Tag Archives: fantasy

Mar18

March 17, 2019 – Michonne Has Her Reasons, a Little Talk, a Final Ride, Some O’Myths & an O’Tune

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

This episode did some time jumping, which I hate, so I hope you can follow. I hope I could follow. I thought I was done with this sort of thing when Once Upon a Time was canceled.

All is peaceful near a river. Michonne rides up on a horse, and there are a few lingering zombies around the water. She slices one’s face off. She digs a gun out of the dirt, and whacks another zombie. We see that she’s pregnant. Daryl joins her. He says he followed the water to the ocean and back. There’s nothing there. He asks if she’s good. She says this one’s been kicking the sh*t out of her every morning. Judith has been asking about Daryl and wonders if he’ll be back. He says he will – when he finds something. He thinks he’ll be out there for a while. She says he doesn’t need to, but he says he’ll never stop looking. Not ever. She asks if he’s okay being alone. He nods, and says, her? She rubs her belly, and says she’s not.

Michonne cleans the gun. I assume it’s Rick’s. She puts I in a box marked Judith.

Aaron walks purposefully down the street. Judith and some other kids play. Michonne tells Judith to stay with her brother. Aaron tells Michonne, Daryl is at the at gate. He’s not alone.

Daryl tells Michonne that Henry is hurt. Hilltop was the closest; they had no other choice. Michonne sees Lydia, and asks, what about her? Henry she’s with them. Michonne looks at Aaron, who says they can’t trust her. Michonne says she trusts Daryl. She tells the guard, open it.

A pregnant Michonne opens the gate to a group of kids with Tara. The guard says they were found wandering; one of them is hurt. There’s an adult woman with them, and she says, my God, it’s Michonne. Michonne says, Chocolate?

Siddiq stitches up Josslyn aka Chocolate, who’s the hurt one. Michonne asks Daryl, where to now? Straight to the Kingdom? He says, not straight, but yeah; Carol should know. Connie thanks Michonne for everything. Michonne tells a woman at the door to keep an eye on the girl, and she says she’s on it. Aaron tells Michonne, it doesn’t look like they were following. Daryl covered his tracks. But if the skin jobs look for them, they’ll find them. Michonne says, and then?

Josslyn wants to go, but Siddiq says she’s lost too much blood. She can’t travel. Josslyn says, there are others. Michonne grabs her, and says, it’s her. Talk to her. Tell her what she needs. Josslyn says she needs them.

Michonne, Gabriel, Aaron, and some others enter a building. Michonne asks if they’re sure, and Siddiq says it was one of the places Josslyn mentioned. Aaron tries a door, but it’s locked. He says they’ll have to go back, but Judith has already crawled into a ventilation tunnel. Eugene gives her points for dexterity. She opens the door, and they go inside. They see writing on the walls. They hear a whistle, and a bunch of kids come out.

Henry says his wound is going to leave a huge scar, but Lydia likes it. He’ll never forget what he did; neither will she. Michonne needs speak Lydia – alone. Henry says he’ll make himself scarce. He thanks Michonne for letting the people go to the fair. Michonne says if she knew all this would happen, she wouldn’t have. Can’t say I blame her. She asks if Lydia cares about him? Lydia says she does, and Michonne says her too. Michonne tells her, sit, and they sit on the steps. Michonne says she’s done things to protect this place; things she’s not proud of, and some she’s tried to forget. To save her people, she had to risk others. It hasn’t been easy, but she did what she had to do. She’s made her peace with that. It might be easier if the only life risked was her own life. She could just walk away, and take all the risk with her. If that could make everyone safe, it wouldn’t be so hard. She tells Lydia, think about that, and leaves. Lydia ponders Michonne’s words.

As they sit on a bridge in the now, Judith asks Daryl if Hilltop is in danger. Daryl says, it might be. Judith asks if he wants to help. She asks if he’ll stay if mom says it’s okay. Daryl doesn’t know. He should keep moving. She’s read stories about how he and her dad fought the Saviors and won. He can do that again. He says they’re just stories. She asks what would her dad do? and gets silence. She says, that’s what she thought.

Gabriel plays a game with the kids. Pregnant Michonne watches. Aaron says he didn’t know how much they needed this until now. She wishes Rick could see it. Aaron says, wherever he is, he’s sure Rick knows. He says, sorry, that’s not what he meant, and she tells him, it’s okay. She finds Josslyn in the kitchen, and says she’s impressed with the kids’ hunting skills. She doesn’t know how Josslyn does it; all the kids. Josslyn says, they take care of her. The adults never made it. They’re broke, but children crumble, learn, and come back. Michonne brought her kids back to her. She knows that Michonne is going out to look for her man. She knows the look. Their junior year, Dean Turner told her that she’d need a thousand signatures before her petition would be considered. She had that look when she brought them to him at his fancy-ass event. Michonne says she’s at least going to enjoy this. She asks Josslyn, what if she never finds him? Josslyn says she might not, but if she gives up now, she never will. She can’t live with that. Michonne says she needs to know. Judith and the baby deserve to know. Josslyn says Michonne found her after fifteen years. Last time they saw each other, there was still a world. Michonne takes Josslyn’s hand, and says she’s so glad Josslyn is there. Josslyn says, so is she.

At today’s Hilltop, Aaron talks to Daryl about his kid. Daryl says, a lot has changed. When they last talked, they were still building bridges. Michonne joins them, and tells Daryl, stay safe. He says, her too. She tells him that Judith is mad at her. She told Judith she’s not ready, and neither is Judith. She’s a kid, and gets to keep being one for as long as Michonne can help it. Daryl says, it’s not just a little kid she’s got there. He calls Dog, and the gate closes behind them. Judith walks off. Michonne follows, stopping to look at the sewer cap that allows access underground.

Aaron asks pregnant Michonne if Judith is having a sleepover. She says, yeah. Judith loves them.

Michonne and another couple knock on Josslyn’s door. When there’s no answer, Michonne lets herself in. She calls for Josslyn, and the man with her calls for Marcus. They go outside, and start calling for the kids. Marcus’s dad sees the pantry is cleaned out. Michonne continues calling for Judith, when he tells her to come there. He shows her the pantry, and they see the guard is dead. A girl runs up and says they’ve been raided. Michonne says, no, and follows small footprints to the underground tunnel.

Presently, Michonne has dinner with Marcus and Judith, telling Judith, eat; don’t poke. Judith says, sorry; she not hungry, and asks to be excused. Michonne lies awake. She sits up, and we see her scar, an X on her lower back. She knocks at Judith’s door. She knows Judith is upset. She’d like to talk. There’s something she wants to tell her. She goes into Judith’s room. Judith is gone.

Michonne asks Negan if Judith has been there. He asks if she’s curious, or… She tells him, answer her question. He says he hasn’t seen Judith since yesterday. She asks what they talk about, and he wonders why. She says for someone who wants to be helpful, he’s doing a sh*t job. He says they talk about nothing; just chit-chat. Michonne asks for specifics, and he says, homework. She misses Daryl, and likes to hear stories about her dad. Michonne asks if he’s feeding her bullsh*t, but he says Judith would weed that out. He tells Judith that she’s just as much of a bad ass as Carl. He tells her about how her dad got into the Sanctuary, and shot up Negan’s men, and how her dad sliced his jugular. She asks if he tells Judith why. Negan says Judith likes listening to him. Michonne says he likes hearing himself, and he says they have that in common. He shoots straight. If Michonne did that, maybe she’d be talking to Judith instead of him. Michonne laughs, and asks if he told Judith what he did to Glenn and Abraham. He’s quiet, and she says she didn’t think so. He says he’s always been honest with her. Judith asks questions, and he answers; so yeah, she’s heard those stories too. She hates that Michonne isn’t letting people into Hilltop. She thinks it should be like how Carl would want; like in Carl’s letter. Michonne says he doesn’t get to tell her about Carl, or what Judith wants or feels. Judith is her daughter. Negan says, exactly right. She has her own idea of how things should be. He says Michonne didn’t come because she’s curious. She has no idea where Judith is. Maybe she’s off petting a horse, or maybe she’s exactly like her mom, and not taking sh*t lying down. Michonne jets.

Michonne runs home, and runs upstairs. She opens a note that says, I’m sorry I had to go. Our friends need help.

Pregnant Michonne and Daryl walk through a field. Daryl suggests they take a break. They sit on a swing set. Daryl says they’ll find her. Michonne can’t believe this heartbreak. After Judith lost her mom, she wanted to be that for her again – she needed it. She let her guard down. Daryl says she didn’t know, but Michonne says she should have sensed something. Daryl says she didn’t because Michonne’s not like her. Some people are evil in their heart, and hide it; like they’re wearing a mask. This is on Josslyn, and she’ll pay. They’ll find them. Michonne suggests they get going.

Michonne sees a little girl breaking into a school. The girl brandishes a knife, and runs. Michonne yells, wait! Daryl comes around the other side, and aims his crossbow. He turns a corner inside the building, and sees a group of kids blocking them. Michonne asks where her kids are. The group has weapons, and Daryl says, drop ‘em. One of the kids shoots at him, and Michonne says, okay, lowering her weapon. One of the kids knocks her out.

Michonne and Daryl are gagged, and their wrists are bound to a pipe. The kids look at them. A little blonde boy says, she’s awake. Josslyn is there. The child has a branding iron with an X. Michonne tells Daryl, be strong. The child brands Daryl, and although he makes muffled noises, he keeps in control. Josslyn says, well done, Linus. He says, the strong survive. She says, and thrive. She says she told Michonne, children are capable of anything. She taught them, become what you are; they can be soft. Michonne tries to talk. She sees the iron being heated again. Josslyn tells Linus, control it. Don’t let it control you. Linus goes behind Michonne, and brands her. She cries out, and Josslyn gets in her face.

Present day Michonne is on a horse, riding over a field. She sees a lone bike, and looks panicked. She gets off the horse, and runs through a crowd of zombies, calling for Judith.

Daryl gets loose, and cuts pregnant Michonne down. She says they should split up, and Daryl agrees. She goes upstairs, and finds an open door, but it’s padlocked. Josslyn walks down the hall with the kids, saying there could be more of them. Holding a piece of pipe, Michonne stands in front of them, and Linus blows a whistle. Michonne asks, where are her kids? Where’s Judith? Tell her. Josslyn says, why? She’s better off. Michonne lives in the past, and Judith isn’t a ghost like her. Michonne calls for Judith. Most of the kids take off out the door, and an older kid locks it behind them. Linus says, kill them off. Michonne doesn’t want to hurt them, but Linus slashes Michonne’s stomach, and now she’s pissed. She screams, no! and they run. She tries the door, but it’s locked. She sees the kids run past outside, and gets out, but Josslyn is waiting, and whacks her with a board. She hits Michonne a few more times, saying she’s truly sorry. Michonne grabs her sword, and stabs Josslyn in the thigh. When she’s down, Michonne stands over her, and stabs her in the chest, finishing her. Linus runs up. He can’t believe it. Michonne doubles over. The kids are at the ready to pounce on her, but she says they can come back to Alexandria. They’ll be taken care of. An older kid tells them to kill her; the rest, come with him. Linus runs at her. She tries to keep him at bay, telling him, no, when the older kid comes up behind her.

Present day Michonne is in the field, slicing and dicing zombies, while pregnant Michonne fends off Linus, who has a knife to her stomach. She has no choice but to start carving at the kids. The timelines are interspersed. Another little blonde boy, Whitney (honestly, all these little kids look the same), runs to the trailer, and stands at the top of the steps with a knife. Michonne tells him, please don’t. Daryl comes out – gee, thanks for your help – and walks toward Whitney. Whitney puts down the knife. For a moment, we think he’s going to hug Michonne, but he runs past her, and away. She cries, and calls to Judith. Judith, who looks to be about four, comes out of the trailer. She stands there a moment, but then runs to Michonne, saying, mommy! More kids come out, and Michonne welcomes them.

In the field, Michonne stabs another zombie. Judith is there with her, and spears the last one. She’s miscalculated though, as it’s down, but not out, and grabs her. Michonne gives it a last jab. She hugs Judith, and asks if she’s okay. They need to talk.

Michonne tells Judith that she stood there, like she didn’t know. For a second, she thought she was too late, that Judith had changed, and she’d lost her. Judith says Michonne didn’t look like herself because of the blood; that’s all it was. Michonne says, she remembers that? Judith nods, and Michonne asks, what else? Judith says, Josslyn and her kids were nice to them the whole time. They made it seem like game, but she was a bad person. They all were. That’s why Michonne did what she did. Michonne says, all this time, she thought Judith didn’t remember. She’d hoped Judith didn’t. She never said anything after the first year. Judith says it made Michonne sad. Michonne says she thought Judith would understand. How did they get there? Judith says their friends need their help, and Michonne says, it’s not that simple. Judith says, yes, it is. Michonne chose to be her mom because they love each other. Michonne agrees, and Judith says, love means doing whatever it takes to keep the ones you love safe. She asks when they stopped loving Daryl, Maggie, Carol. and the King? Michonne says, they didn’t, and Judith says, then why does it feel that way? Michonne hugs her.

The gates open. Michonne and Daryl come back with little Judith and the kids. Siddiq takes Michonne with him. Aaron closes the gate after them.

At the baby’s grave, Michonne tells Judith that she and Judith’s father dug this together. That day, standing there, she made a promise to never bury another child again. Then Judith’s father was gone, and she was lost. Then Judith was lost, and she was scared. More than she’s ever been, before or since. She wasn’t the only one, so they decided to make the place only about the people there. It’s not what Carl or her dad gave their lives to create, but it kept her safe. It’s what she wanted. It’s all she wanted. She cries, and says Judith was right. They have to protect the people they love. All the people they love. She takes Judith’s hand, and they walk back.

Michonne and Judith travel in a buggy. Michonne slows down. Daryl, Connie, Henry, and Lydia come out of the woods. Judith asks if anyone is headed to the Kingdom. They get in.

Two Whisperers look out from a distance. They see the buggy going into the Kingdom. One of them says, we must tell Alpha.

Next time, Ezekiel stands before them today at the start of a new tomorrow, the groups merge, and Beta says only Daryl has to die.

🔊 On Talking Dead, Chris Hardwick started off with, happy St. Patrick’s Day. Or as sober people call it, don’t leave your house day. I had to laugh, given my aversion to the holiday, after having worked in Manhattan during it. Useless zombie trivia: he was also a walker in tonight’s episode.

🚴 Tonight was the finale of Ride with Norman Reedus. Norman took on Tennessee, going to Memphis first. He met up with major song writer Dale Watson, who took him all over the place, their first stop being a custom bike shop. Dale said that Memphis tries to repurpose old buildings rather than tear them down, which gets my vote. They had breakfast with Henry Nelson, the voice of Memphis radio, and I could not take my eyes off the food, in particular, the biscuits. Henry was a font of historical knowledge, and said, in his opinion, Memphis was just beginning to heal from the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination. They hit World Studios, a recording studio that had about a billion gold records on the wall. The owner said at one time, the building had been a silent movie theater. Being African American, his dad wasn’t allowed to record there, but eventually bought the guy out. A prime example of living well being the best revenge. They had an autograph wall, and we found out The Beatles had once signed it, but it had been painted over by a little old man with a roller. Norman told us, from Al Green to Wu Tang to Bruno Mars; there’s magic in these walls. Next, Norman met two-girl band Sister Antics, at a dive bar that was part of the historic foundation of the town, and a seemed to be a dive bar on purpose. They followed the Mississippi River, and headed for Nashville. After doing some fishing on the Tennessee River, they hooked up with some more musicians, and we found out that Nashville has had a white rapper scene for quite some time. I can’t say I’ve ever thought, nothing says Eminem like Nashville. Norman and the ladies followed what had once been an old Native American trail, and then parted company. Norman’s next stop was a hot fried chicken place where he met Marilyn Manson. One of my favorite things is how they splice in mini interviews with locals, much like Sweet Home does. On the subject of hot friend chicken, we found out it’s dipped, marinated, doused, and submerged in hot sauce; and it’s a hillbilly concoction that will set your ass on fire. Marilyn accompanied Norman about town by riding in a motorcycle sidecar. They spent time with designer Manuel, who started Johnny Cash on the road to being the Man in Black. He sold one-of-a-kind items, many of which, Marilyn tried on. We also discovered, Marilyn loves roller skating, and is quite the speed skating demon. He and Norman attended the Roller Derby, which looked like a lot of fun. I love the Roller Derby, which may or may not be a surprise. Kansas City Bomber is one of my favorite films. They took a picture with the girls, and everyone was thrilled. I enjoyed this show so much, I’m hoping they do another season. The best thing about it is how Norman really makes you want to be there.

🍀 St. Patrick and the Luck O’…

The Top 5 Myths Of St. Patrick’s (And How To Improve Your Luck)

Did you know St. Patrick wasn’t Irish? He did believe in a generous pour though.

https://blog.sivanaspirit.com/gs-gn-lucky-gemstones/

🌈 In Keeping With the Theme…

Unfortunately, The Irish Rovers didn’t have a video, but there was this.

 

Mar11

March 10, 2019 – Daryl Faces Beta, Norman Rides in Texas, Amusing Eavesdropping, Jeremy’s Story & Fast Monday

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Daryl, Lydia, Henry, and Connie run through the forest. Daryl says they’re going back to Hilltop. Lydia says, there are too many of them, and he asks why she told them there weren’t that many. She says they had her locked in cage, and wanted her to betray her own people. He asks if she wants to go back to them, and she says she can’t. He says then she’s coming with them. Henry says they can keep running. If they disappear, Hilltop can’t be blamed. Let him fix this. Daryl says, no way in hell he’s running with Lydia; think of his mom. Connie and Daryl disagree on which direction to go, and everyone follows Connie, even Dog. Daryl has no choice but to follow.

At the camp. Beta stomps around. He sees a Whisperer with a gaping neck wound. The guy says he’s going to be one of them, but Beta says he’ll always be a Whisperer. He tells someone to find the guy’s wife. Tell her the change is coming to him. Well, I guess her too, if they stay married. He asks another Whisperer if Henry and Lydia have been found. She says, no, but they’re on their trail. He says Lydia will walk with them again. They’ll all walk with them.

The Kingdom decorates for the fair. Jerry’s wife, Nabila, tells Carole it’s what they fought so hard for; the chance to be different people. They can’t give up now. Carol says, Jerry is knocking off early, and wonders what happened to his armor. Nabila asks if he’s all right. Dianne says they need to talk to the king.

Jerry says he was bushwhacked. They took all his stuff, and gave him this. It’s a letter that says, we are the Highwaymen. The roads belong to them, and their visitors will be turned away unless they pay the toll. Jerry says they must have heard him talking about the fair. He’s sorry, but Ezekiel says, it’s a trade fair; it’s hardly a secret. They need it, and couldn’t pay the pirates if they wanted to. Dianne wonders if they’re renegade Saviors, but Ezekiel says, they don’t write letters. Jerry says they have to do something to keep the people safe. Carol says the fair could be their last chance. Ezekiel says, gather every fighter they can spare. He tells Carol, it never ends, does it? I know exactly how he feels.

Tara, Magna, and the others come up against some downed trees blocking the road. Tara says they have to clear it before the Whisperers catch up with them. They start moving the blockade. Earl wants to give them a hand, but Tammy says he’s not getting any younger. She’s holding the Whisperer baby, and Earl says the baby deserves better than two old farts. They’ll find him a nice family. Kerry asks if there’s anything she can do, but Yumiko says Connie is okay with Daryl. Magna says they’ll catch up at the fair. They remove the roadblock.

Daryl and the others see a hotel. Connie points. Daryl says, higher ground, and Connie writes, a chokepoint. He says, walkers can’t go up, and they need to separate the living from the dead. They travel in a herd. He asks Lydia if there aren’t five or six traveling within a crowd. Lydia says her mother won’t send an army if she doesn’t have to. She’ll send Beta. Daryl asks if he’s the best, and she nods. Daryl says, good; he’ll kill him first. They go into the hotel.

Jerry looks through binoculars, and tells Dianne there are two guys and they’ve got guns Dianne takes a look. She says they can take them both out before they start shooting. Carol says, it’s like old times. Carol tells Ezekiel that they have guns, He says he had hoped for a better future, but violence seems to be the only currency they understand, same as the old world. Carol says they could try talking to them, and Ezekiel asks if she thinks they’d listen. She says they could have killed Jerry, but they didn’t. They sent a grammatically correct letter. They sounded civil. Jerry says, it was a grammatically correct death threat, but Dianne says, they only said people can’t pass. Ezekiel says they have their knives at the Kingdom’s throat. What if she’s wrong? Carol says, if she is, and they don’t listen, then they’ll kill them.

Daryl and the others investigate the hotel. Connie moves part of floor, and there are supplies underneath. Daryl says, the stairwells are already barricaded. He guesses she already knows that, and she writes they stayed there once. He says there are two ways out, and looks at a map of the place. Connie writes that she wants Lydia to stay, but Daryl says they have to take her back, or his friends die. He writes, friends will die, and Connie writes something back, ripping the page out of her notebook, and shoving it in his hand. He reads, we have friends, she doesn’t.

Ezekiel, Carol, and Jerry go into a basement. Oh great, there are mannequins stored there. A dude in a cowboy hat (I find out later his name is Ozzy, which isn’t mentioned, but we’ll call him that for clarity’s sake), says they were meeting with the king alone. Ezekiel says, the king and queen rule together. Ozzy says, that’s not the deal, but Carol says they didn’t have a deal. Are they doing business or not? Ozzy says they were supposed to bring something, but Carol says they’re not paying a toll. Ezekiel says they’ve brought alternative solutions. Ozzy says, how about this for an alternative solution? Some of the mannequins turn out to be Ozzy’s men, and they cock their guns. Ozzy says maybe they’ll pay for Ezekiel, but Ezekiel says they can’t pay with what they don’t have. Ozzy says they have food and clean water. They’ll take what Ezekiel’s got. Ezekiel says they got need what they’ve got, and Ozzy says, so do they. Ezekiel’s people step out of the shadows, backing him up, and get the best of the Highwaymen. Ezekiel says what they’re doing threatens the future of his community, and they’ll fight to stop them from taking it. Ozzy says he’s listening, and Ezekiel wants to offer him a job. Carol says they need help keeping the grounds clear. Instead of threatening the people on the roads, they’ll keep them safe. Jerry whispers something to Ezekiel, who says Jerry would like his sword back. Ozzy asks what they get in return, and Ezekiel says they’ll be granted access to the Kingdom and fair. Ozzy laughs, and asks if that’s joke. Carol says it’s a trade market, and Ezekiel asks what good are the things they steal, if they if can’t trade them for what they need? Ozzy holds out Jerry’s sword, and says they’ll have to do better than that. Carol asks when was the last time any of them saw a movie? Ezekiel is like, wha…? and Ozzy says, seriously? She smiles, and Ezekiel smiles.

