(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
🍗 Hope a great Thanksgiving was had by all!
Z Nation
Roberta, 10K, and Addie walk on the road between wheat fields. Roberta notes that they need harvesting; they’re going to seed. Addie doesn’t know how many live humans are left to do the work. She says, welcome to the heartland, and asks what the plan is. Roberta says they’re going to find out what’s in the biscuits. Addie asks what the end game is, and Roberta says, help George get her new country going first. Addie thinks they’re more tear sh*t up types than building a nation types. Roberta says they have to make sure the right people are in charge, and George is a natural leader. As they get closer to the farm, they find several mercied bodies. Addie says they’re farm workers, and some are talkers. Roberta thinks someone doesn’t want the biscuits made. 10K asks if they hear that, a ghostly voice saying, feed us. Roberta signals them to move into an area where a bunch of cars are parked. We can hear, feed us, biscuits. It gets louder as they get closer. They hear, but don’t see anything.
A dude pops up among the cars, and Addie says he’s a talker. Robert says he might know something. They raise their hands, and walk toward him. Roberta says they come in peace. She knows they’re hungry, but have no biscuits. They can help. 10K asks, what happens when talkers stop talking? Roberta guesses nothing good. They’re surrounded. Addie doesn’t want to hurt them, and Roberta says, let’s try to make this non-lethal.
George and Doc drive up, and they get in. Roberta says, perfect timing, Addie says they got her message from Kaya. Doc asks where they’re headed, and she tells him a farmhouse up ahead. Doc says they’ll have just about enough gas.
In the fields, Pandora tells a talker, he must be starved. She knows where he can find tasty brains waiting to be nibbled. She pushes him, and says, go after them.
Doc pulls up at the farmhouse, and says they’re running on fumes. They go inside, and George blocks the door. 10K says the talkers must have been hiding in the wheat. They look hungry, and Roberta wonders what they’re eating. A farmhand comes out, and says he knows – brains. He takes off his hat, and shows them the top of his head. It’s gone.
Roberta says the talkers have been eating his brains? and he says, everybody wants a piece of Charlie. Addie asks what happened, but he thinks they ate that part. Roberta asks if anyone else is there, but Charlie isn’t sure.
Roberta asks George if she wants to talk about Dante. George says it was her fault. She shouldn’t have let him go. Doc says, that’s not true. George says he put his trust in her and what she believed in, and it got him killed. Addie says she got Dante killed? and Doc says, the vigilantes got him. They killed the captain and his guard too.They’re probably the same bastards who killed the others. Roberta hugs George, and George cries. She says they chopped him in pieces, and put him in a trashcan. He did it for her. He was still alive. She had to mercy him. Roberta says George did right. George asks, who would do that? and Addie says, humans. Doc says, maybe not. Maybe talkers. They left a sign saying, this is what happens to traitors. Addie says, Newmerica would be a better place if they got rid of the people. Doc says, maybe the zombies got it right; screw everyone. Roberta promises they’ll bring Dante justice. George says she can’t give up. She can’t let Dante’s death be in vain. She has to see it through, no matter what. She’s willing to die for a better world. Roberta says, that’s her girl, and if that’s all we got, that’s all we got.
Doc goes into the garage, and picks up a mason jar. He sniffs it, and says, that could curl your nose hairs. He dips his fingers in and licks them. Steam comes out of his ears, and he says, that’s ass-kicking hooch.
Addie looks around upstairs. 10K goes to the kitchen, and takes off the tin can hook he’s been using. His wound looks pretty sore. Doc asks how it’s going, and 10K says, it hurts like a bad mother – Doc says, shut your mouth, a reference to Isaac Hayes‘s Theme from Shaft that 10K doesn’t get. He thinks the wound should be cleaned up, but the water is brown. 10K doesn’t think they should use that water, and Doc says he has a perfect plan B.
Addie keeps looking. She opens a closet, and brings her pokey bat weapon down among the clothes. She hits someone. She says, you, and he says it looks like she has him where she wants him.
The talkers are moving fast, with Pandora behind them.
Addie says she should kill him. He says, put him out of his misery. She says or make him wish he was dead. He asks what she wants him to do, and she says, unbutton his shirt. He does, and she slides her weapon down him. He says, now what? and she tells him to kiss her. They kiss, and she says he stood her up. She waited two days; she thought he was dead. He says, you know how it is. Zombies. She sees he has a wound and asks what happened. He says someone shot him.
Doc tells 10K it might sting, and pours the hooch over the wound. Obviously in pain, 10K puts the jar to his mouth. Doc says he wouldn’t drink that, but 10K guzzles the jar down. He says he feels great, then throws up. Doc says it might take his mind off his hand for a while. Roberta asks if he’s okay, and Doc says, alcohol poisoning. He’ll be good in a day, or three. They put him in a chair. Roberta says the talkers are still lurking.
Addie brings the guy downstairs. Addie says this is her friend, Finn; he’s been shot. Doc bandages him, saying he lost a lot of blood; he’s a lucky man. Finn asks if the wound is that bad, and Doc says, no, he’s a terrible doctor. 10K gets sick again, and Doc says his next patient. Roberta asks how Addie and Finn know each other. Finn says his farmhands turned taker, and Addie helped him. Addie says, they hit it off, and Finn helped save a lot of talkers. He says, like Butch and Sundance. An aside here: I thought the scene with her asking him to unbutton his shirt was lifted from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But in the film, it’s Robert Redford and Kathrine Ross, and he’s waiting for her in her room. Roberta asks what happened? and Finn says when they came back, Charlie volunteered to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends. They fed them tiny bits of brain. He had them rounded up to go to Limbo, when he was shot and the talkers were set loose. Somebody doesn’t want them to make biscuits. Roberta asks if he knows the secret ingredient. He says other than chopped brains, he doesn’t know what’s in them. He’ll show them what’s left.
He takes them to the manufacturing area, and shows them the machine that mixes brains into powder. Then it goes into the flour. George asks if they took it all. He says, there’s some flour left, but they took all the added ingredients. They’re the only source in the area. Not just for biscuits, but all grain. They don’t have much seed left, and need to harvest. Addie says, all of Newmerica could starve. They see where the fire was, and Finn says when he came to put it out, he got shot. Charlie got a machete in the head. He didn’t get a good look at them though. Roberta asks, if he had workers, does he think he could harvest? Addie says he’s bleeding again, and tells him to take it easy.
Doc and 10K come out in cowboy gear, twirling lassos. Doc says he was in a goat rodeo one time. He says they’ll round up the talkers, and Addie says, what could go wrong? Pandora says, looks like somebody wants to play cowboy. Let’s send them a stampede. The talkers move forward.
Finn tells Charlie, cue the dinner bell, and he hits on one of those triangle things, saying, come get your brains. Roberta and George get ropes ready. Roberta tells George that she’s still in shock. Some things are not meant to be seen, but she needs George’s head in it. Addie and Finn wait in a car. Finn says, it’s like old times, and Addie says, it was a month ago. He says, that’s old for the apocalypse. He’s glad she’s there. He was worried it was going to be just him and Charlie. She asks if he’s okay, and he says, yeah.
10K and Doc go talker hunting. Charlie continues to ring the triangle, saying, hot brains. He says, a little sriracha, spicy, the way they like it, and sprinkles some on his head. Addie and Finn rope some talkers. Finn tells Charlie, now, and he takes a piece out of his brain to feed them. Doc lassos a tiller, 10K says, yippee-ki-yo-ki-yay, and gets one with a net, but gets tangled up in it. Doc knocks the zombie out with a hammer. 10K asks if he’s dead, but Doc says, he’s already dead; he just stunned him. He suggests they tie him up before the others get back.
Pandora says, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Let’s nip this revolution in the bud.
Roberta and George go into the stables. George tells Roberta to watch herself. They’re almost completely turned. They see a talker in the shadows. Another runs past (I think it’s Pandora), but Roberta thinks they should get this one first. George says she knows he’s scared. She is too. It’s a scary world these days. She promises she’s not going to hurt him, and says it must be terrifying, but they have brains for him. A volunteer, Charlie, generously donated his brains until they get biscuits. They just have to secure him for his own safety. He grabs a hoe, and tries to hit George, but she gets him down. Outside, Pandora has set herself up with a gun. She says, it was nice while it lasted. She’s going to enjoy this.
10K comes up behind Pandora, but doesn’t see the gun. He says, there you are. He tells her this is for her own good. She’ll get some brains, and be humanish in no time. He’s not going to hurt her. Pandora’s cohort is behind him with a taser. They fight, and Pandora jumps in. Her crony gets 10K on the ground, and forces him to put his hook in his own mouth, but Doc has gotten the taser, and tasers him. He tells 10K he couldn’t help it, and suggests they corral these two.
The talkers have been put in a pen. Charlie asks what it is they’re doing again. Doc says they’re feeding the talkers so they don’t turn zombie. Charlie asks, what are they feeding them with? and Doc says, actually, brains; his brains. Charlie says, he’s cool with that, right? Doc says, as far as they know. Doc tells the talkers to make two lines. Pandora gives half-mask guy half a biscuit, and eats the other half.
Roberta wonders who’s been cutting off their supplies. George says, it couldn’t be talkers, but Roberta says people and talkers are easier to manipulate when they’re starving. George says they’re going to stop the revolution and bring justice to the world. Finn says, the world belongs to the dead now, and Addie says maybe it’s not theirs to claim. George says they all need each other to survive. That’s why they need a new country. Addie says, so far, George’s new country has done nothing but get people killed, including Dante. George says, maybe Addie is right, and she’s responsible for Dante’s death. It will haunt her until her mercy comes, but it’s not up to Addie to judge her. Addie says, not everyone shares her dream or her way of doing things. Roberta steps between them, and says they have no time for politics. Like it or not, they’re fighting the same fight together. They’re at war, and don’t even know who they’re fighting. Pandora watches them.
Charlie starts to sing Bicycle Built for Two. Doc asks how he’s feeling, and he says, lightheaded. BA-DUM-CHH! Doc leads him to a chair. Addie asks how he’s doing, and Doc says, not good. He keeps singing, and gets stuck on the word crazy, going, zee… zee… zee… Charlie asks Finn if it’s time. Finn says he saved them all. They’re alive because of him. Charlie asks, can he have his mercy now? and Finn says, sure. Charlie tells Finn goodbye, and goodbye whoever the rest of them are. Finn sings, and takes out the last of Charlie’s brain. Charlie is officially gone. Finn says, have mercy, and everyone is bummed
The talkers all sing Bicycle Built for Two, and Doc says, that was weird.
Finn says, since the water supply was cut off, they would have eventually died from drought. The hydraulic power that controls the flow of water was cut off after the first attack. George says it’s a Native American operation. She knows the chief. Roberta suggests they talk to some water keepers. Finn says he’ll stay there to keep an eye on the talkers. Addie kisses him goodbye.
Pandora pokes her friend, telling him if he doesn’t stop singing, she won’t hesitate to mercy him. She hates that song. Finn walks up, and says, what do we have here? It looks like they’re feeling more like themselves. He tells the talkers that after he gives Charlie a proper burial, and gathers some supplies, they’ll set off for Limbo. He thinks after dark is safer. He’s not doing well, and Pandora says, it won’t be long now before someone starts playing for the other team.
10K says his hand hurts like it’s still there. Doc tells him, it’s phantom limb syndrome. Eventually, it works itself out, and the brain ignores the signals. Roberta can’t figure out why the farm was cut off, and Addie says maybe they didn’t like George’s idea. George says they’re independent, but the is chief fact-oriented, and supported the referendum, seeing the positives. Doc asks if 10K is all right. 10K says he’s just hungover. Doc feels his forehead, and says he’s burning up; he’s not fine. He needs antibiotics. George thinks they can get help from the chief, and Doc says he knows all about Native American medicine. Together, Doc and 10K say, but we were nowhere near the Grand Canyon. They see a distress signal, and Addie says, Finn. Addie runs back to find him lying on the ground.
She moves him underneath a tree, and he says two talkers jumped him and set the others free. Addie tells him, hang in there, and Finn says he’s scared. He’s lost too much blood. She tells him not to be afraid; she’s there. Roberta goes through the wheat field, and a talker pops up. Roberta says, hey, Emma, it’s me. Emma looks like she’s about to attack Roberta, but hugs her. I’m assuming, in life, Emma wasn’t known for her social skills.
George goes through another field, and hears her name being called. Pandora crouches in the wheat.
Finn tells Addie that they had big plans. Addie says they can still do big things. He asks if she promises to keep their deal. If he doesn’t like it, she’ll mercy him. She promises. He asks if she thinks he’ll see a white light, and tells her, it hurts. He’s scared, and doesn’t want to turn. Addie tells him not to fight it, and he tells her that he loves her. She loves him too. He dies. She closes his eyes, strokes his face, and kisses him. He starts to shake, coughs, and wakes up. She says, so? He says, nothing hurts, and he’s not afraid. For eight years, every day since day one, he’s been afraid. Now he’s not. She tells him that she saved him some. The last piece of Charlie. He eats it.
Roberta and George join them, and Roberta says they rounded up all the talkers, except two. Finn says they’re probably the ones who jumped him. Roberta says, is he? and Addie nods. Roberta says, welcome back. She and George are going to catch up with Doc and 10K. Addie says she’s going to stay and help Finn get the talkers back to work, but after that… Roberta tells them to take care of each other. George tells Addie, see you in Newmerica. Addie says, keep dreaming, and George says, somebody has to.
Doc wonders where they are. He says 10K seems to be healing okay. If Roberta and George aren’t back soon, they should just head to the dam without them. He says 10K’s fever broke, and gives him some water. He hopes the water keepers are friendly. He’s shot by an arrow, says, they’ve got to be kidding, and falls over.
Next Friday – Ninjas! Spirits! Wait, what? Doc is a ghost, and enters 10K’s body. 10K feels old and kinda stoned.
You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance. – Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
Being grateful all the time isn’t easy. But it’s when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: perspective. Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration, moving you from negative energy to positive. It’s the quickest, easiest, most powerful way to effect change in your life—this I know for sure. – Oprah Winfrey, What I Know for Sure
In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices. – Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love
Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business. – Anne Lamott, Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers
My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus. – Stephan W. Hawking, New York Times Magazine interview
My gratitude for good writing is unbounded; I’m grateful for it the way I’m grateful for the ocean. –Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
I think that real friendship always makes us feel such sweet gratitude, because the world almost always seems like a very hard desert, and the flowers that grow there seem to grow against such high odds. – Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon
It has been said that life has treated me harshly; and sometimes I have complained in my heart because many pleasures of human experience have been withheld from me…if much has been denied me, much, very much, has been given me. – Helen Keller, The Open Door
They do not love, that do not show their love. – William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Rosita is being chased through the woods. She stops at a tree for water, but the bottle is empty. She slumps against the tree.
Daryl, Carol, and Henry walk through a different part of the woods. Daryl is carrying firewood, and drops it at his camp near the river. Carol asks if he’s fixed the boat since last time. He’s not being very communicative, and she asks when he last ate. Apparently, he’s acquired a dog – looks like a German Shepherd mix – and he says, the dog ate yesterday. She’s not talking about that.
Michonne and Siddiq are taking Magna’s group to Hilltop. Michonne tells Siddiq he’ll feel better if he says it. Siddiq says she should have let them stay. He thinks she likes them. He’s not hearing her deny it. She says it doesn’t mean she trusts them. Luke says Magna gave Michonne the option not to trust them. She and Kelly want to get back to their camp. Magna wants her knife back. Yumiko tells Michonne, sorry about Magna; she can be hotheaded. She’s been on edge since they lost Bernie. She talks about how he used to wear a horrid shirt. It was like looking into creation in paisley. Magna said it gave her a headache, so he wore it every day for a week. Magna came around on the shirt, like they came around on Magna. Michonne says, like family. Yumiko asks if Hilltop is safe. Michonne says it is, and Yumiko asks what it’s like. Michonne says it’s been a while since she’s been there, and Yumiko says, then how does she know it’s safe? Michonne says she promised her daughter that she’d get them there, and she will. They just have to trust her.
Hilltop is looking good. There are tons of crops, blacksmithing and pottery making going on, and Enid being a doctor. Jesus listens to music on an old gramophone Tara drops by. She says he’s been spending a lot of time with records. She goes over some farming stuff, other operational issues, and a couple of complaints. She tells him, congratulations; he’s been reelected leader. He says, winning is a given when there’s no one running against you. She asks if he still thinks it’s temporary. He wants to check on Tammy’s crops, but Tara says she has a list. He tells her to ask when he gets back
Daryl shoots a snake for dinner, and stabs a zombie with the same arrow after he gets it back. He’s a multi-tasker. Carol asks if he’s just leaving the zombie, and he says it keeps the animals away. She says he’s longer than he said he’d be. He says he likes it; it’s quiet. He asks how the king is, and she says he’s having a hard time letting go. She’s taking Henry to Hilltop. He’s going to apprentice as a smithy. Daryl appreciates the visit, but wonders why she’s really there. She wants him to come with them. They have problems of their own at the Kingdom, and she’d feel better if Daryl could go with Henry. He says he can’t babysit, but she says it’s not like that. Henry is an idealist, like Ezekiel, which is important, but it can be dangerous. Daryl says he has to learn for himself. Like they did.
Magna’s camp has been torn apart. There are a few zombies lurking. Kelly stabs on in the head, and Connie stomps on another’s head. Luke wields a baseball bat. Magna looks through what’s left of her stuff. Siddiq finds a recorder, and says it was the first instrument he learned to play. His aunt gave him one. He had it a week, until his mom decided, for her own sanity, that he liked painting better. I totally understand this. When I was in fourth grade, everyone had to learn to play the recorder, and you could hear the sounds of practicing throughout the neighborhood. It’s a wonder our parents didn’t lose their minds. Michonne says, for her sanity, and takes it from him. Connie signs that Luke is obsessed with saving musical instruments.
Michonne tells DJ to take any weapons. Magna thinks they should get them back, but Michonne says she’s not letting her men take five armed people into Hilltop. If they want their weapons, they can take them, but they’re on their own. If they want a chance at something better, stay with them. Magna wonders how they’re supposed to trust her, when she’s doesn’t trust them. Michonne says then they can take their chances. Yumiko says they didn’t get brought back together just to be killed. She asks if they’ll be there by morning, and Michonne says they will. Yumiko says they have a real chance for a safe place. The sun is going down soon, and Michonne suggests they find shelter.
Aaron is riding out of the woods, and gets knocked off his horse by Jesus. Aaron says, rule number one – be aware of your surroundings. Jesus says, rule number one – look up. They spar Jesus says, not bad, and gets the best of Aaron. Aaron whacks Jesus in the face, and Jesus acts like he’s really hurt. When Aaron asks if he’s okay, Jesus gets the better of him again. When they’re done, Aaron says he heard it was election day. Jesus says that’s why he’s late. There was a party, and it’s hard to get away as it is. Aaron doesn’t suppose Maggie changed her mind about the fair. It’s important for the Kingdom; for all of them to come back together. They see a flare go up in the distance.
The find Rosita, bloody, and leaning against a tree. Aaron asks where Eugene is, and she says she left him. He was going to a barn. Zombies come toward them. Jesus says they have to go; it will be dark soon. Whatever barn Eugene is in, Jesus hopes he’s safe until tomorrow,
Daryl cooks up the snake. Carol is impressed. Henry wonders if the real reason they came here was that Carol wants Daryl to be his chaperone. This guy? He can handle himself. Daryl says it will be ready in thirty minutes, and Carol says, just enough time. Daryl says, for what?
Carol gives Daryl a haircut. He knows she thinks He’s still looking for him. Carol says, is he? She thinks he should let it go, and that his hair looks better. They eat. Henry asks how Daryl got his scars. Daryl calls the dog, who he just calls dog.
Michonne is on watch, and hears something. She goes inside a stable. She walks quietly past the horses, where there’s a dude at a workbench with his back to her. She comes up behind him, and says, drop it; turn around slow. It’s Luke. He says, he can’t. He starts to turn, and she whacks at him. Everyone comes running. Luke shows them his broken violin. I think Michonne might be just a little paranoid.
Henry wakes up, and leaves the tent. He thinks he sees Daryl from behind, and shines a light. It’s a zombie instead, but Daryl arrives in time to knife it in the head. He keeps walking. He hears Dog barking, and runs in that direction. Dog is tethered to a tree and several zombies are stuck in Daryl’s traps around him. Why are they doing this to me? Introducing another animal which will no doubt eventually get eaten. I’ve gotten to the point where, if a dog is introduced in a horror story I’m reading, I stop reading. Dog is surrounded, barking his head off, with the zombies reaching for him. Daryl approaches. A half-zombie grabs at him. He goes down, and loses his knife. Henry wants to help, but Daryl tells him, get back. Daryl manages to get his other knife out, and stabs, spears, and pikes the heads of the zombies. Henry is astounded. A zombie whose ankle is held in a trap, pulls itself free, leaving its foot behind. Henry jumps forward, and impales it. Daryl finishes the job. He says he told Henry to stay back, and Henry says, you’re welcome. Up on the hill, Carol has her bow drawn. She steps back so they don’t see her.
Jesus asks Enid how Rosita is. Enid says she’s okay, just dehydrated. He says it’s weird, seeing her after all this time. She says for her too. She asks Jesus what they were doing out there, and Jesus says, training. He’s been talking to Aaron, keeping the lines of communication open. Enid says, and avoiding being there. He wants to try to get Alexandria on board with the fair. She doesn’t think they’ll go along with it. Jesus says, it’s important, and Enid says people are noticing that he’s gone, that’s important too. She knows he thinks he’s just keeping a promise to Maggie, but he took the job. Stop pretending. She’s not there; he is. Maggie is counting on him. They’re counting on him. She’s counting on him. He needs to stay there, and keep the place together.
Daryl gets dressed, and Henry looks at the scars on his back. He tosses Henry some salve, saying it’s good for infection. Daryl thanks Henry for the help, and Henry thanks Daryl for saving him. He asks Daryl not to tell his mom. Daryl tosses a stick for Dog to fetch. He says that he’s seeing more and more zombies. Henry tells him that Carol says he’s her best friend; that she had his back no matter what. She misses him. She worries about him. Can he see that? Daryl asks if that’s what Henry wants. Daryl looking over his shoulder all the time. Henry says it’s not just about him.
Luke says, unbelievable. Michonne starts talk, but he’s like, uh-uh-uh. He says it’s an original Stradivarius. Kelly says he found it in a mansion before it was overrun. It was in a kids room. Michonne asks why he collects instruments, and Luke says, it’s art. For a long time, historians and archaeologists wondered how humans survived against the Neanderthals. With them being bigger and stronger, with better weapons, why are we still here? Why did we survive? He tells her about a flute found in a cave, and how it was realized that maybe ancient humans didn’t defeat the Neanderthals the way we look at defeat. They sat around the campfire, sharing stores, and told stories in music and painting. They created communities and identities. The communities they built grew, and the Neanderthals retreated, and died out. It’s what separates humans from animals. It brings people together in building something, and you can’t ignore that. Michonne says after all he’s seen and done, he still believes that’s all it could take? Luke says, survival of the fittest. Sharing art with each other makes them stronger. Michonne ponders this.
Michonne tells Siddiq that they’ll reach Alexandria before Hilltop, and can stop for supplies if they need them. Siddiq says she should come. It’s the least she can do after murdering Luke’s violin. Michonne thinks it’s for the best, but Siddiq tells her, don’t worry about Maggie. She doesn’t know what to do if they see each other, but Siddiq says, she’s gone. Jesus runs Hilltop now. Michonne asks where she is, and DJ runs in saying, walkers; let’s move. They run out, Michonne in the lead. Yumiko says they need their weapons. Magna uses a brick to smash a zombie in the head. Zombies start pouring in. Michonne tells DJ to get the new people their weapons. Kelly gets a slingshot thing going. The horses start getting agitated, and Michonne says, sh*t. Yumiko tells the others they know what to do. Connie and Kelly work their slingshots. Luke opens the doors of the cars in the lot, so the zombies are blocked. Yumiko uses an arrow to knock an awning down, crushing several zombies. Magna saves Yumiko’s ass when a stray zombie sneaks up on her. A zombie toddles toward them, wearing a paisley shirt. Magna is sadly transfixed, and the others stare, open-mouthed. As Bernie gets close to Magna, Michonne knifes him from behind. Siddiq says, let’s go, and urges Magna to move. They all look at Bernie’s body as they go past.
Daryl tells Carol, ready in ten minutes. Hey, she’s using one of my coffee cups. It’s metal, blue with flecks of white, for camping.
The group headed for Hilltop travels on. Everyone is bummed. Michonne says she knows what it’s like to worry about a friend, and feel guilty. Yumiko says they’ll feel better when they have home, and are safe. Michonne says they will. This is as far as she’s going. Siddiq apologizes for not telling her about Maggie sooner. She asks, where is she? and Siddiq says, someplace far away; a new community. That’s all he knows. He understands she wanted the information sooner, but he promised someone he wouldn’t. This means Michonne can come. She should. Michonne says she’s needed back home. She kept her promise to Judith. Siddiq says what about her promise to him? She says, it’s not that simple. They hear horses approaching.
