Tag Archives: Fear the Walking Dead

Jul26

July 25, 2018 – Michael’s Plan Moves Ahead, Lots of Tears in Mexico, Dogs & Chefs, Chris, Fear, Dead & Dreams

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

On Alexis’s porch, Kiki tells her that she thought about what she said, and she’s done. Done with the gossip, headlines and her colleagues ignoring her. She wants her life back, and the quickest way to do that is drop the lawsuit. Alexis had the feeling she was leaning that way, and hopes Kiki gives her a chance to change her mind. Kiki doesn’t think she can, but she invites Kiki in, and says, maybe they can. All the women in Kiki’s life are there.

In the park, Oscar is on the phone. He says it’s the sixth message he’s left for Josslyn, and asks her to call back or text. Cameron is listening, and suggests maybe a smoke signal. He asks what the deal is. Trouble in paradise?

Josslyn’s phone rings, and she ignores it. Sonny asks if she’s answering, but she says she’s not in the mood to talk. Not now, and not to Oscar. Sonny sits on couch with her, and asks, how about to him?

At the gym, Jason isn’t going to make Michael take him through the plan again, but reminds him that Nelle is a dangerous woman. He’s been involved with her, and she’s carrying his child. He’ll need to shove down the instinct to protect her, and protect himself. Michael asks why he’s so worried. He doesn’t have to be. Michael knows what do, and has plenty of backup. Sam comes in. Michael says he should get going. Sam says she didn’t want to say anything, but whatever he’s planning with Nelle, please be careful.

On the docks, Nelle tells Chase that she’s trapped. The only way for Michael not to become a widower, is for her to become a widow first. The will cuts her out, and she’ll be left destitute if anything happens, unless he dies in a couple of days. Chase says, before the will is executed. He says he won’t let anything happen to her. They’ll fix it; they’ll think of something.

Kiki asks if they’re all there for her. They can’t stand each other. Olivia says that’s an understatement, and Ava says they’re not there as friends, but as women. Alexis tells them to raise their hands if they’ve been sexually harassed in the workplace. Everyone does, and they tell Kiki that she’s not alone. Alexis says it’s everywhere. Now is the time to be taken seriously.

Sam wants Michael to be safe. She personally doesn’t want him to get hurt, but it would kill Jason if anything happened to him; it would break his heart. Jason loves him. Michael says he won’t take any risks unless it’s necessary, and Sam says that sounds like something Jason would say. Michael tells her he won’t lie, and she says that’s another thing he’d say. Danny had a rocky start in life, so she did what she could to save him. Jason did the same thing for Michael. Michael says that’s exactly what he’s doing for his child. She understands and respects that, and tells him, just be safe. He leaves, and Sam hopes she didn’t overstep. Jason says, no. He’s grateful she said what he couldn’t.

Chase says Nelle has nothing to worry about. Michael is young and healthy, and not going anywhere for a long time. She says that’s exactly what’s wrong; that long time. He’ll take away her child, and leave her penniless, or both. She only sees one solution. The only way for her to feel safe is if Michael is out of the picture. Chase suggests divorce, but she says she’ll be left with nothing and have a baby. She says, some kind of accident could take him out of the picture permanently. People have fatal accidents all the time. If something happened to Michael, they’d be free to be together. He said he’d take care of her; why is he hesitating? She says it was like lightening struck when she saw him again. Chase says it was the same for him. She wants a life with him and the baby, and he said he wanted that too. He holds her.

Jason punches a hanging bag, while Sam jumps rope. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, great. She’s just counting her blessings. Michael bringing up Danny got her thinking. She’s grateful and lucky. Not that he was taken away, but twice she thought a person she loved was gone. First, Danny; then him. Jason says, like father, like son. Did he just make a joke?

Oscar says he’s worried about Josslyn, and Cameron asks what’s going on? Oscar says she’s kind of been all over the place, and when they’re together, he doesn’t know what to expect. Cameron says, and not in a good way. Oscar tells him when he asks questions, she gets defensive. It’s never been a problem before. Cameron guesses Oscar didn’t grow up with family drama. Crazy doesn’t begin to cover it. Josslyn has major issues; her brother dying, her grandfather being sick, and her mom is locked up. The last thing she wants is to reflect on her feelings. Oscar asks what she does want, and Cameron says, to escape.

Josslyn tells Sonny that her mom broke out of Ferncliff, which means she’ll have to stay there longer. Sonny says, it didn’t help, but Josslyn can tell him anything. She says they never talk about it, but they all know who he is. Can’t he pull some strings? He says the ideal situation is for Carly to get released without him interfering, come home, and be who she needs to be. He does have resources. If it’s not resolved soon, he’ll take care of the situation. Deal? They shake hands. He’s sorry she has to go through all this. She says it’s not his fault. She doesn’t need it, but neither does he.

Michael comes in, and Sonny tells him that he was just catching up wit Josslyn. Josslyn asks for a minute alone with Michael, and Sonny takes the hint. She tells Michael they both know how Sonny feels about Nelle, and she didn’t want to talk in front of him. She wonders if Michael asked her about Chase, and what was up with that kiss.

Nelle tells Chase, the only way she can survive and keep her child, is if Michael dies.

At Alexis’s place, each woman tells their story. Alexis says she was the only female associate, in a room of nineteen men. Olivia says men had names for women who sold cars in Bensonhurst. Ava convinced herself that he’d stop when he realized how much she knew about art. Kim says in medical school, every time the seating chart changed, hers stayed the same – next to him, so he could put his hand on her leg. Jordan says she was the best shot, but he wanted to give her pointers, so he could press against her. Alexis says, at a meeting, the men were all laughing, looking in her direction. They said they were looking at a piece of evidence. It was an obscene picture of what her superior wanted to do to her. She worked ass off to be in that room, and she wouldn’t let an obscene joke drive her away. Kiki is stunned.

Jason says Danny is a tough kid; tougher than Sam. She tells him when the doctor told her that he had leukemia, the world stopped. The doctors would talk, but she didn’t hear a word. Jason says, of all the things he missed, he wished he’d been there. Sam says he was. She would sit in the hospital, looking at this tiny human being who wasn’t going to quit; he was determined. Jason says, he was fighting to stay with her. Sam says on a subconscious level, she knew that. Danny was too much like Jason to die. She tells him that she wasn’t alone, She had family, but the person who helped her the most was Patrick.

Michael is glad Josslyn told him, and tells her not to worry about Chase. She says that doesn’t answer her question. She’s not a kid; he doesn’t have to hide things from her. He says that’s not his intention. He gets that it’s confusing, but she has to trust him. The baby will be here before they know it, and they have to pull it together as a family. He says, don’t worry about the other stuff. He promises it will be taken care of. Sonny asks if it’s safe. Josslyn asks to be taken on errand, and Sonny tells her one of his guy’s will take her. She leaves, and Michael says mom not being around is hard on her. He blames himself; Nelle got in her head. Sonny says, he screwed up, they all did. They need to fix the problem, sooner rather than later. His sister needs her mother.

Nelle tells Chase that he’s the man who followed her across the country. He sees her soul. Why push that away? They belong together. He says that’s what he believes. She thought she was doing the right thing for the baby, but she was doing the opposite. If he doesn’t trust her, she doesn’t blame him. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. He tells her, this is happening. He feels like they’re dancing around though. What exactly does she want him to do? She says, find way for Michael to die.

Chase says he’s a police officer. Nelle says he claims he’d give it all up for her; was that the truth? Michael has to die. She doesn’t see any other option; does he? She needs his help. He says he’s in. If that’s what gives him a life with her and the baby, how can he say no? She says he has no idea how much it means. They’ll have to move fast. It has to happen before the baby comes. She kisses him, and he says he’ll keep her updated. He leaves, and she looks relieved. Away from the docks, Chase texts Michael. Got her.

Oscar tells Cameron that he appreciates the advice, but he and Josslyn are solid. You don’t almost die in a freezer and not know how to have a conversation. Cameron takes Oscar’s phone. He says he doesn’t know Josslyn as intimately, but he’s known her a long time. He texts something, and hands it back. Oscar says it doesn’t sound like him. She’ll think it’s a joke. Cameron tells him to lighten things up. The phone dings. Oscar reads, what was that about? He says, dude, it worked. Cameron says, told him.

Olivia says her story is a little different. She could have told her father and brothers. They would have stopped it. No one messes with the Falconaris. She would have been out of a job though, and she was a single mom raising a kid. She didn’t want to live off of her family; it was her problem to solve. She had ammo. She had resources if she couldn’t handle it; a safety net. She realizes now that so many women didn’t have that luxury. Ava says it was New York in the ‘90s. She loathed it, but it was the cost of doing good business. In private high-end positions, the rules are clear. He would help her career if she complied with his requests. Kim says when Alexis called, she immediately saw herself. She’s infuriated about David standing between Kiki and her vocation. She wants to do what’s good, and has a miserable excuse for a man obstructing her. Making her feel like she can only succeed if she compromises herself sexually. She had no choice. Alexis says it was a different time. The message is clear; this behavior will not be tolerated. She has the opportunity to act on that. They didn’t have that chance. Kim tells Kiki that no one said it would be easy, and Ava says, but it will be worth it.

Sam tells Jason that she spent a lot of time at the hospital. Patrick always had something nice to say or a joke, and they built a friendship. It turned into something more. Jason asks, how much more? and Sam says, they were engaged. She tells Jason not to freak out, and he says he’s not freaking out; it’s just weird. No one told him. She says it makes sense to her. He and Robin had connected. He says they were in love when they were young. Then she and Patrick ended up almost – Sam says the key word is almost. It didn’t happen because of him.

Sonny asks Michael what’s the latest on Nelle. He says Chase is laying the groundwork. It will come together in days. Sonny asks if he’s considered what happens if the plan goes south. Nelle is evil. There’s no telling what she’ll do. Chase texts Michael. Michael tells Sonny the trap has been set. Sonny says the snake is backed into a corner. Nelle has everything to gain and nothing to lose. Be prepared. He asks Michael what if it’s a choice between Nelle’s and his life. Michael says he’ll choose his baby’s life, even if it costs him his.

Sam tells Jason when it turned out Jake Doe was Jason Morgan, she thought he’d come back, and couldn’t go through with it. Jason says he owes Drew a thank you. Sam laughs, saying she’s never seen him this uncomfortable, and he tells her to enjoy it while she can. Her phone dings, and she says she has a surprise for him. Danny comes in, and Jason says it’s a great surprise. Danny bounces off the ropes in the ring, and asks to hit the punching bag.

Olivia says if Kiki steps up, she’ll be carrying the torch for all of them. She’ll be giving women agency. They’ll see her, and say they’re going to do like she did, and win the lawsuit. Kiki says, if she wins. Kim says she should be treated professionally, and Alexis says she shouldn’t have to trade being harassed for a chance to do her job. Men don’t. Olivia says, it’s no she-woman man hater group either. She grew with men she adored and admired, and raised her son to treat women right. Alexis says they’re not grouping men together as predators; this doesn’t define them. Kim says she’ll be doing something important for so many people. It’s her opportunity. Ava tells her, don’t waste it.

Josslyn sees Nelle in the park. Josslyn asks if the detective is still bothering her, but Nelle thinks he got the message. Nelle says that’s not what’s on Josslyn’s mind though. Josslyn says she and Oscar got in a fight. They weren’t agreeing, she got nasty, and shut down. Nelle asks if Josslyn misses him more than she’s mad at him, and Josslyn says she does. Nelle says, then talk to him. Tell him she doesn’t know how to get back where they were, but she wants to figure it out together. Josslyn thinks she can do that, and thanks Nelle. Nelle says, what are sister-in-laws for?

Chase goes to Sonny’s place, and Michael says, let’s hear it. Chase plays a recording of Nelle asking him to find a way for Michael to die. Chase says, there’s more, but that’s the gist of it. Sonny wonders why they can’t use just the recording, and Michael says, they have nothing on her. Sonny says she’s on record asking Chase to kill his son. Michael says, it’s not enough. Sonny tells him that they’ll take it to Jordan, and she’ll arrest Nelle. Michael says, she’ll get out of it. Chase says, she’ll either say she was joking or she was trapped. The charges won’t stick. Michael says they have one chance to get it right, clear his mom, and protect his child. No way he’s stopping now.

Kiki thanks everyone for sharing their stories. She didn’t realize what the lawsuit meant before; how much it matters. What matters is definitely bigger than her. As hard as it’s going to be, she’ll do it. Alexis says none of them are here fully formed; they all go through struggles, like the women before them. Kiki jokes, that she’s only taking a stand for all women everywhere. Kim says, pretty much, and Ava says, no pressure.

Danny punches the bag, as Jason instructs. He thinks they’ve got a boxer on their hands. Sam smiles.

Oscar looks at the text Cameron sent. Thirty white horses on a red hill, first champ, then stamp, and then stand still. Oscar asks, what are they? Cameron says, tell Josslyn if she wants to know the answer, she has to meet with him. Oscar says it’s ridiculous. Cameron got her to text back when he couldn’t think of anything. He thanks Cameron, and asks what the answer is. Cameron says he has no clue. Oscar wonders what to tell Josslyn, and Cameron says he’ll think of something.

Josslyn looks at her phone, and tells Nelle that she and Oscar are going to meet now. She thanks Nelle again, and they hug. Nelle really hopes it works out. Josslyn has a good feeling. Nelle’s phone dings, and she says, what a coincidence. So does she.

Sonny asks, now what? Chase says everything is in place. Michael says, soon everything will play out to the end. Sonny tells him to make sure it’s not the end of his life. We see Nelle looking like she’s feeling an ill wind.

Tomorrow, Franco asks Elizabeth what she’s doing there, Jordan asks Chase if he can coax a confession from Nelle, and Mary Pat tells Carly that she’s going to feel like a new woman.

❓ The answer to Cameron’s riddle is – your teeth.

The Real Housewives of New York City

In Cartagena, LuAnn asks if they’re going shopping. Bethenny doesn’t want more people around, and tells Dorinda that she’s cracking. LuAnn tells the others that Bethenny is hysterically crying. In her interview, Dorinda says she’s been in these situations, where people have been not so kind, and less tolerant. She tells Bethenny to take a breath. Bethenny says she’ll get it together. Sonja says Bethenny wants to be with Dorinda right now. Carole says if Bethenny isn’t the center of attention and in charge, she’s not happy, and makes it hell for the rest of them. Bethenny says she finally got her life together, and she’s falling apart. She tells Dorinda that her just being there is fine. No deep analysis> They join the others, Dorinda suggesting they shop the blues away.

