughter was late, but she made it. She was risking everything because there’s no easy way. The guard brought Huck in, who said she could only get away for 48-hours. Elizabeth asked about their asset, and Huck said, safe. Elizabeth said, and her? and Huck said she was fine. Elizabeth told her to clean-up, and she’d be debriefed. But first, here was her dad’s watch.
Next time, a two-episode season finale. No surprise, lots of zombies, and Elton finds Silas.
🚝 Because I Can’t Wait…
Snowpiercer is coming! Snowpiercer is coming! Not only does season two begin January 25th, season three has already been ordered. 2021 is really not that far away, and it’s got to be a better year, right? Right?