Two men ride up to them. They’re carrying spears, and Michonne asks if they’re From Hilltop. They are, and Michonne says her group is from Alexandria. They’re headed there now. One of the men says they have a message. Hilltop has one of their own – Rosita. She’s been injured. Michonne tells them to let them know that Michonne and the others are headed to Hilltop. The men ride off. Michonne giddyaps. Luke tells them, hold up, and they stop. Connie sees something. They wait, as she looks around, but then she signals, it’s nothing.
Daryl rides into Hilltop. Henry wonders if Enid will recognize him; he’s bigger. Jesus says it’s a pleasant surprise. He asks what brings them there, and Carol says Henry has a stubborn interest in blacksmithing. Jesus says they can help with that.
Aaron tells Daryl that they found Rosita pretty banged up, and Eugene is missing. They’re headed out to find him now, and could use a good tracker. Daryl says he’s going. Henry wants to go too, but Carol says they need to get him settled in. Jesus says he knows where to start looking. Jesus tells Enid that he should go. She says she’ll stay, but next time, he does. Dog leads the way, Daryl follows, and the search party heads out.
Next time, Aaron says he’s never seen zombies do this before, Rosita wants to leave, Jesus kicks zombie ass, and Eugene says, it’s not a normal herd; they’re whispering to each other.
🔊 I don’t know what that fair business is about, but on Talking Dead tonight, Dan Fogler (Luke) said there was something musical coming up. That made me wonder if there’s a connection. Also, Michael Cudlitz (the late Abe) had his directorial debut with tonight’s TWD episode.
🐎 Return to Amish returned to the small screen tonight, but I have to catch it on the flipside. I can’t wait to see what Mary Schmucker, the grandmother of my dreams, and the gang are up to. Some new members have also been added to the cast.
✈ My Dinner with Hervé is on HBO rotation, and Peter Dinklage is so good, he’ll make you cry. About the tragic life (and death) of Hervé Jean-Pierre Villechaize, it goes far beyond dinner. The performances are brilliant, and the story of a frustrated artist shows incredible insight into a too-brief life.
🍹 It’ll Be All Right...
Sure, Mondays are just fine if you live in Margaritaville.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Michael meets Sam at The Floating Rib. She thinks he should know about something. Jason walks in.
Aiden tells Elizabeth and Franco that it was Career Day, and there was a policeman; it was cool. Franco asks if everyone was nice to him, and Aiden guesses so. He asks for money for the vending machine. Franco tells him if someone isn’t nice to him, he should tell them, and they’ll take care of it tout suite. Aiden is like, huh? and Franco says it’s fake French. Elizabeth asks if he’d like to call his dad
Kiki sees Griff at the hospital, and hopes he’s there to pick up his lab coat. He says not exactly. She wonders what’s taking so long, but Griff doesn’t know. The good news is Peter sent the committee a statement, saying he wasn’t impacted by Griff’s transgression in any way. Kiki says that’s good news; the so-called victim doesn’t feel victimized. She wonders why the committee wants to talk to him. He thinks they want to question him again, but he’s going to tell them the same thing he did before – the truth. Kiki says speaking of the truth, it’s time Sasha heard some.
Nina is impressed that Sasha has the spread sheets almost done. Sasha says don’t tell her boss, but she’s trying to impress her new mother. Nina says they are equally impressed with her. As she’s walking into her office, Nina tells Sasha about a phone call she’s waiting for. Sasha tries to tell her that someone is in her office, but Nina is too busy talking to hear. She walks in to find Valentin.
At the MetroCourt bar, not-Doc asks Ava if this seat is taken. She wonders who’s asking. She’s saving it for a friend. He says since he’s no longer her doctor, and sits down. He says she’s still mad at him. She says not mad. Slightly perturbed and inconvenienced, but if she’s honest, she missed him. And here he is now. She says now that boundaries are out of the way, let her buy him a drink. He says he’s been craving a Bloody Mary. BA-DUM-CHH!
Michael asks if it’s a coincidence or an ambush. Jason says he’s looking for Michael’s dad. Have they seen Sonny?
Sonny asks Margaux if he can come in. She says she already got an earful from his wife. Sonny says it’s not between her and Carly, it’s between them. She asks what he’s going to do? Kill her like he killed her father?
Elizabeth tells Aiden that he hasn’t talked to his dad in a while. She thinks he’d like know how Aiden is doing. Aiden wants to go to the vending machine, so Elizabeth gives him some money. Franco says he can’t blame Aiden. What kid wants to tell his parents he’s being picked on? She asks if he’s speaking from experience, and he says when kids gave him a hard time, he sabotaged them. He had a lot of rage. He says they can start covert art therapy when they get home, but Elizabeth says, why wait. He says Aiden unburdening himself with finger paint is good, but this needs to stop.
Lulu flies into Willow’s classroom, asking if she’s late. Willow says she’s actually early. She’s trying to reach Charlotte’s father. She’d prefer it if they were both there. Lulu asks, how bad is it?
Nina says she doesn’t owe Valentin any explanations; they’re divorced. She has no time or patience for him. His phone rings. It’s Willow, and he asks if there’s a problem about Charlotte. He tells her he’ll be right there. Nina asks if Charlotte is okay, and Valentin says her teacher wants to meet with him and Lulu. Nina asks what about? and he says, they’re divorced. He doesn’t owe her any explanations. He leaves, and she grabs her jacket.
Griff thought Kiki was excited about the relationship with her new sister. He doesn’t want to come between them. Kiki thinks she’s overreacting because of her mom, but needs to set Sasha straight. She tells Griff to focus on getting his job back, and she’ll settle things with her sister.
Not-Doc asks Ava how things are with her daughter. Ava says she’ll come running back in time for the holidays. They’ll be back to being inseparable like they were before they allowed men to tear them apart. He says her optimism doesn’t match her demeanor. Why isn’t she able to sleep?
Michael asks what’s going on with his dad. Jason says he’s taking care of things with Sonny, and wanted to see if he needed a hand.
Sonny asks why he’d want Margaux dead. Even if he did, he’s just a simple coffee importer. She says, who thinks she’ll drop the investigation into her father’s murder, now that she knows her mother was involved. Jason calls, and Sonny says he’s with her now. He’ll let Jason know if he needs him.
😠 &$*!*$^%@&&@*##$!@! Why is this interrupted for NYC Mayor Jerkface making excuses because he wasn’t prepared for a snowstorm everyone knew was coming? Here’s a news flash – winter comes every year. Omg, he went on for nearly the whole hour. Moving on the bootleg way.
Margaux tells Sonny that she didn’t hear screaming, so it’s not Carly. It must be Jason. When should she expect him? Sonny asks why, and she says he sends Jason to do his dirty work, like Skully sent Sonny to do his. He asks why he’d want her dead? She heard her mother arrange her father’s murder; he’s out of the equation. She says if that’s true, why is he there?
Jason says Sonny has it under control, and Michael asks if he wants to join them. Or are Sam’s words for his ears only? Sam says it might be good to get Jason’s perspective. He was there too; at Ferncliff. She hates to spoil his good mood, but thinks he should know who was there. He says as long as it’s not his mom, he doesn’t care. He asks who? and Sam says, Nelle.
Kiki goes to the Crimson office to see Sasha. Sasha says she’s getting acclimated, and Kiki says, speaking of which, she thinks she moved too quickly with Sasha, and Sasha moved too quickly with her boyfriend.
Ava asks not-Doc if it’s that obvious. He asks, what’s the problem? and she says she’s lost her edge. She used to plan revenge in her sleep, now she crawls into bed – alone – and the thirst for vengeance turns to sadness. Kiki and Griff broke her heart and spirit. Not-Doc doesn’t buy that, and neither does the Ava boiling with rage. Where is she now? Ava says right there, reminding her of the times she told Griff that she loved him, and he wasn’t ready to say it back. Reminding her that he used her as a stepping stone out of the priesthood to someone else. He says, not just a benign sadness, but wounded and angry. She says she is, and he tells her that he has the perfect cure.
Sam tells Michael it seems Nelle faked a nervous breakdown, and was transferred. Jason says they went to get answers for his mom. She wants to know if the patient next door belongs there and is being treated. When they checked the cell, they found Nelle instead. Sam says they don’t know if she was a decoy, or the patient had already been moved. She could have been put in the first room that was available. Michael asks if they’re sure she was faking. She had a nervous breakdown before.
Sonny tells Margaux that she can’t accept the truth about her father’s death. She thinks the word he’rs looking for is murder. He says, yes, murdered. Her mother was having an affair with Skully. She asked him to get rid of her father, and he made it happen. Margaux asks if he’s still saying he’s blameless, and he says she can’t prove otherwise. She told herself stories about her father and family, none of which are true. If she keeps digging, it will only get worse, and she’ll only hurt herself.
Aiden brings Franco some candy in the art therapy room. Franco asks if he wants to draw a picture. He can start with Mr. Jellybeans, his hamster. Aiden says, Mr. Jellybeans is the best.
Valentin arrives at the classroom, and asks what’s going on; she said it was urgent. Nina flies in, and asks hat she missed, explaining that she’s Charlotte’s stepmother. Willow asks if both parents approve of her being there, and they’re both fine with it. Willow says she’s observed troubling behavior. Charlotte is bright and quick, but can be assertive. Nina says, good. She should be in today’s world. Willow agrees she should, however, it’s evolved into bullying. Lulu asks if she’s saying Charlotte is bullying other children. Willow says she broached it to Charlotte, and told her it’s unacceptable behavior, but it’s become more frequent and open; in front of teachers. It’s like she knows there will be no consequences. It’s not about blame, but it’s escalated, and per school policy, she needs to get the parents involved. Nina thinks Willow is misunderstanding Charlotte’s leadership skills, but Willow says, they’re not leadership skills. Nina says Willow clearly doesn’t understand her daughter, and the problem is her. Valentin shakes his head.
Sasha asks if Kiki is mad about last night. She was flirting with Kiki’s boyfriend, but she thought it was no big deal. They’re just friends with benefits. Kiki asks where she got that idea.
Not-Doc says he’s concerned about Ava’s well-being. He tells her that she needs to get some rest, and offers her a sample of a new sleep aid.
Jason tells Michael that Nelle was holding a blanket like a baby. Michael says, Nelle lies about everything, but it could be genuine. Sam says, except when they pointed out Ferncliff could be a bigger trap than Pentonville. She flung the blanket aside, and went off on them, saying she’s not letting Carly win. Jason says Nelle thought it was a stepping stone to freedom, and when she gets out, she’s going after his mom again.
Margaux says Sonny is just as at fault as her mother. He says she has nothing. He has no ties to her father’s death. There’s no evidence, no witnesses, nothing. While he lives, he’s a free man. She’s going to be rotting in a prison she’s built for herself. Is that what she wants?
Willow says Charlotte is confrontational not just with her classmates, but adults, even strangers. Lulu asks when that happened, and Willow says, this morning. It was Career Day, and she challenged a guest about his name, education, and appearance. Lulu says she didn’t see that, and Willow says it happened after she left. Some children like to push boundaries; Charlotte is one of them. Valentin asks if it’s an isolated incident, and Willow says, no. She’s been mocking a particular classmate, and takes every opportunity to make fun of them, and make them the butt of jokes. Valentin asks, who? but she can’t divulge that. She hopes discussing it will result in change. Nina asks if she’s discussed it with Charlotte, and Willow says she asked why Charlotte didn’t like them, but it wasn’t for any reason. So she’s asking them as parents, to step in. Explore where this is coming from and make sure she knows it’s unacceptable, and knows it must change.
Sasha tells Kiki that she’s new. It was an honest mistake, and it won’t happen again. Kiki says, while they’re being honest, she made a mistake too. She shouldn’t have asked Sasha to move in so soon. She was excited about having a sister. She’s hoping they can start over. Get together now and then as friends, not roommates. Sasha asks if Kiki is kicking her out, and Kiki says, yeah, she is. Sasha needs to be out by tonight. She already has a mother to contend with. She doesn’t need anyone else against her and Griff. Sasha says she really doesn’t trust her boyfriend, does she? Maybe she’s insecure because he dated her mother. Kiki tells her to be out by tonight.
Franco says, clearly, Aiden gets the ability to draw from his mom; he’s amazing. He likes Aiden’s version of Mr. Jellybeans with the crown; more regal than rodent. Aiden says Mr. Jellybeans is his best friend. Franco thought Bianca was his best friend. Aiden likes her okay, but sometimes she… Franco suggests he draw a picture of Bianca, but Aiden doesn’t want to. Franco says, how about his family? Aiden says he can do that. They’re nice to him.
Ava takes the sample. He tells her, like any medication, take with caution; one at first, no more two in 24-hours. He wants her to be at her best for her reunion with her daughter. Then they’ll talk about other methods to chase away the demons that keep her up. She asks if he has demons, and he says they all have painful experiences locked away. She asks if his have anything to do with his brother, but he says, no. They have everything to do with him. She tells him that he knows a lot about her, but she knows nothing about him.
Sasha sees Ava, and says, how convenient. She had no idea how to find her, but now she can tell Ava to her face. Next time she wants to break up Kiki and Griff, leave her out of it.
Margaux says Sonny is trying to sound like he gives a damn about what happens to her. He says he can picture her as a little girl, believing her mother’s phony grief. It’s all she had. He thought when she heard the truth, she’d leave that behind. She says he thought wrong.
Sam says Nelle lied to get transferred. They told her it was worse, and she ditched the act and threatened Carly. Michael says it sounds like Nelle. Jason says he seems calm, and Michael says he learned it from him. He’ll always regret getting involved with Nelle, but he doesn’t feel guilty for grieving over Jonah. It’s getting more manageable. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Nina tells Willow that Charlotte doesn’t need to change. She’s strong and brave, and she’s been through a lot. Valentin says she had a difficult early childhood, but they’ve always encouraged her to be polite and have compassion. Nina asks if Willow has children. Willow says that’s not relevant. Nina thinks maybe they need someone who knows about raising a child. Willow appreciates Nina’s faith in Charlotte. That being said, she thinks it might be more productive if she talks with Charlotte’s parents. Nina asks if Willow is kicking her out because she’s not Charlotte’s biological mother. Valentin tells Nina to go home. They want to hear what Willow is saying, and she’s making it next to impossible. Nina says Valentin has been Charlotte’s one constant, except when he’s off doing God knows what, with God knows who, God knows where. Nina asks if Lulu wants her to leave. Lulu says Nina is upset, and they need to get to the bottom of this. Nina says she’s watching Willow, and does the two-finger thing. Valentin says he’s mortified. Willow doesn’t doubt Nina loves Charlotte very much, but it’s unproductive. Lulu asks how they handle it, and Willow suggests written guidelines that will help them to be productive, not accusatory. They can explain that the behavior is not acceptable and there will be consequences for her actions.
Ava tells Sasha she thought it was a casual relationship. She’s sure they’ll work things out. Sasha says Kiki told her to move out. Whatever perverse game of mother/daughter chicken she’s playing is over. She lost. Before she leaves, Sasha orders room service. Ava looks at the sample.
Michael thanks Jason and Sam for the update on Nelle. Say what will about her, but she’s never dull. He also thanks them for making sure she’s back behind bars. Sam says, see? Things get better. Michael says they can all use some good times. The holidays are around the corner. They’re family, and need to start acting like it. He leaves, and Sam says, speaking of holidays, Thanksgiving is next week; any plans? He says, her first.
Sonny admires Margaux’s spirit and passion, but why not focus on her own life, instead of dogging his? She’ll make him a deal. He confesses to her father’s murder, pleads guilty, serves twenty, and when it’s a done deal, she’ll book a cruise. Sonny says, whoever pulled the trigger was the weapon. Her mother and Skully had her father killed. She wants to know what he’s going to tell Avery when she grows up. It’s not her dad’s fault he’s a murderer. Sonny says now she’s pushing it. If what happened to her father happened to him, he would hope Avery would leave it behind her, and not make it her life’s work to bring them to justice. He would hope she would be happy. Surround herself with people she loves and who love her.
Michael walks into Willow’s classroom. She says she just had an almost Chernobyl parent/teacher conference. He says, almost? and asks if she saved it. She says, maybe. She thought she was handling it. Now, she’s finding a meeting. It helps. He knows what she means. He says he also brought something that might help, or at least provide a distraction. He gives her a box. She said she wanted more seeds. She says when he makes a promise, he keeps it. He says, eventually. He also promised to tell his story to the group about what brought him there, and he hasn’t yet. She says, he will, and so will she – eventually. Until then, she has gardening to do. In November?
Nina is looking up Willow on Spyder-Finder. Valentin comes in, and she tells him to get out. He wants to apologize, but she won’t accept it, and says she’s going to call security. He says he missed her fierceness, and she says he won’t when he’s being hauled out. He says he particularly likes it when she’s defending Charlotte. He’d like her to there when they talk to her. She says Charlotte is always a priority, and he knows she always wants the best for Charlotte. He’s grateful for her help, and she says, for Charlotte, anything.
At the hospital, Lulu asks if Finn there. Elizabeth says he’s not in, and asks if she want to leave a message. She’d rather speak to him in person. She wants to make sure if Britt is well enough to be interred… she means, interviewed. She asks how the kids are, and Elizabeth says Aiden is going through a rough time. Lulu says Charlotte is going through a phase too.
Franco says Aiden drew himself little. Aiden says he’s the baby, and Franco says, he’s the youngest, but he’s a big kid. Aiden asks if he didn’t do it right. Franco says it’s perfect, but he doesn’t see Aiden as being tiny. Aiden says, but he is.
Kiki asks Griff how it went, and he says he explained himself and admitted he was wrong. Who knows? He asks how it went with Sasha. Kiki says she told Sasha she was wrong in letting the relationship move too quickly, but her behavior toward Griff was inappropriate. She turned it around, and accused Kiki of doing the same thing her mother does; blaming her insecurities on the other person. She doesn’t want to be like that. Griff says she’s not.
Ava hears that food is being delivered to Sasha’s room. She puts the pills from the sample in the soup when the room service tray is unattended.
Margaux asks Sonny if he’d want Avery to let go of his murder and move on with her life. He says he would, for her sake. Margaux says he doesn’t care about her sake. She was deprived of a lifetime of memories, and he wants her to let it go. Sonny says facts are facts, and evidence is evidence. Does she want to spend her life in a hotel room, listening to her mother talk about setting her father up? She asks if he’s afraid she’ll find something. He says, there’s nothing to find. Let it go, and live her life.
Sam tells Jason that Curtis and Jordan are getting married on Thanksgiving. Sounds insane, but there must be a method to the madness, but it’s not until later. She wanted to watch the parade with the kids. She asks if he wants to watch with them; she has a lot to be thankful for. He wonders if she still likes the pumpkin donuts from Kelly’s, and says he’ll pick some up. It’s a date.
On Monday, Monica asks if Oscar wants to know what he’s up against, Kim tells Drew that she’s not willing to give up, and Kiki tells Franco she’s getting weird vibes from Sasha and Griff.
Z Nation
10K says, brains and biscuits, how was it not Murphy’s idea? Murphy says, one day, the apocalypse will make him a rich man. He tells one of his barmaids, try not to eat each other. Roberta shows them a map to a bakery in the backwoods. It’s not the type of place that welcomes visitors. Murphy says, a secret brain bakery? He’s sure he hears banjo music in their near future. Roberta wonders how they can make sure Dante gets a fair trial. She tells Doc and George to go to Altura, and they’ll go to the bakery. Doc says they’ll meet later. He and George get in a car. Doc says, it’s no El Camino, but beggars can’t be choosers.
On the road, Doc says they don’t make them like they used to. George says they don’t make anything at all. Back at Limbo, Roberta says, let’s find the bakery.
George doesn’t like not having eyes on Dante. Doc tells her he’s gunning it, and she shouldn’t have her feet on the dashboard. If the air bag goes off, her knees could go into her brain. She thinks that’s the least of their worries, Doc says the air bags aren’t reliable in a thirty-year-old car, so it’s not going to happen. A zombie lying in the road. They run him over, and the air bags go off. George says, he was saying? She thinks she hurt her ankle, and he says it’s better than a knee in the brain. He checks to see what he has for pain, but doesn’t want to give her the hard stuff. He takes out a joint, lights it, and deflates the bag with the lit end. George says she’s never smoked before. Doc says it’s a terrible habit; it stunts your growth. Oh wait, he was thinking of nicotine. He doesn’t think her ankle is broke, but it’s sprained. She takes a drag on the joint, and says her foot hurts, and now she has a cough. Doc tells her to give it a minute. He sees some zombies, and says, hang tough. He has to take care of some tourists. He uses his hammer in each hand method. George smokes in the car, and watches in rearview mirror. She laughs about the car having an ashtray. A zombie heads toward the car. She takes out a knife. Doc gives it a hammer in the back, and it turns around and pins him to the hood of the car. George says she’s got him, and shoots it. Doc says the spliff must be working. She says she can’t feel her foot; she doesn’t feel anything. She wants to get to Altura before night falls. Doc sees the road zombie’s legs poking out of the grill and kicking. He tells her, have a seat. This could take a while.
Murphy and Roberta get to the bakery. 10K thinks it looks abandoned. Roberta says that doesn’t mean no one is home. Murphy says this must be place; he smells brains. Skulls litter the yard, and Murphy picks one up. Robert tells him to get his ass away from those skulls, and focus. Addie busts the door open, and they go in.
They slip through the storage area, and see a mess where the baking is done. Roberta says it looks like they left in a hurry. There are brains everywhere, and Murphy says it’s no mystery what the secret ingredient is. Roberta says it looks like they haven’t been in operation for a while. She takes a skull out of Murphy’s hand. They hear banging noises.
Doc looks at the engine, but can’t figure it out. George is reading the Constitution, and he asks if she’s catching up on social studies. He used to love history, especially when he was buzzed. One of his favorite paintings is of the Constitutional Convention. The gang is all there, with Ben Franklin chilling in the middle, George Washington presiding, and Thomas Jefferson looking badass. He tells her the founding fathers had huge pot farms. They were like,cannabis rules. He imagines George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (Sketchy and Skeezy) talking about hemp fibers being good for everything. Jefferson says they’re good for migraines, expanding your mind, and toothaches. Ben Franklin (Re-Pete) joins them, and asks who’s been getting icky with the sticky. Jefferson says he cultivated it, but didn’t inhale. He says he’s out of matches, and Franklin says they must to invent one. He lights his pipe. Back in the present, Doc coughs. He says that one went down to his toes. She’s surprised the founding fathers got anything done, much less starting a country. Doc says they’re prepared for lift off, and gets the car going.
Murphy says, someone turned the oven on. He guesses not Betty Crocker. Roberta says they’re not there alone. A mixer starts up, and Murphy goes toward it.
10K and Addie keep looking. Addie asks if 10K is okay. He says he’s fine, and she says, just checking, lefty. He wants to take the stairs, and she says, after him, calling him Captain Hookless. She doesn’t want to pry, but doesn’t know why things have to be so hard. Between Mac and Lucy her eye the least of what she lost. 10K says he still feels his hand in his dreams; carrying gear, lacing shoes, holding hands, shooting a gun. It’s like having a friend that was there, but isn’t any more. Addie knows what he means.
Murphy watches the mixer. He says with all the brains laying around, he’s getting the munchies. A dude shoots at them, and everyone ducks. Another dude sees Addie and 10K, and shoots at them. He yells that they have intruders. The first dude says, don’t worry, brother; he’s coming. He shoots at Murphy, who ducks under the table. Roberta signals Murphy, and slides a gun over.
Brother #1 is so shaky, he looks like he’s tweaking. 10K moves a bakery rack over and gets Brother #1 in his sights. Brother #1 peeks out, and 10K shoots. Brother #1 falls, and Addie comes toward him. He says, sorry, ma’am, and she whacks him in the head.
Doc makes a pipe out of an apple, and George says he’s quite the handy man. He tells her to think of him as the Ben Franklin of paraphernalia. She asks what the difference is between the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Doc says they got so excited writing rules for the government, they forgot the people the government was for. In Doc’s mind, John Adams says he’d rather chop his hand off than sign. The government was created to protect the people from foreign enemies. A zombie walks in, and Doc says, my bad. There were no zombies back then. Adams asks who’s going to protect the people from the government. Washington says, back to work, and Franklin complains that he just opened champagne. Adams says, not his fault, Quaker Oats Man. The people need to know how the government is protecting them. Adams says the Bill of Rights will; he has a list. He pulls out a bunch of cards, and Washington reads through them. Freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom from alien life forms. He can see some of this going in. He tells Jefferson to write this up. Jefferson says he wrote the Constitution, and Frankly says, they all did. Jefferson says, no, he physically wrote it. Washington says they’re making progress.