Lydia hammers boards over a window. Henry brings her a pokey stick that he’s carved special for her. He doesn’t need a point, but thought a spear would be easier for her. She says, these are her people. They looked out for her most of her life. She can’t do it. He tells her that he’ll save it. He says he’ll try not to kill any of her people. She asks why he’s doing this. He says she didn’t want to go back, but she says that’s no reason to risk his life. He says he’s not letting them take her. She says they made her mother look weak, and Alpha can’t let it go. He says then they’ll run, but she says there’s no place to go where she can’t find them. Henry is sure there is; there’s a whole world out there. Lydia asks if he’d really go with her. He moves closer to her, and she asks why he came for her. He says because he cares about her. She kisses him, and killjoy Daryl is suddenly there. He says, come on; they have to keep watch. He’s like somebody’s dad right now.

Magna tells Tara, they’re headed his way; maybe ten. Tara gives instructions to everyone, and tells Earl to get the horses. The zombies (or not) toddle out of the woods. The group dispatches them one by one. Earl is trying to untie the wagon, when a zombie comes up behind him, and he gets knocked down. Tammy puts the baby in a trunk, as the zombies start to clamor at the wagon. A zombie is on top of Earl, and he struggles with it. Tammy comes flying off the wagon, stabs one on her way to Earl, and whacks the zombie off of him. They see a group on horses riding toward them. It’s Ozzy and the Highwaymen (sounds like a band). Tara asks who the hell they are, and Ozzy says, their escorts to the fair, at her service. She’s like, wtf?

Henry looks out from a balcony. Lydia stands on the other end, silent and watching. She smiles at him, and he he smiles back. Lydia sees the zombies (and not) walking toward the hotel, and says, they’re coming.

Beta says, spread out. Daryl aims his crossbow, and takes a zombie and/or Whisperer out. Beta looks up. Daryl says, they’re here; let’s go. The mob busts right into the place, and start to tromp through the first floor. Beta says, the stairwell, and tells one of the others to lead them up. Daryl says Lydia is coming with him. She kisses Henry before she goes. Connie and Henry bolster the windows.

Beta heads upstairs. Zombies cluster in the staircase, and Beta realizes it’s a trap. Daryl takes Lydia to a closet and tells her, get in. Lydia wants to help, but he says she can’t help if she won’t fight. He leaves Dog with her, saying, if anyone comes through, Dog will take them down. If it happens, she should run. She thanks him, and he locks her in.

Henry hears them coming. The door handle jiggles, and it opens. Two Whisperers with knives come in. Henry jumps out, surprising them, and kills one. The other tries to shoot an arrow at him, but Connie gets him with a slingshot from behind.

Daryl is at the ready with his crossbow, when the door busts open, and Beta comes in, along with some others. Daryl sees a silhouette of a Whisperer, and cuts him down. In the closet, Lydia hears Henry struggling, and Dog bears his teeth. Lydia looks around for something to pry the door open with, and finds a crowbar. She calls to Henry, and gets the door open. Dog takes a zombie down, as Lydia runs to Henry. Henry finishes the zombie off. Connie is there, and stabs another. Lydia tells Henry that she’s sorry, and he says him too. We see Henry has a wound.

Daryl kills another zombie, grabbing it from behind. Beta flies in, and slams Daryl against the wall. He asks, where is she? Both he and Daryl have knives, and they have a knife fight, like something out of Jackie Chan, but not as funny. Daryl down crawls away, but Beta yanks him up, putting his face near a table buzz saw. He asks again, where is she? This time, Daryl slams Beta – who, BTW, is a humongous dude – and he knocks Daryl to the floor. Daryl sticks a small knife in Beta’s neck, and Beta crashes through the wall like a cartoon character. Beta pulls the knife out, but by the time he returns, Daryl has disappeared. Daryl reveals himself in the floor cubby hole. Beta says Daryl is nothing to him; he’s already dead. All he wants is the girl. Daryl crawls out, and shoves Beta, who stumbles back, and falls down an elevator shaft. Daryl spits on him. Good for Daryl. He also picks up his knife on the way out.

The fair is happening. Ozzy walks through it, tipping his hat to Carol. Everyone is happy for a nanosecond. Tara and the Hilltoppers being in some stuff. Earl and Tammy bring the baby along. Earl tells Nabila, they were hoping to find someone to take the baby in, but Tammy says she’s not letting the baby go. Nabila tells Earl that he baby already has a good home. Carol hugs Tara. Carol asks where Henry is, and Tara asks, what about Daryl. They were meeting them there. Carol wonders where they are.

Connie hits some car windows with the slingshot, smashing them to attract the zombies. They gravitate toward the car.

Lydia wraps Henry’s wound. Daryl says they should go. Henry asks where they’re going, and Daryl tells him, there’s a whole world out there. Are they breaking away from the pack?

They leave. Beta lies at the bottom of the elevator shaft, but as anyone with sense figured, he’s not dead. Just a little stiff. He huffs and puffs, grunts and groans, and gets himself up. He looks up.

Next time, Henry tells Michonne that Lydia is with them, Michonne takes out Rick’s gun, Judith asks Daryl what her dad would say, and Michonne is in trouble.

🚴 On Ride with Norman Reedus, Norman picked up friend Sean Patrick Flanery at his place outside Houston, and they rode to Dallas. Sean is from the Lone Star State, and he and Norman played twin brothers on Boondock Saints. Sean claimed they had actually met before that, but it was not a story for mixed company (i.e. the viewing audience). Hmm…. We learn that eight seconds can make or break a bull rider, and watched some dangerous moves. They made a trip to the Texas Motorway, where they took in some drag racing, and did a little themselves. The insurance people for TWD must hate Norman. They also looked at the bluebonnet flowers, which Norman assured us was different than when Carol said to look at the flowers. They went to visit tattoo artist, Oliver Peck, at Deep Ellum in Dallas. Having met Norman at a charity event ages ago, they became fast friends. When Norman gifted Oliver with a knife, Oliver insisted on giving Norman five bucks. We learned it’s bad luck to take a free knife, so that might be something you want to write down. Oliver also hosted an old-fashioned barbecue, and showed off the massive warehouse where he lives with his wife. Daryl and Sean autographed a poster from Boondock Saints that was hanging up. After lunch, there was a lively armadillo race. Daryl discovered that Texas encourages you to be bold, take chances, and be whoever you want to be. I still can’t believe I like this show as much as I do. Never say never. I didn’t think Game of Thrones was my cup of tea either, but not only have I screamed at the TV over a CGI dragon’s demise, I scream at George RR Martin to write faster.

💰 Rich People Problems…

Some amusing soundbites overheard on NYC’s Upper West Side.

https://guestofaguest.com/new-york/nyc/hilarious-soundbites-overheard-on-the-upper-east-side?utm_source=Guest+of+a+Guest+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a5e2382e74-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_01_25_05_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f8ccc7597b-a5e2382e74-93421517

😟 The Real Jeremy…

Both interesting an sad that Pearl Jam thought it better to make up the story, than intrude on the real family. News flash. The real family isn’t happy with that.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/jeremy-delle?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hunewsletter

⛅ How Did It Get Here So Fast?

Oh, that’s right. We lost an hour.

 

Mar4

March 3, 2019 – Alpha Tests Lydia, Arizona Ride, Slender Disappointment & New Week

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

I swear, every time I see that warriors wanted ad for the Army that comes on before the show, I think the show started. It irritates me that it’s exactly what they want me to think, so that I look at it.

The Whisperers walk with the zombies. Lydia is without a face skin, and Alpha asks if she took it off, but Lydia says they took it from her. She tells Alpha that she acted like she needed help. Alpha asks if he touched her, but she says, no. Alpha asks if Lydia told them anything, and Lydia says she told them there were only a few of their kind. She lied to get him to trust her. Except for one thing – she said they shouldn’t cross Alpha. Alpha stands in front of Lydia, inching her face closer to Lydia’s. She asks what Lydia found out, and Lydia says it’s mostly farmland, some supplies; their weapons are basic. She doesn’t think they have anything to trade. Alpha wonders what she gets in return for Lydia’s release. Lydia says it’s all she’s got, and asks if the only reason Alpha came get her was to get information. Alpha says, stupid question.

Michonne asks, who else knew? Gabriel says Eugene and Rosita were the only ones. They would have told her if anyone else was out there. Michonne wonders who else might have been listening. She says Eugene and Rosita went out to set up this relay, and almost died because of it. Jesus did die because of it. Negan got out since Gabriel was distracted because of it. She can’t have a council if she has no information. Gabriel says they gave her the option to veto security concerns, but it seems like everything is a security concern now. Their votes don’t matter anyway, unless Michonne agrees. She says putting themselves out there when they don’t have to is dangerous. Gabriel says, so is cutting themselves off from everyone else. Who do they turn to when they need help? They can’t worry so much about their enemies that they lose their friends. Aaron says they already did lose a friend. They had the best intentions, but it doesn’t change what happened. There’s an enemy out there; the kind Michonne was afraid they’d find. He doesn’t regret the time he spent out there – maybe what happened would have happened anyway – but they can’t pretend they don’t know what’s out there now. They put Michonne in charge of security for a reason. She’s saved them time and again. Siddiq says, at what cost? Carol asked for help with the fair, and Michonne turned her down. Gabriel says, she spoke on behalf of Alexandria? Michonne says, the fair is old business, but Siddiq says they have new information. He says, the fair starts day after tomorrow. It’s not too late to reconsider. Carol says the Kingdom is worse than Ezekiel is letting on in his letter. They’re too isolated, and need the trade. Carol wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t serious. A woman makes a motion for a second vote, but Gabriel says, why? Michonne will just veto it. Michonne says she would. The roads are broken, and a dangerous group dressed as the dead are trying to kill them. She wishes she could help them. They can vote, and she’ll open their doors to their friends like they did with the Sanctuary, but Carol made it clear that Ezekiel isn’t ready to give up the Kingdom, and she’s not ready to risk the lives of Alexandrians for this. Siddiq asks what it means to survive if the Kingdom falls. Michonne says, it means Alexandria survives. She’s obviously not a team player, and leaves on that note.

Rosita can’t button her pants and gets frustrated. Gabriel comes in, looking pretty gloomy. Rosita says, looks like it went well. He says he’s the leader of a council that’s not really a council anymore. She asks what Michonne said, but he’d rather not talk about it. He knows he’s being difficult. He’s not trying be, but it’s a lot. She says, it’s okay. She’s sorry too. He asks, what for? and she says they were just getting started. He didn’t sign up for this. She didn’t either, but it’s happening. It’s a blessing, but if it’s too much, and he wants to walk, she gets it. He asks what she wants, and she says he knows what she wants. The ball is in his court.

Lydia sits under a tree and finds a spool of cord or wire or something under the dirt. Henry watches from a distance. A Whisperer comes up behind him, and he fights it off with his pokey stick, but Beta grabs him from the other side, tosses the stick, and pulls him out of the ditch he’s been hiding in. Beta tells Alpha that Henry has been tracking them. She asks if there are others, but he says, just him. She asks who he is, and Beta twists his arm. Alpha says Beta can break it, then other one, then his legs. They can feed the hungry ones. Henry says, okay. He’s from Hilltop, but they didn’t send him. He came for Lydia. Lydia walks up to him, and punches him, knocking him to the ground. Alpha says he’s coming with them. She tells them to keep their eyes open; where there’s one, there’s more than one. They begin to walk again. I guess she’s supposed to be smart, but talks like she didn’t even finish high school. How come Lydia can communicate just fine?

Eugene visits Gabriel. He’s brought a chart listing the pros and cons of Gabriel staying with Rosita and raising another man’s baby. He says happiness shows growth in the long term. Gabriel thanks him. Eugene also brought along the evaluating criteria. Gabriel is like, thanks, but no thanks. Eugene says he’d be a damn fool to let her go. They’ve been through the stew, and Gabriel never gave up on him, even when he gave up on himself. Gabriel saw things he didn’t. Rosita is the best thing that happened to Gabriel since this sh*t storm started. He should think before he throws the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Gabriel says, he’s not the father. Eugene says, it’s not his decision; it’s all hers. It’s not for him, Eugene or Siddiq to say. Eugene doesn’t understand it, but Rosita loves Gabriel. He needs to put his hang-ups on the back burner. He and Rosita love each other. Stop wasting time. It’s all they have in the end. Gabriel says, time or love? And Eugene says, both. He hands Gabriel a tote bag, saying, it’s a peace offering from Gabriel to Rosita. He found some pantalones with super stretchy waistbands for her soon to be expanding breadbasket.

Alpha asks if Lydia knew her friend was following them. She says he’s not her friend; he was in the cell next to her. Alpha asks his name, and Lydia says, Henry. Alpha says she didn’t mention him, and Lydia says, he didn’t seem worth mentioning. Alpha says, he thought it was worth risking his life chasing after her. Lydia says she acted helpless, and he fell for it. He’s dumber than she thought. Alpha laughs, and says, don’t be so sure. Maybe she’s just a good liar. Alpha asks if Lydia knows why she trusts animals. They don’t lie. Well, they don’t speak English either, so how do we know? She tells Lydia that she has to lie. So do they; it’s what they do. It’s just words, air, nothing more. Remember that. She hands Lydia an apple, and Lydia takes a bite.

They see another Whisperer/zombie group in the distance, and Alpha says Lydia is back where she belongs. Beta pushes Henry onward. They reach a camp where people are behaving somewhat normally. Henry asks Lydia if it’s their camp, and Beta shoves him. Alpha tells Beta to get Lydia a new skin. Two dudes are getting meat off a deer or something. Yay. Real food.

Negan tells Michonne, welcome home. She says she wants answers, and was told he’d only give them to her. Why did he come back? He tells her it isn’t entirely Gabriel’s fault that he escaped. You can’t keep a big dog locked up. Sooner or later, he runs. Michonne says, he came back. What kind of dog does that make him? He’s glad she asked. He was in her home. He could have waited there, and bashed her head in; a whole lot of heads, but he didn’t. She says he’d be a dead man. He’s an a-hole, not an idiot. She thinks he decided to take his shot out there, and out there spit him out, so he dragged his pathetic ass back. He says, the world has changed, but he’s changed too. She asks what he wants. He says if she’s not going to kill him, trust him a little. She laughs. She says just because he chose self-preservation over revenge doesn’t earn her trust. If fresh bullsh*t counts as change, congratulations on being a new man. He says she’s keeping him to show how merciful Rick was, but he can be helpful. She had a good thing going, but it’s slipping through her fingers, and it’s only a matter of time before she loses control. His cell is outside the meeting room, and he hears things. She says he heard wrong. He tells her, all he’s saying is that he knows a thing or two about keeping people in line. He can be a sounding board; leader to former leader. She says she’s not their leader, and Negan and I roll our eyes. He says she wrote up a constitution that gives power to the people, yet she makes all the decisions. It’s one helluva racket. She says, it’s not a racket; he knows nothing about this place. He says he knows a good leader uses everything to their advantage. She says, if that’s why he came back, he should have stayed out there. They’re going to tie him up while they fortify the lock, and she wants the windows closed. She sees something outside the window, and leaves.

In the woods, Daryl and Connie look for Henry. Connie looks at the ground, and writes, he caught up with them. Daryl says, there was a struggle. Dog sniffs around, and brings Henry’s pokey stick to Daryl. Daryl says, they went that way. Two real zombies toddle up, and Connie gets them with her slingshot before Daryl can even shoot an arrow. He says, nice. Dog barks, and retrieves Daryl’s arrow, after he’s bitten it in half. Connie laughs, and Daryl says, bad dog. I hope we don’t lose Dog, since we can never have anything nice on this show.

Beta skins a face. Alpha talks to Henry, saying he wonders why they hide among them; why they become them. Henry says they’re not them; they’re not dead. Alpha says, the weak die, like nature intended. A man approaches, and asks if that’s what today was; her letting the weak die. She always says they’ll go back for the lost, but they never do. They gave up two of theirs for her girl. He doesn’t like the math. Alpha says, they know who they are and what they have. The trade was worth it. If he has a problem with her as their leader, he knows what to do. He says he challenges her. She’s not fit to lead anymore. She laughs, and asks if he thinks he’s the man to replace her; the new Alpha. Beta grabs him from behind, which seems to be Beta’s specialty. The man says she’s changing the rules again. Alpha says anyone has the right challenge her leadership at any time, and she has right to defend it. A woman is also there, and Alpha says she saw her plotting with her boyfriend. They have a staring contest for a moment, and the woman says, the boy is a danger. His people have killed some of theirs. Where’s the payback? They haven’t failed her; she’s failed all of them. Alpha says they follow her by choice. She makes them strong, and keeps them alive. The woman says she doesn’t want to fight Alpha. Alpha slinks around behind her, saying, too late, and slices her head off with a wire. Henry is just a little freaked. Alpha holds the head up. The boyfriend takes it from her. Lydia looks bored in the background. Alpha pushes dude’s hair back tenderly, then stabs him. I’m fairly certain Henry is thinking, great. Why did I decide to do this instead of making horseshoes for the fair?

Michonne asks Judith how practice was, and Judith says, fine. Michonne says she must have gone late, since she was standing near the jail an hour ago. Why was she spying? Judith says she wasn’t. She went to see Negan, Michonne been talking to him? Why? Judith says she feels sorry for him. Michonne says he’s not her friend, and Judith says, obviously. Michonne asks why she’s talking to him. Judith says he listens to her; not everybody does. Michonne doesn’t want her near him again. Judith asks, why not? and Michonne says, there’s a reason he’s in a cage. He’s a monster. Judith says, no, he’s not. He’s a human being. Michonne says, he’s done monstrous things. He’s killed people, people she cared about, people her dad cared about. If they let him out, he could start over again. Judith says, he did get out. He’s not like that anymore. Michonne gets why Judith wants to believe that, but people don’t really change. Judith says, she did. D’oh! Michonne tells her to go to her room. Judith asks, why? and Michonne says she needs a minute. Judith sighs, and goes to her room.

Lydia looks at Henry. She picks something up and moves on. It looks like that’s all they do at the camp. Pick things up and move them somewhere else. Alpha washes her hands, and tells Beta take off her mask. He unlaces the back. She says, it’s been years since that happened. It felt different this time. Beta says the pack believes in her. They’re alive because of her. It’s good to remind them. She says she turned her back on Lydia once, when she was three, and found her in a closet tangled in dry cleaning plastic. It was in Lydia’s mouth, and she stood there watching. Lydia was turning blue, and she tore the plastic off her face. When Lydia’s breathing steadied, she asked if she was okay. Lydia nodded, then Alpha hit her hard so she would remember to never do it again. You have to do whatever it takes to protect what you love, even if it’s from themselves. Beta says, they need to be protected from the outside too. They need to be ready for when they come for the boy. Beta says, if Lydia feels something for someone like him from somewhere like that, she needs to know. Alpha says, let’s find out.

The bodies of dude and his headless girlfriend are dragged into a field. This looks like the most boring life ever. Lydia was probably trying to kill herself at three, rather than exist in this boring vacuum. The zombies feed on headless chick and her boyfriend. Connie and Daryl watch from a distance.

Gabriel approaches Siddiq outside his house. Rosita comes out on the porch, and they smile at one another. The three of them go inside. Eugene watches, teary-eyed. Aw, what I did for love.

Michonne asks Grace if her dad is home. Aaron comes to door. Michonne wanted to thank him for his support. She’s sure it wasn’t easy, but he says, it was. They all agreed on the rules and to live by them. It’s easy forget why they had them in first place. The way things have gone down recently made him remember. She appreciates that. It’s why she wanted to tell him first. If the council wants a re-vote about sending a delegation to the fair, she won’t veto it. He says if they cross the Whisperers, they’ll be risking lives. She thinks it’s a terrible idea, but the people can weigh the risk and choose. That’s their right. It’s what the charter they agreed to and swore to protect says. It’s also for the Kingdom. Aaron hopes she doesn’t regret it. Michonne does too.

Everyone gets things together, putting supplies and trade on wagons to head for the Kingdom. The cheese Michonne sits alone.

Beta grabs Henry, and drags him over to Alpha and Lydia. Alpha throws down a knife, and tells Lydia, pick it up. Take it, and kill the boy. Lydia looks panicked. Alpha says she wasn’t gone long, but maybe long enough. Lydia says, for what? and Alpha says, to forget the side she’s on. Lydia looks like she might cry. Henry says, please. Alpha tells her, don’t be weak. She knows what happened to the last guy. Kill him or Beta will kill them both.

Suddenly, people are yelling, and there are zombies overrunning the camp. Lots of biting, and blood spurting everywhere. Daryl pulls on a mask, and finds Henry. He tells Henry to put his head down; they’re leaving. Henry won’t go without Lydia. Lydia hesitates, but Henry tells her that they need to go. They run, along with Daryl and Connie.

Next time, Carol says it could be their last chance, Ezekiel wants to gather every fighter, and Daryl sets up camp at a hotel to watch for the Whisperers.

🚴 This week on Ride with Norman Reedus, Norman took Austin Amelio (Dwight, TWD) on an adventure through Arizona. They visited an awesome, weird zoo oasis, where they had fun with ostriches and ostrich eggs, which are surprisingly strong and make humongous omelets. They also spent time with Ron Halford, lead singer of Judas Priest – ♫ Breakin’ the law! Breakin’ the law! ♫ – who was sweeter than you might think, and a very well-balanced individual. An Airforce base was also on the agenda, where they participated in a practice rescue mission, and saw where old planes live that are used for parts.