Carole tells Sonja that Bethenny has been rude to her, and won’t even look her in the eye. In her interview, Sonja says, so what? Carole should be supportive anyway. That’s ride or die. Bethenny tells Dorinda, sorry, and they go into the store. Sonja asks Dorinda if Bethenny had a good cry. Dorinda says she’s going through something. She doesn’t want to talk too much, and get herself in trouble. Sonja says she’s always in trouble. In her interview, Dorinda says she’s curator of the relationship. Her lips are locked – for the first time.

Everyone tries on hats and combs through the merchandise. Dorinda suggests that Carole talk to Bethenny, but Carole says she can’t engage with someone who’s crying every time they have a conversation. Bethenny needs to figure it out. She feels badly, but can’t deal with it. In her interview, Carole says Bethenny has no apparent reason for a breakdown; it’s unnerving. Suckerfish Jason Hoppy anyone? Bethenny says she wants to have fun, not drag everyone down. She can feel the eyerolls. She tells Sonja this is a bizarre vacation.  Sonja tells her that Ramona thinks Bethenny is friends with people to manipulate them, and Sonja said Ramona was the biggest manipulator in her life.

Ramona tells Dorinda that Bethenny is doing things to antagonize the situation. Dorinda says there’s something they don’t know, and Bethenny and Carole need to talk. Sonja tells Bethenny that Carole says she’s a taker. In her interview, Bethenny says she’s a taker of Carole on trips, and lists times she’s taken Carole somewhere, as well as Adam. Bethenny says to coin Dorinda’s phrase, she’s America’s houseguest. Bethenny decides to call Dennis to get a plane for her. Must be nice. Sonja wants her to salvage her  relationship with Carole, but Bethenny wants to go home. She asks Sonja if the street vendors sell Prozac, and Sonja says they are in Columbia.

The girls sit down at a restaurant, minus Sonja, Bethenny, and LuAnn. Dorinda has to eat before she rips someone’s head off. I totally understand. She wonders where the girls are. LuAnn meets Bethenny and Sonja on the street, where Sonja is sipping directly from a coconut. In her interview, LuAnn says don’t eat street meat or juice. If you do, you’re asking for it. They join the others. Bethenny hangs back, since she’s on the phone with Dennis. She tells him she had a breakdown, and has no relationship with Carole. She’s not welcome there. LuAnn tells the table that Bethenny is on the phone; it’s a personal issue. Bethenny decides she doens’t want the drama of an exit, and wants to regroup. The paella comes – it’s an amazing display – and Bethenny jokes about them wanting to poison her. Carole thinks it’s awkward because no one is addressing the elephant in the room. She doesn’t even know what the elephant is anymore. Dorinda, Carole, and Tinsley go for a massage. Bethenny says it seems old school without them; the old group. They clink glasses.

Back at Casa Mattos, Bethenny says no drama. Everyone has to crack once in a while. She’s turning her frown upside down. She says she went shopping like an addict, and Sonja humps the clothing on the bed. Tinsley gets her makeup done. Sonja wants to avoid camel toe, and discusses various options with Carole. Carole wants to talk privately, and closes the door. She gives Sonja a pair of earrings, saying she bought some for everyone. In her interview, Sonja says Carole bearing gifts is a red flag. Carole wonders if Sonja might have insight about what happened to Bethenny to make her act this way. Sonja says Bethenny feels that Carole doesn’t want anything to do with her, and has no interest in the friendship anymore. She’s not empathetic. Carole says she is. Sonja says Carole shifted focus on other things, and maybe that’s what’s hurting her. In her interview, Sonja says Carole knew what she was getting from the beginning. She knows Bethenny can be a nightmare. So what? She’s still a friend. Carole says she’s not sure she got anything she didn’t know, but wants to make every attempt to know Bethenny.

The girls head out to dinner. LuAnn pronounces them a hot group. She’s not sure they’ll get out alive. Sonja wants to have fun. Bethenny gets a balloon with lights in it for Brynn. She says she bought her bought feelings today. Sonja shows her the earrings, saying no one else got anything, but she thinks Carole really came to talk about Bethenny. She tells Bethenny what Carole said, and Bethenny says she doesn’t care; she wishes she did. In her interview, Sonja wonders how good of friends they were. She wants to choke Ramona, but then hugs her. Just a side note: the plating at this restaurant is incredible, and Carole is wearing the biggest tassel earrings I’ve ever seen. In her interview, LuAnn says having no intention of drinking is mind blowing. Carole steps away for a smoke with Dorinda. Sonja wonders since when does Carole smoke, and Bethenny says since when does she buy earrings for Sonja? Carole tells Dorinda that it’s hard for her to navigate the relationship. Ramona tells Bethenny that Carole feels like she pushes her away, and Bethenny says there’s definitely a wall up. Dorinda thinks it’s toxic at the table. Carole wants to be a grown up, and hug it out. She wants to find out what went wrong. They go back to the table, and Carole says they need to address the elephant affecting the whole group.

She tells Bethenny that she’s feeling like she’s been avoided in the last couple of weeks. Bethenny isn’t even looking her in the eye. She doesn’t want to pull back, and needs to know what happened. Bethenny thinks it’s like an erosion. Carole says they’ve talked about it, and she thought she understood what happened. She thought they were moving on. Bethenny says she can’t do this as a group event, and Tinsley says she’s not listening. Carole tells Bethenny not to worry about it. At the other end of the table, LuAnn tells Dorinda she’s starting to turn and get aggressive. Dorinda wants her to apologize. Dorinda says something about The Countess, who isn’t a countess anymore, and that LuAnn is the one who got arrested for drinking, so don’t talk to her. Dorinda smashes her glass for emphasis, and Tinsley squeals.

Bethenny doesn’t want to do this. Dorinda calls LuAnn self-righteous, and insists she apologize. Bethenny says she spent last night crying, and Carole just walked past her, saying she was toxic. Carole says she didn’t, and Bethenny says Carole was standing next to her. We flash back, and she was. Carole says she didn’t know Bethenny was crying; she was saying goodnight. Dorinda’s finger is going, and she says she’s not the one with the mug shot. In her interview, LuAnn says she had no idea Dorinda felt that way. She feels betrayed. Carole tells Bethenny that she didn’t say Bethenny was toxic; she said she can’t take the toxic energy. She’s not recognizing her as the same person. Bethenny thinks Carole doesn’t really like her. Ramona tells Dorinda that she doesn’t need another drink. Wow. That’s taking a chance. LuAnn gets up from the table. In her interview, Ramona says Dorinda can’t stop her mouth. She has a big temper and a loose tongue. Bethenny says with Carole everything is cool. Maybe she’s too cool for Bethenny. Carole says maybe Bethenny doesn’t like her. Dorinda tells Ramona never to speak to her again. Ramona says she’s not making sense. Carole tells Bethenny that she tried to reach out. Bethenny says she loves Carole. If she’s crying, Carole shouldn’t say it’s toxic and not deal with it. Dorinda say she doesn’t have to explain herself, and leaves the table. Tinsley doesn’t know what’s going on. Bethenny says she knows she’s a lot. LuAnn says she’s sick to her stomach. Dorinda’s true colors came out. Tinsley says she has a mugshot too. In her interview, LuAnn says it was uncalled for, like a sucker punch. She has no words. She leaves, and Dorinda sits back down. In her interview, Sonja says even prison bitches have loyal friends.

Bethenny brings up the text where she said she missed Carole, and Carole replied, it’s a lot. Carole tells her there were more texts, and they argue about that. Dorinda complains that LuAnn was trying to school her. Carole tells Bethenny maybe it’s not like it used to be, but friendships have lulls. Ramona says Dorinda’s personality changes after three drinks, but it’s not her job to tell her. Dorinda tells her not to project. In her interview, Ramona says Dorinda is going to regret losing her temper tomorrow. It’s not really what she’s feeling. She says it’s not the right time, and Dorinda tells her to shut her mouth. Bethenny tells Carole that they’re not getting to a final answer. Maybe there isn’t one. It’s sad. Carole says it doesn’t have to be sad. She does love Bethenny. She kisses Bethenny’s cheek, and leaves. Bethenny says it’s the worst vacation she’s ever been on in her entire life.

In her interview, Bethenny says she and Carole connected, and it felt great being close, but if it’s destroyed over nothing, was it a friendship. Bethenny says she doesn’t want to cry. In her interview, Carole says it’s like an abusive relationship, and she feels gaslighted. Dorinda rants about LuAnn being holier than thou. In her interview, Tinsley understands where Dorinda is coming from. LuAnn is someone who used to drink a ton, and fell in bushes – we flash back to the clip that keeps on giving – and she shouldn’t be lecturing Dorinda. Sonja says you don’t talk about people drinking when you’re not. Carole thinks conflict motivates Bethenny’s relationships.

Back at the casa, Bethenny takes her balloon and goes upstairs. Ramona thinks it’s sad. LuAnn asks Bethenny what happened. Bethenny says it can’t be worse than what happened to LuAnn. LuAnn says she wanted to throw up. Dorinda was getting angry and starting to turn. She said not to tell her about drinking. It was being drunk that got her arrested, and ranted about her being an ex-countess. LuAnn starts to cry, saying that’s what Dorinda thinks of her. Bethenny says it’s not. In her interview, she says Dorinda gets hardcore, nasty, and deep. LuAnn is just out of rehab and doing a decent job. She doesn’t need it. Bethenny says it’s not what Dorinda thinks of her; it’s what she thinks of herself. She says she hasn’t told anyone this, and tells LuAnn about Puerto Rico. We flash back to that, and Bethenny says she was so stunned. She had to have compassion. She knows Dorinda has a problem; it was rough. LuAnn doesn’t think Dorinda will get help, because she doesn’t know she has a problem. Bethenny thinks she does. LuAnn asks what happened with Carole, but Bethenny doesn’t know. Nothing and everything. She never had a close friendship dissolve this way.

Carole goes for a swim, and finds Dorinda sitting at the table when she comes back. She feels bad about the fight. She’s very forgiving, but won’t apologize. She’s been a good friend to LuAnn. Carole says if that’s what it’s really about. Dorinda says LuAnn has no gratitude, and don’t shame her. In her interview, Carole says it sounds like she didn’t respond well. People don’t want to be preached to about drinking too much by someone who just got out of jail for drinking too much.

Dorinda says she wasn’t drunk; she was just drinking. Bethenny tells LuAnn that everyone knows Dorinda has a problem. LuAnn says it was a crazy day, and they’re going to the island tomorrow. Bethenny leaves the balloon, and goes back downstairs. Carole tells Dorinda not to think about it. LuAnn feels she should impart wisdom. Dorinda says, wisdom, good; judgment, bad. In her interview, Bethenny says it’s like the odometer went back to zero. She isn’t sure where her relationship with Carole lies. Do they love each other, or hate each other? Are they going to spoon, or never speak again? Dorinda takes her cigarettes out of her purse upside down, and they fall all over the place. Bethenny sees Dorinda’s lipstick is smeared, and she has a Joker mustache. She doesn’t know why Carole let her stay that way. Bethenny wipes Dorinda’s mouth, and Dorinda starts laughing. She says she’s ended her relationship with LuAnn. Carole thinks she should sleep on it. Bethenny tries to explain that LuAnn wasn’t being judgmental, and no one’s against her. LuAnn really loves her. She’s never seen LuAnn like this, as a person who’s not full of sh*t. So she has a moment; let her have it. Make it nice. Dorinda says she always wants to take back things she says, and she’s quick to say she’s sorry. It’s not like she brought the world down. LuAnn needs to tend her own garden. Bethenny tells her it will be okay.

Next time, Dorinda talks to LuAnn, Ramona moons, and the boat trip from hell.

😥 On Watch What Happens Live, we got the word that Carole is leaving the show.

🍗 On MasterChef, the contestants prepared chicken dishes, in teams of two. Ashley and Taylor collaborated, and Gordon said he’d seen better chicken prep on MasterChef Junior. He kept saying, who mauled this chicken? and reminded me of my fourth-grade teacher, saying, who did this? when someone wrote poop on the blackboard. No one confessed (no, it wasn’t me), and we all had to stay in for recess, but it was worth it. I can still see her now…  Gordon eventually told the same team that it was the most dysfunctional forty-five minutes in the history of MasterChef. I’d buy this, if he didn’t say stuff like that all the time. The elimination test was a perfect cheese souffle in forty minutes. Cesar and Ryan made fundamental errors that got them called to the front, and Ryan ousted. Cesar said it was a wake-up call, and was going to make sure to bring his best effort every time, like he tells his students. Ryan’s souffle tasted of more egg white than cheese souffle, although Aaron said he has a beautiful future ahead. Ryan said he came in a drummer from Houston, but knows he’s more than that. He found his rhythm in the MasterChef kitchen. Next week the MasterChef restaurant opens its doors to the hardest food critics – kids. Christina also makes an appearance.

🍨🐶 The Fetch Bistro in Wichita, Kansas, caters to people and dogs, and was featured on 24 Hours to Hell and Back. Pam and Greg were the owners, along with their two standard poodles. The place was total chaos, and patrons kept finding dog hair in their food. One of the waitresses didn’t think dog hair did a lot for the appetite, but I’d just think I was at home. Oddly enough, I would be more bothered by people hair. There was no head chef (Gordon called the restaurant rudderless), and no standards for the pets in the dining room. The owners barely seemed married, and Greg treated his wife like a server. Gordon said the dogs were more in charge, and the food wasn’t even as good as a diner. He did the usual redecorating, including dog beds, and made the outside space functional and recreational, putting in a dog park and bocce ball. He also brought in people to teach them to cook, and cleaned the place up. He showed a video to Greg where Greg was ordering his wife around, and said he could reform the restaurant, but Greg’s attitude had to start with him. He told Greg to cut the crap, get a grip, and treat Pam with respect. Gordon took what he called a kennel, and turned it into an amazing restaurant. After three months, everyone is still happy. Next time, the two most stubborn owners, and the most difficult transformation ever. With the kitchen a war zone, Gordon might not be able to get it done in 24 hours.