George asks Doc what makes the Bill of Rights so important. Doc says they’re the God given rights of humanity. She says humanity changed with the definition with of mortality. They see a zombie struggling toward them. Doc asks what makes the zombies different from humanity? Basic decency says they deserve to be treated no differently, and have the same rights. He deserves live life without government interference. George says, he’s a zombie. Doc says she knows what he’s getting at, and kills it. It’s the government’s job to protect their rights, and they need it when people are afraid, and don’t know what’s right. George asks what will protect Dante without a Bill of Rights. Doc says they will.
Brother #2 goes through bakery, and shoots at Murphy. Murphy shoots back, but the gun runs out of bullets. Brother #2 says he’s going to give Murphy the same choice he gave the last people who tried to shut them down. Murphy says, chocolate or vanilla? And Brother #2 says, mercy or talker. Roberta comes up behind him, and says she can ask him the same question. She doesn’t want to hurt him, but she will. He says it’s a zombie standoff. He’s got them like the ones who tried to shut down the bakery. Put down their weapons, or they’ll all be craving brains. Roberta says they’re not who he’s talking about.
Addie and 10K bring in Brother #1. Murphy asks if that’s the other brother. Roberta says he’s still human; let’s keep it that way. Brother #2 says they’re Americans in need of help. Brother #1 tells him to watch out for the one-eyed one. She’s not nice. She’s mean like a badger. Murphy thought they speak English in Canada, and Brother #1 says, we doos. Brother #2 says he’s Gilly, and Brother #1 is Skull; Skully for short. Roberta says they need biscuits; lots of them. Gilly says they’ll have to talk to his mom. She’s in charge of baking. Roberta asks where she is, and he says she’s in the office. They’ll have to see what kind of mood she’s in. It’s not easy. After the black rain, they were headed to Newmerica, and were turned ass over tea kettle by a bunch of zombies. Their other brother, Chili, got bit, but never turned. When they caught their mom sneaking him brains, they realized he was a talker. Their mom started baking up roadkill, and the more he ate, the more he was like the brother they knew. Everyone wanted their mom’s biscuits, so they set up a bakery. Roberta asks why they stopped, and Gilly says they were blown up, and under attack from zombies. Murphy says, someone didn’t want them baking biscuits. Roberta says they need the recipe, but Gilly says she’s been cranky. She’s in the office for her own good. He says Chili is in there too. They were trying to work out the recipe, but their running out of options. They look up and see zombies pressed against the office window, including mom.
George wonders how they can make sure Dante gets due process, when vigilantes think talkers are more zombie than human. Doc says a bill was made to protect them from each other. The Founding Fathers hammered out amendments, better known as the Bill of Rights. Doc’s mythical Ben Franklin asks why they have to start with guns. He likes muskets as much as the next guy, but putting them first seems gun crazy. Jefferson says they’ll put freedom of speech first. It will look better for the kids. He says Sam Adams has two beers, and is ready to challenge his mother to a duel. Washington says they’ll had a well-regulated militia. He goes down the list, and says, unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated; should keep the lawyers busy. He likes that no one should be compelled to testify against themselves, and Jefferson says, what happens in Paris, stays in Paris. George says, no cruel and unusual punishment, and Doc says the whole apocalypse is cruel and unusual. Jefferson says, otherwise, they’ll be using Franklin’s kites to electrocute prisoners. Alexander Hamilton comes in, and asks if they’ve around to slavery. Washington says they’re talking about it. Abe Lincoln (Smiles) pops in, and says he’d appreciate it if they’d take care of the problem now. Washington says he has a cool hat. What is his name? Lincoln says they didn’t see him… He was never here… Hamilton says, that dude belongs on a bill. George says she doesn’t know much about history, but she knows Lincoln never talked to Washington. There’s a hundred year difference between them. Doc says that’s not the point. Slavery was a stain on America that even the civil war couldn’t make right. The only way Dante is going to get a fair trial is if he’s considered human; no talkers will. George tells Doc that he sneaks up on a person, and Doc says he still has some teeth left in his head. We see a sign that says, martial law now in effect.
Gilly tells Skully to keep his wits about him. He puts a bike helmet on Skully’s head, and hands him the top of a trash can for a shield. Skully says he always picks scissors, and Gilly calls him dumber than goose poop. Murphy cranks up a boombox, and holds it up to distract the zombies. Skully says he can’t do this, but Gilly makes him go into the office. He moves quietly behind the zombies at the window, while Murphy keeps their attention. Skully looks through the papers, and sees something sticking out of his mom’s back pocket. He tiptoes behind her, and slips out the recipe card. He backs away, and falls. Murphy says, he’s out. Skully gets back up, and Murphy says, there he is. The recipe card is on the floor, and the zombies close in on Skully. Gilly yells for Chili to get away from him, and closes the door. Gee, thanks for the help. Murphy says, they’ve got him cornered. Skully fights with Chili, and Gilly yells, brother, get off my brother! Mom stands in the window, and eats the recipe card. Murphy says, one brother is riding the other like a moose. Skully yells, nooo! and the zombies attack. Outside, a group of zombies, all wearing the same rain ponchos, come toward the bakery. Roberta says, the only way to calm them down is to feed them actual brains. The zombies outside start to come in. Murphy says, it looks like somebody ordered take out, and runs at them with the boombox. He busts one over the head with it. I think the ponchos might be significant, because in an earlier episode, there was a group all wearing shirts from the same park, and they made a point of mentioning it.
Roberta and the others go after the zombies who are coming in. Addie uses her pokey club, and 10K shoots. Addie kneels with her weapon in both hands horizontally, and 10K uses it to aim. He says, switch! and they trade weapons. Addie uses the gun like she does her club, and whacks the zombies with it. Roberta beheads a zombie. She takes the head, and says, crack this one open. She tosses it toward Murphy, who says, hey, I’m walkin’ here. I wonder if that’s a nod to Midnight Cowboy. He is a bit of a Ratso.
George wonders when everybody will see they’re all in this together. Doc says they’ll need the 15th amendment. – the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. In Doc’s vision, Washington says, it makes sense. Lincoln says, it will take a civil war and the 13th amendment. Washington suggests they pass the 13th amendment right now. Lincoln says it’s abolishing slavery, and Jefferson says, abolish as in setting free?It might take further study. Washington says, hear him out. Why not make them three-fifths human? Then keep that going for a hundred years, until they work out the kinks. George hopes they hope don’t have to fight a war to make talkers full citizens. Doc says they already did. Everybody dies. Just because they have no pulse doesn’t mean they don’t have brains. George says, everybody dies, and sooner or later – she and Doc finish together, they’re all talkers.
The brains from the severed head are given to the zombies. Gilly thinks the brains are doing the trick. Roberta asks mom if she’s with them. She hugs Skully and Chili. Gilly tells her that some Americans came looking for help. She’s sorry they have to see her looking all dead like this, and wishes she could have given the place a lick and a promise. Roberta says their supplies were cut off, and they have starving talkers. They want the secret recipe. Mom says, it’s no secret. In the beginning, she was lacing them with brains. They ran short, and flour was delivered from the heartland, with the secret already mixed in. Murphy says, the secret is brains? and mom says, no. The secret ingredient is love, and kisses his cheek. He doesn’t get it. Mom gives each of the zombies a kiss. She says if it can help someone else to keep from go through what they’ve had to, so be it. She says they have enough right there to make a batch of the original.
George is shocked that women weren’t given the right to vote until the 19th Amendment, and it wasn’t passed until 1920. Doc says, old white dudes. What can he say? It takes time to get it right. George says they don’t have time. Doc says he doesn’t like the look of this, and they see an abandoned truck. George wonders if it was the truck with Dante, and Doc hopes not. They open the truck door, and a dead guy falls out. There’s another dead guy inside. George says, no sign of Dante. Maybe he escaped like last time.Maybe talkers did this, and let him go. Red letters on a nearby trashcan say, this is what happens to traitors. George picks up a pair of sunglasses. I assume they’re Dante’s. The can rattles. She opens it, and finds Dante, all folded up and bloody. He can barely open his eyes to look at her. She gives him mercy.
The gang makes biscuits. Murphy loves the smell of fresh baked brains in the morning. Mom says she might keep him on as a full time baker. He says he had a great teacher. She tells them to wrap the biscuits and put them in containers. Roberta calls Murphy over, and says, this family isn’t going to make it on their own. Take them with him to Limbo. He likes the idea; Limbo could use a bakery. Roberta tells him, take care of them, and be safe. He tells her to be safe too. He doesn’t want to have to save her ass. Roberta says he might have to, and he tells her the apocalypse wouldn’t be half as fun without her. Be careful. He starts to walk away, and she says she loves him too. Mom says the biscuits are packed.
Doc asks if George wants to say a few words. She says actions speak louder than words, and leaves the Constitution there, and puts on Dante’s sunglasses. On the marker, it says: Here lies Lt. Joe Dante – first citizen of Newmerica.
Next Friday, get ready to wrangle. We go back to the Old West, and Pandora says, let’s send them a stampede.
Good Lord, I hope that was coherent. This show can bounce all over the place more than Once Upon a Time did. Okay, maybe not.
☝ Quotes of the Week
You don’t ask people about their personal business. You don’t address the pink elephant in the room. – Delores, The Real Housewives of New Jersey
If he’d known, he would have had a crush on you too. – a friend of mine after I told them I had a crush on Roman Polanski when I was fourteen.
When there is an animal in your life there’s always a reason to laugh. – Anonymous
It’s go-go, not cry-cry. – Skip (Skip Reissig, who’s also Quentin Tarantino’s realtor), Planet Terror
🍨 A Weekend Sendoff…
And because I’m brain dead and couldn’t think of anything else.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Last night, I was about to publish, and poof! my internet disappeared. Since my husband gets up at the crack of dawn and was already sleeping, I left him a note. This morning, his note on my note said there was an electrical fire at Penn Station in NYC. Whether these things are related, I have no idea, but regardless, it’s back, and so am I.
General Hospital
Sorry, I missed the very beginning. If someone had told me that one day I’d be cooking lunch for dogs, I would have laughed. Moving on.
Carly tells Jason that she got a voicemail from Sonny last night saying he wasn’t coming home. He’s not replying to her calls or texts, and she’s getting worried. She doesn’t know what’s going on.
Margaux wakes up. Sonny says, she lives.
Mike thanks Stella. He appreciates everything she does. He knows she’s his case worker, but she goes above and beyond. She says she does it because she likes him, and would like to think she’s also his friend.
Margaux asks what time it is. Sonny tells her, last he checked, it was a little after seven. She has to get back to work, and Sonny says she’s probably hung over. She says, thanks to him. He gives her some coffee. It’s not his brand, but it’s what was in the kitchen. He says he’ll drive, and get them back to Port Charles in no time. She asks why he stayed there last night, and he says he knew how upsetting it was when she found out the truth. She says just because her mother put Skully up to it, doesn’t mean Sonny is blameless. Staying there didn’t absolve him from his sins. He says she was in no condition to be left alone. Being betrayed by your parents is a terrible thing. Margaux wants to get going. Both of their phones ding, and Sonny says, what the hell? His wife was back in for questioning about a murder.
Carly tells Jason, all Sonny said was that he was handling a situation out of town. Jason says he was looking for leverage against the DA; he must have found something. Sonny can handle it by himself, and he was focused on getting answers about Ferncliff. Carly asks if he has any information about her neighbor. He tells her that they found Nelle in the room. She’d been transferred from Pentonville, and was sitting on the floor, cradling a blanket and singing a lullaby to it. Carly says Nelle took a page out of her playbook, but Jason says she was nowhere near as convincing. Carly says she managed to fool the doctors. Jason tells her that he and Sam exposed her. She’s being reevaluated, and will be transferred back. That makes Carly happy, but still doesn’t answer her question. He says they couldn’t find her neighbor; he wasn’t there. He’s either transferred, released or dead. Carly says if he died, Ferncliff would do whatever they could to cover it up. Maybe he was transferred. She can’t imagine him being released, although if he was released before Halloween, the police might have someone else to question.
Curtis asks Jordan if she isn’t wasting time. Does she really think Carly is capable of a beheading. Jordan tells him it’s privileged information, but she’s mostly ruled Carly out. Her story checks out, but because of the strands of hair, she can’t eliminate Carly completely. Curtis says it sound like they were planted. Jordan suspects as much, but she’s grappling with the true motive. Was Mary Pat the main target, or was the real goal to set up Carly? And if so, why?
Sonny asks if Margaux is still after his family, but she says she had nothing do with it. She just got the text at the same time he did. There was DNA evidence, and Carly had to be called in again, but she wasn’t charged. Sonny wants to get on the road; Carly must be wondering where he is. Margaux asks what he told her.
Jason asks why Carly didn’t call him, and she says she used her one call for Diane. She was tired when she got home, and had to explain things to Josslyn. In the morning, she had to get Mike out, and Sonny wasn’t there to help with any of it. Jason knows she’s dealing with a lot, but when something happens, she needs to tell him. She wonders why he’s so concerned about her security. He says someone was just decapitated. It was a nurse she hated, and the body was found in Ava’s gallery with her DNA on it. She doesn’t think Ava would have the gall to do it, but he says it’s possible the killer was setting her up.
Curtis says if Carly isn’t the primary target, the murder might have been a means to an end. It’s ideal to set her up. The nature of the attack is vicious, and seems personal. Jordan says it’s disturbing. To shock and horrify is the hallmark of a serial killer. Maybe Franco is right, and if the killer is putting on a show, this isn’t the end.
Josslyn tells Cameron that her mother is still a person of interest. The victim was decapitated. How could they think she was involved. Cameron says it’s messed up, but tells her, don’t worry; it will blow over. Josslyn tells him that her mom said, keep acting like normal, whatever that means. Cameron says Josslyn is going through a lot. Does she want to keep pretending? Josslyn says it’s working. Even Oscar’s mother thinks they’re dating
Kim tells Drew that Oscar needs someone who shares his interests and speaks his language; someone whose opinion carries weight with him. Drew asks if she’s talking about Josslyn. She’s the last person Oscar wants to know. Kim says she was so desperate, she turned to a teenager for help. She went to Josslyn’s house, but saw she’d moved on with Cameron. She seemed happy, and it was surreal; being a normal teenage is so far out of Oscar’s reach. She ended up not saying anything. Josslyn can’t give Oscar what he needs, and Oscar would see it as a betrayal of trust. That’s why they have to fight him in court. They can’t allow him to refuse the medical trial. Monica overhears, and says, Oscar wants to do what?
At Charlie’s, Oscar asks Alexis if there’s been any progress with his case. She’s petitioned the court for a hearing, and says they’re sympathetic to the December 1st deadline for the medical trial. She asks how he feels, and he says he’s having headaches, but nothing he can’t handle. Alexis says he has to go over a few more things, and hands him a million papers. He has to decide whether to go for a GED or high school diploma, and go over health insurance information. It’s important that he review everything. He says he doesn’t know how any of that works. He just thought he had to prove he could make his own medical decisions. She says he has to show court he can live like an adult, and asks if he’s sure he’s ready to handle this. He says he needs to focus on one thing at a time. She says it’s complex, but he has to do it if he’s serious. Oscar says he’ll make it work. Julian says, speaking of work… and Oscar goes back to it. Alexis tells Julian that he’s a good kid. Julian says, he is, and he thinks he knows what she’s doing.
Drew tells Monica that Oscar doesn’t want waste time with a medical procedure that might not work or leave him brain dead. Kim says he doesn’t understand it’s his only option. Monica knows the situation well, and can see the fear and frustration they’re feeling. Her adopted daughter Emily had to make a similar choice. Drew says Scout is named Emily Scout after her. Monica explains that Emily’s mom was her best friend, and she and Alan adopted Emily after her mom died from breast cancer. When Emily was diagnosed with it, she refused treatment. She was sure the cure was worse than the disease, seeing her mother go through chemo that did no good. Kim asks if she died, and Monica says she managed to beat the cancer; she accepted treatment at the last minute. Unfortunately, she was murdered years later. Kim says she’s sorry, and Monica says she’s telling her because she understands what they’re up against. Kim asks what changed Emily’s mind about the treatment, and Monica says someone who loved her convinced her.
Josslyn tells Cameron that their astronomy project was her favorite homework assignment of the entire year. He tells her, stick with the expert. She asks if he still has the keychain, and he shows it to her with his housekeys on it. She says, no pressure if he doesn’t like it. He says he likes it for real. She knows she asks for a lot. Cameron says he could say no, and Josslyn says she didn’t give him that option, but he came through. She’s grateful, not just because she wants Oscar to regret breaking up; she has a good time with him. Last night was fun, except for the cops showing up. She wonders what Kim wanted. It had to be about Oscar. She tells Cameron she’s hungry, and drags him out.
Kim tells Monica that she thought she’d ask Josslyn to intervene, but Oscar would see it as another betrayal. Monica says the young man Emily loved was a deciding factor, along with the love of her family. Kim says, unfortunately, Oscar doesn’t think too highly of his parents right now, but Monica says he’ll come around. She’ll hope for the best, and if they need her, call. She leaves.
Carly tells Jason that she thought it was a set-up, but it hadn’t occurred to her that she might be a target. Jason asks, what about Ava? Carly says she had the same instinct, to think Ava would do this, but it’s not her style. As much as she despises Carly, it doesn’t feel like her. Jason says, worst case, she’s on some freak’s radar. Sonny comes in, and says he’s sorry Carly had to deal with the cops alone. Diane filled him in, but he should have been there. Carly asks, where was he?
Drew says it’s crazy. When he thinks about Emily, he can’t help smiling. It also hurts. He feels like he knew her and loved her, but he never met her. As irony would have it, all the people who are part of his past, who were important to him and loved him; he doesn’t know who they are. Look at them. They share a beautiful son, but he has no recollection of how it happened. Kim is sorry he can’t get his memories back. Drew says, that’s not entirely true. He was presented with another opportunity.
Mike comes in, apologizing to Sonny and Carly for interrupting. Stella took him to the farmer’s market, and they decided to have breakfast, but he forgot his wallet. Stella says he insisted on coming back, even though she’s treating. Sonny says Mike likes to treat – always. Mike asks if he just got home, and Sonny says he had business out of town. Stella tells Mike that she’ll wait in the car. Mike asks if everything is all right, and Sonny has good news. Everything that happened in Croton is over. Mike asks what he means, and Sonny says he didn’t want it weighing on Mike anymore. What happened years ago, is finished. Mike tells Sonny, if he says so. Carly asks if Mike is taking Stella to Kelly’s, but he says they’re going to Charlie’s; she likes the eggs. He gets his wallet and leaves. Sonny says it’s great that he doesn’t remember; he’s better off. Jason asks what Sonny means by finished. Carly asks where he was, and Sonny says, in Jersey with Margaux.
Margaux walks into the interrogation room, saying she didn’t mean to interrupt. Curtis says he’s on his way out, and tells Jordan, no carrot cake under any circumstances. Jordan agrees. When he’s gone, she asks Margaux if she was out late. Margaux says, that obvious? Jordan asks what’s the occasion, but Margaux says she wasn’t celebrating. Jordan asks if she’s okay.
Kim asks Drew, what kind of opportunity? He says the flashdrive was found, and she asks if he means the one with the baseline of his memories. He says, yes, and she asks if that means his memories can be restored. He says, it’s more complicated than that, but yes. Kim asks if he’s considering it. He says he ruled it out at first. Kim says, isn’t it everything he wanted? Drew says, not everything. The risks are too high. He could lose the memories he formed there. Kim says he said he ruled it out at first. Does that mean he’s reconsidering? Drew says he feels like a hypocrite. He’s asking Oscar to risk everything to restore his life to the fullest, but he’s not doing the same for his own life.
Alexis asks what Julian thinks she’s doing. He says she made a big show of taking the case. She was full of principles, and taking the moral high ground. He thinks she believes Oscar has the right to decide his fate, but thinks he won’t go through with it. That’s why she’s showing him how tough life can be if he splits with his mom. She says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Cameron and Josslyn come into Charlie’s, all happy and talking. Oscar sees them.
Sonny tells Carly and Jason that he confronted Margaux’s mother. She freaked out, and went for the letters. Margaux heard because he was wearing a wire. Imagine the irony. Carly asks how she reacted. Besides getting drunk. Sonny says she was hurt bad. Carly says she must know her mother didn’t pull the trigger. After the initial shock passes, she’s going to come after him harder than before.
Stella asks Mike to tell her about his lady friends, and he says none of them are as pretty as she is. She says, of course not; she’s fabulous. Mike says there might be one he enjoys hanging out with more than the others; Yvonne. Stella says, she’s a lucky lady. Tell Yvonne that she’d better do right by him, or answer to her. Curtis comes in, and sees Stella smiling.
Oscar tells Cameron and Josslyn someone will take their order shortly. Josslyn asks how he’s been, and Oscar says, cool, and asks what brings them there. She says they’re getting breakfast to go before school. She adds Oscar must get as much as he wants since he works there, but Oscar says he’s not that into it. Josslyn says she hasn’t seen him at school. How’s the new girlfriend? He says, okay. Josslyn excuses herself, and Oscar asks if Cameron is still telling him Josslyn is just a friend. Cameron says, no.
Kim says as much as Drew sympathizes with Oscar’s position, they’re his parents. Like it or not, they have to make the decisions they think best for him. She thinks it’s a case of do as I say, not as I do. Drew says, it would mean more to lead by example. Kim says he’s not thinking of going through with the procedure, is he?
Stella asks if Curtis would care to join them. Curtis says he’s meeting with the wedding planner for a cake taste. He just picked up the rings. He shows the rings to them, and Mike says, nothing but the best. Curtis says he’s only doing this once, so he wanted to make it worthwhile. He still hopes Stella will be there when he marries the woman he loves. She says she can’t, but the rings are beautiful. Any woman would be proud to wear them. Curtis walks away, and Mike says it’s a shame she won’t be there to see Curtis place the ring on his bride’s finger.
Oscar asks if Josslyn and Cameron are dating for real. Cameron says Josslyn needs someone she can count on; who respects and understands her. They like each other, and have fun together. If Oscar wants him to promise nothing is going to happen, he can’t. Josslyn comes back, and says they have no time to wait. She starts walking to the door. Cameron and Oscar look at each other, and Josslyn asks Cameron if he’s coming. Cameron leaves, and Josslyn turns back to look at Oscar.
Kim tells Drew, there’s no comparison. He went through an experimental treatment. The amino trial was studied for years, while his experience was based on a wing and a prayer. Drew says he’s not going through with it. He can’t risk losing the memories he’s made; his family, his kids, the people he’s grown to love. He doesn’t want to give up on the life he made here, and he’s no more willing to give up on Oscar’s life.
Monica goes to Charlie’s, and asks if Oscar is playing hooky. He says he’s working, and she asks how much he makes under the table. He says he pays taxes, but she says, not today. They’re spending the day together. She gives Julian some money, saying, that should cover it. She and Oscar have stuff to talk about.
Jordan tells Margaux, no wonder she was drinking. She can’t imagine how it felt. Margaux says, anger, sadness, numbness; she doesn’t know what thing do with the information. Jordan thinks she does know. Jordan is the top cop, and Margaux was hoping she’d take it out of her hands, and bury it or pass it along. Margaux doesn’t know if she can do this. Jordan says it’s her choice to make. It’s unsubstantiated, but she has to decide if closing the case is worth sending her mother to prison.
Sonny tells Carly and Jason there’s no evidence to tie him in to the murder. Jason asks if there’s any chance Skully told Jeanette. Sonny says, she was desperate. If she’d had any idea, she would have thrown it in his face. Carly says they’re back where they started. Margaux will just try to get him for something else. Sonny says he doesn’t think so. When Margaux found out the truth, it broke her. He didn’t feel good about it. Carly asks if he feels sorry for her, and Sonny says it’s not his choice. There’s no way he can undo what happened. Like there’s no way to undo how his life turned out. Margaux lost her father twice because of him. Once, when she was a girl, and last night she lost mother too. He feels badly, but should have been there for Carly. He apologizes, and Carly says she’s all right. Jason says, it’s been a tough 24-hours, and Carly might be right. Margaux has to be angry, and if she can’t take it out on her mom or Skully, she might take it out on the next best thing – Sonny.
Margaux looks at her phone.
Tomorrow, Willow announces Career Day at school. Curtis wonders why Nina hasn’t RSVP’d for the wedding, and Sasha tells Valentin the longer she stays, the more she risks being found out.
Below Deck
Caroline whines that she’s never been treated like this. Grounded like a child. She thought by working in yachting, she’d meet cool people, but that’s not the case. She feels singled out. She tells Rhylee that Kate told her if she didn’t get better, she’d have to go home. Well, yeah. You have to do the job you’re getting paid for. Not just ride around on the luxury yacht. Josiah wants Cheetos. Rhylee asks Ashton is he had a good time last night. She did. In her interview, Rhylee says Ashton only expresses interest when he’s drunk. She’s thirty-three. If she wants a fling, she’ll make the booty call.