👎 I’d been looking forward to seeing the film Slenderman on HBO, and got my chance this weekend. I’m not sure what I wanted from that movie, but I know that wasn’t it. I got more excitement from reading about it on the internet, and the special effects were cheap.

🍻 Here’s To a New Week…

Which has to be better than my last one. Right? Right?

WeekendGone

NewWeekCoffee

Feb25

February 24, 2019 – Daryl Gives the Wrong Answer, It’s Not What It Sounds Like, Grace is Still Under Fire, Riding, Awkward & Monday

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Ezekiel asks what Jerry wants to tell him. Jerry swore he wasn’t saying anything, so Ezekiel can’t either. He asks Carol to swear too. Nabila is pregnant. He’s going to be a daddy. Ezekiel says, it’s the future of the Kingdom, and congratulates him. Carol says they’re coming. Apparently this is a flashback, since Jesus and Tara arrive to give them some food. Ezekiel is glad hear the worst has passed. Jesus tells him, Maggie wanted to come, but she’s still sick. Carol is surprised to see Tara, and Tara says not as surprised as Michonne is going to be when she finds out Tara isn’t coming back. She took more supplies than she was supposed to, and took something else. Maggie isn’t Michonne’s biggest fan right now, and they thought it better that Ezekiel hang onto it. Tara hands him a leather tube, and says she won’t be going back to Alexandria. Ezekiel says he hasn’t given up the idea the charter embodies. When the time comes, they’ll reunite and sign it together, a community that can begin anew as one. Jesus says, in the meantime, Ezekiel will be the keeper. It’s what they’re counting on. Jerry asks if Ezekiel is going to read it or not. Ezekiel takes it out, and reads over the Community Charter Rights and Freedoms.

Forward in the present day, Ezekiel is still reading. Dianne tells him, five minutes. He says it’s good to have her back. Carol asks if Dianne knows something she doesn’t. Carol is going off to hunt, and Ezekiel says he assumed the queen would be handling preparations for the fair. She asks him not to call her that. She still feels the empty nest. Or maybe she just missed him while she was gone. Calling her my love, he says he missed her too. In a few days’ time, they feast. It’s all going to work out.

Maybe not at Hilltop, where Alpha has come for her daughter. She knows they have her. Daryl tells her, leave now, and no one gets hurt. Alpha says, wrong answer. She puts her hand up, and a ton of zombies and/or Whisperers come out of the woods.

Earl says he has arthritis, but Tammy is acting like he’s on his deathbed. She says he might as well have, spilling hot metal everywhere. Enid prescribes something, and says she should take a break; Tammy thinks retirement is in order. He says he’s not retiring, and he’s not taking a break. He has horseshoes to finish before the fair. Outside, Tammy tells Enid, the guys being gone brought his stress back, but Enid shouldn’t lose hope. They’ll turn up. She asks what happened, and Enid says the ones who killed Jesus are out there.

Tara says if they piss Alpha off, they might get killed. Magna says they don’t even have a horse. Alpha asks which one leads. Daryl asks, what does it matter? Alpha says his people crossed into their land; no conflict. His people killed their people; no conflict. She’s done talking. I guess she’s also leaving out that her people killed Jesus. I’d call that a conflict. She tells him, bring out her daughter or there will be conflict. Daryl says he’s getting her. Henry tells him, no, but Daryl says she’s not getting Lydia. She’s done talking, but he isn’t, because he’s just that crazy.

Ezekiel tells Carol to go back with the others. She asks why he’s scared to tell her what he’s doing. He says he’s not, and asks Jerry if this is the face of a scared man. Jerry says, no comment. Ezekiel says it’s a side mission. He’s picking up one last item for the fair. Nothing she’d be interested in. She says, try her, and he says what about if he shows her?

Jerry says, movie time. The group stands in front of a theater. Zombies crowd the lobby.

Alpha gives a signal. Connie watches from the cornfield. Daryl approaches her. He says she can’t have Lydia. If it’s a fight she’s looking for, they have enough firepower to light them up. He hears a baby crying, and says they brought a baby out there. Alpha says, they’re animals. Animals live out there. Animals have babies. He seems to want conflict. She doesn’t, so she’s proposing a trade. Two captives wearing zombie skin masks are brought forward, and revealed to be Luke and Alden. She wanted to kill them, but she wants her daughter. One of hers for two of theirs. It’s a good trade, and that’s why going they’re going to take it. Now bring her daughter.

Carol tells Ezekiel that a projector is really not something they absolutely need. He says it’s dangerous, but they’ve worked it out. Like a cobra strike. She asks if it’s worth it, and he says Henry used to love movie nights. It’s been five years, and the young ones don’t know what a movie is. Bringing cinema back from the dead, the sense of whimsy and wonder, will make gathering together something they’ll never forget. And if joy and lifelong friendship aren’t worth fighting for, he doesn’t know what is.

Ezekiel turns on a boombox. The zombies file out of the theater following the music, as zombie will do. Ezekiel, Carol, and some of the others go in, Jerry can’t find any bulbs, and Dianne is pretty sure the expiration date on the popcorn butter is just a suggestion. A zombie toddles out of the arcade, and Jerry takes care of it. A bunch of zombies are stuck in and around the popcorn machine. Jerry sees the projection room, and says it’s their last chance. Ezekiel knows what to do. Cobra strike.

A Whisperer asks Alpha if he should lead them away, but she says no. Get back for now. Luke looks around, and sees Connie in the cornfield. He signs to her, stay hidden. The dead are coming.

Tara asks what Daryl thinks. He thinks they should give Lydia back. Yumiko says Henry and Lydia are gone. They start hunting. Daryl calls Dog, and has him sniff something. Alpha waits, and the Whisperers mill around. A baby cries, and the mom holding it looks antsy. Alpha locks eyes with her, and kind of shrugs. The mom leaves the baby on the ground. Alpha says, the land of the dead needs to live in silence. If the mother can’t quiet the child, the dead will. Natural selection.

Enid tells Daryl that she knows where Henry probably took Lydia. She’s known him since he was a kid, and he likes her; he can talk to her. Daryl says, no! as zombies toddle toward the baby. Luke signs to Connie, baby. Connie sees the baby, and hits the nearest zombie with a slingshot. She runs out, and grabs the baby. Now what? The zombies move toward her, and she runs into the field with the baby, but a zombie follows. I assume right now it’s a huge disadvantage not to be able to hear. She jabs one in the head, but here comes another. She puts the sling around her neck. One more pops out, gets in her face, and she pikes it. More are coming. Suddenly, Daryl, Kelly, Earl, and Tammy are there, and hustle Connie out of the cornfield.

Jerry finds a bulb in the projector, and says, they’re in business. Dianne tells him, grab and go, but he says, it’s fra-gee-lee (the way the father in A Christmas Story pronounces it) for real. Ezekiel asks Carole for a hand on a side mission. He wants a poster box frame for the charter. She thinks he’s dreaming, and doesn’t want him to be disappointed if it doesn’t happen. What if the fair isn’t enough? What if more trade and training isn’t enough. She thinks they should talk to Jesus if things get worse, and maybe stay at Hilltop, at least until they find someplace better. Ezekiel asks, what better place than the Kingdom? A knight tells him that the boombox died. The zombies start getting loud. Jerry gets the bulb out of the projector, and puts it in bubble wrap, telling Dianne, let’s bounce. He drops his precious package, and we both say, oh sh*t.

Lydia looks at a wooden coin. Henry says Hilltop made it, but it didn’t work. She says her mother wasn’t supposed to come. She broke own rules. Maybe her mother misses her. Henry says, maybe. Lydia says, maybe she’s sorry, but Henry says, no she’s not, People like that don’t get to be sorry. Enid calls to him from outside. He tells Lydia to stay there. She says she doesn’t want to go back. Enid say if she could do something to help, she would. No one wants this, but Lydia doesn’t belong to them. Her mother will kill Luke and Alden if they don’t give her back. Henry says there’s got to be another way, but Enid says, there isn’t. She’s sorry. Henry says, it’s not fair – or right. She says it isn’t, but it’s something they have to live with, and he asks, how? She says when she was his age, she saw her parents die it. It changed her. I it became about surviving. Someone else died, someone special, who left her a letter reminding her that just surviving isn’t living, and they live with it by staying who they are, and not letting it change them. Lydia comes out says she’s going to go; she has to. Henry says, no, but she says she wants to be with her mother. They’re her people she misses them, even though I’m not sure what there is to miss. She say she’ll miss him too, but she’ll be okay. So will he she. She kisses him. This is actually a little sad, and I rarely have any feels for this show anymore.

Daryl brings Lydia out to Alpha. I’m feel a little stressed because I liked Luke in the Fantastic Beasts movies, and anything could go wrong. Lydia walks forward, and Luke and Alden are released. Alpha’s responsibility is done though, and they have to take their own gags off. Enid hugs Alden, and says she never wants let go of him. Lydia tells Alpha, sorry, and thanks her mother for coming to get her. In response she gets a crack across the face. Then Alpha hugs her, and says, call her Alpha.

Jerry tells Ezekiel that he got it, bubble wrapped, in one piece, after he dropped it somewhere between rows R and W. Ezekiel says they need to move before the horde is upon them. Jerry wants to stay and fight, and Carol asks if the queen’s call counts for something. She agrees with Jerry. A few kills each, it shouldn’t be too hard. Ezekiel says she doesn’t need to do this for him. She tells him, who says it’s just for him? She’s doing this or what? The zombies break free of the popcorn machine, Carol and some of the others use bows and arrows. Ezekiel does some does slicing and dicing. Carol wants him to be safe. They’ve lost so much, and with Henry gone… Ezekiel says he’s safe with her. He’s there with her. Jerry says they’ve got the projector going. Ezekiel says they have to be smart; be ready for every eventuality. Maybe they’re done losing. Carol says, maybe. We see a spray-painted quincunx symbol (I’m not making that up) on the back of a sign that the drive past, which we can safely assume has significance. Read all about it below.

Henry gets why Daryl had to do what he did, but that doesn’t make it okay. Daryl tells him that he never said it did. Henry asks what Daryl did to live with it. Daryl wonders what he’s talking about, and Henry say he saw the scars on Daryl’s back. He thinks knows more than anyone what sent Lydia back to her mother. He wonders how Daryl can live with that. Daryl says, the world is sh*t sometimes, and you live with it. Sometimes that’s all you can do. He did what he had to do today. They all did. He walks away

Ezekiel dusts off the poster box, and Jerry tests out the projector. He, Ezekiel, and Carol smile. Ezekiel and Carol kiss.

Magna and the others drink. Connie kicks back. Earl and Tammy won the baby lottery, and are taking care of the Whisperer child. Jerry is the father of three now, and bounces a baby.

Adeline gives Daryl a note she found in Henry’s room. Couldn’t live with it – gone to find Lydia. Connie sees him leaving, and writes, where are you going? He shows he the note and says he’s going to find Henry. She writes that she’s going with him. He says, no, but she shows the words to him again. He says, why? and she writes that she couldn’t live with it either. They leave together, and the gates close behind them.

Next time, Lydia walks again, Henry follows Lydia, Lydia claims she lied and they need to be ready, and Michonne says it’s dangerous. Like that isn’t the status of pretty much everything.

🎷 It’s All About That Quincunx…

Told you I didn’t make it up.

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2019/02/25/the-walking-dead-what-is-that-symbol-carol-ezekiel-whisperers-911-bounty/

📺 I Remember Her…

I didn’t realize Brett Butler was playing Tammy. She used to do a stand-up act, and had a sitcom for a hot minute.

https://www.romper.com/p/who-plays-tammy-on-the-walking-dead-brett-butler-is-a-tv-veteran-12152647

🚴 McRide…

It was a special night for Melissa McBride (Carol) on Ride With Norman Reedus, and a different kind of ride for him. They went to Scotland to uncover Melissa’s heritage, and she was thrilled with the results. They even ended up in a pub in a building that was not only the last known address of her great-something grandfather, but had once been owned by a McBride family. I’m still surprised at how much I enjoy this show.

🏆 For Those of You Who Still Care…

I haven’t bothered watching the Oscars in many years. I was well-aware that the year I actually knew two of the nominees – oddly enough, two Williams, Hurt and Hickey – could never be topped, so I haven’t watched it since. TBH, I never really cared much anyway, since it’s kind of meaningless. It’s not like the audience is voting. This was kind of a fun article though.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1016737/relive-the-most-awkward-oscars-moments-of-all-time?source=email&medium=emn-content-1&cmpid=evening&content=emn-news

☕ The Best I Can Do…

Although it does say it all.

mondayCoffee5

 

Feb18

February 17, 2019 – Alpha Arrives at Hilltop, Extra Dead Tidbits & Lydia

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

An announcement over a loudspeaker says, remain calm follow and instructions. A lot of people run around, getting ready for something. 23 DAYS is written on a wall. A couple with a little girl is in a back room. The woman calls the man Frank, and says they have to wait it out. He says, the world is going to hell, and they’re pretending it’s not. The girl says they can’t go out; they’ll get sick. They have to wait for the doctor to come, and make it better. Frank says, nobody’s coming, and we find out the little girl is Lydia. Her mother says, daddy is just kidding, and sings Lydia, the Tattooed Lady to her. (See below for another version.) Lydia looks at her father.

Lydia tells Henry that she remembers the look in his eyes. She can still see it; how cold it is… was. She wonders why she’s telling Henry. He says, it beats the quiet and being alone. Outside, Daryl listens. Henry says, walking around in dead people’s skins is pretty messed up. Lydia says, thinking Hilltop isn’t going to fall like every other place is messed up. She tells Henry that his dad’s an a-hole, like hers. He says Daryl isn’t his dad. He doesn’t even want to be there. Daryl is only there to do a favor for his mom. She thought his mom died, and Henry says she’s his second mom. She’s tough. Not somebody you want to mess with. He asks what happened to Lydia’s dad.

We see Frank with blood pouring out of his neck. Lydia says. he didn’t survive. Her mom kept her alive and safe. She’s a lot like his mom. You don’t want to mess with her either.

Magna’s group goes through the woods with Tara. They see a cluster of what look like zombies feeding, and Yumiko says maybe dead; maybe not. She tells them to keep their distance. Watch their hands; they could have knives. They’re noticed, and kill the zombies (or not) one by one, using arrows, a pokey stick, and Kelly’s slingshot. When all of the zombies are dead, Magna tells them, find the masked ones. They discover the dinner is Luke and Alden’s horses. Kelly says, maybe they tried to bail? and Tara says, check for tracks. Kelly tells them, Connie says the horses were cut open and skinned with knives; these aren’t just the dead. Magna thinks they should go in different directions, but Tara says, it’s not safe. The walkers aren’t walkers. The girl is a liar. There could be three or three hundred of them. She tells them that they need to stay behind the walls until they make a plan, and they find out what this is. Kelly says, what if they don’t? but Tara says they will. Let’s go.

Henry asks if Lydia wants an egg. He can roll it to her. She says he doesn’t have to take care of her, but he says he’s just being nice. She asks why, and he says when he, his brother, and dad were found, they were pretty messed up too. It took a lot of someone being nice to make okay again. She says, hunger is a gift, and asks if he thinks she’s messed up. He asks how hunger is a gift, but she says if she has to explain, he wouldn’t understand. It will never be okay again. Henry says, says who? and she says, her dad.

Lydia flashes back again. We hear, please stand by, on the loudspeaker. A guy says, it’s been the same message for a day. Are they doing this or what? Frank tells Lydia’s mom (whose real name is unknown as far as I can find) to get their stuff. They’re moving out. She asks what he’s doing, and Frank says, getting the hell out. She tells him, it’s too dangerous. Let them go; they’ll play it safe. He says Lydia is coming, but she says she doesn’t want her child harmed. He tells her to never suggest he doesn’t care about his kid. She says they’re not going, and he calls her a bitch. Lydia asks if Halloween is coming up. She found a costume. She holds up a sheet, saying she can be a ghost. Frank says, every day is Halloween. How can he see all these freaks, and still be hopeful? He starts to shave off his beard, telling Lydia’s mother that she’s the one who liked it; he can’t stand it, and he’s doing what he wants now. Lydia and her mom play checkers. Her mother says, checkmate, and Lydia says, that’s chess. She tells Henry, He… she always said that. He says her mom sounds nice. Lydia says, yeah, but it’s not real convincing. Henry says his second mom found him. Ezekiel is his second dad; they’re leaders from another community. That’s where he’s from. She asks if it’s far, and what it’s called. He says it’s called The Kingdom. It’s about a day’s ride. Daryl busts in.

Daryl tells Henry that he’s getting out, and unlocks the door. Outside, he asks Henry what the hell is wrong with him, telling her about The Kingdom? It’s where Henry is from, and he has family there. Henry says, he was listening? Daryl says they’ve been switching off, and Henry says they were using him. Daryl says, it was working too. Henry says Lydia is a good person, but got messed up out there. She’s right about Daryl; he’s an a-hole. If he wants answers, he can get them himself. The cheese Lydia sits alone.

Lydia hears Daryl come in, and sits up. He sits outside her cell. She thought he came to kill her. He says he brought her something for her ear. She keeps pulling on it like it hurts. She says, no, and he says he doesn’t give a sh*t. Two of their people went missing. Their horses were half-skinned and half-eaten. Does she know anything about that? She says, how could she? She’s been there. He asks if her mom kills the people she crosses, and Lydia says she does what she has to do.

In Lydia’s flashback, a man says they’re running out of food, and haven’t seen daylight in weeks. Her mom tells him, shut up. The guy starts going stir crazy, banging on the boarded up window, calling for help, and Lydia’s mom knocks him down. She gets in his face, leaning on his throat, and tells him, shut up. He’s pathetic, and there’s no room for him there. Shut his mouth. Does he hear her? Not anymore. He’s dead. Beardless Frank holds Lydia, and sings to her softly

Lydia tells Daryl that he used to sing that to her when she was scared. She was scared a lot back then. Daryl asks how old was she? and she says, five, six st most; who knows? Daryl says her mom did what she had to. Lydia looks troubled. He throws the pill bottle into the cell. He says, it doesn’t have to be like that. There are a lot of good people there. They’ll help her if she helps them. She asks for some water. He scoops some up with a ladle, and holds the bottom of it through the bars. She asks if he thinks she’ll hit him with it. She tries attacking him, but he grabs her arm. He sees bruises all over it. She spits at him.

Back at Hilltop, Yumiko tells Magna, they should go back out. They’ve been gone too long. They could be hurt. Magna says she almost screwed up for them in Alexandria. They got a second chance. If they go against Tara, they could lose everything. Kelly says Luke would want them to be together. There’s a way they can sneak out; she saw the kids do it. Yumiko says, it’s Luke. Minute by minute, day by day; they’re ride or die. They have to do it, even if costs all this. She asks who’s in, and everyone raises their hands. Yumiko says they meet tonight..

Daryl messes with a branch, telling Lydia that some dads beat the sh*t out of their kids with a stick or a belt, but these a-holes ain’t picky. They use what’s laying around. A good switch from a birch tree ought to work. Her dad sounds like one of those dads, except the part when he sang to her when she was scared. Those dads like it when you’re scared. The thing is, it was the only part of her story that didn’t sound like bullsh*t. He saw the bruises on her arm; they’re from a beating. If her dad is dead, who gave them to her? She says, her mom. Daryl asks where she is, and Lydia says he should be glad he doesn’t know. He asks, where’s her camp? Why is Lydia protecting her? She’s safer there. She says, this place isn’t real. Things won’t change, and they’re all acing like it will. Her mom walks because that’s what the dead do. It’s their world, and we have to live in it. What her mom does, she does for a reason. She beats Lydia because she loves her. Daryl says, bullsh*t, and Lydia says, when you stay soft, people die.

This time, in Lydia’s flashback, her mom sits in a chair, her head shaved. Someone in the background says they should wait until morning; it will be safer. Everyone agrees. Frank – again with a beard – tells Lydia, it’s okay. Her mom and dad are there. She doesn’t have to worry. Everything will be all right in the morning. When everyone is sleeping, Lydia gets out of bed, and sneaks over to the corpse of the guy her mother killed. His body is under a blanket. She uncovers his face, then covers it again. She starts to leave, and his hand moves. He sits up. She turns around, sees him, and screams. Frank grabs her, and the zombie bites Frank’s throat out. Her mother picks her up.

Daryl says it wasn’t her fault. Lydia says she was stupid. She deserved to die. Her dad was soft, now he’s dead. Daryl asks what he was supposed to do? Watch his little girl get bit? She says, if you can’t bend, you break. He broke. Daryl says they’re making it better. They’re building it back up. Changing it back. She says he doesn’t belong with these people. Maybe used to, but not anymore. He’s hard; they’re soft.  He says she doesn’t know sh*t about him. He starts to leave, and she says she told him about what happened to her, tell her what happened to him, but he walks out.

Magna’s group sneaks out. At the fence, Yumiko watches for the guard. They hide inside a cart with wood piled on it.

Henry says Daryl could have asked him to help. Daryl keeps walking, and Henry asks where he’s going. Daryl says, this is a waste of time. She’s Tara’s problem. Henry asks, what’s going to happen to her? Did someone beat Daryl too? He once heard his dad ask his mom why her hair was so short. She said her first husband grabbed it when she tried to get away from him, and slammed her against the wall. One day, she cut it off, so he couldn’t. He guesses it took this long for her to feel safe again. Sometimes Daryl acts like the type of guy who slams people against walls, but Henry doesn’t think that’s it. Daryl says Henry shouldn’t listen to people talk. Henry says, just because her people bad, doesn’t mean she is. She’s just scared. Daryl can show her there’s nothing to be afraid of. Daryl says, no, not just him. Henry can do that.

In the woods, Yumiko doesn’t think the tracks they’re seeing are the same, but Kelly disagrees. She says the dead don’t do that. Yumiko says Kelly is thinking about Coalport, but if they hadn’t left, they’d be dead like the others. Kelly says they didn’t have a choice. Yumiko says, they did. Their choice was not to die. A zombie pops out of the trees behind Kelly, who stabs it in the head. They see more coming, and Yuniko says, it’s too dark and dangerous to be looking for Luke. Kelly says they can’t give up. They love Luke. Yumiko says they need to go back, and Magna says, she’s right. Connie says they’ll come back when they have a plan – all of them. Kelly says when they got separated Luke is the one who found her. She starts to cry, and Connie hugs her. She tells the others to go back. She’ll stay with her sister. They reluctantly leave. Something tells me this is a bad, bad idea.