🎉 Good News…

Chris Hardwick has been vindicated. And in extra news, Fear the Walking Dead returns August 14th, and The Walking Dead returns October 7th.

http://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2018/07/25/chris-hardwick-hired-amc-talking-dead-reinstated/?utm_source=Comicbook.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=180725_153416_Comicbook.com%20Daily%20Newsletter&utm_content=Link

💤 Goodnight…

TweetDreams

Jun18

June 17, 2018 – What’s Not on TV, a Visit from the 70s, NOLA Split, Father’s Day & My Dad

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What I Watched Today

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

 

There was no Fear the Walking Dead tonight, and how will they ever top last week anyway? I was able to watch 90 Day Fiancé: Happily, Ever After? fresh (dissection of it coming soon), and Westworld on the first rerun encore performance. I also checked out The Real Housewives of Potomac, but I’m just not feeling these girls. I’m not sure I ever did. I think if you look up the definition of boushetto in the urban dictionary, their pictures are there. Although Karen did give up a good quote – You don’t know me to be a liar, but we do know you to be a fool.

And of course there’s the elephant in the room, Talking with Chris Hardwick, that was supposed to premiere tonight, but didn’t. That whole thing has bummed me out. I find it sad that, as beautiful a thing as the internet can be, it seems to create an easy judge and jury for just about everything. Maybe it’s just me, but I like getting all the facts first. The only fact I have so far is that he was possibly a d-bag and took advantage in a previous relationship. If people start losing their jobs over that, there will be precious few people working. Especially in the entertainment business where egos are humongous. In other words, I fail to see how this situation is anything close to that of a Harvey Weinstein or Bill Cosby, or even a Louis C.K. Yet this guy has already been hung out to dry. And the internet makes it way too easy. The Wicked Witch of the West said it best – what a world… what a world.

That being said, moving on…

🚀 Recommendations from the Wayback Machine…

Last week, I stepped back to the 70s with The Warriors, a surprisingly well-crafted film for its time, 1979. The scene symmetry and use of place are sophisticated, and the costumes alone make it worth watching, although the dialogue is often unintentionally funny. While completely unbelievable, the plot is simple. All the gangs in NYC are called to a meeting. One of the leaders suggests all the gangs band together, making them a force to be reckoned with. He’s shot and killed at the big rally, and the wrong gang, the Warriors, are blamed. They have to make it from Coney Island to the Bronx, various gangs coming after them along the way. One of my favorites were the Furies, who wore baseball uniforms and Kiss/Rocky Horror-ish make-up. It was also fun seeing Deborah Van Valkanburgh (Too Close for Comfort) acting like she was in a high school production of Grease. I’m endlessly glad they did not remake this film.

Check out the costumes: http://mentalfloss.com/article/55223/21-street-gangs-featured-warriors

Sadly, The Hills Have Eyes – the 1977 gem I followed The Warriors with – did get remade. It was horrifying all right, but not in a good way. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s just not the same without Michael Berryman. Forget Hills Have Eyes II, which is basically clips from the first film, strung together in a barely cohesive way. Stick with the original. Another straightforward plot. A family from Cleveland (which has never ceased to amuse me, since I’m originally from the area) get lost in the desert, and become the unfortunate victims of a feral family living in a cave. A true B-picture, a lot of it is over-the-top fake, but there are a few chills, a few laughs, and like I said, Michael Berryman.

🍹 I was sad to hear that Reagan and Jeff from Southern Charm New Orleans were splitting up. Who gets the little dogs??? http://extratv.com/2018/06/07/reality-stars-reagan-and-jeff-charleston-split/?adid=extra_eme_26606_2018-06-07_rightnow1

👔 Last But Not Least…

A heartfelt, albeit late, Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. No matter who or what you are the father of, be it blood relation or a chosen role. Here are some quotes for you:

https://parade.com/303081/viannguyen/fathers-day-2018-50-funny-and-inspiring-quotes-about-dads/?utm_source=paradenewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=homepage_newsletter_June%2017,%202018_08_44_15

🏆 It Takes Someone Special…

Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that’s why I call you dad, because you are so special to me. You taught me the game and you taught me how to play it right. – Wade Boggs

I was raised by my father most of my life. I’m part sailor, part farmer, part craftsman. I was taught I could be anything I wanted to be, but that I needed to work for it. Although he worked an eight to ten hour a day job, he never missed an awards ceremony or a school assembly where parents were invited. He always took time to listen, and was never less than fair. As he said about his own father, the older I got, the smarter my father got. I also realized that, even though it embarrassed me how we opened the refrigerator door with a screwdriver, everyone loved to gather at my house. They knew that no matter who they were, if they were my friends, they’d be welcomed with open arms and an open heart. He passed away shortly before I got married, and I’ll miss him until we meet again.

👑 My Dad…

 

Jun11

June 10, 2018 – The Final Stadium Showdown & Weekend Time

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What I Watched Today

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

 

Fear the Walking Dead

[Then] Madison is out in the woods. She slips under a zombie alarm. She tells someone not to turn around, and hands where she can see them. She doesn’t know them, but saw their vehicle, and has a good idea  of what they’re capable of. They don’t know her either, and they’re not going to. She tells them to toss the keys, but they drop them, saying they’re not tossing sh*t. It’s Al, and Madison shoots the cup she’s holding. Al says that was her dinner. Madison says it wasn’t an accident. She’s lost everything, and has nothing else to lose. Al says she thinks she’s been through a lot? She has no idea.

[Now] Zombies scrabble at Al’s truck. The camera pans out, and there’s an unbelievable number. John is still breathing, but Naomi has to get the bullet out. Everything she needs is inside. Morgan asks if Al can get closer. Al asks Charlie to keep filming. One day someone will want to know what happened.

[Then] Madison is holding a gun on Al, who’s tied up in the back of her truck. She says the sooner Al gives her the keys, the sooner she can get out. Al asks if Madison knows how many times she’s been zip tied? If Madison wants something, she has to give Al something. Madison sees a box of Al’s tapes, and asks what they are. Al says that’s not how it works. Madison says there are people out there who need her; the truck will make it easier. Al says she interviews people she comes across, and Madison thinks maybe she talked to them. Al tells Madison to cut her loose, and they’ll talk about a deal. Madison wants the keys and the tapes. Al says she tried to do it the nice way. She’s freed herself, and grabs Madison. Al wakes up on the floor of the truck, and says, sh*t. Madison is driving.

[Now] In the stadium parking lot, Al says she can’t get much closer. The zombies will get jammed in the wheel well, and they won’t be able to get them out. Morgan says he’ll move fast, and Al says it’s going to be loud. John tells him not to go; he got Morgan into this. Morgan says John got him out of something; now he’s getting John out of this. Naomi says she’ll be right back, and kisses John’s forehead. Al opens the gun window, and guns down a good number of zombies. Naomi and Morgan make a run for it. They’re barely inside, when the entrance blows up.

Al radios, asking if they’re all right. Morgan says they’re good in here. Charlie calls to Al from the front seat. We see Alicia in the stadium, with a gun trained on them. Al tells Morgan they need to hurry. They’re here. They found us.

[Then] Parked under a bridge, Madison looks through the interviews, hoping to see Nick and Alicia. She gets frustrated, and pounds the dashboard. A zombie comes to the window. She rolls it down, and pikes the zombie in the head. The zombie falls to the ground, and Al is there with a gun, saying, remember me? Madison gets out, and Al tells her, everything better be there and working. Madison says it is, and Al says Madison is going to tell her a story, starting with who she’s looking for.

[Now] Alicia, Victor, and Luci shoot at Al, who shoots back. Victor tells Alicia to radio Al, and she does, saying it’s not going her way. She knows how much ammo Al has, and it won’t last forever. She thought Al just wanted a story, and Al says she thought she’d mix it up today.

Morgan and Naomi go through the zombies in half-darkness, killing them as they go. The shooting continues outside. John falls unconscious, and I freak, thinking he’s dead. On the radio, Naomi tells them to keep applying pressure; he can’t lose more blood. Al tells John it’s not going to end like this, and he says it’s okay. Charlie films everything. John tells Al that when it’s all over, to stop running from people, and Morgan should do the same – or not. Morgan knows what he means.

Naomi grabs supplies. Morgan radios that they’re coming back now. The truck rocks with a blast, and Alicia asks how Al likes it. Al says, nice try, bitch. Her truck is built like a tank in a tank. The door falls off, and Alicia is standing there with a gun. Al asks if she’s going to help with the door, or what?

[Then] Al asks if Madison always uses a gun to get what she wants, and Madison says, if that’s what it takes. Al wonders what makes it okay, and Madison assumes she hasn’t lost anyone she’s cared about yet. Al asks who was it, and what happened to her? Al guesses it was her kids, and asks if someone did something to them or did they do something to her? Madison wonders why any of it matters, and Al says, because it’s the truth, facts, reality. Just admitting that there is one reality, and they share it. That they’re connected by a single, screwed up world. That’s the truth, and it can change things. Madison asks, how? Al say she’s been doing this a long time; since before things went bad. It was always bad, but it got worse. She was in a village on the other side of the world, and there was a warlord who called himself Twisted Round, who thought he owned the place. He was shaking people down for things they didn’t have enough of to start with. No one talked because they were too scared, but she talked someone into talking about it. In the end, they found out he didn’t have an army or guns, and didn’t last much longer. The only thing he had going on was that the truth wasn’t coming out – until it did. She knows she doesn’t have the story Madison is looking for, but someone might be interested in hers one day. What happened to her kids? Madison says she made them a promise they’d be safe, and she wasn’t able to keep it.

[Now] Al asks Alicia not to hurt Charlie. Alicia asks, why not? Charlie hurt her. On the radio, Naomi asks if Al copies her. Alicia tell Al to say it’s safe to come out or Charlie dies. Charlie killed her brother, and she’ll do it. At the stadium, Luci and Victor aim. Al tells Naomi it’s safe. Al looks at John, and asks if she can get her camera. John secretly turns the radio on, so Morgan and Naomi hear what’s going on in the truck. Victor says they’re not coming out. Alicia and Al struggle in the truck.

[Then] Al tells Madison that she doesn’t have to give the details; just the truth. Madison says she promised to find a place to live. Something that wasn’t just walls; they’d had those. What she was looking for was different. She was looking for a place where her kids wouldn’t have to do what she did to Al today. Al asks if she found it, and Madison says she thought she did. Al asks, what happened?

[Now] Alicia pushes Al down, and her head hangs out the door into the crowd of zombies, who grab at her. Charlie gets the radio, and tells them to hurry. Naomi says she’ll go, but Morgan tells her that they don’t want to kill him, and hands her the radio. He tells her to let him know what to do to keep John going. In the truck, Charlie grabs Alicia, and they end up on the floor. Al gets the gun, and Alicia sees the cup o’ noodles soup. She asks where Al got them, and Al says there was a semi with a bunch of them; she traded with them for an interview. Alicia grabs the tapes, and sees one that says Amina. Al asks if she knew her.

[Then] Madison tells Al it doesn’t matter; what she was looking for might not even be possible. She says for certain things, you don’t need a camera; it just sticks. She talks about renting a house in the mountains one summer. It had big windows and one morning, a bird flew into one. It was injured, and the kids kept it in a shoebox, naming it Willomina, Amina for short. They nursed it for weeks, taking turns staying up all night. Whatever they did, it just seemed to get worse, but her son was a sensitive boy, and her daughter decided it would live. Every morning, Madison dreaded what she might find, but one day she heard chirping, and Amina was flying around the living room. She lived because her kids didn’t give up on her; they gave her a chance when no one else would. There’s not a whole lot of that left. Al says, no, there’s not. Madison says that’s why she needed a different place, where things were different. We see Alicia watching her interview on the camera. Madison can’t imagine that part of them dying, and says you do what it takes to keep it alive. Alicia tells Al, eff you. Al looks at her and says, Madison never tolf her their names. She asks if the stadium was the place Madison was looking for.

[Now] Alicia goes into the stadium, and sees Morgan. She points the gun at him. He says he’s just trying to help his friend, and she says he can, after he steps aside. He doesn’t understand, and Naomi says she does. Alicia’s mom is dead because of what she did.

I’m getting all the feels, and realizing that I’m one with Al.

Morgan says she’s been doing this a long time. She’s thinking this is who she is, and what she’s got to do. He says let her save John. Alicia says she doesn’t get to; she doesn’t get anything. Naomi says, Alicia brought her there; she helped her. Alicia says she’s not that person anymore. Morgan says she can be. She just has to decide to get out. He says he tried to get away from people; everything and everybody. He thought he had to. Someone told him that he’d end up with people again, and he didn’t want to believe it, so ran halfway across the country to prove them wrong. Now, he’s standing between a gun and someone he just met. Things can change. They did for him, and can for her too. Alicia starts crying. Morgan says they already have; he’s not dead. He asks her to step aside for her brother, but she says she won’t step aside for Naomi. Naomi says no matter what Alicia thinks she lost, what her mother wanted for her is still in her, and she sees it. Alicia puts the gun down, and Morgan holds her. He tells Naomi to go to John, and gives her the gun.

[Then] Al writes Amina on Madison’s tape. She says, deal, and cuts Madison loose. She asks where Madison is heading; where her kids might be. She doesn’t need details, but wants to figure out how far it is when she gives Madison food. Madison says they got separated outside of El Paso. Her kids escaped, and she barely got out. Naomi gives her some noodle cups, and Madison asks what she owes her. Al says, nothing. She gave Al a down-payment, and can tell the rest of the story when she finds them. Al says she moves around a lot.

Madison drives. She sees a station wagon, and stops. She puts the radio on, and hears Alicia say, mom. She finds Alicia, Victor, and Luci at the motel. She tells them that she’s been to every motel between here and El Paso; they had to be at one of them. She sees Nick and hugs him. Victor asks where she got the MSG jackpot. She says from someone up the road, and he tosses Alicia a cup o’ noodles.

Madison shows them the stadium. Victor says it’s a little big, but she says she’s not just of them; they’ve been thinking too small. Nick asks if she wants to bring people in. She says someone helped her when they didn’t have to. She thinks it’s time to do the same.

[Now] Al drives in silence with Alicia in the passenger seat. Naomi has John hooked to an IV. Victor asks why Madison didn’t tell them about her. Al doesn’t think she was proud of how they met. She quietly asks what happened to Madison. Alicia says if she wants the rest of the story, pull over.

Naomi tells John it’s going to be okay. She tells him that her name is June. Now he knows. He says it’s his favorite month.

Al films, as Alicia, Victor, and Luci contribute to the story, while sitting around a fire. She asks them to tell her about that night. What she did. What they remember. Alicia says she and her brother were in the parking lot – surrounded.