Chandler goes over what they need to do with the deckhands. Rhylee sees the checklist, and Chandler asks her to spot clean the cushions. In his interview, Chandler says he and Rhylee could never be friends, but as professionals, they need to suck it up. He knows the captain is watching closely, so he definitely wants to redeem himself, and prove he’s the bosun Captain Lee hired.
Ashton is doing the windows in the harness. Kate gives Josiah an update on Caroline’s foot, and says she doesn’t think Caroline is lying. Caroline comes in, and says she’s not lying. In her interview, Caroline says if they’re going to talk behind her back, at least make sure she’s not there. Geez, she’s just a little paranoid. Kate tells her that sometimes crew members will fake injuries because it’s a lot of work, and she doesn’t think it’s the case here. She doesn’t think you can fake a swollen foot. In Kate’s interview, she says she’s already carrying Caroline’s weight when she’s in top health, so when she got injured, it was like, why are you here?
It’s preference sheet time. Four days, ten people, two of them children. Torrie and Albert are a power couple from St. Pete, Florida. Kate says, the four-year-old likes both sparkling and still water. One guest is gluten-free, low carb; several have allergies; and one child has a severe peanut allergy. They’ll have to make sure anything remotely peanut is off the boat. Adrian says they’re like a Japanese puzzle. Kate says, they probably met at a support group for dietary restriction weirdos. Their requests are a pig roast, snorkeling, a white party, and the water toys. Captain Lee says the children are not to be without life jackets when outside of the interior. There’s no margin for error. He says kids are dangerous as hell. He can’t impress upon everybody how important that is.
Caroline tells Ashton that Kate and Josiah were talking about her, saying they don’t think she’s lying. Ashton thinks they like gossip. In his interview, Ashton says you can feel like very much a part of the crew or at the opposite end, and extremely alone. He tells Caroline not to let it bother her. He understands where she’s coming from, and feels for her. He finds a pair of the captain’s underwear in with his clothes, and throws them at Caroline.
The captain asks Chandler if he took care of the issues they discussed, and Chandler says, it’s been good. Captain Lee tells Chandler that he has to have a clear line of communication, so there’s no confusion. In his interview, Captain Lee says with ten people, and two of them kids, they’ll need eyes on them all the time. It stretches the limit of their abilities. He tells Chandler, safety is paramount. There’s no room for error.
Kate tells Caroline the charter is going to be intense. They’re going to have extra guests and children, staying for an extra night. Kate asks if she can work at 100%. Caroling says she can. Kate says she can’t give Caroling extra breaks, because there’s going to be so much work. Josiah says it’s great that Caroline is back to work. They’re exhausted, and really need three stews. Kate says she’s happy Caroline is able to stay and work.
In Ashton’s interview, he says Rhylee has a strong personality. She and Chandler are pissed off at each other, but the way she’s handling herself makes it harder. The provisions come in. Kate says she sees a deer. No, Kate. It’s a pig for the roast. How city is she? The captain tells them to get in their whites, and meet on the aft deck asap.
The captain says here comes trouble on wheels, and welcomes the guests on board. Kate gives out flower crowns. In her interview, Kate says it’s not often there are children on a charter. People who spend a lot of money for vacation, spend a lot of money to leave the kids at home. Kate gives the tour. Kate explains the captain’s orders for life jackets for the kids. At least the parents are telling the kids to say please. The yacht heads out.
Kate tells Caroline to flip it, turn it, fold up the laundry. Josiah dances to that, and Caroline is over it. In Ross’s interview, he says the four-year-old reminds him of his son, who’s also four. His reward at the end is going home to see his kid. Rhylee asks Chandler about the game plan. They should have everything out within fifteen minutes of anchorage. Albert says the kids eat what they do, not chicken fingers. Josiah says they’re already adults. When he was their age, he just wanted burgers ad fries. The four-year-old, Pearson, wants to bang a starfish on the table. Torrie tells him that she’ll give it back after they eat, and he cries. Kate tells Josiah that she will turn this yacht right around. Ha-ha-ha!
Lunch is served. The kids actually seem cute, but I’m only seeing clips of them. Kate tells Adrian that Master Pearson is not loving the vegetables. They drop anchor. Ashton asks Rhylee to do something, and she questions it because it’s contrary to what Chandler said. It irritates Ashton when she does that, and she tells him, calm down. Rhylee complains to Ross that Chandler said to bring all the stuff out, Ashton told her not to do anything, then said to do what she wants. She’s not questioning what he was saying. Ross gets it. Chandler gripes that there’s nothing in water. They start getting everything ready, and Albert says he just wants the jet skis and trampoline today, and the slide on another day.
Caroline tells Adrian someone thinks she’s faking her injury. In Adrian’s interview, he says she’s bringing the vibe down on the whole boat. It’s draining to have someone around who’s always complaining and moping. Some of the guests do jet skiing; the kids play on their tablets. Kate tells Caroline to gather white décor from around boat.
Josiah asks Caroline, what’s up? She says she’s collecting white things. He questions what she’s gathering, and she tells him to take over. In her interview, Caroline thinks there’s a lack of communication in the interior. It’s bullsh*t. Kate says it’s a lot of pressure on Adrian. Ross tells Ashton that he spoke to Rhylee, and Ashton admits he was grumpy. Josiah asks Chandler how it’s going, and Chandler thinks it’s good. I think Chandler doesn’t know what’s going on. Ross says Rhylee needs clear instructions. Ashton understands where she’s coming from.
Kate tells Adrian, 7:30 for dinner. Kate and Josiah decorate the table for the white party. Adrian makes potato leek vichyssoise, and Albert is into it. Not so much the rest of the guests. Adrian says with ten people, who like everything different and have allergies, it stifles his creativity. He can’t be as free flowing, and needs to be calculated. He stresses, and it pisses him off.
Black Angus steak is served, but the guests don’t seem thrilled. One says the steaks are overcooked, and gives it a two out of ten. Ouch. The complain that it’s dry and bland. Kate relays that to Adrian. Ross calls Kai, his baby mama, who tells him that he has to talk to their son about hitting people. In his interview, Ross says he was immature when he and Kai were together, and they broke up. He hopes they can eventually work something out, but right now, Kai needs time to herself. She deserves to be happy. Torrie tells Caroline that for a general preference, they’d like steaks rarer. Caroline says she’ll pass the word on. Josiah tells Kate, but she’d rather not pass along the feedback. Adrian is amazing. In Kate’s interview, she says it’s not great when the guests don’t love the food, but Adrian didn’t have a lot of time, and she thinks he’s in a funk.
Adrian asks if Caroline is okay. In his interview, he says she’s bringing the vibe down on the whole boat. You never know what you’re going to get. She asks if he appreciates feedback, and when he says, yes, she tells him the guests want more sauce, less dry. In Adrian’s interview, he says he’s happy she told him, but he’s not appreciating her vibe. He knows she’s not happy, but don’t project it on him. He tells her that he understands she’s not doing well, but – and she says, keep to herself? He says he can see it on her face. She says he doesn’t know what she’s dealing with; it has nothing to do with the boat. He says his father just passed away, and he doubts it’s that. She asks if it’s a competition? He says, no, but they all have a lot of sh*t going on. She tells him to stop judging her. He says they’re all working together, and if she’s in a mood, it gets put on everyone. If she can’t handle sh*t, step up. She tells him it’s none of his business, and he says, it is. She’s sorry he has the misfortune of working with her, and he says he is too.
Kate says kids on boats are lots of work. The only benefit is they go to bed after dinner. Kate tells Caroline that she’s on at 6:30. She asks if Caroline is crying, and Caroline says she’s trying not to. She babbles about Adrian telling her not to be all sad because it affects him, and he’s sad enough because his dad died a month ago. Kate says it probably wasn’t the best delivery, but the advice is sound. Be her bubbly, upbeat self, and she’ll feel better.
Caroline looks for sugar, and Adrian ignores her. In Caroline’s interview, she says Adrian acts like he’s all about positive energy and rainbows, but it’s bullsh*t when he’s telling her to suck it up and deal with it. The captain tells Ashton the guests are going on a stingray excursion, and to make sure the tender is packed. In his interview, Ashton says dinner wasn’t his best performance. At the beginning of his career, he was called yes, but, since he always had an excuse. He doesn’t know everything, and he’s not perfect. If he’s always defending himself, he won’t learn. The guests are happy with breakfast. Pearson wants to be the boss when he grows up. I think he already has that job.
The captain tells Kate that 2 o’clock is the deadline for the guests getting to the excursion on time. Chandler calls for the water slide, and tells Rhylee to focus on getting out the stuff for the guests. Kate tells Torrie about the excursion. Chandler says they do the same thing every charter; today is no different. Ross says he thought the guests were going on an excursion. Chandler is like, what? and asks the captain about it. In his interview, Captain Lee says it’s a big deal. He doesn’t want deer in the headlights; he wants the light to go on over their heads. Ross says they’re leaving in an hour, and Chandler is wasting time getting stuff out. It makes no sense.
Caroline takes drink orders that are complicated. Something involving cucumber, jalapeno, and Prosciutto. She somehow gives the information to Kate after asking twice. In her interview, Kate says it’s a new day, and Caroline is in a great mood. It’s only a matter time before she has a mystery ailment. Chandler tells Rhylee that whatever she’s doing isn’t a priority. The captain doesn’t get it. He thought he was explicit with Chandler. He looms over the deck crew, watching from the deck above. He says, it went in one side, and out the other, without hitting any obstructions. Kate brings out the drinks. The guests whine they’ve been waiting ten minutes.
Chandler wants the rescue tender prepped for launch. Lunch is served. Torrie says, it’s not boring. Rhylee brings the tender around. Kate tells Adrian the guests are thrilled. The captain calls Ross and Chandler to the wheelhouse. He tells them to take everyone on the Intrepid until they run out of water, then switch to the rescue tender. Rhylee packs the boat, and the guests are loaded in. Kate thinks swimming with sharks isn’t an ideal activity for small children.
They get to island, which is insanely beautiful. The guests get into their fins and masks. A Golden Retriever bounds past. What are these dogs? Shark wranglers? Ashton calls Chandler, who’s busy having coffee and playing on his tablet. He calls the captain, and asks if they should come back or wait. The guests are calling when they’re ready to be picked up. Captain Lee tells Ross to head back. The guests swim with the rays and sharks, and I get jealous all over again. The guests wonder where their beer, water, and towels are, because Rhylee and Ashton are headed back with all the stuff.
Kate gets a call. Albert says they’re ready get out. They’ve had enough; the expedition didn’t go well. There are no towels or water. Kate says the tender will be sent over. She tells the deck crew what happened, and Albert says they’d better be there soon. Another guest says they feel like they’re on Gilligan’s Island. I’m pretty sure these people don’t know what doing without is. Chandler doesn’t know what’s. It’s a no-brainer. How can you take an excursion, and not take sh*t with you. Um… he was there with them. Why didn’t he notice. One of the guests thinks Chandler must be new.
Kate doesn’t want the bad mood carried into the boat. Josiah suggests cocktails, and Kate says, yes. She thinks if someone besides her, Josiah, and Adrian would help the guests enjoy Tahiti, that would be great. She tells the captain they’re under duress. In his interview, Captain Lee says when he has to eat a sh*t sandwich in a correctable situation, there aren’t enough words to describe how effed up it is. Kate asks Rhylee to meet the guests with towels and water. Josiah makes cocktails. The captain says he’s got to face the effing music.
Kate sends Caroline to do laundry, and presents Pina Coladas with gold on the top to the guests. The captain apologies to Albert. In his interview, he says as uncomfortable as he is, it’s nothing compared to how uncomfortable he’s going to make the deck crew feel. They probably won’t hear the end of it. He tells Albert that he doesn’t know why the crew neglected to disperse what was on board, but he’s going to find out and make it up to him.
Kate asks if the captain wants dinner, and he says he wants someone’s ass for dinner. She’s like, whoa. He calls the deck crew to the wheelhouse. Chandler is dreading the conversation. He wants to pack his bags and run away. Captain Lee isn’t exactly sure where to begin. It’s beyond embarrassing, and he’s effing pissed. How can they drop guests off, turn around, and not give them supplies? It’s rudimentary; Deckhand 101. They all have good qualities, but it’s as effed up a deck crew as he’s ever seen. He’s not finishing the season this way. He’s making changes, and they’re not all going to be happy. I hope he makes Rhylee bosun. That would stick it to Chandler.
Next time, Caroline says she’s physically breaking down, Rhylee tells Chandler that she’s taking it to the captain, Ashton says Chandler isn’t just dropping the ball – he’s dropping guests, and Captain Lee says the time has come to have the chat he’s been putting off.
😵 On Flipping Out, Jeff almost lost his mind when they were on their way to the airport, and Jenni had to run back to get her phone. The Lea Black project is still lingering, but tonight, Lala Kent (Vanderpump Rules) also appeared as a client. Well, really her movie producer boyfriend, who seems like a super nice guy. I think Megan quit, but it’s really hard to tell with these people. Next week is the season finale. I’m still upset about the Jenni and Jeff split, but holding out hope that they rekindle their friendship one day.
🎥 The IFC channel has Grindhouse in rotation, uncut, so if you love horror films, the old drive-ins, or horror films at the old drive-ins, this one’s for you. One of my favorites, a dual effort by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, it’s comprised of two films, Planet Terror and Death Proof. The idea was to evoke the old grindhouse pictures, churned out for the drive-ins during the 70s. They were cheap, gory, and often showed lots of boobies. These two movies have those things, but with scripts that are about a million times better, and some kick-ass stunts. Planet Terror is a zombie flick – a government experiment goes bad – with a stellar cast, featuring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, and Bruce Willis. I have to mention the pleasant surprise also of underrated actors, Jeff Fahey, Michal Biehn, and Michael Parks. Death Proof is more of a slasher film, with Kurt Russell being a serial killer who uses his car as a weapon, and there are a few crossovers of characters from the other movie. At the beginning of Planet Terror, IFC is also airing the fake trailer for Machete, which eventually – like the Pinocchio of films – turned into a real movie. On the blue ray version, there are also several other fake trailers in between the films, but those are rarely shown on TV. They’re quite funny, and Eli Roth has promised to make a real version of the fake horror film, Thanksgiving. Here’s hoping that comes to fruition.
💃 Butterfly’s Lap Dance from Death Proof…
One of my favorite scenes. That jukebox is pretty impressive. So is Kurt Russell‘s game.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Six years later. Michonne says she’s there, and knows he’s still there too. It hasn’t gotten any easier. Days keep passing; the world keeps spinning. Years go by while they try to make sense of it all. Daryl fishes. A zombie rises out of the water, and he impales a zombie on his makeshift spear. Carol, now with long hair, smiles at a still sleeping Ezekiel. She looks at the wall, where it says, at times we crack, only to let the light in.
Michonne says they try to look ahead to a better future, but the truth is, the path has only grown darker.It’s harder to see. You can feel so lost, and so alone, and so desperate for something; anything that might show you the way. She rides into the woods, and goes to an old RV. She gets out a cigar box that has keepsakes in it. She looks at a four-leaf clover. She says, they’re surrounded by darkness. There are still flashes of light – she takes out a cowboy figure – calling to us. Not enough to light the way ahead, but enough to keep them going.
In the woods, Daryl sees a snapping zombie wedged in a tree that’s growing around it. A bird lands on it, and brings a worm to a nest of its young. Michonne says they keep trying; they keep fighting. Daryl continues on. Carol works in the garden. Michonne says, they keep dreaming. She puts the cowboy figure in her bag, and says that’s what she does, every second of every day – for him; for them. She hasn’t given up, and never will. She rides back to Alexandria.
A group looks for Judith, who comes out of the woods. Aaron asks if she’s okay. She says she heard them calling, and they needed help. The group she saved comes out, and she gives them water. For clarity’s sake, even though we don’t know their names yet, I’m going to use them. The leader is Magna – who I mistakenly called Megan last week – Yumiko, sisters Connie and Kelly, and Luke (who is also Eddie Redmayne’s sidekick in Fantastic Beasts). Luke says he can cook something fancy from roots and leaves, and Eugene says they make stew; more mileage for the masses. Luke asks if there are more of them, and Judith says, way more. Using sign language, Kelly says the sickos are coming for them. Eugene steps up and stabs several zombies in the head. Apparently, he’s learned some skills in the past six years. He says there are more on the way, and they have to get out. Judith says the group needs food, water, and medicine. Aaron says, come on.
At the Kingdom, Carol wonders if there’s any place not falling apart. Much as I do at my own kingdom. Jerry says their loyalty to her, calling her, my queen. Carol makes a face, and he says she’s married to the king, and mother to the price. She has to accept it at some point. She says if she doesn’t by now, it’s never going to happen. In a basement, a pipe is spewing water, and Henry is trying fix it. Carol takes the duct tape, and straps it around the leak. Jerry says they’re in the clear; nice work. Henry says they’re holding things together with plastic and tape; they need better tools. Ezekiel says they’ve discussed it. Henry says, he’s discussed it. He says he has to go or he’ll be late. Ezekiel says he appreciates Henry’s passion and honesty, but he’d best watch his tone.
Ezekiel watches as Henry practices weaponry. Carol says Henry isn’t wrong. The place is getting older. Henry is getting older. Ezekiel says there are others who would gladly train at Hilltop in his place; they need him here. Carol says this is Henry’s home, but Ezekiel needs him there. Ezekiel says he wants Henry safe. It hasn’t been the same at Hilltop. Carol says, sometimes you have to let cracks happen to let the light in. Ezekiel laughs.
Eugene says it’s in direct and flagrant violation of security protocol, and Rosita says she knows. They bring the new people to the gate of Alexandria. Judith promises they’ll be safe there. She takes Magna’s hand and leads them in. The newcomers are amazed. Judith says, this is Alexandria; this is home.
Gabriel comes out. A child runs toward Aaron, saying, daddy, but he tells Gracie to stay where she is. Siddiq sees the wounded Yumiko, and says he’ll take her to the infirmary. Michonne rides in, and asks if someone wants to tell her what this is. Eugene says, five unknowns, all clean, one in the infirmary. She looks them over, and pats Magna down. She says, all clean? and Eugene says, whistle worthy, clean as a-wise. Michonne asks why they’re there, and Aaron says it was his call. She says it wasn’t his call to make. Judith tells Michonne that she decided. They needed help. Michonne says she knows the rules; they all do. Aaron says, they’re here now, and one is badly hurt. Siddiq is checking her out. He says, no disrespect, but maybe they could decide together. Gabriel suggests that they bring it before the council for a vote tomorrow. Michonne agrees, and says to put them in holding. Luke does some sign language. Judith sees the cowboy figure on the ground. I think of John from the other show, and get confused for a millisecond.
Ezekiel gives Henry a hug for the boy, and shakes hands for the man he’s going to become. Henry says Ezekiel is acting like he’s not going to see him again. Ezekiel tells Henry to be respectful, responsible, kind, and considerate. Henry promises, and gets the carriage ready. Ezekiel thinks if they bring the communities back together as full partners, it will change everything, and Carol says, he’ll be fine. Ezekiel says. he sees the world as should be, not as it is. He’s a dreamer. She wonders who he gets that from. She says they could use more dreamers, and Ezekiel says they could use more people to pull them down. She says she has some ideas, and he’s sure she does.
At the town meeting, Gabriel says it’s been a long time since they’ve seen any new faces. They’re a fair community of decent minded people, but not Saul. He asks who the leader is, and Magna asks what makes him think they have one. Gabriel asks if they knew each other before. Luke tries to piece together who knew who first, and lists someone they’ve lost. He says there were others, but just he can’t finish. He starts to cry, saying, they didn’t make it. Aaron asks who they were before. Luke was a music teacher, and Magna a waitress at a truck stop. Kelly says Connie says she was a journalist, but she’s being modest. She exposed some sleazy politicians, and put them behind bars. Kelly was in high school, stressing about stupid sh*t. Gabriel asks who they are now. Magna says, a fighter. Kelly tells them Connie claims she’s his guardian angel, but it’s the other way around. Luke says he guesses he’s still a music teacher. Education never ends, not even the in face of monsters and mayhem. Gabriel asks what they did to survive, and Magna says what she had to. Kelly says Connie never gave up, and Luke says, nothing special. He doesn’t know what he did to deserve it. In the beginning, he was in the right place at the right time. He’s lucky he met the right people. Before, if you saw them together, you would say maybe they work together. They don’t have anything in common, except for breathing. Aaron thanks them. He’d like to vote, but Michonne has a question. As a community, they want to be kind, generous, and charitable, but as they know, decisions like the one they’re about to make can come with a heavy price. She walks up to Magna, and tells Magna to show her left hand. She asks if Magna get her tattoo at a truck stop, and Magna says, screw you. Michonne says it’s a prison tattoo. The four dots are the walls, and the dot in the middle is her; the prisoner. She did hard time. Magna says she can explain, and Michonne asks if she has nothing to hide. Magna says, nothing, and Michonne tells her to put the knife on the table. Magna undoes the buckle off of her belt, and it’s a knife. Michonne says she remembers; she knows they do too. She seconds the motion to vote, and walks to the door. Magna wonders if she can ask Michonne a question. Michonne says, no, and continues to walk.
Gabriel checks out the radio equipment Rosita says she thought he gave up, but he says he keeps thinking there are still people they don’t know about. He thinks Michonne is wrong. He thinks they’re good people. Michonne got a rise out of Magna on purpose. Rosita says they’ll be in Alexandria until Yuniko is back on her feet. Michonne has time to change her mind. Gabriel says, maybe. He tells Rosita that Eugene thinks if they went further out and set up a remote amplifier, it might boost their signal. Rosita says it would be a security breach. Gabriel says it would be like stumbling in the dark, but think who they might find; what else is out there. Rosita ponders this, and says she and Eugene will check it out. They kiss. I don’t think any of us saw that coming. He tells her that she’s amazing.
Michonne says she thought she was done with this talking and not hearing him answer, but she wants what he did; to protect them. Judith walks toward the room where Michonne is talking. Michonne says nothing else mattered except him. She knows this isn’t what he planned, what he wanted, but he wasn’t there. Neither was she. Judith is almost at the door, but decides to go back. The floorboard creaks, and Michonne sees her. Michonne says it’s almost time for her lesson. You know she has to be wondering how much Judith heard.
In the carriage with Henry, Carol says they’re not going to Hilltop. They hear screaming, and Henry jumps down. Carol tells him to stop, then runs after him. He goes down an alley, and sees some thugs bothering a woman. He yells, get off her! but as he gets closer, the woman draws a weapon on him, calling him her hero. Carol has followed, and draws her bow, telling the woman, drop it. The gate behind her slides shut, and they’re trapped. Savior Jed comes out with some other guys. He says he’s not good at math, but there’s more of them. He calls Carol boss lady, and salutes.
In another carriage, Eugene says Rosita must like Gabriel. She’s flattening security protocol to stand by her man. Rosita tells him to focus. He says there are more viable selects available to her. She asks if he has someone specific in mind, but he says, generally speaking. They stop the carriage stops, and Rosita says, fresh tracks. Eugene says luckily they’re going in the other direction, and they head to some water towers.
Siddiq tells Yuniko that she got a concussion, and she was dehydrated, but she’ll be back on her feet tomorrow. Magna asks if she should be, but Siddiq tells her that’s not for him to say. Magna watches Michonne and Judith practice fighting. Luke asks what Siddiq’s story is. Siddiq says he was a stranger someone took in. Luke says it must have been different then. Is there a reason things changed? Siddiq says there’s a reason for everything, and excuses himself.
The woman tells Henry that they didn’t stand a chance; she had them pegged a mile down the road. Jed comes back with the carriage and horses. He tells Carol, sorry for the inconvenience. They’ve been having a tough time since the Sanctuary went bust. Carol asks if they tried joining with another community, but Jed says that’s not his bag. She spared him back in the day, so he’s offering her the same courtesy. The horses for their lives. Henry can keep his stick, but everything else is theirs. Carol tells him, take it and go. He wants her ring first. I wonder why, since it can’t be worth anything. She’s about to take it off, when Henry whacks Jed with his stick. Jed knocks Henry down, and Carol shields him. She gives Jed the ring, and he puts it on. He says it was a pleasure doing business with her, and he meant to tell her, he likes what she’s done with her hair. Okay. Is this some SWF situation?