Henry visits Lydia. He tells her it’s just him. She asks if Daryl sent him, but he says Daryl doesn’t know he’s there. He couldn’t wait until tomorrow to talk to her. He likes her, and thinks she’s a good person. He wants to show her a good place with good people. He unlocks the door, and she asks if he’s letting her out. He says, for a bit. Be quiet, and stay out of sight. Cool? She says, cool.

He helps her out of the root cellar. They duck back when someone comes by, but trip and fall. Lydia digs in the dirt, and eats something. She digs again, and shows Henry a worm. She holds one out to Henry. At first, it’s a no, but then he takes it and swallows it. He says he just ate a worm. She smiles, and says he did. He helps her up, and they walk around. He shows her the doctor’s office, saying, Enid is a good doctor. She’s surprised they have a doctor, and he says, you name it, they’ve got it. She feels around on a carpentry table behind her and fingers a hammer. She asks how long they’ve been there, and he says six years, but it’s only going to keep growing. She says places like this aren’t supposed to exist. Her mom told her they couldn’t. That’s why… A baby starts to cry. She puts the hammer down, and grips her head. She flashes back to being with her parents, but this time, the narrative is different. Her mother kills the guy, and shaves her head, saying, they’re going to do what she wants now. She holds a knife to Lydia’s throat, says, this is how they live now, and puts a skin on Lydia’s head. Lydia tells Henry to put her back in her cell. He’s puzzled, but says, okay.

As Henry locks her in, he says he’s sorry, and starts to leave. She asks him to wait. She asks if he could stay with her tonight. Please. He lies down in front of her cell, and they hold hands through the bars.

Daryl comes down in the morning. Henry says, she didn’t want to be alone. He asks if her ear still hurts, and Lydia says, everything hurts. She still has the pills, and he gets water for her, putting the ladle in between the bars. This time, she drinks. She says her mom isn’t coming for her; none of them are. When someone dies, or gets taken, they move on, like they never existed. That’s how it’s always been. Unless they have no choice, they don’t come into contact with big groups. That’s why she asked about the communities. So she’d have something to give them. Otherwise, they have no reason to take her back. Henry says, Lydia is her daughter. Doesn’t it matter? Daryl says they’re missing people. Lydia says if her mother came across them, she can’t think of a reason she’d keep them alive. She’s sorry. He asks if they have a camp somewhere, and she says under a bridge, maybe a mile east, but they don’t stay in one place long. Henry asks if any of her story is true. She says she thought all of it was. She needed it to be, but had it mixed up. It was a lie, but she wasn’t lying. Her mom told her over and over for years. Deep down, she knew what her mother was, and knew what she did.

Back in Lydia’s past the dead guy has become a zombie, and tears a different guy’s throat out. It’s pandemonium with everyone running around. Her mother starts prying off window boards, and says they’ve got to get out. Frank says, those are our friends. She says, they’re panicking. The three of them are getting out of there. He says she can do what she wants, but Lydia stays with him. Lydia’s mom says, the hell she does. He tells Lydia, it’s okay, and to wait there. They’ll come back. Lydia says, don’t go, but he jumps into the fray. Her mother follows, but slams Frank up against a wall. Lydia tells Daryl and Henry that she was scared. Her mom was there with that cold look in her eye. Then she got her knife. Lydia starts to cry, and Daryl says, it’s okay. They’ve heard enough. She’s sorry she can’t help them. She’s sorry she wasted his time. He says she didn’t.

Magna and Yumiko go back to Hilltop. They see Tara up on the fence, and Yumiko says she’ll talk to her.

Henry asks Daryl why would Lydia’s mom do that to her kid? Lydia thinks it’s her fault her dad died.  Daryl says, some people are not meant be parents. Henry asks, what happens now? Can she stay with them? Daryl says, we’ll see. He’s going to get her fresh clothes, and talk to Tara and see about that camp. Henry says he’s glad Daryl and his mom are friends.

Yumiko joins Tara, who asks what they found. Yumiko says, nothing. It was wrong of them to leave. She wishes they’d realized it sooner. She should have. She sees two guards bringing Kelly back, along with Connie walking parallel on another path. Tara says the guards saw them sneak out, and they weren’t taking any chances. She gets why they did it, but next time they want to challenge one of her decisions, talk to her. She doesn’t know if she’s doing the right thing there, but she doesn’t want any more people to die, including them.

Yumiko looks through the binoculars, and sees a group of Whisperers coming toward Hilltop. They’re perilously close to Connie. Kelly sees, and tries to run to her, but the guards hold her back. Connie signals for her to stay, and runs into a cornfield, which is probably another bad, bad idea. Tara looks out, and freaks. She yells for Daryl.

Here they come. Lydia’s mom pushes her way to the front. Daryl watches, along with Tara, Yumiko, and Magna. The Whisperers stand at the gate. Lydia’s mom says, she’s Alpha. She only wants one thing from them. Her daughter.

Next time, the Whisperers have captured Luje and Aldon. Daryl tells Alpha that she can’t have her daughter, and Alpha says, wrong answer.

ℹ Some useless trivia I got from Talking Dead. Yip Harburg who wrote Lydia, the Tattooed Lady, also wrote all the songs for The Wizard of Oz. And to turn that into six degrees of Walking Dead, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was being read to Judith in an earlier episode. Another tidbit was that the set for Lydia’s past memories was also The Sanctuary set, since it wasn’t in use at the time.

🐥 Say the Magic Word & the Duck Comes Down…

And how an elephant got in my pajamas, I’ll never know.

 

Feb11

February 10, 2019 – The Whispering Begins, Riding Again, the Dogs Are Fine, Bye-Bye Danai & a Thrill

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Michonne’s voice tells us that Rick’s vision lives on. The communities must reunite face a brutal enemy who walks with the dead, and whispers.

Everything is at a standstill. Dog barks. Eugene freaks. Aaron takes the knife out of Jesus. Daryl pikes a few zombies. They go back behind the gate, dragging Jesus with them. zombies clamor at the gate. One undoes the bolt holding it shut.

Negan goes upstairs and outside. He marvels at fresh air, and smiles. He eats a tomato. He picks up a shovel, and goes into a house. He goes to a bedroom, and sees a child’s drawing of their family above the bed. He sees a compass hanging from a lanyard on the bedpost, and takes it.

After changing his clothes, Negan goes back out. He starts to climb the fence, and Judith says she thought he was smarter than this. She guesses not. She has a gun aimed at him, but he says she’s not going to shoot him. She says, yeah, she will. He tells her that he’s not going back, so pull the trigger. He suggests how about they go their own ways, and never see each other again. She says, how about no? He gets back down. How embarrassing for him. He says when her parents locked him up, they said he’d help people see things can change, and they did for everyone but him. Alexandria is a wonderland, but his part is full of walls and bed pans. Judith says her mom decides, not her, but he says she can. She’s not letting him go; she’s just not seeing him leave. She says there’s nothing out there for him; for anyone. He says she knows him better than anyone has in a long time. He promises he’s not hurting anyone – even if they try to hurt him – but he has to go. She lowers the gun, and he thanks her. She asks if he was in her room. He shows her the compass, and asks if she wants it back. She tells him, keep it. It will help him find his way. She says if she sees him again, she’ll shoot. He smiles, and says he would. He climbs over the fence and out.

Luke walks around. Alden says Michonne and the others have only been gone a few hours, but the rest of the group is concerned. He suggests two two-person teams. Tara says, no risks. Luke asks if they need an extra hand – he has two. He wants to do his part. Alden says Luke can ride with him.

Michonne, Daryl, and Aaron head back, along with Magna’s group. Daryl and Aaron carry Jesus. Michonne says it will mean a lot to them, bringing him back. Daryl is sorry he couldn’t find Rick for her. She’s sorry she couldn’t do it for the both of them. She thanks him for trying, and for after.

Aaron doesn’t think they should be out there. Eugene says it’s his fault, but Aaron says Rick wanted to be out there. Maybe what happened was bound to happen. Dog barks. They see zombies and follow.

Zombies amble through a covered bridge. Daryl aims his crossbow, and hits one in the leg; then gets it in the head. The other zombies jump on it, feeding. Another zombie pulls out a knife, and goes after Michonne. A third drops to her knees in front of Daryl. He removes her mask, and she says, please don’t kill me. Michonne says, how many? and she says they killed them all. It’s just her. Michonne doesn’t believe her, and holds the katana to her throat. Daryl says they have no time; they’ll take her with them. He pulls her up. Michonne says if she tries anything, she won’t have to pretend.

Negan is pretty tickled to be out. He sits in a rusted, burned out van, having a snack. A presses against the windows, and he whacks it with the shovel. That’s not good enough, so he cracks its head open. A decomposed, crispy critter zombie grabs at him from a truck bed. It slithers after him, and he finishes it off. He goes to a stream, drinks some water, then gets sick. I was just thinking the water in there can’t be good to drink, what with corpses everywhere and all. He leaves his jacket, and continues on.

Michonne and the others get back to Hilltop. Michonne leads the prisoner in. Jesus’s body is draped over a horse. Everyone looks grim. Siddiq runs to them. Aaron hugs Tara. Jesus is taken off the horse.

A woman asks Tara if the prisoner did it. She says no; one of her people. The woman says the people are looking to Tara. They’re going to want justice, and when the time comes, they’ll look to her for that too. Tara says she knows.

Daryl tosses the prisoner into the pokey. Henry asks, what’s going on? Daryl says, Jesus is dead. The prisoner is plopped on a chair, and Michonne says, no more bullsh*t.

Negan wanders around in an old shopping area, and goes into a clothing store. He knocks the shovel on the wall to find out if anyone is in there. It seems to be empty, and he goes through the store. He finds a flashlight, and gets it working. It’s creepy. There are mannequins everywhere, and a dead guy slumped against the wall. Negan checks out the sale racks. and puts on a jacket.

He hears growling, and a pack of dogs comes in. They go after him, and he makes a mad dash to the back of the store. He climbs up where they can’t see him, but they’re smart dogs and they’re looking hard. Aw, a Pitbull like Spuds. Negan runs to an exit, but the door is jammed. One of the dogs is almost on him, and somehow, he gets the door open, but there’s a zombie right there in his face. He shoves the zombie inside, and slams the door shut. We don’t see it, but it sounds like the dog got eaten. This was of much discussion on Talking Dead, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan assuring viewers that no dogs were harmed. (See below.) Speaking of dogs, why is this the first time we’ve seen dogs in ten years? Were they hiding until they thought it was safe? And why aren’t there more birds other than those symbolic crows?

Luke talks to Alden about singing at the fair. Alden says he’s been known to sing when he has enough drink in him. Luke says they’ll knock them dead at the fair; a two man band. Luke sees an arrow in a tree. He takes it out, and says it’s Yumiko’s. He sees another, and takes that one out. A zombie toddles up, and as Luke is about to pike it with the arrow, another grabs his pant leg, and he falls. Alden uses an arrow like a javelin, and Luke kicks the other zombie away. He tells Alden, a two-man band, and a symphony of awesome; think about it. Luke sees another arrow, and thinks it’s a trail. Alden says they could be stray shots, but Luke says if the arrows lead to their people, Alden is singing at the fair.

Alden looks through binoculars. They see a horde in the distance. Luke says it’s Alden’s call. Go back or keep going.

Michonne asks the prisoner, how many more, but she insists they’re all dead. They were her family, and they’re dead. Michonne tells her, stop, and asks her name. She says, none of them have names. That’s not how it works. Daryl asks why they wear the skins. She says, they were good people. It’s what they did to live. All they wanted to do was live. They wouldn’t understand. Michonne says, make them understand. She asks if they were made do it, and the prisoner says they were just trying see if they were good people too. They attacked them, and now they’re all dead. She doesn’t have anyone. Michonne asks what her group knows about them. Did they know about Alexandria? The prisoner says they didn’t tell her anything, and asks them to leave her alone. She cries, and Daryl and Michonne go outside. He says he’ll get it out of her. He’ll try again in the morning. Michonne says it will be without her. She’s taking her people back. They might not know about the new enemy, and she can’t risk it. He thanks her for being there and helping. Tara guesses it’s her call now. Michonne tells Daryl that keeping the prisoner there is a risk; they both know that. Daryl says he’ll get her to talk, and Michonne says if she doesn’t, he knows what he has to do.

Siddiq tells Eugene it’s not so bad, and Eugene says, says him. Siddiq says, a few weeks light compression, and he’ll be good as new. He tells Rosita that he was scares she wouldn’t make it. He’s torn up about Jesus, but a quick twist, and it could have been him. He takes her hand, and tells her they don’t talk about what’s nearest and dearest, and then time goes by. He’s done playing the losing game. She jets outside, and gets sick. Siddiq asks if she’s okay. He says her body has been through a lot. She says, it’s not that. When they were having fun, before Gabriel. She’s pregnant. Eugene hears them talking. Didn’t see that coming.

Daryl sits outside with Henry, who asks if getting drunk always makes you feel bad. Daryl says, no; acting stupid does. What was he thinking? Henry says, he wasn’t. The fresh air is helping though. Daryl tells him, another two minutes, and he’s back in. He has one more night. Henry says he’s sorry. He wants to find his place. He knew where was at the Kingdom. Who is he here?

Negan continues his trek. He gets to the Sanctuary, and says, home, sweet home. He goes inside, and whistles. He looks out over the warehouse floor, and it’s a mess. Kind of like when Little Edie came back to Grey Gardens.

Negan busts an opening through a wall. Behind it is a motorcycle. He hears a noise, and sees a zombie behind a door. He says, big Ritchie, that you? Loyal to the end. The zombie presses against the glass, and Negan smiles.

Aaron, who is looking more Amish by the day, helps Michonne pack up her truck. He asks if she’s all right. He says they have everything they need at Alexandria, and everything they need there. They should take care of what they have, and each other. He’s sorry he didn’t get that until now. She’s sorry too – for everything.

Daryl tells Michonne that he thinks Luke and Alden should be back by now. She says it could be something or nothing. She tells him that he knows what he needs to do about the prisoner. He ask why it’s up to him, and she says he’s the best damn judge of character she knows. Without Jesus or Maggie, they need him. Tara is smart, but she shouldn’t do it alone. Bringing Jesus back will help them move on. After that, it’s about doing whatever it takes to not bear anymore. He says, aight.

Negan looks at a dead plant. Big Richie makes a lot of noise. Negan sits at the boardroom table, alone, and says, well, sh*t. He straightens up, and moves things around. He sits on a couch, looking really sad. He hears something, picks up pole, and looks out back, where a few zombies are wandering around. He goes out.

Negan says, damn, Big Richie. He thought they had something special going on. The other zombies turn toward him, and one by one, he whacks them in the head. Big Richie is behind a fence. Negan leaves him, and goes back inside, blockading the door.

He looks at the compass, seeing the initials JG engraved on the back. He half-smiles. He lets Big Richie in, says, sorry it just ain’t working out, and dispatches him.

Jesus’s coffin is nailed shut. It’s pretty fancy.

Daryl asks the prisoner, who are you? She looks terrified, and he asks if she wants to die. Henry says, what’s his problem? and Daryl says their people just buried a good man. They’re ready to string her up. He’ll drag her ass up the steps. He asks how many are in her group. She says she told him, and he pulls her up. She says, ten, and he asks why they wear the skins. She tells him, to blend in. He asks her name, and she says they have no names. They had names once, but don’t use them. He asks how long they’ve been around there, but she doesn’t know. They moved around with the dead. The skins made the dead leave them alone, yet they were never alone. They protected each other. He asks if they have a camp, or walls, but she says, walls don’t keep you safe. Places like this don’t make it. She and her mom saw it happen over and over. She barely remembers the world before, but mom said it was changing, and they had to change with it. They needed the dead to keep safe. He asks, why kill other people? and she says they were always going to kill them. It’s what people do. Everyone is a threat; it’s us or them. He asks how many people are in her group, and she says, it’s the truth. It’s just her mom left, and she’s a good person. She begs Daryl not to look for her. She’s one woman, out there alone. Daryl says he thought she said they were never alone. She says her mom got separated, and he calls her a liar. He told her what going to happen. He starts dragging her out. She begs him not to, and Henry tells him, stop. Daryl drops her, and she scoots back to the wall in her cell. He locks the door, and says he told Henry, sit still and be quiet. Henry says, she’s just a girl, but Daryl tells him to wise his ass up. As he leaves, Henry calls after him, but Daryl doesn’t come back.

The prisoner thanks Henry. He says he had to. He couldn’t let Daryl do what he was going to. He introduces himself, and she says her name is Lydia. Daryl listens outside the window.

Negan rides on his bike. Judith shoots the tire out, and he falls. He tells her slow down. He knows she said she’d shoot him, but damn. She says a lot of people are out looking for him. She says she told him nothing was out there. He says she sure as sh*t did. She tells him, language. I’m a kid a-hole. He says he swears in front of his friends; people who know some sh*t. He give her the compass, and thanks her for letting him borrow it. She takes it, and he says she was right. He got a good look outside, and there’s nothing there for him anymore. She says, so he goes back; then what? He says he’ll let her know what he knows. She shrugs, and walks away, He follows.

Enid and Magna look out over Hilltop. Enid says Magna is one of them now. It’s good to have them. Magna asks what brought Enid there. Enid says, Alden. She doesn’t know what to call what they have; it’s all so new. Magna says she has one of those. She tells Enid, Luke’s a survivor. Alden’s in good hands.

Luke says Alden had better warm up his vocal chords. Alden says we’ll see. A zombie comes toward them, and Luke says he has it. The zombie stops, and they’re weirded out. They now see other zombies standing silently, surrounding them. A zombie strides up to them, pointing a double-barrel shotgun at them, saying hands where she can see them. It’s Alpha, aka Lydia’s mother. (They don’t say this, but at this point, it’s common knowledge.)

Next week, Lydia says they will never be okay again. Alexandria will fall like every other place. She tells Daryl not to mess with her mom, and when he asks where her mom is, she tells him be glad he doesn’t know.

🚴 Norman Reedus is back with Ride, along with his sometimes sidekick, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I didn’t think this would be my type of show, but I love it. The season premiere brought them to London, and they also visited areas of the English countryside. Stopping at a pig and goat farm, they picked pigs for a race, and Norman’s pig, Rachel – named for the Friends character – won. It was adorable to hear them talk about how cute the goats were. I loved when Norman compared the pub they went to, to The Slaughtered Lamb in American Werewolf in London (one of my favorite movies). They also went to Stonehenge, where the guide assured us the stones had nothing to do with aliens, and the winter solstice is the key. A meet-up with Andrew Lincoln, who served crumpets, rounded out the show. Even if you’re not into travel or motorcycles, this show has a little bit of everything, and something for everyone. It’s lighthearted, but you still learn a lot.

🐶 No Animals Were Harmed…

Jeffrey swears.

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2019/02/11/the-walking-dead-909-jeffrey-dean-morgan-negan-no-dogs-harmed/

👋 You Probably Know Already…

But just in case you didn’t. Is this the beginning of the end of TWD? Lauren Cohan (Maggie) has already jumped show too. They’re going to be paying Norman Reedus (Daryl) a skabillion dollars an episode to keep him.

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2019/02/08/the-walking-dead-danai-gurira-michonne-exit-leaving/

👹 In Keeping With the Spirit…

I remember watching this on a big screen in the lounge area on the third floor of Danceteria. Good times…

 

Dec29

December 28, 2018 – Another New Year’s Eve in Port Charles, Z Final Battle, a Few Farewells, Ten Whole Quotes & Down Z Lane

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Michael thanks Ned for holding the fundraiser. Ned says it’s a win-win. They’re raising money for pediatric cancer research, and get to ring in the new year. Kristina tells Michael that it’s said the person you spend New Year’s Eve with, is the person you’ll spend the most time with in the new year. He tells her not to threaten him. She guesses he’d rather be with someone else. Chase walks in with Willow.

At the hospital, Julian finds Kim alone in Oscar’s room. He thought she’d be celebrating with Oscar, but she says he’s with Josslyn in the media room. They’re going to watch the ball drop. He says he can stay, but she tells him to go to the fundraiser. It’s a worthy cause, and she’d like to think one of them is celebrating. He tells her to say the word, and he’ll be back at midnight. He leaves, as Drew comes in. Kim asks Drew if everything is okay. He tells her that Jason stopped by to warn him about someone from his past.

Jason arrives at Sam’s place. She doesn’t think anyone will recognize him in a suit. He says no one will miss her; she looks amazing. She does, in a simple, sleeveless, low-cut black sequined number. She says she was going to blow the party off, but it’s a fundraiser for pediatric cancer research. She thought Jason would want skip it and just write a check. He says he is writing a check, but realized, sometimes you just gotta show up. Sam says, sometimes you do, and they kiss.

Ava is about to make a drink, and sees the box of Kiki’s things. She walks over to it instead.

In bed, Jordan tells Curtis, now he’s done it. He says, they both did. Jordan tells him, now, they’re going to be late. He says, it’s New Year’s Eve. Parties don’t start jumping until after ten, and they’ll be fashionably late. She says, that’s how TV stars do it, and he says he’s not a star yet. She says, soon, and he says, providing the producer doesn’t flake on their meeting tomorrow.

Not-Doc puts on surgical gloves, and sneaks into Peyton’s office.

Sam tells Jason that she should power down. He asks if she’s gotten any more emails. She says, one. They reached out and asked if she wanted help, and Sam said no. She hasn’t heard back. He says someone did a lot of research into her past. He doesn’t think they’re giving up. She asks if he thinks they should try to find them, and he says it’s her call. She knows that; she’s just asking his opinion. He thinks if she engages, she’s giving them what they want. She says he’s right, and she’s going to refuse the bait. It’s weird, knowing someone is out there, digging into her past; it’s so random. He tells her that he ran into someone today. She says, someone mysterious from his past? and he says, not his; Drew’s.