We see the zombies around their car. Victor says they’re not leaving them out there. Madison, Luci, and Victor try to get to them. Alicia says, they cleared a path, but they had to get to the stadium. Victor says it was easier said than done. Madison told them to stay inside. She said the walls would hold, but they didn’t believe her. They didn’t have the same faith that she had in the place. Luci say she doesn’t think anyone did. Not when they saw what they were up against. We see zombies on fire, zombies getting shot, and Cole shooting at them. Alicia says they decided to run. Victor says, Madison tried to stop them. Alicia says they couldn’t get back Mel took their car. We see him driving, with Charlie in the passenger seat. Charlie says he found her in parking lot. They were closing in on her, and he saved her. Al asks what happened. Victor says the people were trying to get away. They didn’t. All the people she brought in were going to die. Naomi says she tried to talk them out of it. She believed the walls would hold, but she couldn’t change their minds. She was going to stay, and when she went to get supplies, she got back too late. The caravan was overrun, and the dead came at her. She ran until she couldn’t anymore. Alicia says, she joined the Vultures. They thought she was still inside; they thought she died. Naomi says she thought they all died. When the Vultures found her, she didn’t think she had anywhere else to go. Victor says she did what she thought she had to. Alicia says, none of them could get out of the parking lot. She couldn’t get beck to the stadium; there were too many dead. Victor says, Madison had another idea.

We see Madison standing with a flare, drawing the zombies away from them. Alicia says when they realized what she was trying to do, they tried to go back, but there were too may dead between them and Madison. Victor kept Alicia from running after Madison, saving her life. They’d reinforced the walls to keep the dead out, and Madison knew they were strong enough to keep them in. They followed her inside. Luci says it was more than they could count. We see them, and it’s a lot. Victor says she led the dead inside, so they could get away. She tried to go through tunnels, but there were still too many outside the gates to escape. So she locked herself in.

We see Madison run out of bullets. Alicia radios. Madison says she was afraid to lose this place. She thought they needed it to stay who they are right now. She tells Alicia, no one is gone until they’re gone. She faces the dead, and throws the flare. It starts a fire. Nick and Alicia watch from the car in horror.

Alicia says it was never about the stadium. Victor says it was about the people. Luci says, it was about them.

They drive away. Victor says she gave up her life, so they could live. Al turns off the camera. She writes Madison on the tape. Victor passes out cup o’ noodles to each of them. A new group is formed.

A folk song plays as the noodles are passed out. I find out later, it’s called *Love, Love, Love by The Mountain Goats.

Next time, zombies in a hella wicked storm, and Alicia wants to be left alone.

*Some things you do for money; some you do for fun, but the things you do for love, come back to you one by one.

😵 Why Does Weekend Time Go Faster?

SupermanTime

Ferris

 

 

Jun4

June 3, 2018 – The Stadium is Under Attack, a Few TV Tidbits & Not Done

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What I Watched Today

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

 

Fear the Walking Dead

John isn’t looking too good, but Naomi tells him to stay with her. He says he got her note. She and Morgan drag John behind a car, and away from the shooting. Morgan tells Naomi he’s john’s friend. She says she’ll get medical supplies, and promises to be back. He says he knows she will.

Mel says they have to get out of there. Alicia hits one of the Vultures. Mel starts the ambulance he’s driving, but Naomi says she needs the field kit from the back. He’s like, too bad, and keeps driving. She runs after the ambulance. As the distance becomes longer between them, the back of it blows up. Alicia is standing there with a grenade lancher, and tells Naomi that they took her in. Naomi says it’s not what she thinks. Naomi runs back to John, and tells Morgan they have to get him out of there.

Luci sees Charlie. Charlie says she’s sorry. Luci has gun pointed at her, but shoots some other guy. Al keeps filming. Morgan tells her they need to get John out. She says she’s not part of story, and Morgan says if she hides, a good man dies. The story is almost finished, and it doesn’t have to be that way for John. Al pulls her mega truck next to John, and opens the gun portal. Alicia puts her hands up, and Naomi and Morgan get John inside. Al says, gotta move.

Morgan tells Charlie they won’t hurt her. Charlie wants to make sure Mel is okay. Morgan says Mel is gone. She needs to come with him, or she’ll die. She gets in Al’s truck. Alicia, Victor and Luci shoot at the back as it’s driving away. Naomi tells Al to go to the stadium. Al says it’s supposed to be gone, and Naomi says, it’s not. Al says Naomi is supposed to be dead, and asks if she wants to tell them what else they got wrong.

[Before] Planting is happening at the stadium, and everyone pitches in. Nick says it won’t be ready for months. Madison says rations will get them through. He asks if she’s ever thought they wouldn’t make it, and she says, plenty of times. He asks what got her through, and she tells him, thinking she didn’t want to be out there; it’s way better in here. Douglas radios, saying they have a visitor. It’s Charlie. Nick asks why she’s there, and she says she needs their help.

[Forward] Morgan tells Al that they don’t have much time, and she says she’ll get him there. Charlie realizes he’s Nick’s friend. He knows what she did. Why did he save her? He says, because this has to stop some place.

Naomi tells John again to stay with her. She finds a tin of Scrabble letters on him. Morgan says he’s been looking for her, and never gave up all this time. Naomi says if you try to protect someone, you wind up hurting them. Al asks what happened; what did she do to them? Charlie says what happened wasn’t Naomi’s fault. It was hers.

[Before] Outside the stadium, a zombie pounds at the car Mel has crashed. Alicia says he’s breathing, but to be careful. He might have lung damage. Charlie insists Mel was trying to avoid the accident. There’s an argument as to whether they should just leave him there. Alicia says, if they leave him, will he make it? Nick says the Vultures lost and know it, and now they have supplies. Charlie says she lied before, but she’s not lying now. She asks Madison to please bring him back with them. Nick says they just started replanting. Madison says, If it’s a trick – Charlie says, it’s not – they’ll handle it. She says Naomi put a gun to her head when they first met; now they’re replanting thanks to her.

[Forward] Alicia sees a Vulture zombie and cuts him down. She tells Victor to wait. She sees someone crawling toward her. She squats down, and Mel reaches out. She asks how long Charlie was with him, and he gurgles something unintelligible. She says, you know what? It doesn’t matter, and smashes him in the head with the butt of her weapon. She should have left him for the zombies

[Before] Mel is handcuffed to a bed at the stadium. He asks what he’s doing there, and Naomi tells him that he has broken ribs. He asks where Charlie is, and Madison says she asked them to help her; she’s fine. He says she needs to let them go. Naomi says he has a serious injury. He says they’re not safe. Madison tells him that he’s said that before, and they’ll make it. If his brother and their crew try something, they’ll handle them. Mel says he and his brother are the ones they need to worry about.

We see a bus load of zombies, trying to get their hands out of the boarded-up windows.

Victor shows the Vultures’ numbered flags to Madison, saying that’s all that’s left. She says maybe Mel is telling the truth. Nick asks Charlie if she thinks Ennis is leading them there, and she says he wouldn’t do that. Madison asks if she’s sure. She tells Victor it will be tough, but they can do it. He says they have cars running the length of the railway. Madison asks if they’re full of dead, and Victor says, they were. She asks how many, and they go through the flags; the highest number is 735. Madison says no one goes in or out without them knowing. She tells Nick to take Charlie to her room.

Mel nearly coughs up a lung. Naomi tells him take the deepest breaths he can. When she gets close to help him, he pulls a knife on her, and tells her to take him to Charlie. Naomi pooches him in his broken ribs, takes the knife, and says not to make her break his cracked rib. He’s here to keep him breathing. He says they won’t listen to him. She’s new; maybe she’s been out there for a while. Maybe she was at another place that went down. Maybe knows what he does; what happens to people who stay. They die, and everything they’re fighting for dies with them. It doesn’t need to be that way for her. This place isn’t worth her life. He asks her to come with them. If she helps them, they’ll help her. He has the feeling she knows he’s right.

Madison pries the boards off of a concession stand. Naomi approaches. Madison says she needs the needs the lumber to reinforce the walls. Naomi says, it’s not safe here, and Madison says it will be. Naomi thinks they should consider what Mel is saying and think about leaving. Madison says that’s what the Vultures have wanted since they showed up. Out there, things don’t get better. She built this place for her kids; so they can have something close to a real life. Naomi says if she wants to protect them, she has to disappoint them. Madison says she thought about walking away. She told Alicia to prep a car just in case. She saw it on Alicia’s face, like she was chipping away at what they built. She told herself she wouldn’t use it. Naomi thinks she should reconsider. Madison asks what he said to her, and Naomi says he didn’t have to say anything. She’s been on the wrong side of where Madison is. Naomi doesn’t want to see it happen to her. What she built for her kids isn’t worth risking their lives – or hers.

Madison continues to accumulate boards off of various structures. Mel coughs some more. Madison says if he wants to go; go. He asks why, and she says while he’s here, he’s going to try to turn the others against her. He asks where Charlie is, but Madison says she’s not going. She can’t let him risk Charlie’s life.

Everyone is helping to reinforce the walls. Madison tells them to open the gate, and get the Land Rover. Mel wants to go. Victor says he might die out there. He’s there because she didn’t give up on him; what’s different? Madison says, open the gate, or she will. Mel gets in the car, saying they won’t make it. Madison says, if Charlie goes with him, whoever Charlie turns into won’t be Charlie anymore. He tells her the walls won’t hold, and Madison says she’ll keep Charlie safe. Mel tells her that’s what her parents said, and died in front of her. Don’t make her go through that again. Madison says she wasn’t there; it wasn’t them. He says they’re trying to be the type of people who are extinct. She draws her gun, and says, no one’s gone until they’re gone, and he drives away, wounds and all. The gates close again. Madison tells them not to think about what Mel said.

Nick tells Madison that she should have made him stay; He wouldn’t have taken Charlie, since he can’t get far. Madison says he’s not getting far without Nick and his sister protecting him. Nick asks if she remembers when he said he was afraid of who he was out there? He was really afraid of being away from her; she showed him the way. She finds him when he’s gotten lost. He felt found here, like he’d finally starting to get it. Letting a guy kill himself because they’re afraid of him. doesn’t sound like what she wanted them to find out.

Charlie says, he’s gone, but he’s hurt? He’s not going to make it, and he’s her friend. Alicia says she put a radio in the car, and it’s on. They should let Charlie see if he’ okay. They call, and Madison asks if Mel can hear her. He coughs, and she asks where he is and if he’s all right. He coughs some more. The signal is lost, and everyone looks grim and sad. Charlie says they have to help him.

More reinforcing goes on, and Cole hopes it holds whatever is coming his way. Alicia says they have to go out. Victor asks Nick if Madison knows they’re leaving. Nick asks, is he letting them out, or what? Victor knows they’re going after Mel, and says their mother did the same thing for him. Who is he to stop them? He lets them out. As they get on the road, Nick says they’re going to find Mel, and help Madison remember why she built this place.

One of the Vultures starts a truck full of zombies. A woman says, you know what to do, and he drives off. Behind him is a whole caravan of trucks.

Naomi finds Madison to tell her that she’s not going. Madison says, in that case, they’ll find her a new bedroom. Naomi says if she starts pulling boards off the showers, she’s chaining herself to the pipes. Madison says she forgot how it was for her kids to look at her like that, but it would it be worse if they didn’t. She guesses she taught them something after all. Naomi says whatever is going to happen, will happen soon. She’s prepping the infirmary.

Nick sees the Land Rover, and radios Victor, says they found him. Victor tells him to get back with due haste. Nick nails a zombie. Alicia says Mel is in rough shape. Nick hears something, and tells her to kill the headlights. They see the trucks coming toward the stadium. The trucks drive past without noticing them. Nick radios Victor, telling him a convoy is coming his way.

Victor tells Madison to sound the alarm. Madison is surprised Victor didn’t try to stop Nick and Alicia. He says they needed to do it, and she says that doesn’t mean she has to like it. Cole says, that’s not a convoy. We see only two headlights. Madison radios Nick and asks if he’s there, but he’s still a half-mile off. It’s an ice cream trail, leaving a trail of… blood? Gas? Something. Nick radios Madison, who tells him to just in get inside. Alicia says maybe it’s a trap, and here come the trucks. Ha-ha! My heart is beating faster.

The trucks line up in the parking lot. Luci asks what’s happening. Madison explains that Nick and Alicia are out there. Lots of zombie rumbling is coming from the trucks. The Vultures set up ramps. Ennis whistles, and signals for the trucks to be opened. Zombies stagger down the ramps. I think it must be gas. Someone is going to get these zombies lit.

Madison radios Nick and Alicia to come inside. and here we go, the gas is set on fire. The zombies crowd Nick’s car. Madison runs down. Victor tells her she can’t go out there. She says her kids in the parking lot. Is he going to stop her? He says, no. He’s coming with her. Luci says she’s coming too. In the car, Alicia asks how much ammo the have, and Nick says, not enough, reminding me of Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn) in Planet Terror. Madison says there are too many zombies for them to drive through, and Nick says they can’t last much longer. Douglas says they have to get the fire out before anyone can leave. Victor tells him to shut up and open the gate. Alicia radios Madison, saying she’s sorry they had to come out to try and save him, but they couldn’t just hide. They didn’t mean to do this to her, but it was the right thing to do. Zombies grapple at the car. We see the flames reflected on Madison’s face.

[Forward] Al drives past a burned ice cream truck. Naomi says don’t stop; there’s no time. Morgan asks if she’s sure she’ll find what they need. She says she set up the infirmary herself. Any supplies that were taken, were taken from the outside; no one would go in there. Morgan says he thinks he knows who Al is; he’s seen it. She says he doesn’t know who she is. She’s a chick with layers. Me too. I am so one with this show right now. Al tells them to hold on, and she drives through the closed gate into the stadium. The dust clears, and there are a million zombies scattered all around. They grasp at the truck.

Next time, the mid-season finale (sigh) – Madison has nothing else to lose, Al thinks someone will want to know what happened, Naomi tries to save John, and Al machine guns the crap out of some zombies.

Excellent episode!

💍 I only saw pieces of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? and will be watching it in its entirety at a later time. However, I saw enough to wonder what the blip is with Chantel’s family? Are they bad actors? Are they on something? Like a high dose of Valium? Even Chantel has inherited their strange, wooden monotone – in two languages! No wonder Pedro is looking to book back to the DR, but I still think there’s something crooked about the mother/sister grifter team. And note to Molly – all men call watching the kids babysitting. Even when the kids are their own.