Judith does math homework near Negan’s cell. It’s a story problem involving airplanes, and Negan asks if she’s ever seen an airplane fly in any direction at any speed. She says, no, and he asks if she thinks she will. She says, probably not. He thinks the math problems should apply to the real world: from right here and now. She tells him some strangers were brought there, but her mom is making them move. He says her being her, she must want to help. She says she found them, and brought them there. Negan says when he was her age, he brought home stray dogs. His mom hated it, and he didn’t understand why. They were friendly and grateful. One day, he brought home the wrong. Judith asks if it bit him, and he says, not him. It killed the other strays, and almost chewed his mom’s ear off when she tried to stop it. It seemed as friendly and grateful as the others. Judith asks if he ever brought home another one, but he says he wised up. Judith says, look how great that turned out. She starts to leave, and he thought she wanted his help. She tells him, just with math. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a good or bad person on the inside. Numbers don’t care.
Eugene is up on a water tower. Rosita says, looking good, and he starts to come down. He sees a load of zombies headed their way, and calls to Rosita. She tells him to get his ass down now. He drops his bag, and he startles the horses (who seem to be the source of a lot of problems). They get spooked, and take off. He’s not even a third of way down, and the zombies are advancing. Rosita digs through the bed of a truck. Eugene’s foot slips, and the ladder falls. He drops to the ground, and Rosita runs back. His knee is messed up. He tells her he did a hard core U on the DL. She gets a crutch, and gives it to him. They go as fast as he can.
In their tent, Henry tells Carol that he doesn’t get it. She didn’t even try. She says there was no point, but he says, bullsh*t. There’s right and wrong. You stand up for what’s right, and fight what’s wrong. She taught him that; what happened? She says, him. Someday he’ll understand. She rubs her finger where her ring used to be.
Magna tells the others, sorry. Michonne set her up. She didn’t know how it would play out, and wanted them to have options. Luke tells her, hand over the necklace. She takes it off. It has pointy things hanging from it. She says they can’t just go back out there, without horses and supplies. How long will they last? Luke says, as long as they can; same as always. Magna says, that worked out great. Kelly translates Connie’s signing. She tells them not to be a-holes. Bernie would have wanted them to have this, but they’re fighting like always. She tells Magna, leave this woman alone. They need to get Yuniko and get out. If that’s their fate, so be it. Luke asks if they shouldn’t try to convince Michonne. Magna tells him not to start too. They need this; everything. Luke tells her there are little kids there. Save it for someone who deserves it. He takes a vote, and tells Magna, hand it over now. She gives him the necklace. He tells her to sleep on it. She might feel better in the light of day.
At the Savior’s camp, Carol tells Jed the stuff there belongs to people she knew. I don’t know how she did it, but it looks like the Saviors are tied up. And I don’t mean busy. Jed says they found it, and he didn’t do anything. Carol says he hurt her son, but she’s never going to see them again. She lights a match, sets the place on fire, and they burn alive. Alrighty then.
Magna watches Michonne through the window. She almost walks into the house, but sees a toddler run to Michonne. Instead, she goes to the door, and hands Michonne a knife, saying she missed one. Michonne thanks her. Magna says Michonne was right about her. She’s done things; terrible things. If she had all this, she wouldn’t trust her either. She walks away, and they have an exchange I couldn’t hear.
Michonne sees Judith on the steps, holding a gun. She says she’s supposed to protect those she loves, like her dad protected those he loved. Michonne thinks her dad would have been proud of what she did yesterday; her brother too. Judith asks, then why not help them? Michonne says she’ll understand someday. Judith knows Michonne talks to Rick; Carl too. She’s starting to forget their voices. They keep fading away. She hopes Michonne can still hear them. She runs upstairs, and the toddler runs to Michonne. She sees the cowboy figure on the floor.
Rosita and Eugene run as fast as Eugene can run, which isn’t very fast. He says he can’t keep on keeping on. He says there’s something he’s been working on telling her; something he’s been holding a long time. She tells him, shut up; they’re making it. She pulls him along.
Henry and Carol are back in their carriage. Henry is sorry about what he said, and thanks her. She says he’s safe. That’s all that matters. We see that Carol’s ring is back on her finger. Henry asks where she’s taking them, and she says, off the map. Daryl stands in her path. She says, need a ride, stranger? He smiles, and heads toward the carriage.
While Michonne gets dressed, we see an X scar on her lower back. She takes out Rick’s shirt, puts it on, and hugs herself. Judith sees Magna’s group outside, and says, sorry. Yuniko says if she’d known they were getting booted when she recovered, she would have hit her head harder. Connie says through Kelly that Magna had volunteered to hit her again. They thank everyone for their hospitality, especially Judith. Gabriel and Siddiq walk them toward the gate. Michonne rides up, and says, change of plans. She gives Judith the cowboy, and says she knows another place that might take them in. She’s going to escort them personally. Siddiq will be going to Hilltop with her, to keep an eye on his patient until they get there. Kelly signs what’s happening to Connie. Judith tells them, good luck.
Eugene and Rosita stumble along. They slide down a muddy embankment toward some water. They cover themselves with the mud. I say, holy! The zombies are so close, but walk past.
Next time, Eugene and Rosita are still on the run, a flare is sent up, more of the new people, Daryl, and zombies. Kind of like this week.
🔥 When it comes to Carol, it looks like the Saviors have met their match. – Talking Dead
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Jeanette says Sonny should be grateful. Skully started him in the business, and was good to him. Sonny says somebody he loves has been wrongly accused. He wants to make sure the truth comes to light. Jeanette says she’s burning the letters, and there’s nothing he can do. Margaux walks in and says, maybe he can’t, but she will. She came for the truth, and after all these years, she deserves it.
Nina tells Sasha that everyone lies. She’s told some big ones herself. Then there are those who spin the truth to get what they want. In their twisted way, they think they’re doing the better thing. Her ex like that. It’s hard. They love each other, but she can’t live waiting for the other shoe to drop. Whatever her and Sasha’s relationship turns out to be, Nina wants to make sure it’s honest. Sasha says she hasn’t been honest with Nina.
Kiki tells Griff that she hopes he board does the right thing, and this will soon be a horrible memory. They toast to horrible memories. Griff is amazed by her optimism, and how she keeps the faith. They kiss.
Elizabeth is proud of Franco. The police asked for help, and he gave it to them. She wishes he would believe in himself. He wants to totally trust himself, but thinks he should see Doc, just in case. Therapy is good for the soul.
Carly calls Sonny, leaving a message that it’s important. She tells Jordan that she already answered their questions. Jordan says, when she found Mary Pat’s head.
Not-Doc adds Mary Pat to his list. He adds her ID to some others, keeping it with the list in a drawer in his office. I note that not-Doc uses a fountain pen with real ink. There’s a knock at the door, and he puts his wedding ring in view on the desk. It’s Ava, who asks if he’s ready for her. He says, ready and waiting.
Ava thanks him for agreeing to see her after hours. She sees the ring, and he apologizes for being unprofessional and leaving it out. He finally took it off, and can’t figure out what to do with it. She says she’s sorry about him and Laura, but he says he broke it off; it’s his mess to clean up. She says it’s not any less painful than being left. It’s a different kind of awful, in her experience. She says sorry if she overstepped, and he says it’s his fault. Taking her to Charlie’s was inappropriate. They should have come there. She’s said she was coming up with innovative ways to manage her anger. He suggests they talk about those.
Carly says they’re wasting time, and Chase asks how she explains the hair in Mary Pat’s hand. Jordan asks if Carly has a theory on how it got there. Diane walks in, and asks if that isn’t the PCPD’s job. She’s going to have Carly ask for a tax refund if she’s doing their job. Chase says every time Diane tears him to shreds, he feels like he learned something. Jordan says they followed clues that led to her client. Chase says there were witnesses to Carly’s threats, but Diane says what they have is circumstantial at best. Jordan says Carly was there when the head was found, and when the body was found, there were strands of her hair in its hand. They would be remiss not to follow up.
Elizabeth tells Franco that Aiden is becoming more withdrawn at school. Maybe he should talk to Doc. Franco says Aiden had the time of his life when they were doing art, maybe he should take a crack at Aiden. The doorbell rings. It’s Terry with a bakery box, and a six-pack. Elizabeth asks if it’s that bad.
Sasha says she told Nina it would be easy for her to get a job there, but that’s not the case. She’s tanking with the job search. Nina says she’s not dishonest, just wrong. Sasha says she presented herself as confident. Nina is big and successful, and Sasha can’t even land a temp gig. Nina explains that the guy who owned Crimson needed a financial loss, and hired her, thinking she’d tank the magazine. Then he wouldn’t be in trouble. Sasha says, but she made it work. Nina says, with help. She wants Sasha to reconsider her offer. Sasha says she’d love to work there, but can’t accept a handout. Nina says it’s not a handout; it’s not an easy job. She’d have to bring her A-game. Sasha says, what if she can’t keep up. Nina says if she screws up the magazine, she’ll fire Sasha’s ass. Sasha accepts the offer, and Nina tells her, welcome to Crimson. Nina says she hasn’t been honest with Sasha about something, and needs to tell her.
Jeanette tells Margaux that she can’t believe Sonny. He’s a mobster, and lying is like breathing to him. Sonny says he told the truth; now it’s her turn. Jeanette says it could ruin Margaux’s career, but Margaux says for once she’s not thinking of her career. Hunting for the person responsible for her father’s death led to Sonny, which led to her.
Ava tells not-Doc, thanks to their chats, she’s made an important discovery. If she channels her anger in the right direction, she can find forgiveness. He asks, for who? and she says, Kiki. He says, not Griff? and Ava says, never him. He asks, how about herself? but she says, that’s a different story. She realized she could forgive Kiki, when Kiki knows what it’s like to hurt like she was hurt. Not-Doc asks, who will do it? and Ava says, not her. Griff will do the honors. Once he’s unfaithful, they can begin to heal. He might need a nudge. She’ll be doing Kiki a favor, getting it out in the open sooner rather than later. Not-Doc asks how Ava knows he’ll cheat, and she says he cheated on the Church, and on her. It’s his nature or doesn’t he believe in human nature?
Kiki gets it; Griff broke the rules. But what about how he behaved afterwards? He had integrity, and he’s been punished enough. Griff hopes the board agrees. She says he’s a gifted doctor. Keeping him away is completely ridiculous.
Elizabeth explains that when she and Terry were in middle-school, they would climb up on the roof with moon pies and root beer. They’d stare at the stars, and wait for the world to make sense. Terry says, eventually, they’d realize they had to solve their own problems, but in the meantime – they both say, sugar! Franco says he’ll go to get take out from Charlie’s, and give them a moment. Elizabeth says Terry brought the sugar; go first. Terry needs to wait for it to kick in, so Elizabeth tells her that Aiden is struggling. Being shy is one thing, but he’s obviously in pain. Terry asks, about what? and Elizabeth says he won’t tell her. Terry’s turn. Terry says it’s nothing new. They live in a world where children get brain tumors, and she still can’t be sure what’s the sense in that.
Margaux tells Jeanette, for once in her life, do the decent thing. Give her the letters. Jeanette says they’re not for a child to see, and Margaux says she’s not a child. Jeanette says Margaux is her child, and Sonny says, give her the letters. Margaux can’t believe her mother is a cheating tramp who conspired to kill her father. She takes the letters, and Jeanette tells her not to do it to either one of them. Margaux reads that when Jeanette thinks of them, she would break any vow, commit any sin, and take any risk if one day they could be together. Jeanette says Margaux doesn’t understand. Margaux can’t believe her mother sat there watching TV with her dad, holding his hand. Jeanette says, not in front of Sonny; it’s a family matter, but Margaux wants him to stay. It’s his party. He said she wouldn’t like what she was going to find, and he loves being right. She tells him to get a drink. It’s a big bon voyage party for what she thought was her family.
Nina tells Sasha that she acted out of turn, and told Ava to stay away from her. Sasha says that’s her half-sister’s mother, but Nina says Ava is a murderer and a slut. She’s all for sexual freedom, but Ava hurts people when she’s not killing them. She could slit someone’s throat, and walk away scot free, blaming the victim. She just wanted to protect Sasha. Sasha appreciates Nina looking out for her, but says, don’t worry. She’s used to taking care of herself. They have a lot in common. Franco comes in, and Nina calls him over. She introduces them.
Terry tells Elizabeth that she knew what she was getting into with pediatric oncology. She works with kids fighting harder than most adults to live. Elizabeth asks if they’re talking about Oscar. Terry says Oscar figures if he’s going to die, he wants to do it dancing, and enjoying what’s left. He’s refusing to participate in the medical trial. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, making him harder to save. Elizabeth says Terry is doing what she can, and Terry says she’s failing. All the years of training, experience, and success. She’s saved a lot of lives, but now she feels useless. Elizabeth asks what Terry needs from her, and Terry says, perspective. What else can she do for the family?
Diane says her client has cooperated fully, and Jordan says they don’t think she did it. Diane asks why she’s here, and Jordan says the killer appears to know what they’re doing. The head was surgically separated from the body. Chase says Carly implied doing her harm, and her husband is in a position to address that. Sonny has resources. Diane says he’s usually accused of making someone disappear, not appear in public. Carly asks why Ava isn’t a person of interest.
Ava tells not-Doc that the tricky part is, it needs to happen where Kiki can see it. When she sees what a lying hypocritical bastard Griff is, she’ll run to her mother for support. Their bond will stronger, having been betrayed by the same man. Griff will be a nothing, a nobody; which is what he deserves. Not-Doc says he thought he could do this, but it’s just wrong. He can’t treat her any longer.
Margaux gives Sonny a drink. She asks if her mother ever loved her dad, or was it all a lie? Jeanette says it wasn’t a good marriage. Margaux remembers her father laughing and smiling, but Jeanette says he was smiling at her. There was nothing between them, and she thought she’d spend the rest of her life like that. Then Joe happened, and it changed everything. The more she wanted him, the more she hated Margaux’s father. She went to Skully, and begged him get rid of the one person keeping them apart. Margaux asks if Jeanette considered that she was losing her father, and Jeanette says she did. Kids are and move on, like everyone does. She couldn’t stop thinking about wanting him gone. She wanted him dead. Margaux asks if Sonny got it. He says, every word, and shows Jeanette that he’s wearing a wire.
Ava says not-Doc got her to open up – no judgement – and once she revealed a darker place, he’s jumping ship. He says what happened was just a coincidence. He works with serial killers and the criminally insane. He says her sweet plan isn’t what’s making him run for the hills. He says she’s not horrible, she’s fascinating; too fascinating. He identifies in many ways. She asks, what kind of ways? but he tells her that he’s already said too much. He can’t be her doctor because hr can’t be objective where she’s concerned.
Griff watches Kiki read. He takes the book out of her hands. She says she was reading that. He says he doesn’t care, and kisses her. She hopes he respects her after she tells him doing this is better than studying.
Franco asks Nina, how? She says, apparently, she didn’t lose the baby. She had it while she was in a coma, and her mom gave it away, and continued to lie. Franco says, makes sense. She’s surprised Kiki didn’t tell him, but he says they’ve been moving in different orbits. Franco tells Sasha that he hopes she realizes that she’s now related to one of the most remarkable women he’s ever known. Sasha agrees. She says she’s starting work tomorrow, and wants to impress her new boss. She leaves, and Franco sits down. He says, holy moly. Tell him everything.
Elizabeth tells Terry, the longer she’s been a parent, the more she realizes how little in control she is when it comes to her kids. She does her best to be as involved as possible, and still let them do their own thing. If they need her, she’s there, but things happen. She doesn’t know what’s going on inside Aiden’s head. She wants to figure out what he needs, and fix it, but all she can do is tell him that she loves him, and he’s wonderful the way he is. Terry wonders what happens if what you know is the right thing to do stops working. Elizabeth says, keep showing up, and do what you do best. Prayer, and relentless determination.
Jeanette is shocked that Margaux worked with Sonny to set her up. Margaux says she wanted the truth, and got it. Sonny wonders where Jeanette was when her husband disappeared. Why weren’t she and Skully together? Jeanette tells Sonny, he said, wait, so we waited. She thinks he found a mark to do his dirty work. She figured once the body was found, the mark would go down for murder, and they’d be together. Margaux tells her to get out; her mother disgusts her. Jeanette asks if Sonny is happy. He got what he came for. She leaves and I wonder where she’s going, since it’s her house.
Sonny says Margaux got what she wanted, and asks if she wants to go. She says she’s not done, and looks at the desk. She says, the sacred desk that they never got rid of. A symbol of her father’s hard work. She went to law school to be the kind of lawyer he was. Sonny says, he would be proud, and she tells him, go to hell. She can’t even nail him for the murder. They’re done. She thanks him for the truth she’s been searching for her whole life.
Jordan wonders why Ava would have killed Mary Pat, and Carly says she’d do anything to get Avery away from them. Chase thinks that’s a bit of a stretch. Jordan says, unlikely, but they’ll explore all avenues.
Franco says Nina must be beyond happy. She says she’s been dreaming about having a child. Now she has one, fully grown, but she thinks she’s okay with that. Franco says she missed the poopy years. She says she’s very lucky to know such a remarkable woman.
Sasha is getting a glass of water at the apartment, when Griff walks in, shirtless. He says he didn’t know she was there. She says he looks flushed, and puts the glass against his face. Kiki comes in, telling him to come back to bed. Sasha says he was thirsty. She hands him the glass, saying, all his.
On the phone, Sonny says he got Carly’s message, and hopes everything is okay. He can’t come home tonight, but if it’s an emergency, call. Otherwise, he’ll see her tomorrow. He loves her. Margaux sits on the floor with the letters, and drinks and cries.
Elizabeth says when she thinks of what Oscar’s family is experiencing, it puts her life in perspective. She has three healthy boys, and what Aiden is going through isn’t that. Terry says she was once a teenage boy, but no one else’s problems made her life any easier. The bullying, the confusion. the hurt. The only perspective that matters to Aiden is his own. Elizabeth says maybe she can’t help, but she wants to know what’s wrong. Aiden keeps shutting her out. All she can do is convince him that he’s not alone.
Franco hopes Sasha realizes she got a homerun mom. They’re doing well for two fugitives. He didn’t even want kids; now he has three boys. He’s enjoying the karmic spin. Nina is glad he’s happy, and he says, look at them, all mature and stuff. Nina says she should be careful what she wishes for. She’s terrified she’ll screw up. Franco says they both will. Don’t try to be perfect; just be happy. Nina says they’ll never screw that up.
Kiki asks Griff if Sasha was hitting on him in front of her. He thinks she’s misinterpreting, but Kiki says, no. She was hitting on him, and it’s not okay.
Ava tells not-Doc that she’s going to miss their talks. She was getting a lot out of them. He says it’s the toughest decision he’s made in a long time. She doesn’t think that’s true. She says she’ll see him around, and he tells her, good luck with everything. She leaves, and he locks the door behind her.
Sonny finds Margaux passed out on the floor where she was reading the letters. He says she can’t sleep there, and helps her up. He puts her on the couch, and covers her with a blanket.
Diane asks if they’re finally done, and Jordan says, for now. Carly is free to go. Chase adds that she’s still a person of interest. Carly says she gets the drill, and she’s not about to leave; her entire life is there. She tells him, in the meantime, they might want to figure out how Mary Pat was holding her hair.
Sonny watches Margaux sleep, and ponders. The text beneath him says, next week… what if…?
What if you could go back and change your life? Would you do it? A very special GH on Monday.
Roberta slashes a zombie. George gives mercy. Doc attacks with two hammers, one in each hand. A brain goes flying. Roberta sees the talker symbol in fresh paint on a car. They come to a building that says Limbo on the sign. George thinks Dante might be there. Roberta presses a giant button, and someone asks for the password. The zombies are advancing, and she says, help. He says, wrong; that was last week’s. She tries zombie, and he tells her that she should have said that in the first place.
They go inside, down some metal stairs. Doc says it’s a nice place to get murdered. George says it’s a place for outlaws; a place Dante would love. They continue down until they get to a door. Roberta tells them to brace themselves. The door opens to reveal two guys having a chainsaw fight, gambling, go-go girls in cages, a bar, and neon. There’s a whack-a-mole game called hit-the-head. Doc gets distracted by a dancer.
A group chants duel before a stage. A girl comes out and two men face each other. She says, one bullet each, and tells them, gentlemen,spin the chamber; no more bets. Time to duel. She drops her scarf, and they fire. One falls off the stage, all the way to Murphy’s feet. He says they have a winner. Everyone cheers. Murphy brings the winner up on stage, and says, to the victor goes the biscuits, handing him a tray of them. Murphy wears a sparkly red snakeskin-trimmed suit, and a devilish mustache and beard. He sees Roberta and company, and says it’s about time they slaughtered their way there. A confetti gun explodes, and he says, welcome to Limbo.
Two people act out a comedy skit on a stage. Murphy says, blendsmen were running the place until the return of the thin red one. Doc says it’s heartwarming. Murphy goes off with a woman. George tells Roberta that they’re there d*cking around with strippers and Monopoly while Dante could be dead. Murphy returns, saying there’s something George needs to hear – she’s a drag. He tells, relax, and let him buy a round of drinks for his friends, before their next suicide mission. Roberta says looking for someone. George says, don’t bother. Murphy wouldn’t know him. At the roulette table, Wesson pops out a guy’s eye for the wheel.
Doc says he has to hit the head. Murphy says there’s always a line for that, and we see a woman playing the hit-in-the-head game, Roberta says Murphy has chosen sides. He says, the winning side. Roberta says he associates with a lot of talkers to be apolitical. Murphy tells her, talkers, blends, humans; they’re all customers to him. Monopoly is being played for bullets. Murphy says they have everything. Even George Clooney’s actual moving foot. You can tickle it for a nickel. Murphy brings them downstairs. George says they’re looking for a talker named Dante. There’s a symbol outside that says this looks like a safe place for talkers on the run from Altura; a safe place for Dante. She asks if Murphy would know anything about a talker underground, and Murphy says, anything…?
They come to a room housing barrels. Murphy says, come out, come out, wherever you are. Come out and get your biscuits. The talkers stand up. Marjorie is among them.
Roberta asks how long they’ve been coming there, and Murphy says, about two weeks. She asks if they’re all from Altura, and he says, all over. He didn’t ask for them. They just keep getting dropped off, and they’re cutting into his biscuit inventory. They’re eating like there’s no tomorrow. He hopes they get a shipment soon, or there will be no tomorrow. Let him guess. They want to get involved. Roberta tells him they want to find Dante. She mentions Estes, and Murphy says he knew Estes on Zona. He was a high tech whiz kid, fronting a startup for them. Must be Altura. Murphy says Altura has cut off his biscuit supply, and he’s trying to run a business here. George knows how he feels. People treated him like a freak before the apocalypse. He finally has a family, and she gets not wanting to lose them. They’re all outsiders. Marjorie is an outsider, just trying get back to her family. She says they’re wrong about him. He’s a brave man. He’s risking everything to help. Newmerica owes him a debt.
Murphy laughs, and says she’s good. He’s met a few bullsh*tters in his day, but she’s good. Marjorie yells she wants to find her husband. They talkers get restless, and run out. Doc says, they sure sound like Z’s. Murphy asks if they’re going to find this guy or not, and they jet.
10K sees an empty van with the doors open, and footprints going away from it. He follows them to where the talkers were crucified and buried. As he’s tightening the bandana around his wound, a zombie jumps out behind him, and I choke on my coffee. He wallops it, and says, 8609.
Murphy asks if they want anything while they wait for their mystery talker hero. He asks if Doc remembers calling him a coward, and Doc asks if he’s changed. Murphy says, no, but he’s learned to swing first. A truck backs up outside. Roberta thinks this is it, and while she gives instructions, Murphy suddenly goes through changes. He says, Lucy, and runs outside. Addy is in a truck out front, and says, of course he’s the big red one.
At the bar, Doc says it’s been a long road for all of them. He missed Addy. Lucy too. Addy says she y missed them too. She tells Murphy sorry about the gun. He said he felt Lucy in it, and he thought it was her, even though it didn’t make. He calls for shots, and the waitress drinks from the bottle. The liquor pours out bullet holes in her torso, and they fill their glasses. They toast to Lucy. Addy asks if she can visit Lucy’s grave, but Murphy says Viking funeral. Addy thinks that’s what she would have wanted. Murphy says he saved something of hers, and she’d want her to have it. He gives her what looks like a handkerchief. Addy says she felt her too. She kept looking for her, but she’d lose the signal in the daytime. At night, she’d look at stars feel her. Then one night, she looked up and felt nothing. Just the weight of them crushing her down. That’s when she knew she was alone. Murphy says Lucy loved her. Addy says, but she wasn’t there to save her – neither was he. Murphy tells Addy not to drink so much. She looks like sh*t. Addy says, bite me.
Wesson whispers something to Murphy, who says, tell them keep their eyes open. Murphy calls Doc over. Doc tells Addy not to listen to Murphy; she looks great. He goes over to Murphy, and Roberta takes the stool next to Addy. They sit and drink.
Doc and Murphy see Marjorie. Doc wonders how she got there, and Murphy says that means the others are running around in there too. He says Doc is food; he’s not. Doc says she looks friendly, and tries talking to her, asking if she remembers him. She screeches at them, and Doc says, she’s not nice. They take off.