Drew tells Kim that the guy thought Jason was him. His name was Hank, and he said he knew Drew from his military days. She doesn’t remember him introducing her to a Hank in San Diego. He says Jason gave him Hank’s number. He guesses it’s up to him to do something about it. She asks if he thinks he’ll contact Hank.

Lulu walks into the fundraiser with Laura. She says it’s what Laura needs. A night on the town, no campaigning, and no sign of Doc.

Willow thanks Chase, and apologizes about not joining him on Christmas. He says it was a last minute invite, just in case she was free. He asks if she wants a drink, and she’s surprised he’s not asking her where she was. He says it’s up to her to tell him. She nearly bumps into Julian, and Chase asks if he remembers Willow. We flash back to her saying that Julian convinced her to give up her son. He tells them to come back to Charlie’s some time for shots on him

Ava looks through Kiki’s things. She reads, New Year’s resolutions 2001. Get a puppy; train puppy to high-five; see Destiny’s Child at the Garden. Ava says, that was a great concert. She continues reading. Learn how to do a backflip – she remembers that trip to the ER – learn about art from mom. Ava cries.

Not-Doc comes out of Peyton’s office. He looks around. No one is there. He closes the door, and wipes it. He says he’ll see if anyone is looking for Peyton tonight, and checks Peyton’s phone. There’s a message from Curtis, asking if they’re still on for tomorrow.

Jordan tells Curtis that the commissioner can’t be late for a charity fundraiser. He says, not even for her husband? and she says, that’s right; he’s her husband. He says he’ll remind her every day. He gets a text, and says Peyton moved up his flight home, and wants to meet tonight.

Jordan asks if Peyton knows it’s New Year’s Eve. Curtis doesn’t suspect he cares, and Jordan says it’s rude. Curtis says he’ll tell Peyton to forget it. She says, and miss his chance at fame? He says, it’s a long shot anyway, but she says it’s a big deal; go. She’ll get her commissioner schmoozing out of the way, and they can just be newlyweds on New Year’s Eve by the time he gets there. He promises to make by midnight. She says he’d better. She wants him to kiss her when the clock strikes twelve. He says, tonight, and every night, for the rest of their lives.

Jason tells Sam that the guy came up to him and called him Drew. Jason told him that he was Drew’s brother, but there was something about his reaction that didn’t feel right. It was just off. He made a point of telling Jason how he knew Drew, and said Drew knew him as Hank. Sam says, it’s weird, but maybe that’s how he talks. Jason says Hank was working him the whole time. He wanted Drew’s information, but Jason took his. He stopped by the hospital, and gave Drew a heads up. Something about him doesn’t feel right.

Drew asks Kim how he can be sure who Hank really is. He’ll have to go through an explanation; tell a long convoluted story to someone who might be nothing more than an acquaintance. Kim says maybe he’s a friend, but she doesn’t remember. He likely knows Drew from a different point in his life, and might show Drew a different aspect of himself. It could be a window to his past. Drew says he could just have his whole past back, but it’s not worth losing the life he has with his son and daughter.

Valerie sees Kristina and Michael at the fundraiser. They exchange pleasantries, but Valerie seems a little cool. Michael congratulates her on becoming detective, and asks if she wants to join them. Valerie says she’s just going to mingle, and will see them later. Michael asks Kristina if she and Valerie aren’t friends, and Kristina says she thought so. He asks if something happened.

As they get to the party, Sam tells Jason it’s his last chance to bail. Jason says they told Olivia they were doing it, so they’re doing it. Sam says no one benefited more than they did, and Jason says they’re lucky Danny is healthy now. Sam wishes all kids had the same outcome. Julian arrives, and wishes them a happy New Year.

Kim tells Drew it’s not that dissimilar than when he gave her a chance. She was a stranger too. Drew says she also turned out to be the mother of his son; that’s a big difference. She’s not just part of his past, but the present and future. He’s grateful she came to Port Charles, and he could be a part of his son’s life. Kim wishes she’d found him sooner; they would have had more time. He tells her, don’t do that. That’s the past, and they should go from where they are now. He says at least Josslyn got Oscar out of the room. Kim says he has no appetite, but she’s keeping his spirits up. They’re on their own until midnight. He hopes she can stomach the poor company. She thinks she can cope. He asks if they ever spent New Year’s Eve together, other than being stuck in traffic last year. She tells him, you could say that. New Year’s Eve is when they conceived Oscar.

Michael greets Willow and Chase. Willow says she hasn’t met his date, and Michael and Kristina are both all, no, no, no. Kristina tells Michael that for a captain of industry, he stinks at making introductions, and Michael introduces her. Kristina asks how Willow knows her big brother. Michael says since he’s a captain of industry, he spoke to her class on career day. Chase says he wowed the crowd with science tricks, and Michael says, Chase brought a dog. Chase says he borrowed Thor from the K-9 department. Willow excuses herself to see one of her student’s parents. Kristina asks Chase to tell her more about Thor.

Scotty sees Laura, and tells her sorry about the break-up. Doc didn’t deserve her in the first place. He doesn’t know how to tell her this, but Doc might be… She tells him to breathe, and says she knows Doc is sleeping with Ava.

Not-Doc arrives at Ava’s apartment. She makes them both a drink, and he asks what she’s doing. She tells him, making a list of New Year’s resolutions. Against her better judgement, the first one is to drink less, but it’s still 2018, and there’s a few hours before she has to cash that check. She’s resolved to stop crying about things and people that don’t matter. She’s finished living up to other people’s standards and expectations. The only standards she cares about are her own. Last, and most important, she resolves not to let her remaining daughter has get too close. The more she lets someone into her heart, the more she seems to hurt them.

Olivia tells Jordan that marriage agrees with her, and asks where Curtis is. Jordan says he’ll be by later, and Ned asks to speak to her a moment. Olivia makes herself scarce, and he asks if Jordan has read the article by Lulu linking the murders. He was under the impression that link was under wraps. She says it was, but Lulu had been in the squad room. He asks if they let journalists wander around, and Jordan says Lulu has certain privileges being Dante’s wife. Ned understands how persona and professional life can blue, but to avoid a full-scale public panic, Lulu’s privileges need to be revoked. Across the room, Laura raises her glass to Ned. He returns the gesture.

Julian tells Sam that he’s there to support Oscar and Danny, and wonders if they can set aside their differences. Sam blows him off, saying she and Jason are there to have a good time. They go into the party, and Alexis tells Julian it’s probably not a good idea to pretend nothing is wrong. He says he’s made headway with Lucas and Leo, and was hoping to do the same with Sam. Alexis says he hasn’t put in the work yet. He says Sam hasn’t let him, and she tells him to respect that. She asks if that’s why he came; to connect with Sam. He says, yes, but Kim asked him to. She thought one of them should put in an appearance at the fundraiser. Alexis says she probably thought New Year’s Eve at the hospital wouldn’t be fun for him. He says he offered to stay. Alexis says she was being selfless. She was trying to be responsible for her son and him. At the same time, she probably wants to spend the evening with someone who cares about her.

Kim tells Drew, they found out he was going to be deployed after the holidays, but they’d both known it could end any time. Neither one of them expected it to mean so much. To be honest she didn’t think she was strong enough to be with someone who was put in danger again and again. They did decide to remain friends, and agreed to enjoy every moment together – and they did. On New Year’s Eve, they watched they watched the fireworks over the water, went back to her place, and opened champagne. Drew says he’s got it. She says, afterward, when she was lying in his arms, she debated telling him how she really felt; that she loved him. Drew guesses she didn’t say anything, and she says, it didn’t seem fair. He was being shipped out the next day, and a few weeks later, she found out she was pregnant. He knows the rest. She didn’t want to tell him in a letter, and his missions were classified. Time went on, and she rationalized it was fine to leave everything as it was. She’d raise Oscar on her own. Sometimes she fooled herself into thinking she was succeeding. Drew thinks she did, and says Oscar is a great kid. She says that’s just who Oscar is. She had to make all the decisions alone. He says she’s not alone anymore, and kisses her.

Ned tells Sam and Jason that he thought Olivia just had wishful thinking, believing they’d be there. Olivia says she knows how much the cause means to both of them. Jason gives her a check. She looks at it, and says, very generous. It will do a lot of good for a lot of kids. Sam tells he that they were just saying how lucky they were, and she wishes all the kids would be as fortunate as Danny.

Lulu tells Willow that she and Valentin know Charlotte was bullying her cousin Aiden. She made sure Charlotte apologized, and she knows what she did was wrong. She hopes that settles things. Willow does too, but she’ll continue to monitor the situation.

Scotty says Doc is a good doer, but since Kiki’s death, he’s been plastered to Ava’s side. Laura says she wouldn’t wish that kind of grief on anyone. Scotty knows how it feels, but hates Doc and Ava together.

Not-Doc says he’s never been a fan of resolutions or time tables that set us up for failure. He likes setting real attainable goals. His goal for her is to help her mourn, but not for the rest of her life. His goal on New Year’s Eve is to help her realize what she is; a force to be reckoned with, and the strongest person he knows. She deserves to be treated better than she has been, and given more than the world has given her. She doesn’t think that sounds attainable, but he says he’s going to give it to her. And God help whoever tries to stop him.

Curtis goes to Peyton‘s office. He knocks, but there’s no answer. He opens the door, and calls to Peyton. He walks into the darkened room, and trips over something. He sees blood on his hand, and says, son of a bitch.

He turns on the lights and looks around blood everywhere screen sees Felicia

Ava tells not-Doc, those are some goals. Is he setting himself up for failure? When he says that, it almost makes her forget everything she’s lost, for just a moment. He’s not asking her to forget, but move forward. And he wants her to know he’ll be beside her, no matter what the future holds. She says, with him next to her, a future seems possible.

Chase asks Willow if she’s ready to usher in 2019. She thinks it’s going to be a good year. He does too.

Olivia says, less than one minute. She thanks them for the money raised, and everyone applauds. Ned says, it’s almost time, and they count down. At midnight, confetti falls, everyone uses their noisemakers, and there’s a lot of kissing. Auld Lang Syne plays. Michael sees Chase kiss Willow. Kristina looks at Valerie, who looks away. Jordan answers her phone, and says, so much for making it back by midnight. Curtis says she has to get there, and gives her the address. She asks what’s wrong, and he tells her that he thinks there’s been another murder.

Not-Doc kisses Ava.

Through the window of Oscar’s hospital room, Julian sees Drew kissing Kim, and leaves.

Jason and Sam go out on the terrace. She says she knows he’s hit his maximum tolerance for socializing. He says there’s good people in there, but she’s the only one he wants to be with. They kiss.

Kim tells Drew the party in the media room is winding down, and Oscar got to kiss the girl he loves at midnight. Drew says, on the subject of kisses, and she tells him, don’t think twice. They let nostalgia get the best of them. At least the person who remembers did. Drew asks if they’re good, and she says, of course.

Julian comes back to the party, and we hear everyone’s LOUD feet dancing. Alexis thought he went ot see Kim, and he says, long story. His phone rings. It’s Kim, but he doesn’t answer. Michael asks Willow where she’s going, and she says Chase got called in on assignment. He says the party is still going on. She doesn’t have to leave, but she tells him, after midnight, she turns into a pumpkin. She says, happy New Year, and gets in the elevator.

Not-Doc and Ava watch the fireworks. Ava says Kiki loved fireworks. She thought there was something magical about them, but there isn’t any magic left in the world. He says, there is, and promises they’ll find it together.

Police tape is now across Peyton’s office door, and the police are combing the place. Curtis tells Jordan that Peyton said he wanted to meet him there. The door was closed, but not locked. He looked in, but there was no sign of him, just the blood. She says it appears someone was attacked, but they have no way of knowing if it’s Peyton. Chase is doubtful whoever it was made it out alive, but they should still check the ER. Jordan is afraid the killer moved the body.

Jason and Sam watch the fireworks. He gives her his jacket. There are some fake snowmen on the terrace, and he suddenly kicks one over. A dead Peyton falls out from behind it.

Lots and lots of end-of-the-year credits. The next new show will be on Wednesday, January 2. On Monday, according to the guide, a rerun from December 31st, 1997 will be aired. I’ll definitely be checking that out. On New Year’s Day, it’s football and more football.

Z Nation

When we last left, Estes had come into the lab to find Sun’s brain gone. He says, find them and kill them all.

Roberta, George and Red sneak out. Red wishes they could have given Sun a proper burial. George says she died for a reason. Roberta tells Red to stash the brain where it’s safe, and no one can find it. If anything happens to them, get it to Murphy. Red leaves, and Roberta tells George not to let it get to her. George says she was just remembering putting the posters up with Dante. Everyone who helped is dead now. Sun too. She wonders what if they win, and there’s no one left? Roberta says there are still a lot of people with the will to survive, including her. Keep her head in it. They sneak off.

Still at the lab, Estes tells a guy to be careful. The blood samples are from all over, and God knows what’s in there. He and his colonel look at a map. The colonel tells him the militia is still assembling. Every able bodied volunteer has been employed as well. Pandora is holding Sun’s hands, and dancing around. Estes calls her over, and asks about the information she got from George. She says it took convincing, but she found George’s weakness, and she gave it up. Human that she is. She points to a road intersection, and tells Estes that the talkers are in a clearing near there. He asks, how many talkers? and she says, all of them. He tells the colonel that they have to hit before George has a chance to warn them, and before the talkers hit them. The rules of engagement haven’t changed. The colonel understands.

When they’re alone, Pandora asks Estes, why so tense? She’s all over him, and tells him, forget about that sick, crazy circus. It’s just him and her. She drags him away, as Sun watches with lifeless eyes.

George and Roberta continue to sneak around. It’s empty everywhere. Robert says George’s eye is hurt, but George says she’s okay. Roberta doesn’t think so. George looks okay, but she has to clear her mind of hate. There’s no room for mistakes. This is about justice, not vengeance. She wonders what happened to Pandora, and George says, what was supposed to happen. They could have gone the distance. Roberta suggests they find Kaya.

Kaya is still behind the vending machine with Citizen Z, who says they’re almost out of soda. She says, just a few modifications to the drone images they intercepted, and they’re out of there. CZ says, otherwise, he’ll have to get more change.

George can’t believe they’re not. Roberta says, they are voting, but not at a ballot box. She points the way to the vending machine. George asks if she thinks they have diet. They avoid some soldiers who are looking for them, but Pandora and Estes have gotten to the vending machine first. Estes says he wants them alive, and Pandora says, save the mercy for her. They open the machine, and the hidey-hole is empty. CZ startles Roberta and George by coming up behind them. He says they got out just in time. Kaya is safe with JZ. What now? Roberta says they stick to plan.

Doc tells 10K, this is Roberta’s most half-baked plan yet. He asks if 10K is feeling lucky. 10K says, no, and Doc says, good. It will take more than luck to pull this off. 10K hugs Doc, and Doc tells him, get going. Murphy tells the talkers, Sit! Stay! and they listen better than my dogs ever will. He wonders how long they have to keep hidden, and Addie hopes they’re not waiting much longer. Murphy says, someone’s coming, and Addie tells the talkers, get ready. A lone zombie ambles up the road, and Murphy says, it’s a rando; looks old school. Addie says she’ll take care of him. She twirls her Z-whack, and knocks the zombie down. He rushes her, and she does it again. She smashes his head, and tells the talkers, come and get it. Murphy says, that should hold them for a while.

George and Roberta see the people going in to vote. George says, it’s a low turnout. CZ says, people are afraid to travel, or they’re dead. Roberta says, a yes vote, is a vote for martial law. CZ says, the people have given up on Newmerica. They don’t care who’s in charge, as long as they’re safe. Altura will take control. Roberta says, it’s up to Addie and Doc to get in position. We see Cooper check in to vote. Apparently, he’s not dead. Or maybe he is. Hard to tell these days.

Addie tells the talkers, now that’s over; everyone look alive. Murphy says, they’re not just dead; they’re dead citizens. He tells Addie, they’re sitting ducks, and she tells him, don’t try to be himself; just stick to the plan. He tells her that they didn’t live this long by sticking to the plan.

Doc says, zero hour, and flips some switches on a board. He says, let slip the dogs of war, and gets into a makeshift bunker inside a tent.

Estes radios the colonel, who tells him, there’s been visual contact with the talker camp. He says, they haven’t been spotted, and they’re not where he said they’d be. Estes says, executive orders; show the meaning of mercy, and end this now. His men get in place, and aim their guns. The colonel says they’ve been spotted. No prisoners. Charge! Well, we know how that worked for Custer.

His joint smoking interrupted, Doc ducks when he hears the shooting. He gets a bullhorn, and tells everyone, go. Pandora’s assistant moves forward with Estes’s men, who shoot up everything. They get to a camp, and shoot up the tents. They realize there’s no one there, and go inside the tent where the noises are coming from. They see it’s Doc making shooting noises through a bullhorn. The colonel tells him, put it down, and he does. Pandora’s assistant takes him outside. The colonel asks where everyone else is, and he says, there’s no one else. Just him.

Estes radios for Mercy One. He’s waiting to hear a talker free future has begun. The colonel says there’s been a setback. It’s a decoy: there’s no one there. It’s a set-up. Pandora says, impossible. She made sure George was telling the truth. The colonel says it’s just an old man with a bullhorn. Estes tells him, find out if he knows where the talkers are. The colonel says he’ll tell, right before he mercies him. Estes tells Pandora that George lied to her. Pandora says, you can’t trust anybody these days.

The colonel asks Doc where the talkers are. Doc says he might want to save his bullets. The colonel is suddenly splashed with blood, and Pandora’s assistant falls. 10K says, nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine. Doc finishes, in case that happens. 10K shoots more of them. Doc says that’s his cue, puts on his shades, and runs. Estes tells the colonel, operation mercy. But he’s not answering because he’s being eaten. Estes hears zombie munching sounds, and wonders, what the hell happened? He asks Pandora what happened to the talkers? Gate 3 calls on the radio, saying he better get down there. He needs to see this.

The guard asks a large group at the gate to state their business. Murphy says they’re here to vote. Estes says they need two forms of ID. Pandora says, and a pulse. Estes says it doesn’t look like many likely voters, and he’s not sure Murphy qualifies. Murphy says what matters is, it’s hard to mass mercy when they’re still talking. Estes says the militia will be back soon. Behind him, George says they both know that’s not true; they’re not coming back. Red says, not as humans. George says, the cycle death can end now, and Pandora says she makes it sound like that’s a good thing. Roberta says, it’s over. Open the gates, and let them in. They just want be with their loved ones. Estes says they have no idea what they’re doing, and Pandora tells him, shut up. She shoots, and runs. Estes takes off, and Roberta and George tell Red they’re going after them. Roberta says they have fifteen minutes to vote, and the crowd rushes in.

They chase Estes and Pandora through a building. Estes and Pandora split up, and Roberta goes after Pandora, while George follows Estes. Roberta runs goes up the stairs. Pandora shoots at her, and Roberta shoots back. Pandora says, bitch. Roberta continues to chase her, follows her to another staircase, and goes down. Pandora is out of bullets, and jumps down to another landing. Roberta doubles back, and sees Cooper in the hallway. He says, hello, Roberta.

He knows it’s a surprise. She says she can’t do this now. He tells her that he came long way; hear him out. Murphy arrives, and asks Roberta if this guy is bothering her, drawing his gun. Roberta tells Cooper that she’s glad he’s alive, but she has to go. She jets, and Cooper tells Murphy that he doesn’t want trouble. Murphy says Roberta may want him alive; him, not so much.

Roberta finds George near a door. George says Estes is inside. Roberta wonders where Pandora is. George says, on three, and opens the door to another staircase. Estes is on a platform at a computer. He greets them, welcomes them to the beating heart of Altura, and invites them up. He’s going to show them what all the fuss is about. Energy and security to build a new world upon. There’s a pool below him, housing lithium. George says, all that fuss for a battery? Estes knows been hard on her, but learning you’re wrong is part of growing up. George says they’ll see who’s teaching who. Roberta says, he’s taking lithium from the talkers for the battery, and he says, so what’s left of the humans can exist. They’ll have reliable storage. At night, when the solar power is out, they can have light, communications, and an electric fence. George says, while others starve. Estes tells her, desperate times mean hard choices have to be made. They can’t be left up to a traumatized mom. Change always involves collateral damage. Darwin had no heart. She says, neither does he. He says it’s not about him; it’s about the future of humanity. He staged the attacks. They were a necessary evil. The way things were, the lithium would be used up in less than three years. Then what? Roberta says, in the meantime, they can find an alternative. He says, it will be too late. By the time a vaccine can be made, the lithium will be used up. And what will be left? Feral talkers and no electricity. Roberta says he paid for the battery with human souls. Estes says, it’s a small price pay for security. The talkers are freaks; a mistake. George asks if that’s what he tells Pandora; how romantic. Estes says, she’s a useful tool, but in the end, she’s a mumbling corpse, like the rest of them. Roberta asks what’s going to happen when she tells everyone. Estes says they won’t believe her. She says, no, but they’ll believe him. She asks if CZ got that, and CZ says, every word. Roberta tells Estes that it’s being broadcast live. Estes doesn’t believe her, and she tells CZ, crank up the volume. Estes says, this is insane, and hears his voice echo back at him from the speakers. Roberta says he’s right. It is insane. She tells him to go back and tell the talkers they’re a mistake. Pandora appears, and says, a mumbling corpse? Is that how he sees her? He says he didn’t mean that way, and she asks how did he mean it? Roberta tells George, she’s about to get real. Estes says what he did, he did for humanity. Roberta says, there’s a new definition of humanity. Estes says, what happens when the dead are all that’s left? What happens when they trade their future for the talkers? What happens when the last vestige of humanity turns to dust? George says he can’t just get rid of them. He says, they’re rotting bags of putrefied meat. They need to cleanse the earth of the talkers before being dragged down to their level. Pandora says, is that what he thinks? and Estes says she’s different. Knife in hand, she says, is she? She slides the knife up his body to his chin. She thinks maybe if he was a talker, he’d feel differently about this whole dead thing. She holds the knife under his chin. The filming drone hovers around them. She tells it, buzz off, and gives it a whack. It falls into the pool, and the feed dies. The crowd watching goes, aww! Estes keeps saying, please, and Pandora tells him, stop whining. She hates it when he whines. It’s so whiny. She had big plans for them. It’s a pity. She stabs the board instead of him, and laughs, as sparks shoot out of it. Estes says, if the lithium overheats it will kill everyone in Altura. Pandora tells him, George was right about one thing. Humans and talkers are equal. They all deserve a final mercy in the end. Estes says, there’s only a few minutes before the coolant wears off. He runs to one of the pipes.