🎭 Sadly, Imposters has been canceled:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/imposters-canceled-as-bravo-refines-scripted-approach-1116494?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%20Today%20in%20Entertainment_now_2018-06-02%2006:47:37_ehayden&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie

🙏 In happier news, Preacher will be back on Sunday, June 24th.

WeekendMinions2

 

 

May21

May 20, 2018 – Before & Now Get Closer, Here Comes the Givenchy, & Back to Work

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

Fear the Walking Dead

Zombies clamor to get into a store while a dude shops. He leaves the back way, because zombies aren’t the brightest things. He stops suddenly, and we hear John tell him, that’s right. John has a gun pointed at him. John says he saw his flag and knows who he is, and they have a particular person in common. John holsters his weapon, but says he’s quicker than dude on his worst day. He’ll attempt to shoot him in the hand, but there are no guarantees he’ll walk away – or walk away alive. He can keep his hands raised, answer one question, and live. He keeps hands raised and turns. John shows him a Vulture flag. Morgan tells dude not to be stupid; John will beat him. He tries to draw his gun anyway, and John shoots his pinky finger off. John throws him the flag to wrap his hand in. Dude asks what he wants. John says, answers.

Alicia asks if Al rigged her truck herself. Al knows where she’s going, and says her guns aren’t for hire and her bullets aren’t for sale. Alicia asks, why not? Al says she stays behind the camera. How about if they stick to their deal; a ride for their story. She’s heard some of it, but she wants it all. Alicia tells her to ask what she wants, as long as gets them there.

John wants to know where dude and the Vultures are meeting up. Dude says he’s not with whoever John thinks. John pats him down and finds a map. He says he’s seen before, from a guy in an El Camino. John asks, what happened to her? He says dude is carrying Naomi’s gun. Dude says he doesn’t know, and John shoves his gun in dude’s face. Morgan tells John to let him go. Morgan tells dude there are people headed there who want to kill him, and to steer clear. John tells Morgan to hold on to the pistols for the time being –  just in case. Morgan says he knows it’s hard. Does he know where they’re taking them? Morgan says they’ll find them, stop them, and ask what he needs to know abut Naomi. He wants to know she didn’t suffer.

Before

Naomi picks shards of something out of Alicia’s arm, and asks what she found. Alicia says a few canned hams and a lot of dead. She goes to cleaned up, and Madison thanks Naomi. Naomi asks if they’re going out tomorrow, and Madison says there’s not much choice – no matter how dangerous it is.

Victor asks Nick what new and exciting locale are they going to? Nick says they’re going to find a place with seeds and fertilizer. Lucy asks where the truck with the food came from, and Victor says, in a garage. Someone must have loaded it to make an escape, but never made it. Cole says he’s going to get ammo, and Victor follows him, thanking him for the cover. Cole says Victor saved him time by showing him who he really was before he thought Victor was someone else. Victor asks why not tell them, but Cole says he’s just not sure what Victor would do if he did. Cole leaves, and Madison asks if everything is okay. Victor says people are getting irritable because there isn’t enough food. Madison shows him a liquor bottle, and says she found it in the back of the pantry. Does he want to – he doesn’t let her finish before he says, yes.

The Vultures hang in the parking lot, while Richard Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung plays over their loudspeakers. Victor says, they don’t give up easy, and Madison says, no, they don’t. Victor asks why she saved him after what he did. She says she wasn’t going to leave him drown. He says she didn’t just pull him out. She nursed him back to health. She could have saved him and left, but she waited for him after everything; why? She says she knows who he is, and she likes drinking with him.

Madison finds Viv holding a gun on Naomi, who was trying to drive out. Naomi says she can explain, and Madison tells her that she doesn’t need to sneak out. She says she wasn’t leaving; she was going here. She hands Madison a pamphlet. She says they might have seeds and food, military rations. She used to be there. Victor asks if there are still people; people who know her. She shakes her head, and Madison asks why she didn’t tell them. Naomi says it’s dangerous. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Madison and Victor decide to go with her. Luci tells Nick that they’ll be back.

Naomi speeds along the highway. A sign says, food – gas – lodging, and Madison suggests they park for the night. Victor says they need all three things. They park at a motel, and Madison says, let’s clear it. They go into the office. It’s dark, but we hear zombie noises, and Madison knifes a couple in the head. She sees some guns and canned beans. She says, they killed each other over some cans of beans. Victor shows up with some vending machine food, and they take a break to eat. I wonder why the bean killers didn’t raid the vending machine.

Naomi says Madison and Victor have been a lot of places together, and Madison says it was a long trip from Mexico. She’d started from LA, and it seems like a lifetime ago. Victor asks where they’re going tomorrow, and Naomi says, an abandoned FEMA shelter. Madison asks what happened, and Victor wonders how she knows supplies are still there. Naomi says it was abandoned a long time ago, and no one knows about it. Victor says, except for her. Naomi confesses that she was going to go on her own, but she intended on leaving the map after the gate was closed. Madison asks, why? and Victor says, because she’s a coward. Naomi says, he’s right; she’s a coward. He tells her to hand over the keys. Now she won’t leave because she can’t. Naomi says she didn’t have to tell them, and Victor thanks her for showing them who she is. Madison says it does count for something, and suggests they get some rest.

Madison wakes. Naomi isn’t there, and she tells Victor to wake up.

Naomi is on the road again. She stops at a school. She heads inside, stepping on the FEMA Checkpoint sign. The door is locked, and she knocks on the glass to get the zombies’ attention. She sneaks inside behind them. This is about as much help as you get from FEMA when there isn’t an apocalypse.

Madison thinks maybe they can catch up with Naomi. She wonders why not tell the truth if she wanted to leave. They all have things to be ashamed of, but can take the opportunity to make up for it. Victor admits that the truck with the food was his contingency plan; he’d been stocking it for weeks. People don’t change, and when they’re pressed and cornered, the artifice falls and the curtain flops. They show you who they really are. Madison asks if she should have left him to drown, and Victor says that’s what he would have done. She tells him, lucky for him she’s not him.

Naomi looks around. She comes to a room for children. She sees a crib, small furniture, and kids’ artwork. She tries to keep a grip. She goes to a storage bin, and opens the combination lock on it. There are guns and medical supplies inside. She looks through a notebook that has planting information in it. She finds keys with a tag that says JIC on them. She packs some stuff in her knapsack, and quietly walks behind the throng of zombies at the front. If just one sees her, she’s screwed. She sees a closed door, and freaks a little. She sits down on the floor, even though now is not the time. Uh-oh, here they come. She jumps up, and jets right past them. Good thing they don’t move like those guys in 28 Days Later. She runs smack into an impaled zombie, and now there are zombies on either side of her. By her reactions, I think she knows them. She starts to climb some scaffolding, kicking them away. Now she’s stuck, the crowd beneath her, reaching up. She cries.

Madison and Victor come into the school. Naomi says the truck is at the loading dock. It has what they need. She tosses the keys to Madison, and says Victor was right. Victor says they can’t get to her. He uncovers some rope, while kicking back a zombie. Madison pikes the zombies at the bottom of the scaffolding. Victor says he’s got her; she can do it. Naomi pulls herself back up, and grabs onto the rope. She pulls herself across toward Victor. He slips, and there’s suddenly too much slack in the rope, but he recovers quickly. Madison comes to help him. It’s pretty creepy looking down from Naomi’s vantage point, with all the zombies reaching toward her and moving underneath. She makes it to the other platform, and the three of them run out. Victor padlocks the door.

Naomi tells them that she needed try to make up for what she did. It needed to be her in there; not anyone else. They’re good people. She thought she could be safe there with her daughter. Madison says she doesn’t have to tell them. She owes them nothing. Naomi says her name was Rose. When Rose’s father died, Naomi wore it wouldn’t happen to them. She found a place with food, water, and people who knew how to survive. A woman named Ellen taught her how to make it. She gave JIC classes to be prepared – just in case.

One night, Rose’s cough turned into pneumonia. They didn’t have the antibiotics needed, so Naomi hid Rose in the pantry and locked the door. The antibiotic run took three days. She didn’t eat or sleep, but she found the amoxicillin. By time got back… Naomi breaks down. Madison says it wasn’t her fault. They wouldn’t have been able to keep that many out, even if she was there. Naomi tells Madison that she didn’t tell anyone the truth. She was afraid they’d get kicked out; she’d seen it happen at other places. Rose died before she got back, and turned. Then, everyone else did too. She did this. Madison says she didn’t have to come back, but Naomi says it had to be her. She couldn’t run from it any longer. Maybe some can find way to live with it, but she needs to keep what they have going.

They leave. Naomi says the truck is prepped, in case anything went wrong. They were prepared for everything, just not this. A zombie is flailing around in the truck, and I wonder if it’s Ellen. Madison knocks on the driver’s window, and while the zombie is preoccupied with that, Naomi stabs it in the head from behind. Victor says she did what she had to do; what life seemed to be telling her to do. He did too, but Madison taught him something else; that they can start over. They all can. We see a plant growing out of one of the fertilizer bags.

Alicia, Luci, and Nick walks out to where Mel is. He asks if there’s a problem, but they just want him to listen. He might want to make room. They have food, supplies, and fertilizer; they’re going to rebuild and replant. The Vultures have picked over a fifty-mile radius; they must be running low too. Mel tells the group to pack up, and let’s go. They’re going to take longer than they can wait. Madison drives up with truck full of stuff, and Naomi in the car behind her. Mel tells her to be careful. In his experience, the really the really bad stuff, you never see it coming. They drive in, and the Vultures leave.

Luci asks if it’s enough, and Nick says it is. Madison looks at the JIC keys, and puts them on the dashboard. Cole says he didn’t think they’d pull it off, and Victor says, neither did he. Madison knows him better than he knows himself. He might have been premature in telling Cole who he is.

Victor thanks Madison. She says they won today, and he was a big part of it. He suggests they leave it at that. Madison looks out with the binoculars. It’s all clear in the parking lot. Alicia comes out, and Madison wants her to do something, no questions asked. She tells her to park a truck out back with supplies in it, and keep it quiet. No one needs to know. Alicia asks why, and Madison says, just in case. She gives her the keys, and I wonder who’s highlighting Alicia’s hair.

Now

Standing next to the road, Alicia sees a truck with the binoculars. Victor and Luci arm themselves. Alicia says, they’re coming. Victor asks, how many, and Alicia says, one. Morgan and John get out of the truck. Morgan says they came to talk, and Alicia tells them to get on the ground.  Victor asks what they’re doing there, and Morgan says they came to help. He says, they’re not coming. They found them, and told them to stay away. Alicia says, bad idea, and Morgan says, they still have time. They don’t have to do this. He should have told Nick; what they’re doing is only going to make things worse. Victor says, perhaps they didn’t heed his warning after all. Here come the Vultures.

The caravan stops in front of them. Alicia and the others draw their guns. The Vultures get out, guns drawn. Mel says, hey, who told them to be there, and thanks the guy in the blue shirt, meaning Morgan. Mel tells Alicia, sorry about her brother, and she says, really? She’s not sorry about his. Mel makes some interesting, twitchy faces. Morgan says it doesn’t have to go this way, and Mel says, yes it does, but he doesn’t have to be in middle. He stands between Alicia and Mel, and Mel tells him to get out of the way. Madison radios, asking, where is everyone? Mel says, they didn’t tell her? and Morgan says, no. Mel says they aren’t going to like this. A Land Rover drives up. John asks where they got it, and Naomi gets out. John says, Laura? He moves toward her, and Alicia says, no!

Mel is confused, and shoots John. Morgan runs to him, and Naomi drops to her knees.

Next time, Naomi says, it’s not safe: Morgan says, this has to stop: Madison says, no one is gone until they’re gone; and Luci meets Charlie.

👰 I confess, I watched the Royal Wedding. I didn’t get up before the crack of dawn to watch it live, but checked it out later. I’ll never get up before the crack of dawn for a wedding again after Prince Charles and Diana Spencer. I did it for them, and we all know how that turned out. It must be weird for Meghan Markle, suddenly going from making movies to having movies made about her. Like a skabillion other women, of course I wanted to see all the fashions, but most important, the dress. Meghan Markle’s, now Duchess of Sussex’s, dress. It wasn’t a wow. It was from Givenchy, but very plain, long sleeves and a boat neck. Although I do love a boat neck. While Princess Diana floated in a cloud only she could carry off, Kate Middleton’s gown has been my favorite of more recent royal brides so far. That being said, I reasoned that she might have wanted the focus to be on Queen Mary’s tiara (which was stunning), and the sixteen-foot veil, which had the individual flowers of the fifty-plus commonwealths embroidered on it. Along with Meghan’s state flower, which I suppose was nice of them. I would have loved to have gotten a better view of the veil. It was hard to see the detail on most of the time. Anyway, it was fun to see what all the guests wore as well, including the always adorable Queen Elizabeth, and the grandeur of the whole thing. I especially loved the fairytale carriage ride at the end. Probably the best thing about it, is how the young royals have kept the beautiful traditions, yet bucked some archaic ones. Meghan is an American actress, half African American, and divorced – even one of those things would have been unheard of not that long ago. Too bad it comes a little late for King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

😔 Sigh…

BackToWork-Office

BackToWork-GetOut

BackToWork-Cry

 

 

May14

May 13, 2018 – The Story of John & Naomi, Extra Useless Information, Talking About Fear & Mom’s Day

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

Fear the Walking Dead

John opens the box with the matching pistols, and cleans and loads them. He sees a zombie wading through the creek. He puts a board over his ditch moat, and whacks it with an ax. Smart move to save bullets.

He lies in bed listening to Billy Bass, who I guess is his alarm clock. He washes up, makes the bed, and plays Scrabble with himself. He says, people, as he washes the breakfast dishes. He runs down a list of various words as he has coffee on the porch. He continues as he does chores. He says platypus, and uses it in his next Scrabble game.  As night falls, he watches DVDs.

There’s a sound outside. John says, not another one, and asks himself where they’re coming from. He finds Naomi in a canoe on the shore, barely conscious, and brings her in. She says she has to get back, and he tells her she’s safe, but injured. He looks at a gash in her side. The good news is, it’s not a bite. He tells her he’ll take care of it as best he can.

The next morning, he finds Naomi looking in the truck for his keys. He tells her they’re on the top of the visor, and she might want to avoid reverse. He says she has a pretty bad cut. She gets in the truck and closes the door. It won’t start, and he says it needs a new battery. He tells her if she wants to go, he might as well set her up with food and water. She should get some rest, and change the bandage on her wound too.