Roberta introduces George to Addy. George says any friend of the talkers is a friend of hers. Addy says she’s not their friend. George says she put in herself in danger to help. She didn’t know about Altura. A family asked her to smuggle them out. They had a talker baby. Lucy couldn’t stop growing, and there was a baby who was never going to grow again. They were scared, so she helped them. She was glad to have a mission again. George asks if she’s come across Dante. Addy looks up, and says, no, no-no-no-no-no. She knows what George is going to do. She asks if this is what Roberta is into now. She wants to get him executed?
Murphy and Doc look for the talkers. Murphy says rabid talkers aren’t good for business. It’s the place where everyone comes to forget about getting eaten. Doc asks if Murphy thinks the dancer liked him, and Murphy says, once you go blend, you go blend to the end. They walk through the basement. The lights flicker. The talkers pop out, and Murphy and Doc run. They stop short after and open door, and shove the talkers into the room, and close the gate. Doc tells Murphy not to forget they’re friends, but Murphy says, friends don’t have friends for lunch. Doc says, now what? and Murphy says, feed them. They’re going to need a lot of biscuits.
George tells Addy that the trial will clear Dante’s name, but Addy thinks he’s better off where he is. George asks where that is. Addy tells Roberta, it’s been real. She’s out of there. Roberta and George follow her. Doc and Murphy walk through the club. They pass a puking game, and we’ll just leave it at that. Why? Just why? Murphy knows where they can get more biscuits. He’s going to borrow from the house stash. It’s empty, and he wonders where they are. He sees the duel winner sitting at a card table, biscuits piled high in front of him. Murphy drags doc out outside.
Addy is fighting a group of zombies outside. Roberta and George join her. Roberta says it’s like old times. As they fight, Roberta says she’d give her life for Addy. Addy says she did give her life for Roberta. Roberta says George and Dante are the same. George can’t protect them if she can’t find him. They finish the zombies off, and George says she knows Addy can help her. Addy makes George promise she won’t hand him over to Altura or vigilantes. George promises, and they shake hands. Roberta puts her arm around Addy.
Doc is all dressed up in a red suit and top hat. He and Murphy go back to the club. Murphy approaches winner dude, and says it seems that Lady Luck is holding him in favor. Winner dude asks if Murphy wants something. Murphy says he’s the club owner, and this is his associate, Dr. Beck. Winner dude gets defensive, saying he won fair and square, but Murphy says not having biscuits in circulation is a problem. So for the benefit of the guests, he’s offering an exchange. Doc opens a case, and says it’s the bullets for biscuits program. Winner dude thinks he’ll hold on to his winnings. When things get desperate, imagine what someone will give him. Or maybe he’ll eat them – all because he can. Murphy tells winner dude to listen to him, and dude draws a gun. Doc suggests winning them back, and winner dude says he’s had the longest winning streak ever. He even got Clooney’s foot to giggle; a daily double. Doc offers his hat, and winner dude does like it. Doc is feeling lucky.
They play. Murphy sweats. Doc loses his hat. Murphy tells Doc the guy is so lucky, he sh*ts rabbit’s feet. Doc says Murphy is messing with his mojo. Winner dude says he likes Doc’s jacket.
10K tries shooting a zombie, but keeps missing it’s head. He finally gets it, at close range.
Roberta asks Addy where Dante is. Addy knocks on some fake rocks, and a hand comes up out of the ground. Dante sits up from under the dirt, and says, hey George. She can’t believe it, and he says he’d never leave her. He asks about his wife. Roberta tells Addy that she can trust George. Addie wonders if they can trust Altura, and wonders if it’s a good idea for Roberta to be a leader in the resistance. Roberta asks where the talker underground ends, and Addy says, it doesn’t. Most of them want to stay. Roberta tells Dante they heard rumors, and Dante says he didn’t plant the bomb. Roberta says there’s a video indicating he did, and the talkers split up. George says the vigilantes won’t stop as long as the talkers are rebelling. Dante says they’ll fight together. George say it won’t be easy, and Dante says she likes doing things the hard way. It’s what he likes asks about her. He asks about his wife again, and Roberta says she’s inside.
Doc tells Murphy that he’s down to his last sock, and it’s not on his foot. He could use a secret ace up his sleeve. Murphy shows him one in his sleeve, and Doc says he’s going to lose his only sock. Murphy suggests, one last hand; all or nothing. Winner take all. The deed to the club is on the table. Doc asks if he’s sure, and Murphy says if they don’t have the biscuits, the place is doomed anyway. He has to try. Deal him in. There’s a dancer hanging from silks behind winner dude. Murphy mind melds with her, and she tells him what cards winner dude has. Murphy signals Doc. The house wins. Everyone cheers. Murphy says, what happens in Limbo, stays in Limbo. He and Doc do a happy dance, saying they’re each othes best friend. Winner dude accuses them of cheating, and starts shoving biscuits in his mouth.
Doc says the body has its limits. Winner dude starts to expand. Murphy uses Doc to shield him, and winner dude explodes. At least the front of him. He says he doesn’t feel so good.
10K sees the car with the symbol on it.
Wesson and the bartender pick up all the biscuits. Murphy tells them to make sure they get to the talkers. Roberta comes in, and asks if she wants to know. Doc says he saved Limbo. Roberta says they found what they were looking for. Several thugs walk in. Their leader is the captain who took the people from Pacifica. He asks who’s in charge. One of them flips a table, and Murphy asks if that’s really necessary. The captain says they’re looking for Dante, and have reason to believe he is or has been there. Marjorie comes out, saying, please, and the captain asks if that isn’t Dante’s wife. Murphy wonders how she keeps escaping. The captain sees Roberta, and says, you again. It’s funny how she keeps popping up. She says even funnier, they’re there for the same reason. They combed the place, and Dante isn’t there.
Murphy tells him that Altura has no power there; he can’t do this. The captain says Dante is wanted for questioning. Marjorie wails, Dante, and the captain asks, what wrong? Murphy says, she needs biscuits. Marjorie keeps howling, Dante. While the captain is distracted, Roberta tells Doc and George to go, and they slip out. The captain holds a gun to Marjorie’s head. He says Dante needs to come out now, or he’ll shoot her deader than she already is.
George tells Dante, say the word, and they’ll take them all. Dante says she’s the hope for the future. He can’t let her risk that for him. She says they’ll do it together. Roberta says the captain is hurting Marjorie. Dante calls out from the balcony, saying he’s up there. George says they’re coming down. Roberta tells the captain they’re surrendering. The captain tells Dante that he’s under arrest, but continues to hang on to Marjorie. Dante clocks the guy trying to cuff him, and runs to Marjorie. He tells her that he loves her. She says, love, and the captain puts the gun back to her head. Dante says they can cuff him now. George holds her wrists out, saying they’ll go together, but the captain says, just the fugitive. Those were the orders. Roberta tells him that Dante is surrendering. Let her go; she’s not a part of it. He shoots Marjorie in the head, and Dante dragged away, as he yells her name. Roberta and Murphy hold George back. The captain says, she was too far gone; he had no choice. Everyone leaves.
George goes to Marjorie. Murphy asks Roberta if she still thinks humans are the good guys. George says she has to go after him. She needs to be there at his trial.
Addy tells Murphy that they got all the biscuits they could find. The talkers are calmer. 10K comes in, and hugs Doc, who thought he was they’d never see each other again. Doc sees 10K has a hand missing, but 10K doesn’t explain. He hugs Addy. Murphy tells Weston that he can let the talkers out now, but make sure they’re fed. 10K says he saw vans, shipping in zombie tourists, but it could be anybody. Roberta wonders what happens when they run out of biscuits. Murphy says they could always feed them brains – just throwing it out there.
They all leave the club. At the Monopoly game, a bullet lands on Altura, and blood splashes across the game board.
Next Friday, the stakes have never been higher, and Murphy wants to find a bakery.
👄 Quotes of the Week
This is just about the time something jumps out at you. – Doc (Russell Hodgkinson), Z Nation, while walking down a long, dark hallway
Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path. – Anonymous
I’m exhausted. My weave is exhausted. The pantyliner on my underwear is exhausted. – LeeAnne Locken, The Real Housewives of Dallas
Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever. – Karen Davison
The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. – Walt Disney
We humans have turned to zombies when horrors no longer horrify us, prayers no longer move us from knees to feet, and needs no longer move us from greed to selfless giving. When our desires outclass the sufferings of our fellow humans, we are the horror: the church of the living dead. – Beth Moore
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
In case you didn’t know, it’s Rick’s last episode.
It’s not looking good for Rick. We see a cloud of crows. We hear Rick’s voice saying, wake up; it’s time to go. He’s talking to himself. Literally. The crows turn into helicopters. Rick bleeds as he stands over himself in a hospital bed. Hospital patient Rick says, wake up, a-hole. In the real world, zombies come for Rick, who’s impaled by metal pole attached to a cement block. He takes off his belt and, screaming in pain, hoists himself off the pole. He hits the ground crawling, with zombies coming from everywhere. Luckily, the horse that caused his problem in the first place, is waiting. He jumps on, and the now-merged horde follows him as he trots away.
A smoking camper stalls on the road. Anne/Jadis/Tortellini is frustrated. A voice on the radio asks her to confirm her location, and the status of her A. She says she’s north of the junkyard, and the A is ready for transport. They know her group vacated the landfill, and if it’s a trick there will be consequences. She says, it’s no trick. She’s desperate, and needs to leave this place. She gets out, and says she’ll be ready.
Good thing these aren’t fast zombies. The horse plods along. Rick tells himself to stay awake. He drifts too close to the horde, and then takes off.
A zombie toddles out of the woods as Maggie and Dianne approach on horseback. Maggie dismounts, and smashes its head. Over and over. She wipes the blood off of herself, and says they can go.
Rick continues on. he sees a mailbox, and gallops on a path through the woods. He reaches a cabin with come face me a-holes written on the wall. He goes inside, and tears some bedding into strips. He wraps them around his middle where the wound is. He looks around, and sees a dead body with a gun in its hand. There bullet holes in the cabin walls. He passes out.
Rick says he’s looking for his family. Someone asks, what’s your wound? Rick and Shane sit in their patrol car looking at a vehicle turned upside down near the road. Shane says, idiots, and Rick asks if that was the car they were chasing? Shane says, a third man changes everything, and Rick tells Shane that he’s looking for his family. Shane says he could argue that it’s his family; it’s his baby girl. Rick says she doesn’t have his nose. They laugh. Shane admits to being an a-hole, and says Rick is one too. Shane says Rick took a page out of his book, and he’s glad Rick stepped up. Rick says, it had to be him, but Shane says that’s where he’s wrong; it has to be him. That’s the only way it gets done. He knows Rick has it in him. It’s time. He tells Rick, listen carefully. Kneel down, dig deep, and find the rage; it’s in there and the only way this gets done – and it has to get done. He can do it. Rick says he’s sorry for what he did to Shane, but Shane tells Rick, forget that sh*t. He leans toward Rick, and suddenly turns into a zombie.
Back at the cabin, zombies are spilling in. Rick busts out the boards from a window, and pulls himself out. A zombie grabs his leg, but miraculously, he gets away and back on the horse. There’s not even that much of him to go around. Why the crowd?
Michonne writes, as Judith does crafts with shells. Michonne gets a coffee ring on some of her papers. I note this because one of my bosses told me, coffee rings show you’re working hard. A guy comes by, and tells Michonne that Maggie just came in; someone opened the gate. Maggie stomps through town, and Michonne meets her at the jail steps. Maggie tells Michonne to get out of her way. Michonne asks if Maggie is willing to turn this into something else for him, but Maggie says it’s not for him. It’s for her, and for others; he should have died. Michonne says, he didn’t die;it’s done. Maggie says, because Rick decided? and tells Michonne, stand back. Michonne was there. She saw what Negan did. Michonne asks if Glenn would want this; for Maggie to go through her to get to Negan. Maggie says she doesn’t know. She never got to say goodbye. Michonne says her father wouldn’t want this. Maggie says it’s the one thing she had was knowing Glenn’s murderer would die. What does she do? Start over? Start something else? If Negan had butchered Rick in front of Michonne, and she had a child to raise alone, he would have been dead, and she knows it. She tells Michonne to stop acting like she has a choice, and she can just turn it off. It’s been a year and a half, and she can’t. Michonne says she’s going to have to find a way. Maggie wishes there was something else she could do, but she can’t keep living like this. There’s nothing Michonne can say. Michonne asks if she’s willing to live with what comes after, and Maggie says she can’t live with it now. She holds out her hand, and Michonne gives her the key.
Maggie goes inside. Negan says, she gave up the key huh? He says Michonne has the blood, but Maggie has the fire on her. Maggie asks if he remembers her. He says, of course. It’s why he thought she’d win. She tells him to get on his knees. He says he remembers her screaming, and how much he broke her when he broke open her husband’s head, Maggie says, his name was Glenn. Negan asks if she’s come for revenge, but she says, justice. He thought she’d do this sooner, and asks if it took her this long to work up the nerve. He cracked open her husband’s skull, and popped out his eyeball while she watched. He used to say he didn’t enjoy killing. It was a lie. Her husband was different. Killing him that way was fun. Maggie puts the key in the cell lock. Negan tells her to have her justice. Kill him – it was worth it. She wants to see him in the light. He doesn’t move, but says, come on, and asks if she doesn’t have it in her. Is she going to punk out like Rick? She wants him in the light. He cries, and tells her to kill him.
She grabs him by the collar, and throws his ass into the hallway. He begs her to kill him. She asks, why? but he says, just do it. She insists he tell her why, and he says, so he can be with his wife and family. He should be dead. He has to be dead, and it has to be her because he cant do it. He’s tried. He can’t be like this; don’t make him stay like this. She tells him to get back in his cell. He continues to beg, and she says, no. She came to kill him, but he’s already worse than dead. That settles it. He says, it’s not supposed to be like this, and closes his cell door behind him. I wonder if this is reverse psychology.
Outside, Maggie and Michonne look at each other. Dianne runs up and says there’s trouble at the bridge.
Rick keeps on leading the horde. He needs to find his family. He passes out, but the horse keeps going with him on it.
Hershel shows Rick the sunset. They talk about how beautiful it is, and they hug. Rick is sorry for what happened to Hershel and Glenn; everything he’s lost. Maybe if he’d tried harder… Hershel says his girl is strong. His grandson will make her stronger. Does Rick think he has to worry about her? Rick says he needs to find his family; keep them together. Hershel says he doesn’t. He only thinks he does. Rick says it’s been hard. What he wanted for him and Carl. He’s been trying. Hershel says he’ll get there, and Rick says he’s tired. Maybe he can find his family there. Hershel says, no. He has to wake up. Rick is back on the horse. He doubles over, and rides hugging the horse’s neck.
Rick is at the hospital, where it all began. He hears Morgan asking, what’s your wound? He sees the double-doors that say, DON’T OPEN DEAD INSIDE. He pulls out the board holding the doors shut, and opens them to a bright white light. He walks outside, and there are dead bodies carpeting the ground. It’s like Jonestown, but worse. He walks through them. Heavy, grey clouds loom above.
Sasha stands up, and Rick says, they’re all dead. She knows, and tells him, it’s okay. He asks, how? She says he did his part, like she did hers, and like others did before them. The others gave them strength, and they needed to do what they did, so others could draw from them. They changed each other. They helped make each other better. She tells him, it’s never the end of everything. They don’t die. It’s not about him, or her, or any one of them; but all of them. She doesn’t think it evens out, but it always crosses over to the good, the brave, and toward love. He’s not going to find his family there. They’re not lost. Neither is he. He needs to wake up.
He falls off the horse, and the horse takes off, like my Golden Retriever did when I fell in that hole. Some man’s best friend. Apparently, the horse isn’t either. Rick is bleeding like a stuck pig. He wanders into an abandoned camp, and some zombies see him. He shoots one, two, three, and the third one falls on him. Well, crap, here come more. He shoves that one off, and this is crazy. They’re rolling right through, knocking down tents, headed toward Rick. He stumbles away, but damn! Here they come from the other side. Where’s that freaking horse?
Rick drags himself to the bridge, and falls. The zombie mob gets closer. Rick hears his name, and everyone comes running. Daryl, Ezekiel, Carol, Eugene, Maggie, and Michonne. Michonne kneels in front of Rick, and says they’ll get him out of there. She says, it’s not over. She loves him because he’s a fighter, and never gives up. So fight. Fight for her; for all of them. The others stand and watch, and I wonder how they could have possibly killed all those zombies that fast. Rick says he found his family. He found her. Michonne says, he did, and he says, this isn’t real. She says, yes, it is, and kisses him. She says, now wake up.
Rick limps toward the bridge, the zombies following. How they haven’t gotten him yet is beyond me. He drips blood as he walks. He leans on the wooden beams, stumbles, and crawls a little, reminding me of a determined marathoner. He faces the zombies. Holy! There’s tons of them. He says, no, and keeps walking. A zombie comes up behind him, close enough to touch, but an arrow pierces its head. It’s Daryl with his trusty crossbow. Everyone from Alexandria runs out of the woods. Maggie wonders what Rick is doing, and Daryl says, he’s trying to bring down the bridge. Maggie starts running around to the other side, and Rick is like, I got this. Some others follow Maggie. Rick says, too many, and chops a zombie in the head with a hatchet. Daryl shoots more of them. A box of dynamite falls and opens.
Michonne and the others run around the other way. Rick just stands there, facing the zombies. He raises his gun, and aims at the dynamite. Michonne cries out. Rick says, I found them, and shoots. The bridge blows and burns. Daryl cries. In one of the coolest special effects ever on the show (possibly a toss-up with Jadis’s thrashing machine), we see flaming zombies dropping off of both sides of the bridge, and into the water. Maggie and Carol hold Michonne back. Daryl walks into the woods. Presumably to be alone with his feelings.
Anne sees the smoke from the bridge. She fiddles with the radio, and listens in. The helicopter is coming, and she gets her gun ready. She sees the mess floating down the river, and she’s all, wtf? She looks closer, and sees Rick washed up on shore. She radios the helicopter. She says she has a B, but he’s strong. Can they help? She drops the gun, and says it’s no longer a trade. She’s trying to save a friend who saved her. She has something for them. Deal? The helicopter lands
Funky music plays (see below). Anne tells Rick he’s going to be okay. She’s going to save him. He lies on a stretcher on the helicopter, receiving oxygen. The helicopter takes off. Nothing like leaving that door wide open.
Time jump – six years. A small group of young people are in the midst of a pack of zombies. They’re slicing and dicing, but become surrounded. One asks, Meg, what do we do? Meg says, fight. Gunshots ring out, and the zombies start dropping. As soon as a path is cleared, the group runs through it, and into the woods. They find a little girl who has a gun and a mini katana. She asks if they have names, and they tell her more names I will have to learn.
They ask what her name is, and she says, Judith. Judith Grimes. She puts on Rick’s sheriff’s hat.
Next time. Michonne hasn’t given up and never will; Carol’s hair is a lot longer; Daryl says a storm is coming; strangers come to town; someone wants to help Negan; Gabriel wonders what else might be out there; hiding in plain sight; and some fancy fightin’.
🔊 On Talking Dead, we saw video tributes to Andrew Lincoln from some of the cast members. As they were recorded a while ago, Scott Wilson (Hershel) was featured. Apparently, this episode of TWD was his last performance, which certainly makes it more poignant . We found out we’ll be meeting The Whisperers, and the funky music was Space Junk by Wang Chung. It had also been used during the closing credits of the first TWD episode. You can read about it here:
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
I missed the very beginning, because, running late and elderly dog taking her time eating.
Valentin tells Nina that she fell asleep before the room was ready. He had to beg Charlotte to let her sleep in. Nina asks where Charlotte is, and he says in school. He gives her some coffee, and she tells him that she didn’t t by choice. He’s glad she didn’t risk drowning to prove she’s smarter than the Coast Guard. He says he didn’t sleep much; that kiss. She says don’t make a big deal out of it, but he says it is to him. She wants to change and shower, and he tells her that her clothes are dried and folded. She thanks him, and he says, anything for her. She says, anything? When she comes back down, make sure he’s in another part of the house. She wants to leave in peace. He says he will, but he’s not giving up hope that she’ll come home.
At the pier, Kiki asks Griff and Sasha what took so long. Sasha tells her that she took a detour with Griff to look at the view of the harbor. She has a cramp, and Griff offers to massage her leg, and does.
Sitting at Kelly’s, Ava tells Scotty that Doc is great; he’s unorthodox. Scotty asks her, define unorthodox. She says he encourages her to explore her impulses, no matter how cruel and destructive. Scotty can think what he wants, but Doc isn’t trying to change her. He accepts her as she is. Scotty says, her or her impulses? She says they connected more than she thought they would. Scotty asks how he’s helping her get over Griff. Ava says he made her see that she was misguided in seeking redemption. Deliverance from evil is overrated. Scotty says, she doesn’t mean that. Does she?
Carly tells Sonny that she had another nightmare about Mary Pat. Sonny isn’t surprised. He asks why she didn’t call him, and she says she was in shock. A cop brought her home, and she didn’t want to wake him. There was nothing anyone could do, and she just wanted to sleep. He asks what happened last night, and she tells him about the fundraiser. She says the first contest was bobbing for apples. No one wanted to take a chance, so she stepped up. When Max took the lid off the barrel, Mary Pat’s head floated to the top. It was crazy.She was horrible and hateful, but who would do something like that?
Not-Doc arrives at The Floating Rib, and Laura hugs him. She says she’s been texting and calling, but he says he had his phone off during the sleep study. He saw what happened on the news; it must have been horrible. She says, absolutely horrific. She wants to go home, and he says he’ll call her a car. She asks why he can’t take her, and he says he has to give a statement to the commissioner. The night before last he was there with Mary Pat.
Ava tells Scotty that she’s not slipping back to her old ways, if that’s what he’s worried about. It’s just nice to find somebody who understands her, and doesn’t judge her for what she’s done. Scotty asks if he’s not in that camp, and she says she needs a doctor not a lawyer. She suggests he get counselling if he’s still hung up on Lucy. That’s why he doesn’t like Doc. It’s bad to harbor resentment. Doc finds her bad side worthy of analysis, understanding, and study; it’s nothing to be ashamed of. She tells Scotty not to worry about her going back to the dark side, but thanks him for his concern. It’s the first time in a long time she’s got her life under control.
Sasha thanks Griff, saying her leg is much better. Kiki points out she’s still limping, but she says she feels it loosening. Nina gets off the launch. Sasha greets her, and says she not only gained a mother, but a sister and a friend with medical expertise. Nina is glad she had a good time. Sasha says she’s glad Nina did too. She’s coming from Spoon Island, and is wearing her clothes from last night. Kiki says they called it the walk of shame in college. Nina flashes back to kissing Valentin, and says, no shame. There’s nothing to see here.
Sonny tells Carly the commissioner called, and wants to meet her at The Rib. Maybe the more she talks about it, she’ll remember something. She tells him that she’s not sorry Mary Pat is dead, but he says she might want to keep that to herself, since they’re under extra scrutiny.
Not-Doc tells Jordan that he’d come in to see Mac, but he wasn’t there. Laura says she thought he was at the hospital, but he says he was on break. He came into the bar, and ran into Mary Pat. Jordan asks if she was upset with him, and he says, with the world, including him. She’d just been fired, and held one of the patient’s responsible – Carly. She was frightened of Carly, thinking she was dangerous, and given to calculating acts of violence. Chase asks if he agrees, and not-Doc says, absolutely not. However, when she and Laura toured Ferncliff, she did threaten Mary Pat’s life. Jordan asks if that’s true, but Laura says it’s not in context. She was referring to an incident where Mary Pat tried to drug Carly, and Carly turned the tables. Mary Pat said she might have died, and Carly got angry, saying she regretted she hadn’t finished the job. Chase asks if there’s anything else, and not-Doc says he wasn’t privy to that confrontation, but he witnessed a second time. Carly told him to get Mary Pat out of there before she did something she regrets.
Laura says Mary Pat abused Carly horribly. Of course she was angry and upset, and said things she didn’t mean, but at no time was Mary Pat threatened. Jordan asks not-Doc to circle back to his encounter with Mary Pat at The Floating Rib; what else transpired? He say, nothing much. He got tired of her complaining, when his patient suffered on her watch. He went back to the hospital. Chase asks if she said anything about her plans. Jordan says it seemed like she hadn’t been home in a day or two. He doesn’t know anything else. He tells Laura that he’s going back to the hospital, and she should go home and get rest. Jordan and Chase tell her good luck with the election. Chase wonders what that was all about.