George faces Pandora. Pandora asks if George thinks she can mercy her. George asks if Pandora changed her outfit. Pandora says she always likes to look her best before a big fight. Does she like? George says, no. Pandora takes a fighting stance, and does a samurai yell.

Alarms sound. George and Pandora rush each other, and George slips under and around Pandora. She says she doesn’t want to mercy Pandora, and Pandora says, really? Not even after she chopped up poor, helpless Dante. George says Pandora’s life isn’t enough to pay for his, let alone the others. Pandora says, Boo. Hoo.

Roberta asks Estes what he’s doing, and he says, stopping a catastrophe. It’s going to explode if he can’t get the pumps working; help him. He and Roberta try to turn a valve, but it’s not budging much. Pandora wields a knife in each hand. George knocks one to the floor. Estes tells Roberta the lithium will cause an uncontrolled burn. Roberta grabs a metal pipe, and wedges it between the spokes of the valve, using it to turn the wheel. Steam hits Estes in the face. Pandora grabs George by the throat.

Estes tells Roberta he needs to use a hose as a bypass. She helps him to hook it up. Pandora looms over George, laughing, and squeezing her throat. She says George’s humanity is what makes her weak. She should be happy; she’s going to see Dante soon. George gathers her strength, and throws Pandora off. A screen flashes, pump failure. Pandora tells George they should do this more often. George says she talks too much, grabs her, and slams her to the floor. Pandora gets ahold of a knife, but George knocks it into the water. She cracks Pandora in the face. Her wig goes flying, and her mask hits the floor and shatters, because it isn’t made out of very practical material. She looks like a burn victim. Pandora asks if she disgusts George. She tells George to look at her. George spins Pandora around, and throws her, saying she doesn’t get off that easy. She holds Pandora over the water. Pandora says she could have been George, and George dumps her into the pool, where she fries.

Roberta thinks it’s working. Estes takes out a gun. Roberta tells him, it’s over, but he says she’s ruining humanity’s last chance. He can’t let happen. He shoots at her, but the bullets have no effect. George grabs his gun from behind. Roberta sees holes in her clothing, and says, no blood. She and passes out.

She wakes up on a couch. Cooper is there. She says, not a dream? and he says, no. She feels herself where she was shot, and asks where everyone is. Cooper says, voting, and Estes is in custody. She asks, what about Murphy? Cooper says he and the devil are cool. When Murphy understood why he was there, he brought Cooper to her. He asks how she’s feeling, and she says, nifty. What did he want to tell her? He says, back at the farm, when he found her. He was operating on her, and she bled out. There was nothing he could do. She died. She says, I was dead this whole time? He tells her that she came back as a talker, but different. Maybe it was the black rain she was exposed to; he doesn’t know. Roberta says, damn apocalypse. He didn’t want to tell her. He thought it might change her, and he didn’t want her to change. Roberta says, he came all this way to tell her? He says he wanted her to know. Does she forgive him? She asks if he forgives her for locking him in the trunk. He tells her everything he said still applies. It was from the heart. Roberta says what they had together was real. It was good, and so worth fighting for. She just doesn’t know how much fight she has left in her. She just found out she was dead. Cooper says she doesn’t look dead. Roberta asks if he voted. He did, but he’s not a joiner. He said his piece, and now he’s going to go, but he wants her to know, if she ever wants to dance or hear good music… She says she knows where to find him. He tells her, goodbye, and they kiss.

He puts on his hat. We hear a little Western background music, and he leaves. Roberta says, goodbye.

Doc makes an announcement, saying, ladies and gentlemen, living, dead, or somewhere in between. The polls are officially closed. 10K shows off his new, kind of Edward Scissorhands thing, and Doc tells Addie, chicks dig a man with a hook. Addie says she’s not touching that. She asks what Doc is going to do now. He says he might mosey back to the water keeper, and see if Kurek needs help with the dam. What about her? Addie says she’s going to continue wandering the earth, doing random good deeds. And killing zombies with her Z-whack. Doc says, that goes without saying. George tells Roberta that she’ll feel better when it’s over. Roberta says, once they ratify the constitution, then what? George says, elect people who will uphold it. Roberta says, people like her? and George says, maybe, and those who want to help. Red brings the case with Sun’s brain to Murphy, saying that somebody said give it to him. Roberta says, she said he’d know what to do with it.

Doc introduces George, who’s announcing the results. Roberta tells her, they’ve come too far. George walks up to the front. I note that she changed her outfit. She starts to talk, but the bullhorn gives feedback, so she continues without it. She says she was going to give a speech what feels likes a lifetime ago. Before the bombing. It was a different speech then, for a different world. So much has changed. She knows she has. CZ films her. She says, one thing has always remained. She has the same belief in democracy and the rule of law. The crowd applauds. She’s lost a lot of friends getting there; they all did, but she gained some new friends too. Friends who taught her the meaning of loyalty and courage, and showed what can be done when you have each other’s backs, and what can be accomplished when you believe in one another and carry each other forward, no matter what the obstacles. There were so many times she thought this moment would never come. But here they are. The moment they’ve been waiting so very long for. She says, let’s get to the results. She opens the envelope, looks at what’s inside, and smiles. Everyone cheers. Roberta smiles back at her.

Murphy sits outside with the case. He opens it, sees the brain, and says, Sun Mei. He takes the brain out, breaks off a piece, and eats it. He says, That’s it. Of course. He laughs.

That’s all folks.

😭 It was all I could do not to burst out bawling. Even if Netflix picks up the show, it’s at that point where it would even be doubtful that they could get everyone involved back, and no matter what, it won’t be the same. Write to your congressman… or something.

😘 A Fan Goodbye…

https://fanfest.com/2018/12/26/z-nation-canceled-by-syfy/

🎭 A Cast Goodbye…

https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/z-nation-cast-members-thank-fans-of-the-cancelled-syfy-series/

🙋 Farewell For Now…

This is where I’m supposed to stupidly say, see you next year, but I’m not going to do that. Sunday night (December 30th), Bravo will be airing a new episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey at 9 pm. It’s titled Bridezilla of Bimini, so it sounds promising, but I’ll most likely be hypnotized by 90 Day Fiancé. Have a happy and safe New Year’s Eve. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Take that however you choose.

👄 Quotes of the Week

Nonsense and deep thought, with a little Christmas sprinkled in.

Being normal is vastly overrated. – Aggie Cromwell

I’m not invading you with privacy, or something like that. – Leida to Tasha, who’d said Leida was invading her privacy, 90 Day Fiancé

Death is coming to Brooklyn. And it’s got buck teeth and a cotton tail. – Snowball (Kevin Hart), The Secret Life of Pets

You couldn’t hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant. – Uncle Lewis (William Hickey), Christmas Vacation  Disclaimer: Bill Hickey was my acting teacher for several years; however, this movie was not indicative of what was learned in class.

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear. – Buddy (Will Ferrell), Elf

I’m an alcoholic now. I did a lot of stuff that wasn’t cool, and I came here because the program says I have to make almonds. – Robbie (Noah Mills), 2 Broke Girls

You look like a Black Will Smith or something. – Bob Stone (Duane Johnson), Central Intelligence

I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship. — Louisa May Alcott

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something besides ourselves. – Eric Sevareid

💀 And Have Fun We Did…

ZN9

Z NATION — “Warren’s Wedding” Episode 407 — Pictured: (l-r) Keith Allen as Murphy, Russell Hodgkinson as Doc, Nat Zang as 10K — (Photo by: Daniel Sawyer Schaefer/Go2 Z 4/Syfy)
Dec23

December 22, 2018 – Sun Loses Her Mind, Run’s Writing & My Other Favorite

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What I Watched Today

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

 

Z Nation

Murphy is behind a metal fence with the talkers. He tells Estes that he came as a show of good faith, but Estes tells him that he had a choice. Murphy says his friends need some biscuits. Estes says he has a vote to prepare for. Murphy tells him that his friends live for democracy, but Estes says his democracy is only for the living. Murphy says, it’s voter suppressing. Estes tells the talkers, get on the bus. Murphy says talkers get nippy when they’re hungry. He sees that one of the buses is missing a tire, the talkers are obviously agitated, and there’s no driver. He concentrates, and the talkers calm down. He sees Addie taking aim in the distance, and says, these buses aren’t going anywhere.

A guard scans people as they go into the Altura campus. One man sets the alarm off. Another guard says, traitor! and shoots him. Hiding inside, Kaya is busy on the laptop getting clearance for Roberta, George, and Citizen Z. CZ and George get through easily, but the scanner does something weird when it’s Roberta’s turn. Kaya’s fingers fly over the keyboard. Roberta tells the guard, try again, and she gets through. George says, marshal law before voting day? Estes is unreal. Roberta tells her, no matter what, they stick to the plan. CZ is off to find Kaya, and Roberta tells him, stay alive.

CZ goes through the halls, and quietly calls Kaya’s name. He opens the front of a vending machine, and finds her in a space behind it. She asks if he got it, and he gives her a flashdrive, saying, the keys to the kingdom. Two guards walk past the machine, but don’t notice anything. Kaya says, Altura at her fingertips, and CZ says, the perfect setup. She tells him, let’s rock.

George tells Roberta that Estes’s office is this way. Roberta says, when the time comes, she’ll deal with him. A guard tells them to stop, and they move faster. Another guard tries to block them, but they knock him down and run. The first guard aims his gun, telling them to freeze and get on their knees. He says traitors have a lot of nerve showing up there. He cuffs them, and Roberta says they’ll regret this.

Pandora approaches the talker buses with her assistant. The guards are all lying on the ground, dead. There’s a huge smear of blood on the side of one of the buses. She touches it, and tastes it. She asks if she’s supposed to believe strung out talkers did this. She sees the bus is empty, but Murphy pops up from a back seat, saying, don’t shoot. He tells her that he loved her in Phantom of the Apocalypse. She asks where her men are. He says she’s Estes’s mascot, and she says he’s the big red one, the proprietor of Limbo. He says he was, until Estes’s goons forced him out of business. She calls him a friend to talkers, and a talker lovers friend, which makes him a traitor. He says he’s been called much worse. She asks what happened, and he tells her that he was forced on the bus, and the talkers went batsh*t crazy. She asks if he expects her to believe they were overrun by starving talkers. She takes out a switchblade, and asks where the talkers are now. He says, they ran off, and she tells him that she could eat his brains and find out what she needs to know. Her assistant grabs Murphy from behind, and Pandora says, stop stalling. Murphy says he got knocked out, and when he woke up, everyone was gone. She says, it doesn’t matter. He can’t protect them anyway. Her phone rings, and Murphy wonders where everybody is getting phones. It’s Estes. Pandora tells him that she understands, and she’s on her way. Murphy says she’s not taking him, but she says there’s no need. Estes has already arrested George and Roberta, and he’ll never be welcome there.

Roberta sees a surveillance camera, and tells George that Kaya and CZ will find them. Behind the vending machine, CZ asks Kaya if she’s found anything, but she’s still checking cameras. Pandora is back, and Estes tells her that he doesn’t like it. They’re up to something before the election. Pandora asks him to let her find out, and he says, the talkers need to stay lost. Pandora tells him not to worry. They won’t be voting; she’ll make sure. George will tell them what they need to know. She passionately kisses Estes, but his eyes stay open.

Doc has brought the talkers to the spot Roberta told him to. He tells them, let’s go. They’ve got their orders. The talkers and Addie come out. 10K and Doc set up a tent. Addie gives out biscuits.

Estes says hello to George and Roberta, and George tells him, save it. She asks what happened? and if he’s been lying to her this whole time. He says, unbridled idealism is easy to direct, but Roberta thinks the word he wants is manipulate. George asks if the final mercy is his idea of democracy. Estes says they’re the ones who hacked him. George wonders how his much his fellow Alturans will believe in him when they find out he was behind the blast. He asks who they’re going to find out from. Them? Roberta says, the truth always comes out. He says while they’re in a cell, he’s going to be elected supreme commander, and have them convicted of treason. In Altura, they take a dim view of election interference. Roberta asks, why? and he tells her, it’s not personal; just evolution. He tells the guard to bring George. Roberta asks where he’s taking her, and Estes says, to answer a few questions. He tells Roberta not to worry. He’s playing good cop. Pandora and her assistant show up.

In the lab, Red and Sun watch a dismembered hand jump around. Red says she’ll ever get used to that, and Sun tells her, the zombie virus is singularly focused. It wants brains. Red says she feels bad for Becky, but Sun says, Becky is at peace now. The virus is making the hand move. She’s run tests on Murphy’s blood, and it comes back to where it started. There’s something in it that has the same neuroreceptors as in the virus. Red asks if Sun is close, and Sun says maybe they’ll get lucky. She injects the hand. It’s still for a moment, then flips all around, becomes still again, then moves like a normal hand. Sun says it killed the virus and rehumanized the hand. Red says she’s found the cure.

Alone with Roberta, Estes tells her, welcome back to Altura. Her appearance was unexpected, and her timing curious. She thanks him for the warm welcome, and adds, Altura hospitality needs a little work. He asks where the talkers are, and she says, what talkers? He says they’re planning something that’s doomed to fail. They can’t stop the vote, but she can stop the bloodshed right now. Is she willing to decide for every human that her way is right? He asks where the talkers are, and she laughs.

CZ tells Kaya to go back to George. Kaya says that chick with the creepy mask makes her nervous. She sees Pandora torturing George, and the laptop goes out. CZ says there must have been a power surge, and Kaya says she has to reboot. A guy loses money in the vending machine, and starts cursing it out. CZ drops a soda down manually. Kaya says, this could take a while.

Pandora tells George that she could break a finger or toe, or her nose. She picks up a wrench. George asks what it’s like being Estes’s pet. He’s using her. Pandora says they’re using each other. Estes has big plans, and she’s his queen. George tells her to keep telling herself that. Pandora asks why they’re in Altura, and George says, sightseeing. Pandora asks where the talkers are, and George says, she rounded them up; you tell me. Pandora is glad George isn’t cooperating, and picks up a cattle prod. George asks why she’s chosen Estes over her own kind, and Pandora says she’s not a talker. George says, there’s no shame in being dead. Her best friend was a talker. Pandora says, the poor rebel Dante. So devoted to her. George tells her not to talk about him, but Pandora says she’s earned the right to say whatever she wants about him. George asks what that’s supposed to mean, and Pandora says she doesn’t know? This is even better than electricity. She killed Dante, not random vigilantes. He asked her to give George a message. His last words were, George help me. Why did she leave him alone? He needs her. She shocks George with the prod, as she mimics Dante. George says he was the best person she’s ever known, and Pandora says he wasn’t a person. He wasn’t even a talker. In the end, all that was left was a bag of garbage. She’s asking one more time where the talkers are. She shocks George, and laughs.

10K wonders why Murphy is never around for the heavy lifting, and Doc says, he’s clever that way. He tells 10K that he’s a good man, and 10K thanks him. Doc says, it’s nice to know a compliment still means something in a world like this. He says, no matter what happens, keep going. He’s like a cockroach, and his dad would be proud. Doc loves him like his own son, and 10K says he feels the same way. He asks if Doc thinks this is going to work, and Doc says, it had better. Lives depend on it. He calls for more cable.

Addie supervises the talkers, who are building a sandbag wall. Murphy joins her, and Addie says they’re almost ready. Murphy says, back there at the buses, she had a lot of issues to work out. She says she did it for them, not him. He tells her she has a way with her Z whacker.

Estes tells Roberta, any attack on Altura by the talkers would be folly. He senses she knows that, but Roberta says he’s confusing her with someone who scares easily. Tell the people of Altura they’re friends, let them vote, and maybe she’ll let him live. Estes says it’s amusing that she thinks there’s still a debate to be had. He tells her, goodbye, and as he’s leaving, she says, there will come a time when everyone turns talker, Remember that.

Red and Sun pack up some supplies. Red asks where they’re going, and Sun says, anywhere out of Estes’s hands, even Z territory. Red says she has a friend with access to an Altura truck. Sun tells her to be careful, but hurry. Red leaves, and Sun packs up the blood sample vials. Estes walks in, and asks if she’s going somewhere with his lab.

Guards put Roberta in another room. She asks, where’s George?

Kaya tells CZ that she’s trying to patch a workaround. She sees Roberta, and says she’s back in. Roberta signals for her to unlock the door, and she does. CZ wonders where George is. Kaya looks in other rooms, and sees Estes with Sun in the lab. CZ tells her, find George, then go back to that. She gets to the room George is in, and says, it’s bad. CZ says he’s going to find Roberta, and they’re getting George, and tells her to keep an eye on Sun. She tells him to be careful, and hand her a diet Coke on his way out.

Pandora keeps shocking George, who’s battered and bloody. She says, the talkers are planning an attack. George hopes Pandora didn’t break a nail on her face. Pandora shocks her again, and asks what she’s planning with the talkers; tell her. George says, and ruin her fun? Pandora says she can do this for as long as it takes, and George says, ditto. Pandora’s assistant brings in a zombie wearing a hood. The assistant removes the covering on the zombie’s mouth and eyes.

Sun tells Estes that she doesn’t want the samples to be contaminated. He tells her, have a seat; she seems tired. She say the trials have taken a toll on her. He says he hasn’t seen her in days. He picks up one of the vials, and asks what it is. She says, another failure, and he asks, why keep it? She says to learn why it failed, He picks up a syringe, and asks what’s in it. She tells him it’s the pure Z virus. He holds it up to a drone near the ceiling, and she asks if he’s been spying on her. What does he want? He says she already knows the answer. He takes out a gun, and tells her to get comfortable. He straps her to the chair, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, compelling the witness, and injects her. He says now maybe she’ll tell him the Z cure. He wants to watch it work on a human subject. He asks, which one is the vaccine? She shakes her head, and he says he’ll find it himself. He has no shortage of human subjects, starting with her and her friends. A guard comes in, and Estes says he had one job, and he let Roberta escape. He tells Sun not to go anywhere. He leaves, and she begins to turn.

Pandora asks George if they’re planning to attack on Altura’s election day. George isn’t telling her, and Pandora says, so they are planning to attack. She asks where the talkers are hiding. She says she’s barely touched George, and runs a knife over George’s face. She licks the knife, and says she finds George delicious. Where are the talkers? She tells George, through face is the long way to the brain, but the nose cartilage and eye cavities go easy. Where are the talkers? George says, don’t do this, but Pandora says she can’t disappoint Pierre. She brings the zombie over to George, and talks baby talk to him. He gets crazy, and Pandora asks again where the talkers are. She recommends that George tell her before Pierre eats her, and brings him closer. George says, get him away, and Pandora says, good boy! Down! She’s asking one more time, where are the talkers?

Red comes back to the lab. She says she got the truck, but doesn’t know if they have enough gas. She finds Sun in the chair, and sees that she’s turned. She asks, what happened? and Sun points to the vials.  Red takes out a syringe, but Sun gets loose and comes after her. Red drops the syringe, but manages to get it back. She tries to inject Sun while struggling with her. Sun gets Red down on the floor, but Red is able to inject her. Sun becomes human again, and Red says, it really works. Sun looks down, and there’s a broken beaker imbedded in her stomach.

Addie tells Murphy, even if the talkers get to vote, does he think they’ll fit in as well as the two of them. She thinks Estes won’t let it happen. Murphy says, let George and Roberta take care of Estes, and Addie says, there will always be another one. Humans aren’t evolving. Murphy says they are, but Addie is afraid there’s no place for them. He suggests they take the talkers and start over, but she doesn’t know.

Estes tells a guard to double the security, and find Roberta. He doesn’t want her skulking around today of all days. Pandora approaches him, and says, George broke. Estes hopes Pandora had fun, and Pandora says, George spilled her guts – literally. The talkers are setting up a staging area near Pacifica. Estes says he’ll activate security, and send everyone available to wipe their kind from the face of the earth. She asks, what about guarding Altura? He says he’ll do that, and asks where George is. Pandora says George and Pierre are having a snack. Estes says, good for Pierre.

Pierre keeps rushing at George, and she keeps kicking him back. He suddenly kneels in front of her.

CZ asks Roberta, which room? and she says, they all look the same. He asks Kaya to unlock a door at the end of the hall. They go in and find George on the floor. Roberta sees Pierre on the floor, unmoving, and says, a little close for comfort. CZ asks how George did that. I’d like to know too. Roberta asks if George gave it up, and George says, all of it. CZ says they have to find Sun; she’s alone with Estes. That can’t be good.

Sun tells Red to leave the glass in her. CZ and Roberta come in, and CZ asks where Estes is. Sun says, he’s coming back. She tells them she did it. Roberta says, the vaccine works? CZ asks if it’s like biscuit booster packs, and George asks if it restores talkers. Sun says, talkers and zombies, fresh ones anyway. Roberta asks if it’s a cure, and Sun says, it’s a start. Roberta says they can’t let Estes find out. They need to grab Sun’s resources and go. Sun says she can’t. What they need is in her head.

Doc rolls a joint, and 10K says, last smoke? Doc tells him, don’t be a fatalist. 10K leaves to get the truck. Doc lights up.

Murphy tells Addie that the talkers seem nervous. Addie tells them, hold tight, and Murphy says, the vote and citizenship are waiting if they want it, but they have to take it. Addie says they’ll help, and tells them, arm up. The talkers are each carrying a staff. They raise them, and march toward Altura.

Pandora sees a dead Pierre, and yowls. Estes says, they went to the lab.

Sun says she’s dying. She’ll be the first death since the black rain. Roberta says they can get more of Murphy’s blood, but Sun says the antibodies are evolving daily. They have to take her brain and preserve it before she dies. CZ says they can sew her up, but she says she’s lost too much blood. If Estes gets ahold of her… George says she won’t let him. Sun tells Red to get the syringe, but Red says she can’t inject Sun with poison. Sun says she can, and will. They’ll leave a dead end, and Estes will have nothing to work with. She tells George to tie her off, so the poison won’t reach her brain tissue. They’ll have what they need to recreate the cure. Red says, no, and hugs Sun. An alarm sounds, and CZ tells them to hurry. Roberta ties Sun off at the neck.