Inside, Naomi looks at her wound. She starts to stitch it up herself, and says she can’t. She asks John to do it, and gives him instructions, saying, just do it.

John makes fish stew for dinner. He tells Naomi, the French call it bouillabaisse, presenting her with a bowl, saying, soup is the blanket of food. He tells her to enjoy, and introduces himself. She thanks him. He says she looks like a Laura, and asks if it’s an acceptable substitute. He tells her about a job he once had, teaching kids at a pea shooting range, and says she can stay as long as she likes. She says she’ll be moving on, and he offers her food and shelter until she’s ready, but the next time she wants something, ask. He wonders if she’s a doctor or nurse, and tells her to take the bed; he only sleeps an hour or two if he’s lucky. She asks how he knew she was a nurse. He says he doesn’t know many people who could stick a needle in their side. He asks if she was a nurse until… and she says, yeah. He says it seems like forever ago, and she agrees.

Naomi is restless. She sees the couch is empty and gets up. John is cleaning the pistols. He hears her but when he turns around, she’s gone.

John whacks some more zombies in the creek area. Naomi comes out, and asks if they wash up. He says, there’s something amiss up river. He tells her that he goes to the store on Tuesday, and she says she’ll come. He thinks she should rest, but Naomi is insistent. He supposes he wouldn’t mind he company, and gives her a pair of boots, telling her there are snakes. She declines, saying she won’t be able to run in them. He leaves them on the porch in case she changes her mind.

They take the canoe down the river. She asks if he’s been there long, and he says, a good while. She asks what he did before, and he tells her that he was a police officer. She wonders why he didn’t bring his guns; she thought all cops have them, but he says they cause more problems than they solve. She asks if he liked being a cop, and he says, at one time. Zombies walk the bridge, and one falls in. Naomi takes out her knife, but John pushes it into the water with his oar, and they go past. He notes that a broken part of the bridge railing needs tending to.

John docks the boat, and they head for the store. He says it’s been in Bill’s family for sixty years. Naomi asks where Bill is now, but John doesn’t know. They closed the road for repair before things went south, and he hasn’t seen him since. They walk into a fully-stocked store, and John tells Naomi to help herself. She gets a knapsack. and fills it, while he gets supplies. Naomi moves some merchandise around, and John asks if she’s rearranging things. She explains that people need splints and dressings, and aren’t always thinking. She’s just doing her part. He tells her how his name is Dorie, like the fish, except ie. 

Outside, he says they’re going to need a ladder. They fix the bridge, and John asks if he can call her Laura. She says that’s fine, but she won’t be staying long. A zombie toddles toward them, and she stabs it in the head.

While lying in bed, Laura hears a movie playing, and comes out. John says sorry for disturbing her (which my autocorrect wanted to change to disrobing her – ha-ha!). It’s usually his movie night, although every night is getting to be movie night. She gets some water, and he says he’ll turn the volume down. He asks if she wants some popcorn. She doesn’t, but she sits on the couch. I’m trying to figure out what the movie is from the dialogue we can hear, but I can’t. He tells her about the snacks he makes on movie night, and suggests concocting something.

John snoozes, and Laura looks at him. He opens his eyes, and she says she lost her child. She gets up, and goes back to bed.

Laura wants John to teach her to fish. It’s a resource, so she should know how. They go out on the river, and he instructs her. She hooks a fish, and gets all excited. He teaches her how to clean and gut it. They have it for dinner, and she thanks him. They play Scrabble.

There’s more fishing the next day, and Laura prepares it herself. That afternoon, John clips her stitches. He says she might have a scar, but nothing too bad. She thinks she should be going, since she’s healed up, but she’ll take a couple days to pack some things. John goes outside, and chops a zombie’s head in half. Laura says they need something stronger to block the opening; a car at Bill’s might still have a charge. She helped him, and it’s the least she can do. He gets wheel barrow, and loads up the zombie he downed.

At the bridge, John asks how Laura learned to hot wire a car, and she asks if he’s going to arrest her. He sees she’s got one of his pistols, and says he asked her not to go through his things. She tells him that they might need protection, but he says she’s good with a knife; the noise from the gun just brings more zombies. She says they’re no good in a box, but he wants them in a box, not out there. He gets out of the truck.

John walks through the zombies, whacking them. Laura gets the ones he doesn’t, and it’s a chopfest. They drive a truck to the opening, blocking it. Laura is on the truck, but outside of the cab, guiding John. The zombies begin to gather, and Laura tells John to shoot them. They’re pushing at the car, and one zombie breaks the window with the machete that’s poking through him, and is now six inches from John’s face. He stabs at it, while Laura keeps yelling for him to shoot. John finally deals a fatal blow, but then won’t stop stabbing once it’s over. He and Laura are both covered in the blood that has sprayed everywhere.

Back at the cabin, Laura scrubs at their clothing. John says he didn’t get bit, but she says she’s seen people get sick from being exposed. He tells her that he didn’t mean for it to happen. She says he had a gun. He says that’s not how he does things, and she says it nearly got him killed. He says, better him than someone else. She asks if what he’s talking about has to do with why he doesn’t want to talk about being a cop. She asks what happened; did he take it or fire it? He says he fired. She says, good guy or bad guy? He says that’s not the way he looks at things, but she’d call him bad. She asks if it was a mistake or intentional, and he says, intentional. It was an intentional mistake. He stopped at the gas station, and a guy was robbing the place. John told him that he was a police officer, and to put his weapon down, but he would not. He tried to clip the guy in the leg. John starts to choke up, and Laura tells him it’s okay. John says, the guy turned, and he hit him dead center in the leg, and he bled out. Laura asks if that’s why he moved up there, but he says, no. People thought he was a hero. She says, it doesn’t matter how many people say it’s not your fault; what matters is if you believe it.

On the bridge, the zombies clamor at the truck. It starts to roll, and they start falling into the river.

Laura and John are sleeping, when John hears a lot of zombie noises. That’s because there are a sh*tload of them coming toward his house. He calls to Laura, and starts to whack them as they come out of the creek. Laura whacks and chops at them with a shovel, but they’re all falling into the moat, creating a bridge for the ones still coming. They’re surrounded, and Laura tumbles into the moat. John suddenly has the guns, one in each hand, and shoots with both at once, doing that twirling-the-guns thing. The last one is inches from Laura’s face and it’s hard to aim, but he does it, and kills the zombie. Holy! Even though we know both of them make it, I was holding my breath.

John surveys the mess. Laura sits next to him on the steps. She thanks him. She says he might not think he’s a hero, but she does. He’s an honorable person, and she’s very, very lucky to have washed up in his front yard. He gives her one of the pistols, telling her, if she’s going, she’ll need it, and he needs her to take it.

They sit on the couch. John gets up, and Laura asks what it is; why won’t he look at her? He says he loves her, but he didn’t want her to know. She asks why, and he says because she’s leaving, and he doesn’t want her to. He says if she wants the cabin, he’ll go. He tells her that he needs her alive. If she’s alive, the whole world feels alive. They kiss. At this point, I’m liking him too.

John wakes up to Billy Bass – alone. He looks around, and calls Laura’s name. He sees her shoes where the boots were on the porch. On the table is, I love you too Im sorry, in Scrabble letters.

Morgan and John sit by the side of the road. Morgan says, she loved you, and John says, yes. John says, maybe if he’d waited to tell her… but Morgan says, no waiting; not in this world. Waiting is how you lose people. John says he believed he had a second chance; it was stupid. Morgan says they still do. Madison, Victor, Luci; they’re still here. They think the only thing left is to fight, kill, or die. John says, maybe they’re right. Morgan tells John to look him in the eye, and tell him that’s what he believes. If he can do that, they’ll go their separate ways. John says he doesn’t believe it. Morgan says, they’re alive. They’re part of the world. Let’s not waste another second.

Morgan gets up, and gathers his stuff. John puts the other pistol in his holster. They walk down the road.

Nice episode.

Next time, John uses the pistols some more, Mel tells Madison to be careful, and Naomi says it’s dangerous.

🐟 Apparently, there’s more than one Dory with a y who’s a fish, and is a John. A white-fleshed sea fish found in European waters, John Dory (also known as St Peter’s fish), is an odd-looking creature with an oval, flat body and a large, spiny head. The white, boneless, meaty flesh is firm and flavoursome and can be cooked in a variety of ways: grill, sauté or poach it. – from BBC.co.uk  – Food.

💀 🔊 Talking Dead was a good one too, the guests being Yvette Nicole Brown and Jenna Elfman. The artistry of the episode was discussed, and it really was beautifully filmed. The scenery was gorgeous, but John’s cabin was also an amazing setting. Yvette talked about how she has an investment in the characters after knowing the backstory. I was with her there, but I’ve always had more investment in the characters from Fear than those in The Walking Dead. From the jump, they were more multi-faceted. TWD needs a charming rogue like Victor, trading barbs and sexual tension with Maggie. I was surprised nobody brought up Naomi/Laura having lost her child, but Jenna Elfman was very cagey about where the story was going next. I wondered if her child was Charlie. Also surprising was the gift an audience member went home with – a canoe. A clip of Garrett Dillahunt (John) talking about filming the episode, gave me a quote that I not only couldn’t resist adding, but could relate to: It’s only been six days but I feel twenty-seven days tired.

🍀 Speaking of Quotes…

👵 Favorite Irish Mammy Sayings for Mother’s Day

https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/craic/top-ten-irish-mammy-isms-according-to-poll?utm_campaign=Best+of+IrishCentral+-+2018-05-13&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Mailjet

This did not include my own mother’s favorite, this is not a restaurant, which I actually heard come out of my own mouth while babysitting my neighbor’s twins. Although my mom wasn’t Irish, that list looks pretty mom universal.

💖 Speaking of Mother’s Day…

HappyMothersDayAll

💕 And My Best Girl Forever Mom…

Juliet&HerBabies

 

 

May7

May 6, 2018 – Burying Nick, a Variety of Rambling & Creepiness

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

Fear the Walking Dead

Everyone is stunned about Nick. Al has videoed the aftermath. We see Luci make sure Nick doesn’t come back by stabbing him in the head, Alicia re-killing Ennis more viciously (somehow, he got rid of the deer head he was impaled on), and Victor covers Nick up. In the van, Victor tells Al, let’s get this over with. Al says it can wait until he’s buried, but Victor says that was the deal. She asks how he ended up there, and he tells her that’s a big question. She says sometimes those are easier to answer. Luci says they could have stopped this from happening.

It’s another one of those back-and-forth episodes. Luci watches a guy, who looks like Riff Raff from Rocky Horror, bring some supplies to the Vultures. Charlie laughs with Ennis. She explains to Al that they had to stretch rations with cattle feed. Victor says it’s an acquired taste.

At the stadium, Victor offers to garnish lunch with maple syrup, and Alicia tells him to save it for the pancakes. He says, for when things get better, and they will. Madison says it’s time to be creative. The need to find places their friends in the parking lot haven’t hit, like maybe a bowling alley.

Victor says it was their first misstep, going on runs that day.

Victor and Cole walk through a greenhouse. Cole says he went to A&M University, and knows which plants are safe to eat. He encourages Victor to tell him something about himself, and Victor says he didn’t go to A&M. They find something edible, and look for a cart. Cole asks how long Victor is going to act like he’s afraid of him. Victor says that’s not the case.

Al asks if he was afraid of Cole, and Victor says, of course not. He says they’re supposed to be talking about Nick, and Al says they’re talking about him.

Cole and Victor fight off zombies in the greenhouse. Cactus zombies. They have quills sticking out of them all over. One gets Cole down. Victor pikes it in the head and helps him up.

Nick takes Luci to a nearby library. His mother once brought him there, and he thinks it’s a sign. Luci says she went with him because Nick thought it would be good for her.

Inside the library, Nick whistles. It’s empty because zombies don’t read. He takes a poster down off the wall, and Luci asks why they’re here. Nick tells her that people need a reason to stick around, and not just food. She says there’s nothing left, but he thinks there has to be something. Luci says it’s about her, referring to Charlie. Nick says she thinks they’re looking out for her and they’re family. Luci says she thought Colonia was a good place to be, but it wasn’t. He helped her.

Al says, but he couldn’t help Charlie. Luci says, she killed Nick. What do you think?

John tells Morgan he used to be a police officer. He knew a guy who drank a bottle of rye every night. One night he survived a close call. A guy stole a garbage truck, and it ended up squashing his patrol car. He went a week without touching rye. John says it takes more than a week to change someone. He thinks Morgan will be on his way after Nick is buried. John is going to find Laura, and wants Morgan with him. He wants them to meet. Morgan just wants to see Nick buried, and he’ll be on his way. He’s better on his own.

Al says they can stop if it’s too much; Alicia’s brother died. Alicia says, yeah, he did.

Alicia and Naomi go to a small waterpark. Naomi sees a van she thinks they should take back, pointing out that it even has a tape deck. She looks for keys, but finds nothing. They head into the park, which looks like something from Abandoned, but with dead bodies all over. A zombie stumbles out, and Alicia stabs its head. Another follows, and Naomi takes care of that one. Naomi says whoever camped here moved to higher ground when the fence came down, showing Alicia a site on a platform at the top of the waterslide. The stairs are barricaded, but Alicia says they can get up there from the slide. They look at the zombies wandering around in the water.

Victor says he wanted to do the right thing in the car. Cole tells Victor that if he doesn’t like him, just tell him. Victor says he does like him. Cole asks why he won’t share information about himself then, and Victor says he doesn’t want Cole to know him. He’s done dumb things, and keeps this to remind him not to be that man. He hands Cole what we both agree looks like a piece of a rock. Victor says, it’s not.

Al asks if going on run brought them closer together, and Alicia says, of course it did. They were the only ones still breathing. She and Naomi wade through the pool, and the zombies. Naomi tries to get up the slide, but keeps slipping back down. Alicia gives her a boost, and tries to follow, but she slips and loses her knife. As they struggle to get up the slide, there’s a terrific crane shot showing the cluster of zombies, grappling at the bottom.

They carefully make their way up. It would really suck to get all that way and slide back down into a mess of zombies. They look at the stuff left behind, and Alicia thinks there’s still some ammo. A zombie toddles out, startling them. They struggle with it, and Naomi falls down to a bowl-like attachment on the slide. I’m guessing you could once slide through it, but now there’s a clog of zombies caked in slime in the opening. Naomi kicks at them, but one is particularly aggressive. Alicia slides down, having grabbed a pipe that was part of the slide. She knocks the zombie in the head, and it slides back down into the clog. I have to admit, I made noises out loud throughout this whole scene.