Sasha apologizes to Nina, saying it was inappropriate to call her out on where she spent the night. Nina explains that the Coast Guard shit the harbor, and she had to stay at Windemere – in the guest room. Sasha thinks it sounds romantic. Nina asks how the run was, and Sasha says Griff took her to the top of the Bellwether steps, where you could see the harbor. Sasha tells Griff and Kiki to finish without her. They run off, and Nina is glad that Sasha and Kiki are bonding. Sasha says Kiki is great, and generous to let her move in. Nina says she lived in that apartment; there are a lot of memories there. She asks if they hung out with Griff. Sasha says they had the night to themselves, but he lives down the hall. Nina says, that’s convenient, and asks if Sasha is interested in him. Sasha says she’s not disinterested. Nina says, he’s Kiki’s boyfriend, but Sasha says they’re not serious, according to Kiki’s mother. Nina tells Sasha not to listen to anything Ava says. Sasha thought she seemed friendly, but Nina says, it’s an act; she can’t be trusted. She tells Sasha that she’ll handle Ava. Sasha says she has an interview at a temp agency, and has to get going.
Mac looks at the security footage. He tells Jordan, what Doc said checks out. If she’s done speaking to his staff, he’d like to send them home. She tells him, go ahead, and they look at the footage some more. Carly and Sonny walk in.
Ava sees a figure with a pumpkin head sitting at her desk. She turns it toward her, and the head falls off, leaving a bloody, headless body in the chair. The body falls to the floor. Ava screams, and Nina comes storming in, upset about Ava trying to manipulate her daughter. She sees what’s happened, and says, omg, is that a dead body? Ava says, it appears to be, and Nina asks what Ava did.
Sasha arrives at Windemere. She says she got Valentin’s text, and knows that Nina spent the night. He says, on the couch, and Sasha tells him, Nina said the guest room. He says there was no romantic reunion, but he’s encouraged with the progress with Kiki and Griff. Sasha says, everyone in Port Charles has been kind. He thought she was leaving, but she says Nina wants her to stay. Knowing that she’s close makes Nina happy. Valentin says this isn’t what he wanted.
At Kelly’s, Kiki tells Griff, it’s cool Sasha was game to run, and thanks him. He says, Sasha is cool (WOTD). He’d be friends with her even if she wasn’t Kiki’s sister. I’m not so sure that’s the right thing to say to your SO.
Ava tells Nina that she just got there, and the body was there. Nina calls the police.
Jordan is sorry for what Carly went through, and it won’t take long. Chase says, tell them what she remembers. Carly says she was talking to Michael most of the night. They announced the games were starting, and no one wanted to bob for apples, so she said she’d do it. Mac removed the barrel cover, she saw a large object, and recognized it as a human head. Then she realized it was Mary Pat’s head. Chase steps away to call the barrel guy. Jordan says in his statement, Doc said she had an encounter with Mary Pat at Ferncliff. Jordan asks if Carly recalls the nature of the exchange, and Carly says, hostile. Mary Pat mistreated her at Ferncliff, and she was responsible for getting her fired. Jordan says, at one point, it was alleged she said she’d almost killed Mary Pat, and regretted not finishing the job. Carly tells Jordan that she said it. She’s not sorry Mary Pat is dead, but she’s not the one who killed her. Jordan says, maybe not, but someone close to her may have. She looks at Sonny.
Not-Doc takes the crate opener back to the pier, wipes it clean, and stabs it into a wood pallet. Laura joins him, and asks what he’s doing there. He was supposed to be going to GH. He asks if she followed him, and she says this is the second time he’s lied. The other night when he said he was working, he was out having drinks with the murder victim. Does he want to explain what’s going on? He’s been nothing but distant and cold since she got back. She’s starting to feel like he’d rather she stayed. Not-Doc says, the truth is, he has been avoiding her. She asks, why? and he says he’s a coward. He hasn’t been able to find the courage to say what he needs to. She says she loves him; he can tell her anything. He says he’s been reevaluating his life since she left, and since she came back, he doesn’t feel the same as he did before. He’s sorry, but he thinks they should separate.
Kiki tells Griff it’s nice having a surprise sister – so far. She seems low maintenance; the opposite of her mom. Griff says Kiki can be angry with her mom and still miss her. Kiki misses the idea she believed. She thought their relationship could survive anything, but she was clearly wrong. Griff wants to be honest, and tells Kiki that the problem between her and her mother is him.
Valentin tells Sasha that she’d be better served going home. She says he would be better served. He says she’s a delightful woman; charming, accomplished, easy to be around. It’s not surprising Nina would fall so quickly. His daughter and Kiki love her. She asks what the problem is. He tells her the longer she stays, the more likely the truth is to come out.
Chase asks Ava to walk him through what happened. Ava says she saw the jack-o’-lantern on top of the body, and figured it was a Halloween prank. When she turned the chair, the jack-o’-lantern fell, and she saw what was clearly a real body. She shoved it away, and it fell. She still can’t believe it. She assumes it belongs to the head that surfaced at The Floating Rib. Chase says she used to work at Ferncliff. work at Ferncliff. Nina asks what it was doing here, and why Ava was standing over it. Chase asks if Ava knew Mary Pat in any capacity, and Ava says they never met. She has no idea how it got in here.
Scotty comes in to The Rib, and Mac asks what took him so long. Scotty says he heard there was a head left behind, and figured they might need a lawyer. Mac is concerned about Felicia. He’s had to shield her from Lulu’s articles. It’s everywhere, and it didn’t help that Scotty cooperated with the documentary. He tells Scotty to explain himself.
Jordan tells Sonny it must have been tough, hearing about what happened to Carly. Carly tells her not to try pinning it on Sonny. Sonny says she’s fishing. He tells her to find someone else to blame. He’s not getting locked up for this one.
Laura says she knew Doc was distant, but didn’t know he wanted out of the marriage. Not-Doc says he wanted them to work. He could feel them drifting, but didn’t want to face it. Laura starts to cry, and he says, it’s nobody’s fault, but the time apart… She knows she was gone too long, but never knew he was this unhappy. They talked every night, and he came to visit; it was like a second honeymoon. He says they never knew what it was like to be married until she returned. She says he can’t give up this quickly. She doesn’t think he gave it the shot it deserves. They can work it out. He says he’s thought about it long and hard for some time, and he can’t handle it. She says, can’t or don’t want to, and he says he doesn’t have the will to keep going. You can’t fix something you know is broken. He won’t do that to her. She asks if there’s someone else, and he looks at the crate opener.
Scotty tells Mac that he was trying to help Felicia. Mac says it was publicity for him. Scotty says if that happens, so be it. Mac says, you don’t put a head in a barrel unless you’re dying for publicity.
Not-Doc says he’d never chat on Laura. She asks where this is coming from, and he says it’s just not working for him. Maybe she was away too long; maybe he’s too set in his ways. Maybe he’s going through something needs to face alone. She says he doesn’t have to. He says he won’t lie. It’s better to end it. He’s moving out later. She says, just like that? What about the promises they made to each other? The time they took; being so careful to wait until they were sure? So, what? He just changed his mind? He tells her he’s so sorry. Maybe someday he’ll realize he made the biggest mistake of his life. He says, goodbye, and leaves her standing on the pier, crying.
Ava says they can’t possibly consider her a suspect. Why would she kill stranger, and plant the body in her place of business? Jordan asks who else has the keys, and Ava says her cleaning crew. Jordan says she’ll need their info, and asks why Nina is there. Nina says she was telling Ava to stay away from her daughter. Chase thinks they have something. There are strands of hair in one of the hands, and it’s not the victim’s. It’s blonde. Nina looks at Ava.
Kiki asks Griff if this is the part where he offers to step aside to repair her relationship with her mother. Forget it. He says he doesn’t want to be an obstacle. She says her mom is obsessed. She wants to hate them. Let her. Kiki wants to focus on the positive. She’s a med student, she has a new cool sister, and a great guy. Life is good. He says for him too, and they kiss.
Sasha tells Valentin that she’s not blowing this. She knows what’s at stake for him. He says, not just him – Nina. He doesn’t want her hurt. Sasha says she likes Nina more all the time. Valentin says that’s why she has to leave. She tells him that he worries too much. No one is going to find out she’s not really Nina’s daughter.
Phooey.
On Monday, Laura tells Spencer that now is not the time, Carly wants to solve the mystery locked up at Ferncliff, and Sonny tells Margaux that she has no idea what she’ll find.
Z Nation
Smoke pours from the Pacifica library. People stumble around; some wounded, some crying. George asks Kara what happened. Before she can get out the word explosion, there’s another one. Roberta says Kaya is still in the library. Inside, Kaya is on the radio, saying, mayday, the library, send help. She hooks up a reel-to-reel recorder repeating her words, and goes looking for JZ.
George asks, how many injured? A guys says, people, zombies, bombs, who knows what else? Citizen Z says the door is completely blocked. They have to go out another way. A guy engulfed in flames comes running out.
George says they’ll check the library. Kaya continues to look for JZ in the dark. A zombie pops out. She pikes it, and wonders where it came from. Inside the library, Doc doesn’t know whether to pike the victims or rescue them. Roberta says they’ll rescue who they can, and mercy the others. George says, everything they had from before was there. They learned how to live together. They were making a new country. Doc finds a guy trapped under a bookcase. Doc asks, what happened? and the guy says, bad things, and then, zombies. Zombies start coming into the room. Roberta and George slam, slice and dice them. Another starts feeding on bookcase guy. More come, and Doc doesn’t know which way to turn. George has to kill bookcase guy. Doc stomps a zombie’s head, and says, dead and down the old fashioned way. They keep coming. When it’s finally clear, Roberta and George fist bump.
Doc looks at bookcase guy’s ID. He’s Dr. Henry Krinkle, in Orlando for a convention. George says none of the zombies are theirs. Roberta wonders how they got there. Why didn’t the black rain bring them back? They hear human noises. It’s Kaya’s recording.
CZ runs downstairs, and checks the nursery, but it’s empty. He draws his gun. A zombie with a knife in its back comes around the corner. He shoots it, but doesn’t get it in the head. It grabs him. He manages to get the knife out of its back, and plunges it into the base of its neck. He calls for Kaya and JZ. He runs down another hallway. Everything is smashed up, and the electricity flickers. CZ stealthily goes down another hallway, and almost pikes Kaya. CZ says, zombies; old ones. Kaya says she’ll kill all of them if she has to. They’re not eating her baby.
Nana and JZ sit in a closet. The handle jiggles. Zombies stumble around outside the door. Nana waits.
10K practices shooting. He’s not doing well, and Red tells him to take his time. She looks at his hand device, and he tells her, it’s fine. She takes it off, checking his stump, and says, not fine. She thinks he should take a break or use his left hand. Thank you. I said that last week. In brooding 10K fashion, he says, just forget it, and walks away.
At the campus, it’s still chaos. People falling over, and turning into zombies. A woman shoves a biscuit in a guy’s mouth. Doc says, there will be more talkers before the day is out. George says, it’s not safe. Kaya and CZ continue their search. CZ wonders how many zombies are in there, and Kaya says, too many. Doc tends to a victim. He dies, and Doc takes out a biscuit, putting it in his mouth. The guy says the zombie bastards destroyed his library. Doc puts what he’s saying together and realizes the zombies are suicide bombers. He asks how they got in, and the guy says, talkers. Doc asks if he’s sure.
George hears someone yelling. CZ and Kaya pike more zombies. CZ says, they could be anywhere, and Kaya tells him, think strategically. CZ says, like nana. He tries to get in the nana zone. Kaya thinks she’s found a closet; she likes to hide her tobacco stash there. Nana looks through the keyhole.
A zombie with a bomb attached comes through the library. Doc says, a zombie bomb; and follows it. Outside, it’s a mess. Zombies are now feeding. George and Roberta try to nail as many as possible. Kara calls for George. She’s lying on the ground, and can’t move; it’s her spine. She tells George that she’s scared. George says she’ll be okay, but she fades and starts fighting George, who looks for a biscuit. She tells Roberta that Kara is starting to turn, and Roberta asks what she wants to do. George suggests letting nature take its course, but Roberta says, look at them. George looks around at the victims having seizures, and some who can’t move. George says, it’s no kind of life for anyone. She tells Roberta that she’ll do it. They’re so wounded, they can’t function as talkers. George tells Kara to look at her. She puts her forehead against Kara’s, and gives her mercy. George cries, and picks up a book.
Doc follows the bomber zombie with a hammer. If he shoots it, it might blow up, but if he pikes it, it might set off the trigger. George walks through the library. Papers and books are scattered everywhere. She says, they killed all the books, and holds one to her chest. She says, people are dead. People who were just living their lives.It was supposed to be a safe place, and now everyone is scattered. They can’t trust the talkers anymore. Roberta says, that’s not true, and George says, that’s what people believe. Roberta tells her that they can’t stop fighting for what they believe in. Roberta gives her another book, and sees, divided we turn, on a poster. George asks what they do now, and Roberta says save what they can, and find out who did this. Get her damn country back. Roberta asks if George still has friends out there. George says, maybe. Roberta suggests they find them. We see, united we live.
Kaya and CZ continue their search. CZ finds a candy wrapper on the floor. CZ says, gorillagrape flavor. His boy’s been this way. They quietly call for JZ. The door to the closet is blocked by a board, and they move it aside.
Doc confronts the zombie bomber. He pushes it into a room, and covers his head, but the zombie keeps going. Doc follows, saying, come here, you damn z-bomb. CZ and Kaya are at the other end of the hall. Doc tells CZ not to shoot; it’s going to blow. He says, here, zombie, but then tells CZ to call him back. Doc pushes a door open, and says, here, zombie, again. It toddles to Doc, who pushes it into the room, and runs. The zombie blows up, blowing Doc down the hallway. Doc says don’t worry about him; he’s good, but could use a light, putting what I assume is a joint in his mouth. They find nana and JX in the closet.
10K walks. He sees a sign saying, Altura border: turn back – zombies. He aims at it, but misses. He keeps walking, obviously frustrated. He sees another sign, and as he looks through the scope, sees a zombie with an alligator mask perched on its head. Two guys with prods follow the zombie, poking at it. He follows them to a garage.
Outside again, the damage is surveyed, and Doc says, goddam apocalypse. A woman is flipping around on the ground, while someone holds her down. Kara tells a little girl that she’ll take care of her, and takes her away. A woman suggests they mercy her before she bites them all. Agitator guy from last week smashes her head with a rock. Someone says they have no biscuits. Agitator says if they’d quarantined the talkers, none of this would have happened. It’s a talker uprising. Henry says they don’t see any talkers among the bombers. Agitator asks where he’s been, and Henry says he’s been busy dying. He shows them the bite. Agitator asks what about the talkers; they fled and plotted together. Henry says zombies attacked, not talkers. Agitator wonders who sent them, and bets Dante knows. George says he might be dead. She knows they think the dream is over, and they can’t live together, but she’s not giving up on Newmerica. Not yet. Agitator says she’ll get them killed; the talkers aren’t human. The woman says she doesn’t feel safe. Henry says they’re scared, and should be. Roberta says they’ve got to find Dante, and find out who’s doing this.
Trucks from Altura drive in, and the people get excited. CZ says they must have heard Kaya’s SOS. George says, they’re here to take people away. Doc says, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? They’re here to help people. Roberta says, no. Not all the people.
10K looks under the garage door, and slips in quietly. He goes down a hall, and listens at a padlocked door. He’s about to try and get in, when someone comes, and he hides inside a truck. I swear the license plate said talker. Another guy comes by, and he goes underneath.
People get in the trucks. The guard says, no wounded. Humans only. Agitator is bleeding, and the guard repeats, humans only. Agitator says he’s not a talker, and the guard shoots him. He says Agitator is still talking. He stays. Someone says they have no biscuits, and the guard says, and they’re going to turn? That’s exactly why they can’t come. A lady brings some books, and the guard knocks them out of her hands. Henry tells her to go; the books will be there when she comes back. The guard says if any living humans want to seek refuge, they’re leaving in five minutes. George says they have an archives, but he says they’re not there to save books, only humans. They need to go before dark; they can’t keep them safe after that. Roberta asks for an hour to save what they can. He says, thirty minutes. CZ tells Roberta that nana is taking CZ to Altura, and they’re staying. Roberta thinks they should go too. The first attacks happened there. They need to know who’s behind it.
George approaches Agitator, who’s sitting under a tree, and helps him to his feet. The guard asks if there are any more humans who want to leave. No? He tells them to suit themselves. The truck leaves.
10K slinks around the trucks. A guy says, let’s get this over with, and closes the truck with 10K inside. He tries the door, but it’s locked. He’s like, damn. The truck drives to a boxcar, and connects to it. The doors both open, and a ball of zombies rolls forward into the truck. Wtf? I do not want this episode to end.
Somebody spray paints the red talker symbol on a tree.
The truck moves forward with the ball of zombies in it. 10K is hanging from the ceiling, hooked on with his hand device. I guess it’s pretty handy. Sorry. Had to.
Books are gathered in Pacifica. George says, so much destruction. Now everyone is scattered. Doc says they’re stronger together, and George tells him she used to say that. She had an idea; a hope. Maybe it’s not enough. Roberta says, sometimes it’s all we got. She looks at Doc, and says, sometimes hope is all you need. Doc tells George he thinks she was nicknamed George for a reason. Sometimes a great idea is worth more than you think. He gives her a copy of the Constitution to keep her going, George says she’s ready to go home, and Roberta hands George her bag.
The truck stops. Two guys get out and open it, unleashing the zombie ball. It tumbles out, and rolls down the road. They get back in the cab. 10K jumps down, but has to leave his device still hooked to the ceiling, and himself with just a stump. He watches as the truck drives away, then walks in the same direction.
At the library, Henry is putting things back together; the books and the tree. He directs a group on where to archive things. He says they all go green eventually. A man brings Henry a folder, and Henry says to give them black leaves. At least now, they won’t be forgotten. He writes everything in a ledger.
Doc, George, and Roberta walk through the woods. George says it would be nice if Dante left her a message. Roberta says, maybe he did. Doc calls them over to a tree with the symbol, and says they’re on the right track. George tells them, it says safe passage for the talkers. They’d better get there first.
We see someone walking through the woods, but don’t see their face. One hand is holding a can of spray paint; the other, holding a spiked bat. We look into the sun.
Next time, Murphy has a casino – the hottest club; everyone is dying to get in – and Murphy says, friends don’t have friends for lunch.
💍 Regarding 90 Day Fiancé, some of the new couples are kind of sweet, and one couple already has a baby, so that’s different, but I do have to pose one question. How delusional can some people really be? Colt is thirty-three, and lives with his mother and his cats, in Las Vegas. And not the fun part of Vegas. Does he really think Brazilian bombshell Larissa is genuinely interested? She’s been pouting and complaining from the jump, starting with him not buying her a same-day ticket when she got her visa. She’s also not saying I love you back when he says it. Um…
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Michonne wakes up and looks at Rick. She kisses him, and gives Judith breakfast. She and Rick look out over the farm, and tend to daily chores. Michonne wakes up. She looks at her katana on the wall.
Outside zombies are feeding. Michonne slices and dices them.
Michonne studies something. She dispatches more zombies. She cleans her katana. Judith runs around playing. It’s night, and Michonne walks the perimeter of the town. She sees a zombie hanging from a noose. His wrists are also tied. While she’s staring at him flailing around, another zombie grabs her. She whacks it with a bat, and realizes it’s Lucille (the bat, not the zombie). She drops it like it’s hot.
I guess this is day to day in Alexandria.
Maggie loves on Hershel, and passes him off to the nanny, or whoever. She watches the bustle of the town from the balcony. She puts a crowbar in her backpack. Jesus says he has a letter from Georgie, but she says she’ll read it later. She’s going to pick up a few things, and Jesus wonders why she needs a crowbar for that. She tells him that he’s done a good job there, and she wants him to keep it up. She wants make things right, like they talked about. He says, like she made things right with Gregory? But they didn’t talk about that. He says, Negan deserved to die. Rick made the call when it wasn’t his to make. Jesus wants to be sure she’s not wrong in the same way, and wants her to be sure. A woman asks if Maggie is ready. She is, and Jesus watches her leave.
Rick watches the water. Eugene says Mother Nature has dealt them a serious bowl of whoop-ass. Rick asks what the chances are of the bridge holding. Eugene takes no pleasure in telling him the long-term isn’t good. He’s sorry. Rick thinks there’s got to be a way keep on with the project, but not with the numbers he currently has. Eugene says there’s a silver lining, and babbles about something neither Rick nor I understand. Rick thanks him, and Eugene says he’s sorry he didn’t do more; read more engineering books. Rick says he did do better. He’s not just a guy who read books. He made something. He got them there after everything, and that’s everything.
Rick sees Carol, and asks if she’s leaving too. She says she is. She’s taking her people home to the Kingdom. He’s seen it out there. He asks, what about the Sanctuary? and she thinks they should try standing on their own. Rick says, what if it goes down the same way as it did there? and she says, then it’s on them. The Sanctuary people don’t want them there. They don’t want Negan either; not most of them. It’s up to them to figure out who they want to be. Rick says, like she did, and Carol says, like they all did. Rick doesn’t know if he’s doing the right thing, but if anyone gives him hope for how things can turn out, it’s Carol. She says she’s still trying to figure things out like everybody else. She’s sorry. She wanted it to work. He knows.
Jerry rides into camp. Jesus told him that Maggie is going to Alexandria, and thought Rick should know. Rick asks if they said anything else, and Jerry tells him that they said he would know what it means. Rick radios Rachel at Alexandria with an urgent message. If Maggie shows up, delay her at the gate, and alert Michonne. Do not let her in without an escort. Rachel says she’ll relay the message. Rick says if Maggie is listening, let’s talk. Rachel says she thinks Maggie is done talking, and picks up her magazine without passing along the message. Daryl asks, what’s going on? Rick tells him, Maggie is heading to Alexandria. She’s about to do something she might regret. Daryl says he’ll take Rick, and they get on the bike.
There’s a knock at Michonne’s gate. It’s Nora, and Michonne says, it’s that time already? Nora says, it’s not always bad news, and Michonne asks, what kind of day it is today? I guess Nora is like the town crier. Nora says, mostly bad. A fourth of the tomato crops were eaten by crows; there are too many to control. Nora wonders if the world starting have an edge over them, but Michonne thinks it will get better when the when windmill is up and running. Nora tells her that Negan won’t eat. Michonne says she’ll handle it. It’s her responsibility.
Daryl goes the wrong way. Rick tells him, pull over. He finally does, and they get off the bike. Rick asks, what is this? and Daryl says Rick knows what this is. Rick says he already called it in; Maggie isn’t making it through the gates. But Daryl says his message didn’t go through. Rick takes out his radio, and Daryl knocks it out of his hand. They tussle, and fall down a hill into a huge man-made pit. Nice job, Daryl.
Michonne brings Negan some food, saying, the hunger strike ends today. He says he’s not on strike. He’s not in the mood to eat, but it’s nice know she cares. She says they’re keeping him alive, and the living eat, so eat. She’ll be back in an hour and wants it gone. He asks if that’s all she’s got, and she says she’s got better things to do. He says if she wants him to eat, he wants her to stay and talk. They’re supposed to be making a civilization, but it’s hard to be part of that if he’s dead from starvation. She thought he wasn’t on strike. He says he won’t be if she stays and talks. She tells him twenty minutes is all he gets, then he eats every bite. She sits and says, let’s talk.
Roots at the top of the pit are the only way out. Rick jumps and grabs one, but it breaks. He asks if Daryl set that up too, and Daryl asks if he’s really laying this on him. Rick is the one who wanted to chase after her; let things be. Rick says, keeping Negan alive means something to them, and Daryl says, Negan being dead means something to Maggie. Rick gets why it does. Why she’s avoiding coming to Alexandria, hanging Gregory. He’s not blind. Daryl says Rick wouldn’t be alive if not for Glenn; he wouldn’t have found any of them. Did he forget? Rick says he thinks about it every day. He hates what he took from her, but he did what he had to do. Daryl says she’s doing what she has to do. Rick wonders if Daryl supports it. Daryl thinks leaving him alive is a symbol to the a-holes who hope they fail. Keeping him alive gives him hope. Maggie tried, but she couldn’t live with it, like Oceanside. Rick asks if Daryl is telling him that Oceanside killed those Saviors. Daryl says, they got what they deserved. Rick says he knew, and didn’t say anything, and Daryl says he couldn’t live with it either. Rick says if they kill Negan, it doesn’t work. He’ll be made a martyr. The war was for nothing. Everyone died for nothing. Carl died for nothing. Daryl says, what about the rest of them. With all the sh*t they’ve been through, did he think they couldn’t handle it? He tells them to have faith in others, when he doesn’t have faith in them. Rick says, not true. Daryl says he’d die for Rick, and would have died for Carl; Rick knows that, but he has to hear him. He’s chasing something for Carl that ain’t meant to be – let him go. Rick says he never asked anyone to die. Daryl knows. but maybe should have.