Estes is at the door. It’s locked, but he gets in, finding Sun in the chair with the top of her head gone. Pandora says they took her brain, and the cure with it. Estes says they’ll drain her blood. Maybe they can recover traces of it. He’s going to have every traitor mercied.  He’s going to find them, and kill them all. He leaves, and Pandora caresses Sun’s face, asking, where did your little brain go?

We see Roberta and George leaving with a carrying case.

Next Friday, the finale is a killer. We see the real Pandora, and Mario van Peebles (Cooper) is back.

🚬 About That Song…

My other favorite Christmas song. Apparently Reverend Run wrote it while he was high. I’m not sure what that says about me.

https://pagesix.com/2018/12/07/rev-run-was-high-when-he-wrote-christmas-in-hollis/

🎄 It’s Christmas…

…time in Hollis, Queens.

Mom’s cooking chicken and collard greens,

Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese,

And Santa put gifts under Christmas trees…

 

 

 

Dec8

December 7, 2018 – Obrecht Isn’t Fooled, the Secret Ingredient, a Mix of Six Quotes & Weekend Reactions

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What I Watched Today

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

 

😳 Oops, I did it again. Missed the beginning. It was a real comedy of errors at dog lunchtime here today. I’m going to have to start feeding these guys earlier. I don’t care how long morning naptime is. In the meantime, this is what I got. I didn’t miss much.

General Hospital

Margaux tells Jason that she hasn’t spoken to Drew in ages,but he’d like to keep it that way. He knows she wants to investigate him, and tells her to keep Drew out of it. Margaux asks why she’d want to investigate Jason.

Oscar introduces Daisy to his parents, explaining that she’s the friend who got him into the house he’s living in. She’s been looking out for him. She says it’s an honor to meet them. She tells them she was doing a technique on Oscar to channel his thoughts. They wouldn’t believe the mind’s capacity to heal the body. She says everyone in the house is crazy about him.Oscar thanks her for visiting.

Kristina tells Alexis that it’s sad; a funeral for someone her age. Someone who had so much to look forward to. Alexis asks why she’s breathing like that, and Kristina says focusing on her breathing keeps negative thoughts at bay. So does reaching out people and helping the community. Alexis asks if she learned that from the friends she spent Thanksgiving with. She’d like to hear more about the friends Kristina has taken such a liking to.

Margaux asks if Jason is paranoid, and he asks if she doesn’t remember dragging out all of his case files from 1996. She made it clear she was coming after him and Sonny. She says the circumstances have changed. Jason says, good to know. If they change again, don’t involve Drew.

Obrecht thinks Anna and Finn are exaggerating. Britt could have the flu. Finn says Britt is unconscious. Her body is attacking itself. Obrecht says, even if she believed them, what makes them think she’s capable of creating an antidote. Anna says they nearly lost Tiffany to the disease. Faison wasn’t a medical expert. Obrecht developed the virus, so she can come up with the antidote. Anna asks, if Britt dies, she’ll be kind of responsible. Can she live with that?

Sam thanks the newspaper employee, saying she can’t wait to reach out. It’s been way too long. Curtis says, never underestimate how trusting some people can be. Sam tells him the subscriber lives in a long term memory care facility.

Carly asks Yvonne if she’s married, and Marcus says he comes every morning. He sees the roses and says someone outdid him. He asks who brought them, and she tells him, Mike; he’s sweet to her. She asks him to put them in water. Sonny has an idea. What if he and Mike play hooky today? He’ll call Max to take care of business. Mike says he’s fine there. He sees Yvonne reading the paper. Stella tells Sonny that it might sound strange, but she thinks it’s best if Mike stays here for the rest of the day. Carly says, after what just happened, it’s all the more reason to maintain routine. Stella thinks it’s best, and Sonny says okay. He tells Mike that he’s taking off, and to have fun. Mike asks Yvonne if there’s any good news. She says that’s what she loves about Galina. There’s always something going on. She asks if he’s ever been there, and he says no, but he hopes to someday.

Alexis says Kristina is broadening her outlook. They’re lucky they’re in a position to give back as a family. Kristina says it goes beyond volunteering. They have meeting where they share what’s going on in their lives. Things that are bogging them down and giving them anxiety. They talk until it’s out of their system; it’s like cleansing the body of negative energy. Alexis says there’s some value in sharing feelings with a group of strangers, and Kristina says, AA. She apologizes for talking to Alexis like it’s a new concept. Alexis says it works for her. She looks forward to meeting Kristina’s new friends, and Kristina says he might get the chance right now. Daisy walks in.

Obrecht says, let’s say Anna is telling the truth; it was thirty years ago, and there was an antidote. They don’t need her help. Anna says Tony Jones produced enough for the outbreak, but then destroyed what was left. He didn’t want to risk someone figuring out how to reverse it. Obrecht thinks Anna should consult her boyfriend. He devised the cure for Blackwood Syndrome. Or are they using Britt’s illness as a way to trap her?

Jason says Margaux pushed Carly into Ferncliff, harassed Mike despite his condition, and hassled Michael and Kristina. She buried her own father next to Morgan just to mess with Sonny. She tells him that he’s making a large generalization, but he says it proved she’d use anybody to get what she wants. Drew can deal with her himself, but not right now.

Alexis introduces herself to Daisy, and commends her for getting Kristina interested in public service. Daisy says she can’t take credit for that. It comes naturally to Kristina.

Drew asks how Oscar is doing, and Oscar says, terrible. Drew says, in the end, it will be worth it. Kim asks if Oscar can eat lunch, but he says he’s not really hungry. Drew says, for hospital food, but what about BLTs from Kelly’s. Kim says Terry can eat what he wants as long as he’s up for it.

Alexis says she told Kristina that she wouldn’t badger her, but she’d love to hear more about what they do.

Margaux tells Jason that she really cares about Drew. He says she has a twisted way of showing it. She says she’s lost patience with the conversation, and has lost her appetite. She gets up, and tells him to enjoy himself.

Daisy tells Alexis they’re having a meeting this weekend if she’s interested in coming by. Alexis says she can’t this weekend, but they’ll figure something out. She goes to sit with Jason. She tells him she’s there on Oscar’s behalf. Oscar wants to make Jason executor of his will.

At the facility, Sam tells Curtis that they need to find the patient who subscribed to the paper. They’ll pretend they’re checking the place out for a relative. He says espionage in a convalescent home. It’s a first. Stella comes out, and asks what Curtis is doing there. He says he came to see her. Marcus joins them, and says, don’t tell him this grown man is her nephew. Stella introduces Curtis, and his work partner Sam. Curtis asks if he’s the Marcus. He’s sure Stella mentioned Marcus a time or two. Curtis asks what brings him to town, and Marcus says his wife Yvonne is a patient there.

Obrecht accuses Anna and Finn of toying with Britt’s life. Anna doesn’t buy her moral outrage. She kept Anna’s son captive for months. Obrecht says, Nathan is dead. Now they want to take her only surviving child. Finn says it took him almost ten years to find the cure for Blackwood, and Obrecht says his drug addiction probably helped. He says he spent every waking hour for nearly ten years working on it. Britt doesn’t have ten days. Obrecht wants the vial of blood, but Anna tells her, no more stalling. Either she’s coming or not. Obrecht says she’s going nowhere until she’s tested the blood herself. Finn was so eager to produce the vial; why? Was it really a prop? Anna says she’s the only person who can devise an antidote. Obrecht says she’s not going to face arrest and prosecution unless she knows for certain. The antibodies are unmistakable, and she has a test kit outside. She can validate it in no time, unless it’s a ruse. Finn takes out the vial, and gives it to her. She leaves with it, and Anna and Finn follow as far as the hallway. Anna says they are totally screwed. Finn says it’s Britt’s blood, but if she does an extensive analysis, she’ll realize he created the antibodies in the lab.

Jason is honored that Oscar wants him to be executor, but thinks he’s getting ahead of himself; he just started treatment. Alexis says it gives him a sense of control. It’s just the distribution of his estate. Jason asks, what estate? He’s a kid. Alexis says, don’t forget he’s a Quartermaine. He has stock in ELQ.  

Daisy tells Kristina that they’re doing an outreach, and she thought Kristina might want to come. Kristina says she’s stuck there for a few more hours. She tells Daisy that she’s in a weird mood. Her late brother’s old girlfriend was killed, and the funeral is today. Daisy tells her to remember what she learned; negative thoughts lead to negative events. Kristina says it’s hard to stay positive; she was way too young to die. Daisy says Kristina can miss her, but she’s back at the source of all life. She’s returned home, like we all will one day. She hopes Kristina finds comfort in that. Kristina thinks she can.

Margaux sees Drew at Kelly’s. She says she can’t avoid his family today, and he asks what the hell that means. She says never mind, and asks if he has a minute to talk. He says he has to be back at the hospital. The waitress brings his take-out food, and Margaux asks if everything is okay. He says his son has cancer. Margaux says she’s sorry; she’s sure he’s a fighter. Drew says he’s in no mood for her false sympathy, and in no mood to be blackmailed again.

Kim tells Oscar to rest. She wonders if she should tell Drew to nix Kelly’s, but Oscar says, no. The worst case scenario is that he barfs. Kim says, that’s not funny. He says she wanted him to enjoy being a normal teenager, including keeping his diagnosis a secret. She says it’s more complex than that, and he tells her discussing bodily fluids is as much a normal teenager as it gets. He has to laugh or it will be worse than it has to be. She says she loves him, and has to say something. She needs to apologize.

Sam tells Curtis and Stella that she’s going to say hi to Mike. Curtis. Curtis bets Marcus has good stories about Aunt Stella back in the day, and Stella says, none that he cares to share. Sam sees Mike, and he hugs her. She asks how he is, and he says, good. She asks who his beautiful friend is, and he introduces her as Yvonne Godfrey. Sam doesn’t know if it’s a coincidence, but she came there looking for a Godfrey. She asks if they’ve met before, but Yvonne doesn’t think so. Sam asks if she’d mind answering a couple of questions. Yvonne agrees, and Sam asks if she’s from Galina, Illinois. Yvonne says, home of Ulysses S. Grant. Sam sees she’s keeping up with the action back home. She shows Yvonne the obituary, and asks if she sent it.

Carly is worried about Mike. It looked like he had no clue Yvonne was married. She asks Sonny if he thinks it’s the first time Mike was told. Sonny isn’t sure, and she thinks it must be terrible to forget, and have to go through it all over again. Carly thinks her husband handled it well. Yvonne is there full time, and he wants her to be happy and make friends; like the want for Mike. It has to be rough watching her forget him more each day. Sonny says, she has to remember her husband. No matter what, he’ll never forget her. They hug.

Yvonne tells Sam that she didn’t send it. Sam says the envelope was postmarked Port Charles, and she’s the only one who gets the Galina paper. Maybe she doesn’t remember. Mike thinks maybe Sam should ask questions another time. Marcus comes back, and asks if everything is okay. Mike says it’s fine; Sam was just asking questions about Galina. Marcus suggests he take Yvonne back to her room, but she wants Mike to take her. They leave, and Marcus follows. Stella tells Curtis, so he was just wanting to visit his auntie? He’ll straighten this out when she calls tomorrow. She has a client, and thinks it’s best if they’re gone when she gets back. Curtis says, roger that. Sam takes a picture of the newspaper mailing label.

Kim tells Oscar that she’s sorry for the choices she made, and that it put a rift between them. She hates that he feels like he can’t trust her anymore, or that she didn’t love him enough to be honest. She loves him so much. He’s the most important person in her life; he’s her whole life. She wanted him to be happy, and thought could give it to him just a little longer. Oscar says he was always happy, and Kim says, maybe it was worth it a little bit then. She hates that she pushed him away. She gets weepy, saying the apartment is empty without him. Oscar says when he moved out, he wasn’t trying hurt her. He was hurting, and it was his way of taking control of things. Kim knows, and even though she hates the distance between them, she’s proud of him. He went out there and proved he can take care of himself on his own terms. Eventually, that’s what every parent wants for their child. It’s hard to accept he doesn’t need her anymore. He says she’s wrong about that. He’ll always need her. They hug.

Alexis tells Jason that Oscar’s grandfather willed him voting shares of ELQ. Jason says Oscar doesn’t have to worry about that, but Alexis disagrees. The Quartermaines are well-intentioned for the most part, but with ELQ, not so much. Oscar is worried they’ll fight over the shares. If, God forbid, Oscar dies, he wants Jason to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Obrecht returns, saying she saw the antibodies, and Finn asks if that means she’ll go. She’s afraid not. Anna asks, why not? She saw with her own eyes that Britt is deathly ill. Obrecht says she can synthesize an antidote there, and they can bring it to Britt. She knows Anna’s lofty principles wouldn’t allow her to let Britt die to spite her. Finn says he might. He’s her doctor, and has complete control over her treatment. It’s way too risky to obtain medicine from an unauthorized source. Obrecht tells him that he needs more lessons from his lover on sharpening his bluffing skills.

Sonny thanks Carly for being there. She says she’ll always be there. They make each other stronger. They’ve been through a lot together, but that’s how it works. The house phone rings, and Sonny says, send him up.  Carly asks if it’s trouble, but he’s not sure. Marcus is at the door. Carly introduces herself, but he walks past her. He says he remembers her, and Sonny tells him he’s not being polite. Marcus says he doesn’t mince words. He wants Sonny to keep Mike away from his wife.

Curtis tells Sam he doesn’t know how well she knows Stella, but when she says scram, you scram. Sam knows Yvonne seemed confused, but the subscription doesn’t expire for another nine months; it had to be recent. Curtis says maybe she doesn’t remember subscribing; she seemed worse than Mike. Or maybe someone subscribed for her to trigger her memories, like what Sonny has done with Mike. Sam says that doesn’t explain why Yvonne would send her the obituary. Curtis says, assuming she did. Sam says it can’t be a coincidence, but he says, maybe someone is using the connection. Sam is like, that’s it! They leave, and Daisy comes out. She looks around, and picks up Yvonne’s paper. Daisy is very busy.

Jason doesn’t know what say, and Alexis says she’s never known him to be much of a talker. He has a couple days to think about it. Jason asks if she’s sure it’s what Oscar wants. She says, it would mean the world to him.

Kim apologizes to Oscar for the waterworks. She’s tired, and she’s sure it didn’t help. Oscar says, it did; a lot. She wants to let him rest before his dad gets back. Oscar asks her to stay with him. She gets in the bed and holds him.

Drew gets back to the hospital, and Margaux shows up. He asks if she’s following him, and she says she wasn’t finished with the conversation. He says he was. She says, despite what he think about her and her actions, she’s grown fond of him. She thought he was a good guy who got mixed up with the wrong people. She still thinks he’s a good guy. She means it, and can prove it. She hands him the flashdrive.

On Monday, Marcus thinks Mike is dangerous to Yvonne, Jordan talks to Michael, and Kiki’s funeral.   

Z Nation

A voiceover of Doc says, the secret is buried under the past, and guarded by demons with sharp claws.

Talkers form a chain gang without chains, and shuffle into a scrapyard. There are guys in hazmat suits standing around, guarding the place. One of them tells the talkers, it’s unacceptable. He doesn’t care if they’re freaked out. They’re going to keep working. He wants barrels full of lithium by dark. He hits one of the talkers with the butt of his gun. A zombie near a trash barrel takes something out, and licks it. A claw crane picks metal up and drops it into a pile. The talkers go through it. The one at the trash barrel bites into what looks like a computer processor.

Another talker comes to the barrel and starts pulling apart electronics. Talker #1 tells talker #2 to watch, and breaks the processor in half. He gives #2 half, he bites it, and it’s like, wow. #1 says, welcome to the party. A third talker, a woman approaches them. An alarm goes off, and the talkers gather. Mean Dude kicks one of them around, and says they get stupider by the minute.

Talker #1 looks at #2 and #3. He nods. We see pressed metal cubes in the yard. Mean Dude says, this place should been picked clean a week ago. One of them is too slow, and Mean Dude shoots him in the head. He says, let that be a warning, and tells them, get back to work. Another supervisor hits #1, but the three talkers fight back. Mean Dude tells them, weapons on the ground. Things calm down, and he says, it’s all good. #1 says, it’s far from all good. Mean Dude shot his friend. Mean Dude says, he was already dead; he was just making a point. #1 says he was inflicting pain on another. Bleeders destroyed the world. They’ve forfeited their right to live. Now it’s their turn. He tells the talkers to rise up and listen to him. Their time has come. Freedom is here for all of them. They won’t be oppressed and murdered. They’re going to live out their days as they decide. Join him. No more will they be slaves to the living. Their time is now. They will be free, and free every talker in the mine. They’ll bring them into the light by any means necessary. They have nothing to fear if they stick together. He goes into the mine.

There are loud noises from the mine, and Mean Dude says, fire! They shoot. #1’s head comes rolling out. The talkers run. The head says, have mercy.

A truck hurtles past Roberta, George, Doc, and 10K. Doc says, a recycling truck. They’re using gas like there’s no apocalypse. Roberta wonders what was in the crate in the back. George says, it’s going to Altura, but where was it coming from? They see the crane, and the piles of metal. Roberta says, buried under the past, and guarded be demons with sharp claws. George says, her ancestral prophecy? Roberta says they’re going to check it out. Stay quiet. Keep low. Doc is glad they’re all together for once. They get on top of a van near the edge of the scrapyard, and watch through binoculars. Doc wonders what the talkers are doing, and Roberta says, they’re mining something. 10K reads a sign; caution – hazardous materials. Doc asks why signs never say anything nice, like baby goats this way. Roberta says whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and Doc says he must be Superman. Go figure. Roberta tells Doc and 10K to find out where they’re loading. She and George will check out the miners. Doc says, that didn’t take long.

10K and Doc hide, and watch for a truck. They see something fly across the yard, and get sucked into a hole amid all the metal. Doc says, that was creepy, and 10K agrees. He says, let’s find the trucks.

Roberta and George see Mean Dude barking orders again, and beating on a talker. He says if he had biscuits, they’d be done in twenty-four hours, but no. He tells them, pick up the pace. Roberta tells George, the talkers are pretty far gone. George says, they have no biscuits. She wonders if it’ toxic steel that’s keeping them from turning. They see talker #3, and he looks toward them. They crouch down further, and he says, don’t go down there. The metal is alive. Mean Dude says, back to work. #3 says, it’s not safe, and gets pushed back with the workers.

George wonders if the secret ingredient is there. Roberta would like to get her hands on the barrels. George takes off her jacket, and tells Roberta to come with her. She steals a talker’s hat and coat. Roberta jumps over the junked cars and piles of steel. George gets in line with the talkers. Roberta gets her guns ready. George takes a computer component out of a barrel, and Mean Dude asks what she’s doing. Roberta sets her sites on him. George fake sneezes, and Mean Dude is like, eww! I literally lol. A piece of steel rolls down the pile. Mean Dude shoots, and George runs to Roberta. Mean Dude says, cease fire. He tells the others to get back to work, so they can get the hell out. George practically flies over the piles of everything. She sees the hole that Doc and 10K saw something get sucked into. She looks in, and calls to Roberta.

At the bottom, Roberta comes to. It’s a pretty long fall. She gets up, and everything is fuzzy for a moment. She walks into what looks like a workshop, and sees the body of one of the hazmat guys. She takes his mask off, but there’s no head. She she looks around, and sees electronics, wires, and a board with a joystick. She sees a buzz saw, and spins it.

10K and Doc sneak around. Doc says, whatever they’re guarding must be important. Looking around, he thinks that someday, all that will be left of us is mountains of crap, and oceans of plastic. Sadly, living near the ocean, I tend to agree. 10K wonders what all this junk is, and Doc tells him, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure… That didn’t come out right. They see one of the hazmat guys messing around with some wires. They hide behind a wheeled cart, pushing it forward behind the guy. The guy keeps thinking he sees something, but every time he turns around, they stop. It’s pretty funny. They finally sneak out.

10K wonders what they’re doing with all this, and Doc says, who knows? They see another hazmat guy stirring hot molten metal, and making it into bricks. Other hazmat guys put the bricks into a tank, and the tank into a crate. They roll it out, right past Doc and 10K. 10k asks Doc if it’s silver, but Doc says you don’t have to be that careful with silver. Whatever it is, they’re afraid of it. Some people run past, and Doc says those guys know something they don’t, and they jet.

George calls to Roberta. Mean Dude tells George, get down from there, and points his gun at her. He says, move or be mercied. She walks down the mountain of metal. He says he has a special tunnel just for her. He pushes her into the line of talkers, and says, send her down too. He tells the guards, shoot if they resist. Shoot anything that doesn’t look right. Mean Dude isn’t liking this, and 10K rolls a barrel down the scrap heap, distracting him. George goes into the tunnel.

10K and Doc run across the yard. They go through a large garage-like door, and everything is wreck, with blood everywhere. Doc wonders if they shot each other. Whatever it was, it was big.  10K says, no baby goats, and Doc repeats, no baby goats.

Roberta pushes something out of her way. A makeshift sign says, kill them all. and there’s another body nearby. Roberta sees a flashing light, and feels around for her gun, but has nothing. She’s defenseless.

Down in the tunnels, someone loads what looks like a Star Trek gun, and bites into a computer part. The creature is a sort of bionic zombie meets the Borg; his body supplemented with metal parts. He picks up the buzz saw, and cuts through a metal sheet. Sparks fly. Roberta lies on the floor, wearing a hazmat suit and mask, and pretending to be dead. A real hazmat guy is next to her, and wakes up. He’s pulled away. He screams, as we hear saw sounds.

#3 tells George, don’t go down there. Have biscuits. He shows her a computer compressor. He says, it brings you back from the abyss, but it doesn’t last long. He hands it to her, but she says, no thanks. Still alive. She says she’s waiting for friends, and he repeats, don’t go down there. The alarm sounds, and Mean Dude says, more barrels; move it! George moves things out of her way.