Al asks when she sharpened it. Alicia says that came later.

Back at the top, Alicia and Naomi go through the stuff. Naomi finds the keys to the van, but says nothing. There’s a trunk of medical supplies, and Naomi tells Alicia to take as much as she can. Naomi gives Alicia binoculars, and suggests she look for what hasn’t been picked over. Alicia thinks there’s a possibility, but when she turns around, Naomi is gone.

Al asks, what happened? Did she run? Victor says, they’re all running.

Victor and Cole go to a parking lot. Cole asks where the hell they are. Victor opens the hatchback of a car, and says, when the crops failed, he gathered things. Cole asks why Victor is showing him. Victor says there’s enough room for two. Cole tells him that people are hungry. Victor says the supplies would maybe feed them for a day; it wouldn’t make a difference. Cole says makes a difference between them making it for another day or not. Victor says so could this. Before, he did things where people got hurt or died. He learned self-preservation. He says famine is on the horizon, and he did it to ensure he survived. He wants Cole to know this is him. Cole shakes his head. He can’t do it. Victor says he didn’t think so. Cole says he’ll drive himself back.

Al asks if he left, and if Victor thinks it’s his fault. Alicia says, it’s not his fault. He wasn’t the only one who thought about leaving.

Naomi starts the car. It chugs to a stop because there’s no gas in it. I’m not even going to say it. Yes, I am. You’d think she’d have checked that first thing. She sure made a good guess those were the right car keys. Alicia is there, and says that’s the second time she ran out since they’ve met. Naomi doesn’t have to tell them anything, but she’s either with them, trying to keep it going, or not. Naomi says she can’t try to keep this going. Alicia tells her that she said the same thing once. She went off on her own; no one could talk her out of it, but wasn’t what she wanted it to be. Maybe she’ll realize that too. Alicia says she’ll go with her to get some gas.

Al asks if Luci thought about leaving. Luci says they all did.

Luci tells Nick that they have to go. He says there could be something there for her. He looks around in the back, and we hear zombie noises. A trail of books leads to a zombie who’s tied up, so it can’t escape. Nick puts it out of its misery, and sees that its wrists are slit. Luci sees a book of maps. Luci say she doesn’t want to end up like that. Nick tells her they know what’s wrong, and they’re going to try and fix it. She says what if they find a new place? Start over. He asks, where, and she hands him the book. She says the first place they open to.

Al asks Luci, what page did it open to? It’s the reason she’s sitting here, isn’t it? Luci says she should have never opened the book.

Madison looks through binoculars at the Vultures. Mel waves and holds up a radio. She gets on hers, and asks if he needs help. He asks if they have relish. She goes down to the parking lot, but I don’t see her bringing any relish. He says they’ve finished it, haven’t they? And the ketchup and mustard. Condiments are the first things to go, in trying to dress up things they don’t want to eat. The dressing up part is true even in real life. I remember putting Italian dressing on green beans and ketchup on mac and cheese at lunch in high school. Mel is cooking hotdogs. He asks where she’s sending people, and she says, why? So they can beat them there? She doesn’t think so. He says every time she sends someone out, they might not come back. Madison says they will; she knows her people.

Mel says before he lived on the bus, he lived like them, in a settlement; his family’s cattle ranch in hill country. It was a nice place to be, but then wildfires kicked up. Madison knows where he’s going. She says, he’s smart, and saw what was coming. He tried to warn everyone, but they wouldn’t listen. So he and his brother left before the fires hit. She says she’s sorry about the rest of his family. Mel says, people are stubborn creatures. He asks if she’d like a weenie, but she’s good. He says if she didn’t come out for food or company, what is she doing there? She says her offer still stands. If they want relish, they could scrounge some up from the concession stand. They can make a go of it, if they work together. He asks if she believes that. She does, and he says that’s why the place is going to fall. His offer also stands. She turns to leave, and he says she was wrong about his story. He told them that they could save the place, and they listened. He and Ennis were the only ones who made it out alive. They could hear them scream as they drove off. Madison walks away.

Al says that’s why it’s so important. They gave up on the stadium.

In the library, Luci flips open the book.

Victor sits in his car.

Naomi tells Alicia that she was a nurse. After a while, she could tell who would make it and who wouldn’t. She says the stadium won’t last. They have to think about where they’re going next. Alicia says she’ll talk to Madison.

Victor says Al thinks she knows what happened that day, but she’s wrong.

Cole drives up to the stadium, and Madison asks if Victor is okay. Victor drives in behind him. Al asks why he came back, and Victor says he got a reminder of what he stood to lose. He looks at the syrup. Al asks what people thought when they found out about his escape hatch. Madison sees all the supplies, and says it looks like they got a break. Victor tells Al that he didn’t tell them the truth. Al asks Luci what page it opened to.

Luci says they’re going north. Nick asks what if there’s another way of looking at this. They bring the book to Madison. Nick asks what if they went further to scavenge than they have before. Madison says they can’t go that far every time, but he says they only need to go once. He tells her they can get seeds and fertilizer. They can replant, and turn the place back into what it was. Madison says okay, because she’s coming from a place of yes this season.

A tear rolls down Luci’s face.

Alicia tells Madison they have to talk. Al asks if Alicia told her about Naomi.

Alicia knocks on Naomi’s car window as she’s starting to leave. She asks if they ever lived when Naomi thought they were going to die. Naomi tells Alicia to let her do the talking, and Alicia gets in, saying, nice wheels. At the stadium, Naomi says if they’re going to make it work, things will get worse before they get better. She’s going to set up an infirmary.

Alicia says instead of fighting to change everything, she should have told them to leave. Luci says they should have found somewhere else. Victor says he wanted to be a better person, that’s why he’s dead. Luci says they could have stopped it all. Al puts down the camera.

Al stops the van, and they get out. Victor says, this is it. They dig, and John asks, why here? Alicia asks what difference it makes to him, and he says he just wants to know. They continue to dig, and dig up a cache of guns. Al says it’s not about Nick. They’re going after the rest of them, even after what happened to Nick. Alicia says it’s what he would have wanted. Al says answers only matter if they’re true. Alicia says it was the truth, and Al says it was served between two slices of bullsh*t. She tells them good luck without her. Victor says they know where the Vultures are meeting up next, and Al says, they needed a ride. John says she’s been snookered. She asks if they’re really going to lug all this, and Alicia says unless she takes them. John says his seems to be the only story that doesn’t end with someone getting hurt or killed. Victor says if Al wants to know how it ends, come see for herself, and Al tells them to load up the van. Morgan asks Alicia if they’re still planning on burying her brother or are they leaving him on the side of the road? Alicia says they’ll bury him there. Morgan says, he liked growing things, right?

In a spot near a beautiful tree, Victor puts the last dirt on the grave. Luci kneels down and touches it. Morgan leaves a bluebonnet.

As they’re packing the truck, John asks where they got some of it. Alicia says it’s just stuff they’ve picked up along the way. He asks for a knapsack, saying it belonged to Laura.

At the stadium, Naomi asks Alicia for a second alone. She takes out a gun that matches John’s.

John takes out the gun. He says, her name was Naomi. She never told him her real name. He asks where she is, and Alicia says she didn’t make it out of the stadium. Things went wrong. He guesses that trip is off, and asks what happened. Alicia says, she’s dead, and he says that’s not true. She’s out there; she’s gotta be. Victor says, there’s the rub, his story did end up with someone getting hurt. Alicia says they did this. Come with them. John asks them to let him be. Al approaches him. She says she’ll find out what happened, and come back for him. Morgan tells them to go; he’ll stay behind. They drive off. Morgan tells John that he’s sorry. John says he was right. We’re always on our own.

Next time, John and Naomi’s story.

👌 I love the Morgan/John pairing. I have more feels for these characters than the ones on Walking Dead. They just seem more well-rounded. Although I probably enjoy Talking Dead most of all. It’s like the day after a convention (sci/fi, horror, Star Trek, whatever, take your pick), when you rehash everything and look over all the crap you bought.

🏯 I’m not really watching Into the Badlands, although it might be one of those things I consume in one bite On Demand someday. I did glance at it though, and it looks awesome. Like a Quentin Tarantino film, but more colorful. The fight scenes are unbelievable – chicks with swords! – and I’ll bet a lot of the actors go home bruised and sore.

🍷 I didn’t really take in too much of The Real Housewives of Potomac tonight, but there was a stand-out quote, brought to us by Candiace: I think I like her better drunk. I don’t know who she was referring to, but I thought of how well it could apply to anyone in the franchise saying it about anyone else in the franchise.

🐎 Was that Walking Dead’s Simon I saw on Westworld?

👻 Sadly, Ghost Wars has been canceled.

https://www.themarysue.com/syfy-cancels-ghost-wars-after-one-season/

😱 🎢 Imagine Zombies Clogging This Up…

Much worse than spiders. I’m talking to you, Stephen King.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA AbandonedWaterslide

AbandonedWaterslide5

AbandonedWaterslide3 AbandonedWaterslide2

 

Apr30

April 29, 2018 – A Lot of Dead, a Little Rambling & Another One Bites the Dust

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

Fear the Walking Dead

Nick burns the crops. I guess he’s still not done fighting the weevils. Too bad they can’t feed the weevils to the zombies and get the zombies to do the farming.

Al asks what they did to Nick. She tells him that she’s just trying to help. They’re all breathing, which means they’re on the same team. Victor thinks they should have reached the turn-off by now. Al says she gave them the right directions, just not all of them. She wants their stories, and they want to know where she found the flag. She’s not letting them take her van or threaten them anymore. Nick says this is how it’s going to be, and Al asks if he knows how many times she’s been zip-tied. She manages to grab Nick, getting him to drop is weapon, and tells Luci to pull over. Nick tells Luci not to do it. They see a cluster of zombies, and Al says, change of plans; keep driving. There’s a scuffle, thanks to Nick, and Luci turns, but into a ditch. Nice going. Although a few zombies were creamed in the process.

Nick makes stupid faces as he comes to, and John reaches for the wheel.

Nick is back at the stadium. Madison asks if he’s okay, and tells him she’s going on a run. He says he’s coming; he wants to help.

Nick wakes up next to a pile of zombies, and John trying to get the truck out. Al says they have to get a tow. Then they’ll talk about whatever they have to – or not. They can go on their way if they want. Luci thinks they could use a truck from a service yard she saw. Victor says often the start of a negotiation requires an act of faith. John asks Al if she trusts him, and Al says, probably not. She unties all of them, hesitating when she gets to Victor. She ties Nick to the truck. Morgan says he’ll only slow them down, so he’ll stay. Al asks if he’ll be there when they get back he says if he’s not, something went wrong. John takes the others up the hill. Luci tells Nick they won’t be gone long.

Morgan reads, and Nick asks what he’s reading. Morgan is silent, and Nick asks for something to eat. Morgan cuts his ties, and tells him get it himself. Nick asks if he isn’t worried. He reaches for Morgan, and Morgan knocks him on his face, saying he’s not worried. (Ah-ha! in Nelson voice.) Nick gets a protein bar, and asks if Morgan likes peanut butter. He gives Morgan half, and introduces himself. Morgan says he’s going up to the road and not to move five feet from the truck. Nick picks up Morgan’s book, The Art of Peace, and flips though it.

Nick looks around the truck, and finds the video camera. He fast-forwards through John’s interview, and stops on Morgan’s. Morgan practices with his pokey stick, but his leg hurts. He sees car racing down the roads, and runs – as fast as he can anyway – back to the truck. He tells Nick to get down. Nick sees the car go past, and grapples with Morgan. They cause the horn to go off. It’s stuck, and just continues to blare. Zombies pop out of everywhere. Nick takes off. Morgan asks Nick to toss him his stick, and Nick runs. I’m annoyed that Nick is leaving injured Morgan to the zombies, so he can chase after a flashy old convertible.

We see a close-up of a zombie. Then a close-up of Al slicing its skull. Luci sees a huge wheel of cable, and thinks it would work. John hopes they can get Al’s truck out by sundown. They drive back in a flatbed truck, carrying the wheel. Victor believes Al’s mission is one of benevolence; they’re alive after an aggressive introduction. He asks if she’s doing it for a reason. She says she wants them to clean up the mess they made. He thinks there’s more to it than that, and she says, their stories. He asks, for who? and she says she doesn’t know how it ends. It might be the only thing left. Victor says there will be no one to see it, and Al says, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s captured. She sees a scar on his hand, and asks what happened and why is he trying to hide it? He asks her again, why? She says, the truth matters. That’s the trade; the truth about him for the flag. He says they’re just words, and she says, more than that. Luci joins them, saying she gets it. She says Al knows her sh*t, except for the sh*t about the truth. Victor says he’ll consider the offer.

Nick runs. He looks into the woods and sees some bluebonnets.

Nick and Madison drive past Mel and the Vulture gang. Ohh, the blue convertible is their car. Mel greets Madison, and tells her it’s slim pickin’s unless you know where to look. Madison says they’ll manage. He’s glad to see Nick is back out again. He tosses The Little Prince into their car, asking Nick to tells his girlfriend that Charlie doesn’t like children’s books. They drive away, and Nick says she didn’t stand a chance. Charlie was never staying with them, no matter what. Madison says they’ll get her back. Nick asks how Madison does it, and she says wherever she goes, she tries to look for something good. A ravioli billboard, an armadillo, a sign that people tried to help each other. She always sees something.

Nick picks a flower. This is one of those episodes where they go back and forth in time. I hate that. If I want to watch that, I’ll watch Once Upon a Time. We hear zombie gurgles. Here they come. Nick whacks them with a hammer, but gets knocked down. One zombie comes close, like a few inches from his face, but Morgan whacks it and stabs it in the head. He tells Nick that they need to find someplace safe, and helps him up.

Morgan and Nick ease on down the road. Nick says the others will wonder what happened, but Morgan says they’ll find them. They come to a town where there are a few zombies toddling around, and they kill them. Nick asks if Morgan is okay. Morgan suggest they sit tight. Nick asks why Morgan helped him, and Morgan says he doesn’t kill.