Negan thinks Michonne’s day is more boring than his. She’s stuck here with the C-team, while Rick and his merry band of bridge builders is out there. Why is that? She says she’s not stuck. Negan says he wasn’t meant to be rotting in a cell, and she wasn’t meant to be growing kale and kissing booboos. She says it’s more than that; they’re building communities with laws. He’s grateful his wife never saw him like this. Michonne asks, as opposed to the a-hole he was before? He says she deserved better than she got, Michonne says, what happened to her? He says, cancer. They would have loved a kid like Carl; she was lucky. She says she thinks about him every day, but he’s still there in everything they do. She sees him everywhere. Negan asks if she sees him in the cell, and she says, everywhere. He says Carl wasn’t her first, and she says, ten minutes and the food had better be gone. Negan asks how he died – it was a he, wasn’t it? Negan wonders if he had her eyes. Michonne says, His name was Andre; he didn’t make it. Negan says, sorry, and she says she’s made peace with it. He says maybe it’s better this way. His wife wasn’t made for this. She was weak, and when she died, it made him not weak. It’s the same with her. They were built for more; they still are. She’s behind walls, and he’s behind bars. Out there, it’s like an addiction. He says she knows what he’s talking about. He says she should be grateful, and she asks, for what? He says, that Andre is gone. He would have made her weak. She throws the tray against the wall, and storms out.
Gabriel is tied up at the trash heap. Anne, now Tardis Jadis again, wipes his brow and kisses his forehead. She has a captive zombie, an armless woman, with a bucket on her head. He tells her that she doesn’t have to do this, but she says she does. She has only one place in life to go, and he’s the price of admission. He says he knows her. She’s afraid, but doesn’t have to be. She’s cherished. She says she’s not like him. He moved on from his past, and opened his heart; he let people in. He says he didn’t do that; others did. She did. He’s a better person because of her. She says she’s sorry it’s all for nothing. She removes the bucket from the zombie’s head, and it’s pretty decrepit, but wearing a fancy necklace. She moves it closer to him, using a metal thing gouged into its back. Gabriel says it’s his fault. She asked for help, and he failed. He pushes her away because he’s afraid. He talks about the beauty of God’s love and forgiveness. He hopes she forgives him someday, like he forgives her. At the point, the zombie is looming over him and drooling on him, but Anne pulls it back. She covers Gabriel’s mouth with a cloth, and knocks him out.
Carol tells Jerry, if they hurry, they can make it to the Kingdom by nightfall. Jed and a bunch of Saviors come out of the woods. They have guns, but so do Carol and her people. Carol suggests they lower their weapons, and no one gets hurt. Jed says Oceanside is killing them. Being that it’s war, they’ll get what’s coming to them. Carol says he’ll get everyone killed. Jed tells her she’s not the boss lady anymore. She’s a weak woman who got a lucky shot. He cocks his gun, and tells her to step aside. She lowers her weapon, and he takes her keys, She kicks the back of his knee, bringing him down. The Saviors run out of the woods toward them.
Daryl gives Rick a boost. Rick tries to grab a root, and gets it on the second try. He starts to pull himself up.
Michonne studies. She looks at her katana, and goes to the kitchen. She goes back to Negan’s cell with some food. She asks why he said those things, and he says he wasn’t trying to piss her off. She wonders why he’d care what she thinks. He says she never comes downs there; it’s always Rick or somebody else. She asks why it matters, and he says, they’re the same; all or nothing. They’re trapped, connected to the dead; same as him. He tells her that she can’t stand that they’re the same, and she says they’re not. They do what they need to get sh*t done. He gets a kick out of it, but she’s trying to make things better. She’s trying to bring people together, not pit them against each other. She compromises and sacrifices. She does get strength from the from dead, and makes no apologies for that. Her sons are gone, but the world will be better for her daughter, and every child who comes into it. Negan says she’s not scared she’s like him, but scared she’ll end up like him. Everything and everyone she loves gone, and trying to connect. It’s worse than nothing. She says as long as he’s still breathing, it’s not nothing, and tells him, time’s up. He’s going to eat one way or another. He’ll have to. He starts to eat, and asks her to wait. He says, there are things in this world we’re desperate to hold on to when there’s nothing left. Michonne says, the whole time, he thought she was his last best chance, and she laughs. He says he wants to see her, and Michonne says, no. They don’t have his bat. He asks where she is; what did they do with her? Michonne says she’s still out there. She tells him to eat, and leaves. Negan cries and bangs his head on the wall.
A zombie falls into the pit before Rick gets to the top. It’s followed by another, and Rick says there are more coming. Daryl pikes them in the head, and piles them to make a stepladder. More fall in, but Daryl and Rick are almost there. The zombies are reaching up and tumbling down. They grasp at Daryl’s feet. Rick pulls himself out. I think he should leave Daryl there, but he’s too nice. He looks around to make sure no more are coming, and grabs a sturdy branch still attached to a tree. He hangs on to it, to get him closer to Daryl. Daryl gets Rick’s hand, but slips. The next time, he gets a stronger grip, and Rick pulls him up. Daryl says, heads up, as another zombie hurtles toward Rick, and ends up in the pit. A horse with a saddle also appears out of nowhere. Rick says he’s staying. He’s not giving up; not yet. A cluster of zombies is coming up the road, and Daryl suggests Rick take them to the bridge. Rick says he’s not destroying the bridge; they need it. Daryl tells him, be safe. Rick leaps on the horse, and says, you too.
Gabriel wakes up in a metal shed filled with cobwebs. He walks out into the trash heap, and calls for Anne, Jaundice, or whatever her name is. He finds a note in his jacket pocket that says, if you want to go fast, go alone; if want to go far, go together. I need to go fast. He clutches it to his chest and cries. He sinks to his knees.
Michonne reads to Judith. It’s a story about a baseball game, and when she gets to a picture of a bat, it comes to the end pretty quickly.
Maggie and a couple of others ride to Alexandria, passing some dead zombies, which I know sounds redundant.
The zombie group follows Rick. As he rides past the bridge, there are tons of them on the other side, and he’s trapped. The horse panics and rears. Uh-oh. Rick is serious stuck. He gets knocked off, and becomes impaled on a metal pole sticking out of a cement block. He closes his eyes. The zombies come closer. This doesn’t look good.
Next time, Rick’s last episode. It’s hard to tell if he’s dead, alive, dreaming, or what. A cloud of crows is involved, and also a blast from the past.
🐓 Return to Amish is back on November 18 (TLC). Mary Schmucker is my favorite reality show cast member of all time. I can’t wait to see what those wacky Pennsylvanians are up to.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Z Nation
The names of those lost are read by Estes. He says the strength of the human soul will carry them through, and if they are the last generation of humans, they won’t be lost to the universe. The future of humanity is at stake. He stands in front of a memorial made of bricks containing the DNA of the dead. Red gives Sun the slide containing Lilly’s DNA.
George tells Roberta that Dante would have gone to Pacifica. They know him there, and anyone would help him. Citizen Z says he’s considered a hero. Roberta thinks as long as he’s on the run, the guiltier he seems, and there are vigilantes out to get him. CZ can’t wait to get to Pacifica. It contains the largest collection of books. Roberta asks what the population is, and George says, sixty-five adults, and six kids. It’s not perfect, but they’re trying to make it work. Everyone is equal there. Doc says, who’s have thought the apocalypse would be the great equalizer.
They see some people running. George thinks she knows them. She says they’re talkers; running from something or someone. Roberta and George follow a path, and Roberta notes that it’s seen a lot of traffic. They find a dead talker. George says someone ate his brains, and Roberta asks if that’s unusual. George says around there it is. Some guys with guns come out of the woods, and George recognizes their leader as Henry. He’s glad to see her; they didn’t know if she was alive. They saw the attack on CZ’s live cam. George says he’s there, and introduces Roberta, saying Roberta saved her in black summer. She tells Roberta that Henry was her professor. Henry thanks Roberta for saving George. In a way, she saved all of them. He tells George that they’ve doubled their patrol since the attack, and there are rumors of other outposts being attacked. He asks if she thinks Dante is involved. She says, no, and thinks it’s insane that he’s suspect. Roberta says she heard about talkers plotting against humans, but Henry says, that’s ridiculous. They’re human too. They live peace harmony. It’s not always easy, but they make it work. At least they did until last week.
Dante watches Pacifica through binoculars. He sees a caravan of cars going in, and says, let’s move.
Doc is impressed with the outpost. It’s what he thought a college would look like. George explains that they took the south end of campus, the library, and dining hall, and made them zombie proof. They have a chef, Amy, who’s a talker. CZ says she can’t eat anything she cooks. It’s like Beethoven being deaf. George says she has an opening for a taster, and thinks Doc would be perfect. He asks where he signs up.
The dining hall is empty, and George says it’s usually packed. She asks where everyone is, and the talker busboy shrugs. There are unfinished meals on the tables, and Henry says it looks like dinner was interrupted. They decide to go to the library. CZ says it’s what drew him and Kaya there. They have the largest collection of books under human control. George says they want send expeditions out to rescue books from the great libraries. Doc says Stephen King seems tame after eight years of the apocalypse.
George shows the a mural of the Pacifica family tree. It displays all the residents of Pacifica and the ancestors they can remember. There are so few survivors, they wanted to memorialize them. The yellow leaves represent humans; the green leaves, talkers; the brown leaves are those who died before the apocalypse; and the black leaves are for those who turned zombie. Doc says, it gets to you; seeing it laid out like that. Kaya’s nana is on a ladder painting, and CZ introduces her. He wants Roberta and Doc to meet his family, and Henry tells them he’s going to see where everyone is. Doc tells nana that he has something for her pipe for later.
They go to the nursery. CZ hugs his son. Kaya says he’s alive, and runs to him. He introduces Roberta and Doc, and they hug. CZ then introduces JZ, and Roberta asks who his little friend is. Kaya says she’s Ann Marie, and George says she’s a talker. Henry runs in, and tells them there’s a town hall meeting with no talkers allowed. It’s madness.
At the meeting, a guy named Danny says, Pacifica is all of them. It’s the point of the place. Another guy asks what he’s talking about. That’s utopia. This is real life. Danny says they’re not strangers or freaks His aunt is out there, and she feeds all of them. A woman named Beth is sick of the PCness, and acting like the talkers aren’t a threat to their survival. Danny says it’s their duty. Outside in the hall, Amy tells George they’ve been locked out, and the meeting is humans only. Danny is trying to convince them otherwise, but it’s scary. Why shut them out? George says she’ll sort it out, and goes in.
Mike lies on Sun’s examining table, looking pretty beat up, and she pokes at his. She asks if he feels something, and he says it feels like his right foot is there. He asks Sun to mercy him. He can’t live without his wife and kids. Sun says she can’t. She needs to know what keeps him talking. We see that Mike has no bottom half to his body. Red comes in, and tells him she’s sorry about him and his family. Sun tries to give him a biscuit, but he slaps it away. He doesn’t want anything to make it last longer. When he leaves, Sun tells Red that his family was killed in the blast, and it left him like that. It’s worse than being a zombie. The zombies don’t know they’re zombies.
10K comes to the lab, and Sun asks how he is. He wants to get out of there, but Red says he still needs to recover, and Sun is concerned about infection. 10K is worried that the longer they stay, the harder it will be to get out. Sun checks the cauterization on his arm, and says it’s healing beautifully. 10K says, it’s not. Sun tells him that Red went back and found his hand. He tells her to sew it back on, but she says, it doesn’t work like that. He can learn to live without it, and there are prosthetic options. Estes walks in, and asks if Sun has everything she needs to complete her research. It’s more important now than ever. He’s sorry about 10K’s hand, and tells him robotics can help. He has a meeting with the outpost leaders, and they’ll see where they go from here.
At the town meeting, Beth says she didn’t come this far to be eaten alive so they can feel better about themselves. George and Roberta walk in, and George asks if she can talk, and says, this isn’t like us. Roberta says, or it’s just like us. Danny says they’re discussing putting the talkers in quarantine. The other guy says, just until they know what’s going on, and Doc says, that’s a slippery slope. Beth says they have no right to put her family at risk. The talkers are dangerous. George says no one wants to put her family at risk, but Beth doesn’t want to hear that everything is going to be okay. She’s not sitting around waiting for something to happen. She storms out, and purposely bangs into Amy in the hall.
Simon (CZ) plays Simon Says with the kids. Beth stomps in, grabbing her child, saying she’s not playing with talkers. CZ says they’re just kids, and Beth says they can kill her child. Kaya says she’s hurting their feelings. They’re still children. Beth says they don’t get it.
Nameless instigator dude says, cut the bullsh*t. The talkers aren’t human. Doc thinks they’re not showing humanity themselves. George says, as long as they have biscuits, they’re fine. A woman says, what if they don’t have them? The delivery didn’t come. Dude says that’s why they need a quarantine. If George is so hell-bent on protecting them, they’ll all be safe. Henry says they’re talking about putting their families and friends into a camp. They’re not Nazis. The woman says there are more zombies than ever. What does he think is attracting them? They’re going feral. Amy comes in with the group from the hall, and asks who she’s calling feral? Danny tells her not to take it personally. Some of the humans start to chant, quarantine. A guy says no one is separating him from his wife, and a fistfight starts.
Roberta shoots into the air, and says now that she has their attention, sit down. She’s new around there, and please forgive her if she oversteps, but they say they want to form a new country. What kind would it be?The idea of quarantine comes from a place of fear. Vigilantes are spreading hate that comes from the same fear. They just came from finding a talker left to rot alive. The woman says they’re right to be afraid. Roberta says the zombie virus isn’t the only virus they need to be worried about. Acts of hate rooted in fear are a virus too, and will eat their brains faster than any talker. How can they dehumanize their neighbors, friends, and families? How can they see them as a threat? Is that a country they want to live in? It’s not one she’s willing to die for. George thanks her. She wants everyone to take a moment and look around the room, remembering who they are to each other. Each of them are there today because of the others. They’ve saved one another’s lives multiple times. They’re only alive because of each other. The talkers are their families and friends. Dude says, not anymore; they’re dead. George says, they are, but their soul is still in there. Who knew death would be on a sliding scale, but it’s the world they live in.
The woman says the talkers want to eat their brains. Amy says, not everyone’s; just hers. Ha-ha! George says as long as they get biscuits, they’re no more dangerous than humans. Probably less, considering this bunch. She knows they’re shaken by the attack at Altura, and they can’t rule out talkers being involved. Dude ask if that’s why they’re looking for Dante, but George says he’d never be a part of it. Dude says he doesn’t know that, and neither does she. If not for him, none of them would be alive. Dude says they can’t trust the talkers, Dante included. Roberta says they have a chance at building a new world. Don’t build it on fear. George still has hope, and knows they do too. One day, the long dark howl of despair will be over. There will be an after someday, and when it comes, she wants to be able to live with herself. Roberta asks what George wants them to do, and George says, go home, rest, and remember what their dream is. One day, they’ll all be talkers. She hopes it’s different tomorrow. If Dante is on the run, it’s for a reason. Dude says, maybe he’s guilty. George says, if so, she’ll bring him to justice.
Roberta tells George that she and Doc will be on watch. Doc says, it wasn’t so pacifico tonight, but George says, they’re good people; they’re just scared. Roberta says they’re not taking chances. She walks George to her room, and Roberta wonders where George sleeps. George explains that she can’t sleep on bed anymore, and has a mat on the floor. Roberta says George did a great job calming the people. She see why they trust her. George says she did her best, and it all went to sh*t. Maybe it’s time for someone else to try. Roberta says, there is no one else, and George says she can’t be who they want her to be. Roberta says she can. There’s no one like them. They don’t get the chance to have doubts, because doubts make them hesitate, and when they hesitate, people die. She backs George 100%, but she has to ask. Does any part of her suspect Dante? George says he’s like a brother. It would be like Doc betraying Roberta. Roberta says there are few things she’s learned to depend on in the apocalypse, but Steven Beck is one of them. She asks George if she knew that was his real name, but George is already asleep.
We don’t see a face, but a guy puts a gun in his waistband.
Doc snores, as Roberta watches. The guy with the gun closes his door behind him, and Doc wakes up. Roberta motions for him to be quiet, and they go in opposite directions down the hallway. Some people are sneaking around, and Doc follows them. He gets to a door that leads outside, and he finds Roberta there. An alarm goes off. Everyone runs outside. George asks what’s going on, and Henry says, the talkers are all gone. She says, everyone? and Roberta says, everyone.
Doc, Roberta, and George arm themselves. George says they probably haven’t gotten far. Henry feels terrible; they’re probably scared. Doc says he blame them. George suggests they move quickly so they can catch up. Instigator dude says they should leave them go. They don’t belong there. Roberta says vigilantes are crucifying them. He says she doesn’t get it, and she says she does, more than he knows. CZ joins them with Kaya, saying she has intel for them. Kaya tells them the chef told her that they were headed into the woods, and they’re supposed to look for a symbol, a radiating sun. Kaya gives Roberta a paper with the symbol drawn on it, saying the chef left it behind. She told Kaya to thank Roberta for everything, and said don’t follow them. George thinks they’re safer in Pacifica than out there, but Kaya isn’t so sure. Roberta says it looks like someone is helping them, and there’s a talker underground.
Red wraps 10K’s wound. She says Sun is working on an interim solution. He asks how long it will take, but she tells him it’s hard to say with lockdown. He just wants something to pull a trigger with. Just asking, but if he’s so gung-ho about using a gun again, why isn’t he practicing shooting with his other hand?
In the woods, Roberta and company see some trucks go by. Henry says maybe it’s a delivery, but George says they’re not biscuit trucks. She finds a piece of Amy’s scarf. Some armed men come out of the woods and their leader asks if there are any talkers with them. George says she works with Estes, and he says he knows who she is. They’re looking for her pal, Dante, and he asks if she’s seen him. She says, not since the blast. Doc asks what they’re going to do with him, and the leader says, put him on trial. George asks, what court?Who are the judges? That’s what the vote was for. He says they formed a provisional court, and Estes is the judge. They’ll give Dante fair trial – then mercy him. If she helps Dante evade them in any way, she’ll be arrested too, for accessory to murder. Roberta doesn’t see where it’s a crime to help talkers, and he says, it’s the law, and he intends to enforce it. George says, there was no vote, but he says either report any contact immediately, or be subject to arrest. He tells his men, move out, and Roberta says they need find Dante before those guys do.
Sun puts blood on a slide and looks at it. She puts it in a case that says Alvin Murphy, and takes it to the memorial wall, sliding it into one of the bricks. Estes sees her, and asks why she’s not in the lab. She says she needed time to think. The last three tests were a failure, and the side effects were horrible. Estes wants her work to continue without interruption. She’s close to the protein that drives the behavior of the talkers. If they find it, they might be able to figure out what the black rain did to restore consciousness to the dead. Sun says they’re killing them in the process, but Estes says if they do nothing, the talkers will die anyway. Sun needs more time, and he says they don’t have it. If they don’t find a solution soon, they’ll have no choice but to treat talkers as zombies. They’ve seen what happens when they’re starving. He tells her that she has 48 hours.
Roberta asks Henry how long he’s known George. She’s known George since black summer. Henry says he’s known her longer than that. She was one of his students. There was something about her even then. Others got killed, but she she kept surviving, and took them with her. Doc says George seems nice, but he knows badass when he sees it. She could probably mercy a horde with her eyes closed. Roberta asks if there’s any chance that Dante is helping the talkers disappear, and George says, if he is, it’s for good reason. He’s saved too many humans to start killing them now. Doc finds the symbol painted on a tree, and calls the others over. George says they’re on the right trail, and Roberta says the paint is still wet. She tells Doc there’s something familiar about it that she can’t place.
George finds some supplies under a tarp, and says it could be a drop. They see a backpack, and she tells them it’s Dante’s. They hear a sound that Doc describes as a giant bug zapper. We see a zombie being poked with an electrified prod. George says, puppies and kittens, and Roberta says, a whole damn litter. A group of zombies moves toward them at a pretty fast clip.
Red tells 10K that he should get some food, but he says he’s not hungry. She says there’s a movie in the dining hall on a real They should go; it will take his mind off things. She says the movie is The Fugitive, and I literally LOL. I also wonder how many people will get the joke. The fugitive’s nemesis is the one-armed man. 10K says he knows what Red did, she did to save his life. Red says she’s not sorry, and she’d do it again. 10K says he’s done the same things. It’s not her. She’s the only thing keeping him going. If he can’t shoot, who is he? She says he’s ten thousand. He’s a good shot because of his mind and eyes, not because of his hand. He’ll have to learn again, and it’s all in there. She touches his head, and he says he needs to think.
Kaya tells CZ that George is sure Dante is innocent. CZ says it would be out of character. He’d lay down his life for them. Kaya asks why would anyone think did it? and CZ says, he was there before the blast, and no one has seen him since. He got it all on tape. Kaya asks where the tape is, and he says he handed it over to Estes for analyzation. She wants to see it, but he says he won’t get it back until after the investigation. Kaya says it’s uploaded to a server. CZ says she has that look in her eye again, and suggests the get started.
Doc asks when the cavalry is coming, and George says they are the cavalry. That’s what he was afraid of. These zombies are quick, and one takes Henry right off of a cliff. George goes after him, and Roberta wonders where they’re all coming from. Henry is up and running, a zombie close on his heels. George pikes it in the head, but another takes its place and knocks Henry down. George tackles the zombie, pummeling its face into oblivion. Doc says, damn. Have mercy. George asks if Henry is okay. He thinks so, and wonders how many times she’s saved his life. She says she likes him as a human. Roberta notices the sweatshirt one of the zombies is wearing, and says this many zombies from Kalamazoo Water Park isn’t random. They hear an explosion. Kaya is on the radio saying, Pacifica…mayday… but she’s breaking up. Roberta takes the radio and asks if Kaya can hear her. Kaya says, Roberta… Pacifica…. mayday… Roberta help us. They hear another explosion, and Kaya says, attack… don’t know why… Roberta tells her, hang on; she’s coming. Henry says he’ll catch up. When the others are out of sight, he rolls up his sleeve, revealing a bite.
Sun goes into the lab, and sees Red is there. Red tells Sun that she borrowed some of her gear. There must be some way to make a trigger finger for 10K. Sun says, how about this? and shows Red a torch.
On the outskirts of Pacifica, there are dead bodies all over the place. Roberta tells the group to keep their eyes open. They could be anywhere. There’s another explosion. Roberta says not to rush in and get killed. It won’t do anyone any good. Beth is lying on the ground, bloody, and calls to George. She says, the dead; so many. Her baby; so many. They hear another blast, and Beth asks for mercy. Roberta aims her gun, but George stops her. She closes Beth’s eyes and mercies her.
Dante stands on a hill looking down at the outpost. He says, they have no idea what’s coming. Time to move. Humans don’t like being killed. We see a group with him, and Amy is among them.
Things fall around CZ at the library, as he calls for Kaya. He hears screaming. Outside, people are running, and it’s chaos.
The text says, to be continued…
Next time, Zombies + bombs = bombies, and Doc says he’s good.
👻 Beyond the Sanderson Sisters…
🎃 This Halloween, if you need a break from twenty-four hours of Hocus Pocus, and are looking for something less conventional, I have a few suggestions. The Cabin in the Woods never gets old for me, but my traditional Halloween go-to has always been The Midnight Hour. A TV movie from 1985, it was hard to find on DVD up until recently. The words TV movie alone might be off-putting, but I love this bittersweet Halloween tale. Some high school kids (who look to be about thirty-years-old) steal some costumes from a museum for their Halloween party, and cast a spell, inadvertently raising the dead. It boasts an eclectic cast, including a pre-Trek LeVar Burton, Shari Belafonte-Harper, Dick Van Patten, and Kevin McCarthy from the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It’s just not Halloween to me without it. You can watch the whole thing here:
Another gem of a forgotten film is Ravenous, a story about soldier cannibals during the Mexican American War. Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle star, and it doesn’t get much better. Well-written, wickedly funny, and gory as hell, it also features the most heart-pounding fall down a hill I have ever seen. You can find it on YouTube for a small fee, and you can read about it here:
If musicals suit your Halloween mood, both Shock Treatment and Phantom of the Paradise are definite contenders. While not exactly scary (well, it depends on what you’re afraid of), they fit the spirit of the holiday. The former was released as a sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, although I’m not sure why, since the only similarity is the film’s two lead characters are named Brad and Janet (Cliff De Young and Jessica Harper, who has a voice like honey). Also written by Richard O’Brien, it features much of the same cast, but is more of an homage to the evils of reality TV and the average person’s desire for fame. It bombed at the box office, but IMO is better than RHPS in some ways. You can also find it on YouTube, and get an interesting take on it here:
Phantom of the Paradise is somewhat Rocky Horror-esque, but was written by Paul Williams. Before you laugh, know that this is no Carpenters song. With a plotline that borrows heavily from Phantom of the Opera, it’s also a story about how far one will go to achieve fame. It will cost you a couple of bucks to watch the whole thing, but you can see the trailer for free here:
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 