Outside, the claw picks up some metal, and puts it in a crusher. After the metal is crushed, the claw picks up the cube and deposits it in the yard. Doc and 10K find a room with multiple TV screens, monitoring areas of the yard and mine. Doc says maybe they can find Roberta and George. He wonders what this button does, and presses it. The claw drops a cube on someone, but Doc doesn’t see, and says, nothin’. 10K suggests another one to try, and the crane begins to spin. The claw picks a guy up. Doc says, oops, his bad. Now he know what that one does. 10K thinks maybe they shouldn’t be doing this. They see someone coming toward the building, and close the door.

Mean Dude opens the door, finding Doc and 10K in hazmat suits. Doc says, it’s all okay. The situation is normal. Mean dude asks who he is, and Doc says, Siegfried; and his partner, Roy. The boss sent them to speed up the operation. Mean Dude says, Estes? And Doc says, yeah, Estes. He’s not happy, and needs more bricks. Mean Dude says, screw Estes. He has no idea what they’re up against. He has men missing, and even the talkers are spooked. This place isn’t just hazardous; it’s haunted. Doc says, haunted or not, he’d better get moving, or he’ll end up digging truffles with the talkers. Mean Dude says Doc is wasting their time, and Doc says Mean Dude is wasting his time. He’s got work to do. Mean Dude says he doesn’t have to be such a d*ck. Doc tells 10K, haunted. As if zombies aren’t bad enough. 10K suggests they find Roberta and George.

Roberta wanders through the tunnel. Metal is everywhere. She hears sounds, and grabs a pole. She waits, ready, but it’s George. George asks if it’s zombies, and Roberta says, whatever it is, eats batteries like twinkies. George says, eating them like biscuits. Roberta thinks about what’s in them, and says, lithium. What if that’s the secret ingredient? George wonders why they’re not making biscuits if they’re scavenging. Roberta says they’ll find out, but first, they have to get out before their rechargeable friend comes back.

Roberta and George crawl through the tunnel. George hates the apocalypse. They pop out of he tunnel, and are met by hazmat guys with guns. George ask what they want, and suddenly, their guns fly out of their hands, and onto a magnetized piece of equipment. Inside, Doc says, not so tough without guns. HE thinks he’s getting the hang of it. George and Roberta are about to get in a fistfight with the guards, when another one with a gun steps out. He’s pulled back – by what, we don’t see – and blood splashes out from where he was. Roberta suggests they get out of there, and they run. Roberta asks, what is that thing?

George says it’s gaining on them. 10K runs with them. Borg zombie follows. Doc opens the door, and tells them to hurry; there’s a thing behind them. They run inside, and he closes the door. They don’t hear anything, and Doc says nothing is getting through that door. Doc wonders what they want, and Roberta explains they’ve mining the dump for a while. They’re mining lithium. George says, it’s the secret ingredient. Doc tells them that they found out Estes is in charge. Roberta says, whoever controls the biscuits, controls the talkers. Whoever controls the talkers, controls Newmerica. Roberta says they have to get the last shipment. Doc looks at one of the screens, and sees some guys loading a truck. He says it looks like they have the same idea.  George asks if Roberta is thinking what she is, and Roberta says, they’re going to hijack that truck.

Mean Dude says he’ll drive; move over. Wearing a suit, Doc sits in between him and another hazmat guy. 10K is in the truck bed, with a third guy. The guy in the cab says he’ll be glad to leave this place. Doc says, tell him about it. They see Roberta and George, and Mean Dude wonders what those two are up to. He tells Roberta to get in back, but Roberta says they’re taking the truck. Direct orders from Estes. The guy in back looks at 10K. Mean Dude says, something’s not right. George gets the door open. Doc elbows Mean Dude and the guy on his other side. 10K slams the guy in the back. Roberta and George pull Mean Dude and the other guy out of the cab. They get ready to leave, with Doc driving, but the engine won’t turn over. George tells him that he’s flooding it. 10K is still fighting in the back. Roberta is pulled out of the cab. George is ready to fight, but Mean Dude slams her up against the truck. She faceplants. He pulls Doc out of the truck, but has no better luck starting it. George is lying in front of the truck. Roberta and Doc try to get her up. They hear saw sounds. A guy yells, and an arm falls down near them. Roberta looks back, under the truck, and sees Mean Dude flailing around on the ground, blood spurting from where his arm used to be.    

Mean Dude wails. Borg zombie stands there. George says, whoa. 10K shoots him from the back of the truck, but Borg zombie just looks at him. A hazmat guy throws something at him, but it bounces off like it’s Styrofoam, and hazmat guy takes off. Everyone gets ready to fight, but the power goes out in Borg zombie’s hand. Roberta says, his battery is dying. She tells the others, wear him out. They go after him, and nothing is effective, but he seems puzzled, turning this way and that, as each hit comes, clanging against his metal pieces. He grabs Roberta’s weapon, and starts to come after her. His buzz saw starts running, not full power, but enough. He puts it near her face.

A grid on this chest flickers, and his arm turns off. Roberta gets up, and says, she sees him. Doc asks if it’s dead, and Roberta says, he’s trapped. Doc asks who he is, and talker #3 says he recognizes him. He was one of the first miners, and went missing months ago. Doc wonders if it was too much lithium. Roberta asks what he wants, and says let them help him. Borg zombie walks slowly away, and they follow. He drags one metallically enhanced foot.

He gets to a panel, and presses some buttons. He stands on an X. George says, he’s going home. The claw comes down, and picks him up. It puts him in the crusher. Roberta looks sad. His cube sparks. The claw sets it down. The talkers gather around, and eat from it. Roberta says, the apocalypse is getting weirder and weirder.

#3 thanks them so much. They gave back their lives; their souls. George says they’re welcome. Roberta tells the others, stock up on as much lithium as possible, and get these talkers to Limbo. George says she has questions for Estes. She thinks she knows a guy who can get past Altura’s high tech security. She tells them, come on. Roberta asks where they’re headed, and George says, Hackertown.

An eyeball looks out from one of the crushed cubes.

Next Friday, it’s trolls vs zombies. And it looks like a lot of drones.

☕ Quotes of the Week

With great power comes great responsibility. — A lot of people have uttered a version of this phrase over the centuries, but it’s best attributed to Stan Lee in the form of an omniscient narrator in the August 1962 edition of Spider-Man.

Amish rules are not to drink, but I decided the hell with it. – Ada, Return to Amish  

Debbie is like a cat. She disappear, but then reappear when the time is right to make your life hell. – Larissa, referring to her soon-to-be mother-in-law, 90 Day Fiancé

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. – Helen Keller

Your nose is dead from being in that house. – a hoarder’s sister, Hoarding: Buried Alive

Of course the wolf flies. – Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson), Rampage

🛀 Weekends Be Like…

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Dec2

December 1, 2018 – Doc Spirit Walks for Water & Saturday Night

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What I Watched Today

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

 

Z Nation

Doc opens his eyes to a talker tied up next to him. The talker complains about sores from sitting, and says, you’d think they could turn a guy once in a while. 10K and Doc are also tied up, and the talker grumbles some more about the constant decay. Doc tells 10K to wake up. The talker says, that’s what they do to saboteurs. That’s what he is, and he thinks it sounds rather continental. He says 10K is looking pale. Just transitioned, did he? 10K says he’s not a talker, and the talker asks why his hand fell off then. Doc asks, who did this? and the talker says, they’re quick as lightening. You don’t see them, but they see you, and the next thing you know, you’re shot with an arrow. He gets loud and weird. Roberta is suddenly there, and puts something in his mouth to shut him up, saying, enough out of him.

Doc has never been so glad to see her. She unties him and 10K, and they run, George joining them. Arrows fly at them, and George tells them to keep their heads down. She yells that they’re not here to fight. They’re not the enemy.

A boy whistles for zombies near a trap. A woman brings the group through, and tells him, good looking out, Little Foot. She says they killed some zombies, but what they have here is worse. Little Foot asks if they’re bombers, and she says, could be. She’s bringing them in. Roberta asks Little Foot if they’ve been bombed, and he says, lots of times. They also got hit by a zombie bomb. Roberta tells George to have patience. They need to wait and watch, and these people will see they’re not the enemy. They’re led into the grounds where the dam is. Doc tells them, hang in. He knows some natives that can sort it out. Hopefully they won’t get their asses kicked in the meantime.

A woman says, Steven, is that you? using Doc’s real name. It’s Kuruk, who got Doc high nowhere near the Grand Canyon two seasons ago. She kisses him. She also knows George, and Roberta asks if she can help them. Kuruk undoes their bonds, and says something tells her they’re not there by chance. George says, unfortunately not. Doc tells her they came about the water. George says they came about keeping the peace, and says Kuruk’s father knows her. Doc says Kuruk knows him, and knows he’s true to his word. She says, the apocalypse changes people, but he says, not that much. Roberta says, what George started was working. Kuruk says, it was working, before the bombing. George says the idea that they’re stronger together always works. They want to know why the water was shut off. Kuruk says they didn’t shut it off, and asks them to come with her

Ayalla – who met 10K when they were nowhere near the Grand Canyon – sees 10K, and asks what happened. He says, zombies. She asks if he wants help, and leads him forward. Kuruk shows the others a map, and says there have been zombie attacks; long-walkers from far away, but they’re just a distraction to divert their attention from more sophisticated sabotage talkers. Doc says, saboteurs, like the guy tied up next to them. Kuruk says, they’re lethal. They’ve lost their strongest warriors. Now the dam is failing, and it’s time to go; they can’t stay there. George says, then they won’t be able to control the water; their people are vital to Newmerica. George had an agreement with her father, making them friends and allies. Kuruk says they were. He keeps trying to fix the damage from the attacks, but they’re coming faster and faster. The next one comes before he fixes the last one. The whole dam could fail, and them with it. George says she’ll talk to the chief. He’s a reasonable man.

10K asks Ayalla what she just called him, and she says, it’s Navajo for ten thousand. He asks, what’s Navajo for girl who just led him in a circle? She tells him that she wanted to see if he trusted her or not. He says he did, and she led him in a circle. She says he followed her, so cool. It’s done, but don’t get a big head about it. She says his wound is looking better. He asks if she bandaged him. She says she did, and he says, but she didn’t untie him. She says, it’s been a while. She wanted to make sure he was still him. He asks if she shouldn’t be back at camp helping pack up, but she says, no. They should be helping her people not get run off their land for the billionth time in history.

Roberta and George approach some people fixing a dam wall. George introduces herself, and asks to speak to the chief. A man says, he’s busy, but George says he’ll want to hear what she has to say. He says if she knows him, then she knows his name. She says he told her to call him Eddy, and he says, everyone knows that. She says, he who goes to the water. He calls for the chief, who comes out asking, what’s with the racket? He’s trying to work. He sees George and asks why she came. She says because the water was cut off. She was told they’d been attacked, they’re leaving, and need to abandon the dam. He says, that’s fear. The young ones are afraid of everything; zombies, talkers, the power of the water. Roberta thinks those are healthy fears these days. He says you should have healthy respect for forces that can harm you, but you learn to work with them. Their ancestors are there. The land was flooded when they built the dam. Their ancestors there, and a new generation is out there; he’s not abandoning either one. Roberta asks if he wants to go down with the ship – or dam – and he says not if he can help it. There’s a huge noise, and he says the saboteurs stopped the turbines; the pressure is building up. He has to stop it while there’s still time. George says, if anyone can fix a dam, he can, but Roberta says, what if he can’t?

Ayalla tries to find something for 10K’s hand. She suggests an egg beater, but he says he’s not a cook. She holds up a garden gnome, and he says, maybe not such a good idea. She picks up a deer antler, saying, deer are known for intelligence, energy, and speed. He could use it to prop his gun, or as a slingshot, and it’s pretty sharp. She tells him that he doesn’t choose the hand. The hand must choose him first. He has to get naked to be free of attachment, and stand in the sun all day. If he’s still standing at nightfall, the hand is his. She does some hand motions and chanting, and looks to the sky. Then she tells him that she’s kidding. White boys are so gullible. She says, hold still, and takes out a drill.

Kuruk nurses Doc, who says she’s working her magic again. He wishes there was something he could do to help them stay. She does too, and he says maybe there’s something they haven’t thought of. She says he sounds like her father. He was in Minnesota when the apocalypse came, and they found him a year ago, and now it looks like they might lose him. Doc misses a simpler time, when they were just running away from zombie hordes, and sending them into the Grand Canyon. She says she thought he was nowhere near the Grand Canyon, and he says, right; it wasn’t them. It was kind of near there where he met a special lady. He thought they shared something kind of spiritual. She says they did. He says he never thought he’d see her again. He lost the necklace she gave him. He didn’t mean to, but zombies. Then the necklace found him. It was kind of a miracle, and got him thinking if found her again, they could… She says, what? Settle down, grow old together? He says, a man can dream. She asks where they settle in the dream, and he says, here seems nice. She says, it was before the attacks. Now they don’t have enough warriors to defend themselves and the dam. Doc asks her to let them help. It could be nice again. All of Newmerica can be, but not if they leave and let their enemies win. She says she’s not letting anyone win.

They hear a struggle outside. It’s the talker saboteur struggling with George. He goes after one of the women, and tears open her neck with his teeth. Kuruk says, hold her; help her. The others hold her down. She dies, and then wakes. Kuruk says, she’s changed. They know what they have to do. She’s led away, and Roberta asks where they’re taken. Kuruk says, every living thing has its place and purpose; every dead thing does too. Doc tells her, things will get better, but she says she’s not staying there and watching her people get wiped out for a pie in the sky idea. She tells everyone to pack up. They’re getting out of there, and leaving before nightfall. George asks if she’s leaving her father. It doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. Kuruk says they’ll just have to change his mind.

In the woods, Ayalla tells 10K to try out his antler hand. They see an outsider, and 10K aims at him, but Ayalla says they want him alive to talk. She tells 10K to follow him, and she’ll alert the others.

10k follows the outsider, who goes through a fence and into the dam area.

Kuruk goes to see Chief Eddy. She tells the guard to let her father know she’s leaving. If he doesn’t come out, he might never see her again. The guard whistles for the chief, and they wait.

10K follows the outsider through the tunnels under the dam. He sees the outsider take out a paper. He reads it, and cuts open a lock.

Chief Eddy comes out and hugs Kuruk. She tells him leaving is the only way, and he says, may the Great Spirit watch over her on her journey. She asks him to come, but he says he’s not running anymore. His people have run enough. Their place is here. George joins them, and says they can help. Someone is trying to ruin Newmerica, and drive them apart; drive the tribe and their people apart too. Chief Eddy tells her what she says is true, but his people are choosing fear. Kuruk says they’re choosing to live. He says the only way their people will survive is to come together with all humans and their relatives. Everything starts to shake, and he says, not again.

Chief Eddy literally runs into the outsider, and kicks him down the stairs. He whacks at the outsider with a hammer, but the outsider dodges it. Chief Eddy throws it at him, but misses. The outsider laughs and kicks at him. Chief Eddy takes out a crowbar, but it falls over the railing. He takes out another hammer, but the outsider grabs it and pushes the chief over the railing. The pipes begin to shake.

Kuruk asks George what she’s supposed to do, tie her father up and drag him out? George says it doesn’t look like the talkers will let her. Kuruk says he’s her elder. She’s supposed to look to him for guidance, not the other way around. Roberta says maybe they can help. Ayalla tells them about 10K following the outsider, and Roberta says they have to get in. Kuruk says everything is guarded or locked. Doc suggests they do what they did before – spirit walk. Kuruk says what happened before was a fluke or a miracle, but Doc thinks it’s worth a try. He thinks he could do it again. He explains that Kuruk gave him some medicine, and he left his body. His spirit walked, killed a zombie, and saved 10K. Kuruk says he got really stoned and had a hallucination. Doc says, it worked, and Roberta asks if he thinks he can do it. He says, unless someone has a better idea. Kuruk wants to help, but her medicine isn’t that strong. She asks Little Foot where Ashki, their medicine man is, and he says, probably sleeping.

Ashki is snoring in a car. Kuruk tells him, wake up. He says he wasn’t sleeping; he was dreaming. His grandfather died before he could finish his training. How else is he supposed to talk to him? He asks who the new people are.

They sit around a fire. Ashki says they want him to betray his lineage and people, and send Doc on a vision quest he isn’t prepared for, or entitled to. Then guide him through the spirit world to protect the water for a nation that keeps breaking treaties with them. George says they want to get in so Kuruk can talk to her father. Ashki asks if she told them he can do this. She knows it’s crazy, but can’t think of another way. Doc says, last time, all it took was some good peyote, but Ashki says he doesn’t have any. Roberta says, it’s a new world. Maybe it’s time for a new ceremony. Ashki says, what then? and George says, save the dam, find out who’s behind the attacks, and stop them. Roberta tells him their people control the water. He asks if Kuruk believes them. She says she does, and he tells her, grandfather says give it a shot, but Roberta has to come too. He says he knows her from the spirit world.

Ashki gives Roberta something to drink, and says he won’t take her anywhere she’s not prepared to go. George says she’ll be there the whole time. Roberta, Doc, and Kuruk drink. They fall out, and Ashki brings out a defibrillator, just in case. The three spirit walkers look like they’re having seizures, and Ashki says, give it a minute. They relax again, and he says, it’s all good.

Kuruk appears under the dam, and calls for her father. Roberta appears and sees the outsider, but he runs past her without seeing her. Doc appears and sees 10K, but can’t touch him; his hand goes right through. He says he has to do it psychically, and concentrates. He tells 10K, wake up. Everything starts to shake and rattle. Kuruk tells the guards that she needs to find her father, but they can’t hear or see her. She touches one, saying her name, Wilma. Wilma says, something is here. Kuruk tells Wilma, listen, and says something that sounds like adavo. Wilma says, spirit, come this way. I was just thinking, Kuruk said everything was guarded, but they seem to be pretty useless, except for keeping the chief’s friends away.

George asks Ashki how long they leave them, but he doesn’t know. He’s never done this before.

Roberta follows the outsider. He shoots someone, and runs through her. She reacts, and George sees it in the real world. She tells Ashki that Roberta isn’t breathing. She does chest compression, and tells Ashki to give her the paddles. She shocks Roberta, who’s running after the outsider. She wakes up, and says she found the saboteur. She knows how he got in, and they need to save the dam.

Kuruk sees her father, who’s still alive. She tells him, keep breathing, and puts something under his nose. He asks if this is his daughter, and she tells him to see her. He says he’ll see her on the other side, but she says they need him there. She holds her hands over him, and sings in Navajo.

The dials on the machinery start going crazy. Doc says, oh no, and whatever he tries to touch, his hands go through. Alarms go off. He tries to wake 10K, but he’s suddenly back in the real world. He says he has to go back, and picks up the container of whatever Ashki had given them. Ashki tells him not to drink too much, but he gulps it all down, saying he doesn’t need to spirit walk; he needs to spirit fly. His spirit goes back to where 10K is, and he goes into 10K’s body. He pulls himself up, and shuts off a valve. Doc as 10K says, far out! It worked!

Roberta and George go through the gate and under the dam.

Chief Eddy is fine, and runs up the stairs. The building is shaking, and he says, too much pressure. The dam is failing. 10K shuts off another valve. He tells Chief Eddy that he’s trying to stop it, and the chief says he started it. Kuruk tells him that 10K is one of George’s people. 10K explains that he’s really Doc. 10K was unconscious, and he’s just borrowing his extremities; ah, to be twenty again. Chief Eddy says the saboteur must have gotten to the emergency panel.

Roberta and George pass a dead body on the steps. George tells Roberta that she never saw a talker kill their own kind. They see the outsider using a mini blowtorch on a panel, and Roberta yells, stop! She shoots at him, but misses, and he runs. 10K and Chief Eddy follow, and water starts to spray out from the wall.

Chief Eddy takes them back outside, telling the guard to lock the exit; don’t let him escape. 10K comes to, and says he feels old and kind of stoned. Doc says he’s awake, and 10K asks where Doc is. Doc says, sorry, and appears for a moment. He tells 10K that he’ll see him soon, and disappears again. 10K asks Chief Eddy what happened? and the chief tells him that Roberta and George went after the saboteur. 10K runs up the stairs, and Chief Eddy asks where he’s going. 10K says they need his help, and he needs his gun.

The saboteur/outsider waits by an upstairs door. George comes out, and he kicks her, but she gets it together, and they fight. Nice roundhouse kicking. She slams him up against the wall, and asks, who sent him? He head butts her, and is about to shoot her, but 10K shoots him from behind.

The water flows and the tribe celebrates. Kuruk says they have their warriors back. They are stronger together. George says they brought the talkers back into the tribe; now she needs to do the same. Kuruk says Ashki had a vision, and created a new ceremony derived from the ghost dance of their ancestors, to reunite the spirits with the living. They will be living with the spirits of the dead, who will fight on their behalf to make the white colonists leave. No offense. It’s meant to bring peace, unity, and prosperity, and includes everyone. George asks if that means they’ve changed their minds about Newmerica. Kuruk says they’ll come to congress and vote for a new colony, uniting everyone.

10K says he still feels weird. Doc says, good weird or bad weird? and 10K says, weird weird. Doc tells him it’s better than being dead. Chief Eddy thanks them for saving the dam and their home. Doc says, it feels like home. A place to settle down, if settling down ever comes back. Chief Eddy says he’ll always have a place there. Kuruk says, and here, and hugs him. He says he’ll meet her there whenever he can. She has something from Ashki for him, and he puts it in his pocket.

10K thanks Ayalla for his new hand, and she asks what he’s trading to keep it. She says, nothing is free. He’ll have to trade her another body part if he wants to keep his hand. She tells him that she’s kidding. Use it well. They hug. Ashki tells Roberta he has a message from his grandfather for her. The knowledge she seeks is buried under the past, but beware. It’s guarded by demons with sharp claws. Roberta asks what buried under the past means, and George asks if she heard the part about the demons. Doc says, sounds like another Tuesday in the apocalypse. Roberta asks Ashki to tells his grandfather thank you, and Ashki says she’s welcome.

They leave as the tribe continues to dance.

Next Friday, here comes the zombie-nator. Doc tells 10K, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure… That didn’t come out right.

🍟 Because Why Not?

Good times…