Tag Archives: Dead in the Water

May2

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

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So I guess Wes sucks too?

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

❓ I Forgot Too…

What happened to Ofelia.

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

🔬 Dissecting Daniel…

Ruben Blades talks life and Fear.

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

👩‍👧 Mother/Daughter Act…

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

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

⚓️ Water Works…

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

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

💔 She’s Out…

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

‘Walking Dead’s Melissa McBride Exits Spinoff Series
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Slams “Toxic” Fans After Melissa McBride Exits ‘The Walking Dead’ Spinoff; AMC Issues Similar Response

📅 Another Page Off the Calendar…

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

Apr25

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

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Fear The Walking Dead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🦋 About That Butterfly…

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

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

😷 Sweating It Out…

This season, they’re giving Alicia fever.

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

And bagpipes.

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

👯‍♀️ Seeing Double…

Alicia’s version of Groundhog Day.

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

🤫 A Secret Well Kept…

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

How Fear the Walking Dead’s Madison Return Became a Yearlong Secret

🤿 Spinning Underwater…

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

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

⚰️ All Of Them…

Everything that’s spinning off Deadwise.

The Walking Dead: Every Spinoff In Development

🌜 If I Can Dream…

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

Apr11

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

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

Mid-season finale.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maggie and her group take out their weapons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daryl goes through the woods.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

👍🏻 Final Flip…

What’s happening with the Commonwealth.

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

And does it coordinate with the CRM?

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

🌊 Under Water Dead…

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

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

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

🐣 In Your Easter Basket…

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

https://bamsmackpow.com/2022/04/10/fear-the-walking-dead-return-date-april-2022/

👰🏼 Spicing Down the Aisle…

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

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

🍭 Sweet Dreams…

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

Mar21

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

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⚔️ The Warlord Speaks…

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

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

🏍 He’ll Be Riding Back…

He’s a hardy one, our Daryl.

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

💰 Glimpsing Gold…

Lance is a man of many secrets to be sure.

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

⚰️ Finale Of the Finale…

What’s to come in the Walking Deadverse.

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

🚣🏾‍♂️ No Treading For Him…

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

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

🌏 Keep On Spinning…

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

‘Fear The Walking Dead’ spin-off unveils premiere date

Apparently not.

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

🦢 Feather Ball Time…

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