Madison and Nick find that stinking convertible in front of a church, with a bunch of canned goods in crates in the back. It’s Mel’s brother, Ennis. Nick asks if he’s following them, and Ennis says they were there first. He tells them to get a faster car. Charlie comes out of the church, and Ennis says Mel told them she has a knack for finding the good stuff. Nick tells Charlie that she doesn’t have to listen. Ennis says she wants to. He found her, and taught her how to make it. Nick moves toward Ennis. Madison tells him, now is not the time. Ennis says he keeps his family safe. Nick is on him, holding a knife to his throat. Madison tells him to stop. Ennis is bleeding, and tells Charlie, let’s get out of here.

Morgan tapes his leg. Nick asks if he wants help, and Morgan says he’s got it. Nick tells him to lay off the karate. Morgan tells Nick to stop getting himself in trouble, and its not karate. Nick asks what it is, and Morgan says, just not karate. Nick thinks they should find a car before they come back. Morgan says, the El Camino? telling us what kind of cool car it is. Morgan says it’s not going to work out how Nick thinks, and asks what they did to him. Nick says he bets Morgan has killed, and asks why did he stop? Who did he lose? He says he saw the tape, repeating Morgan’s words; I lose people, then lose myself. Morgan says he’s not telling him. If Nick wants to hunt down the ones who hurt him, it’s his business.

The horn on Al’s truck is still blasting, and zombies crowd around it. They see an arrow made out of sticks on the ground, showing them which way Nick and Morgan went. Al says she’s not leaving, and they won’t find out about the flag; not from her anyway. John says Morgan might need them; it’s just a van. Al says she has things in it, and tells him to go; she’ll be fine. Alicia says they’ll get the van out, and Victor says it’s their act of faith. He tells Luci to go find Nick. Alicia tells Al they’re not going to try anything with two of them out there. Victor says why not just tell them; how did she find those people? Al says she’ll answer all of their questions; let her film them doing what they do. Alicia says, deal. They can turn off this horn any time now.

Alicia gets the zombies’ attention, and picks them off, while Al shoots at the others. Alicia hooks the van up to the flatbed. She crawls underneath the truck, and out the other side. She gets in the cab. Victor starts up the flatbed, and pulls the van out.

Morgan sees Ennis, who tells Morgan to keep walking; there’s nothing for him there. Morgan says Ennis needs to leave, and Ennis says, or what? Ennis sees Nick, and says, holy sh*t! He didn’t think he’d see Nick. Morgan tells Nick to walk away, and Ennis says he should listen to his friend. It’s been good to see him, but he has to get some pimentos back. Unless Nick wants to give him a hand. Nick looks Morgan in the eye, and asks if he’s going to do what it takes to stop him. Morgan steps back, and Nick says, didn’t think so.

Nick tells Madison that Charlie saw everything, but didn’t do anything. He would have been trying to do the right thing, but she did the worst thing. Being out there makes him feel more trapped, like who he’ll be is closing in on him and suffocating him.

Nick jumps Ennis.

Morgan walks away, and keeps going.

Nick and Ennis fight. Ennis cracks Nick in the head with a jar of pimentos.

Morgan is like, dammit, and turns around.

Ennis has a knife a millimeter away from Nick’s eyeball. A deer head has fallen down during their scuffle, and Nick pushes Ennis back onto the antlers, where he’s impaled. That’s not good enough, so Nick pushes on him, until he’s finished. Great. A zombie with a deer head attached to it. Just what everyone needs.

John looks at a downed zombie, and says looks like a stick-based trauma. He asks Luci why Nick was worried she wouldn’t come back, and she says one time she didn’t. Al comes by in the truck. John asks if Luci left because she didn’t love Nick. She says she left, but still loved him.

Morgan finds Nick, his hands drenched in blood. Nick asks what he wants. Morgan says it was his wife, his son, and his friends. That’s who he lost before he lost himself. He knows where Nick is; he was there. He didn’t know how to make it stop, or if he wanted it to. He didn’t think he could find his way out. Then he met someone; a man who didn’t have to help him, but did. The man showed him all life is precious, and it helped; It still dos. Nick asks, how exactly? Morgan takes out the book, and says the books is part of it. Nick says, too late, and Morgan says, believe me, it’s not. He puts the book into Nick’s bloodied hands. He says they can talk about it; talk about anything. Nick takes the book.

Sitting on some steps, Nick reads. Al comes with the others in the truck. Al checks through her tapes. She puts one on top that says, The Bog, along with the dates it was filmed.

Nick puts the book in his pocket, and takes out the bluebonnet. He contemplates it.

Madison drives while Nick navigates. She stops by a field of bluebonnets. Nick lies down in the middle of them.

Nick hears a gunshot. He puts his hand on his chest, and realizes he’s been shot. Charlie stands in front of him with a gun. She backs away, and he falls. Luci and Alicia find him. Charlie disappears. Victor tries to stop the bleeding. Alicia tells him to look at her; it’s going to be fine. That’s highly doubtful, since blood is pouring out of his mouth and he’s gasping for air. Nick tries to talk, but he’s never going to talk again. He’s dead. Victor looks at Luci. Morgan is like, damn, I want my book back. Alicia wails over Nick’s body. Luci cries silently, and Victor holds her.

Nick lies in the bluebonnet field.

Next time, Al does some interviews, Mel asks if Madison wants a weenie (spoiler: she says she’s good), and we see the amusement park.

💬 Funny aside. On Talking Dead, during Nick’s “obituary,” it said no one told him, never look at the flowers. Two of the episode writers were guests, and said they liked the idea, but if it was a reference to Carol in The Walking Dead, it was subconscious. They did add that was one of their favorite episodes though. You decide…

🍑 Tonight, The Real Housewives of Atlanta had a 10th Anniversary special. It was fun to see all the wigs gone by, and the pulling thereof. Also the many noses of Kim and NeNe. What’s with Kim anyway? Why does she seem human on Don’t Be Tardy, and she’s a raving lunatic on Housewives? And was she a cast member without a peach this season? That was confusing. Kim is confusing. And why does she want to look like she’s fifty when she’s barely past thirty? So many questions I will never have answered.

⚓ I’m almost caught up with The Terror, having watched a marathon today. My town had a marathon today too, which bounced me out of bed at the crack of dawn, with the base from a loudspeaker blasting bad music. But that’s another story. The Terror is a cool show – no pun intended. The icy scenery is fabulous though, and makes you feel cold just looking at it. The atmosphere is creepy as hell. Like Ravenous, but on a boat, and without the Civil War and cannibalism. No cannibalism yet anyway. Being out in the middle of frozen nowhere, long before we had radios, is scary enough, but with an unknown entity – they keep saying it’s a bear, but no way it’s a bear – that keeps chopping people in half, it delivers what the title promises. I’m through episode five – I think tomorrow is seven – and in it for the long haul. Or short, or whatever the haul is.

😢 Sigh…

WeekendOver2

WeekendOver3

 

 

 

Apr23

April 22, 2018 – Madison Meets New People, Quite the Hat, Film Talk & More Than One Random Thought

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What I Watched Today

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

 

Fear the Walking Dead

Before

Everyone is sleeping like things are normal; like it used to be. Luci makes coffee for Nick, and everybody gets dressed, and ready for the day. All kinds of activities are going on.

Madison asks a little girl about her family, but she doesn’t want to talk. She asks the girl about some of her favorite things instead. Madison says it takes getting used to, but this is home now. She’ll do what she can to make it happen, but needs help. The girl nods. Madison asks where the girl was coming from, and she points. Madison looks out to see zombies wandering around outside the baseball stadium they call home.

Over a loudspeaker, we hear it’s been 365 days. Victor says they’re celebrating, and pours maple syrup over everyone’s breakfast. Madison hammers away at something, and Alicia brings her some food. She tells Madison that they’re leaving in twenty minutes.

The girl talks to Nick about a story that sounds like Faust; a guy selling his soul to the devil. The turnip crop isn’t doing so great, and the girl, whose name is Charlie, asks about food running out. Nick says they’re almost growing enough not to need scavenging.

Madison tells the others where she thinks Charlie is from, but it’s outside the range. Madison says they have to look for her family anyway.

The group gets ready to leave. Nick asks Luci to find Charlie a new book. If she’s reading Faust, hopefully Luci understands to bring back something at a higher reading level than My Little Pony. Luci says Nick should come, but he has a turnip situation. He asks her to make sure Madison comes back this time. Luci tells Madison that Nick has to come out at some point. Madison says he needs to feel safe right now, but he will. Nick finds out it’s weevils causing the crops to fail, and radios the car. They get out of range before he can finish the conversation.

Madison parks, and tells them eyes open, stay close, keep talking. Victor and Luci go through a building that’s been picked clean; even the lightbulbs are gone. Alicia and Madison find a mess and a burned-out car. Madison says it’s lucky Charlie got out alive. Victor realizes the place isn’t just void of survivors, but also the dead. It’s a ghost town without ghosts. (I said that, not him.) Madison sees half-eaten food, and tells Victor that they’ll be there in a minute.

Luci says Madison won’t stop until she looks under every rock. Victor says she wouldn’t stop until she found him. He still hasn’t asked why she helped him after what he did. Luci suggests he does.

Charlie messes with the radio, and Nick tells her it’s okay, they haven’t been gone that long. Charlie knows it’s not a regular run. Nick says if her family is out there, they’ll find them. He asks if she’ll help with the turnips. What is it with turnips? They grow them on The Walking Dead too. Considering my gardening skills lean more toward enthusiasm than actual talent, maybe I should try growing them.

Madison and Alicia look around, but there’s nothing. A woman comes up behind Madison with a gun, and asks for her keys. Madison tells her that she doesn’t have to do this, but the woman keeps a bead on her. Madison signals Victor on the radio. He says, sh*t! and takes off. Madison tells the woman about the settlement. She says they have strong walls, plenty of food, and good people. She says they took in a little girl named Charlie, and asks if the woman knows her, but she says she doesn’t have a kid, and tells Madison to stop. She takes the keys from Madison’s pouch, but runs up against Alicia, with Victor and Luci now behind her. The woman dashes past them. Madison follows.

The woman runs up some steps leading to an oil tank. Alicia asks her to put the gun down, and puts her own down. Alicia tells her to trust them; they’ll give her the car. The woman backs up, and falls into the tank. Lots of falling through roofs going around. It’s dark, and full of oily water. Zombies pop up everywhere. Madison tells Victor to get the hatch open, and jumps down. Victor and Alicia struggle to get it open, but finally do, and oil, water, and zombies flow out. They kill the zombies, and Alicia gets Madison out.

Luci finds a copy of The Little Prince. Well, it’s no Dostoevsky, but better than My Little Pony. Victor wonders why they’re bothering, and Madison says, no one is gone until they’re gone. The woman introduces herself as Naomie. She says she’s sorry; she wasn’t going to hurt her. Madison asks if she has any idea who let the zombies into the tank, but she just got there. Madison asks where she’s from, and Naomie says it’s been a long time since she’s been from anywhere. We hear zombie noises, and Luci says they should leave – now.

Nick burns the turnip crop. A zombie sticks its dead fingers through the fence. Suddenly, music is playing, then fades. Nick wonders if it’s a signal, and he and the others wait to hear it again. There’s just silence, and Nick asks Charlie to open the gate. He gets in a car, takes a deep breath, and rolls out.

Nick remembers being behind a fence, and blowing up the reservoir. Zombies grapple at the car, and Nick runs into something, hitting his head on the dashboard. A sniper from the settlement shoots at the zombies, and radios him to get back. He gets out, and starts walking toward the gate. A zombie starts to come up on him from behind, and in perfect timing, Madison returns and creams it with her car. Luci asks what happened, and Nick says he was out for a stroll. She tells him get in.

Madison wants to talk to Charlie. Charlie says it’s okay; she knows Madison didn’t find them. Madison  tells Charlie that she has to ask another question; not an easy one. What happened at the camp? Who did that? Charlie says nothing, and Madison says they’ll talk later.

Nick gets his wounds dressed by Naomie, who was a nurse, at the ER, then the ICU. Madison doesn’t think it was a surprise to Charlie that they didn’t find her family. Nick leaves, and Naomie says Madison didn’t tell her it was a baseball stadium. Madison says Naomie didn’t believe she had a camp. Naomie asks how many, and Madison says forty-seven; forty-eight if she decides to stay. Naomie says she pulled a gun, but Madison says they’ve all done worse. She thought she’d lost her kids, but found them and found this place. They built it up together. They are who they are because of it. Naomie says they don’t know her. Madison says she doesn’t know them. They’re both taking a chance. She suggests Naomie take a shower, and Naomie is astounded they have one – with hot water.

Victor pushes the car Nick was driving, while another guy steers. Luci radios them to get inside now; ditch the car. They look behind them, where there’s a convoy of large vehicles driving in. They run in, and lock the gate. This doesn’t look good.

A dude rides around on a bicycle, music coming from the boombox on the handlebars. Another guy opens a boxcar, and takes out a ramp. Biking dude leads the zombies up the ramp, and goes out the other side, while the ramp guy locks the zombies in. He puts a flag up that says 12. (In last week’s episode, Al found a flag that said 51, and said she’d seen a lot of those.) A third guy gets out a lawn chair, sits in it, and cracks a beer. Everyone watches. Okay, they have me. I have no clue what’s going on, but obviously these numbers mean something.

Madison walks over to guy sitting down, and asks what he’s doing. He says, having a drink. She asks if there’s a problem, and he says, we’re good, and asks if she wants a drink. She says they have people inside with guns, and he says, that’s a helluva welcome. She tells him that she saw the camp, and the tanks. He asks if she thinks they did that, and she says she saw their flag. He tells her that they had to clean up the mess. The people never thought of what would happen if the bleeder valve got jammed. He warned them, but they didn’t listen. Madison asks what he wants. He wants them to listen. They have a mess of their own. He knows they had a bad batch of turnips, and says to tell Nick to check the other crops; weevils are a bitch to get rid of. Madison asks how he knows Nick’s name. He calls out for Chito, and Charlie walks over.

He tells Charlie, sorry he’s late, but he got her some new records. She smiles, and he tells her to get in the bus. He tells Madison that she’s a good kid. They found her a while back; she has a knack for finding good stuff, and they hit the jackpot here. Madison says they’re not taking anything. He tells her people often say that. They don’t take anything from anyone; not anyone alive anyway. He knows they’re good people, and how many guns they have. He says there’s a natural cycle to a place like this, and they’re due for something to go wrong. They can either give them their stuff and live, or join them. Become one of them, or they wait for them to die, trying to make things work. Either way, he ends up with what he wants. It’s not a threat; it’s the way it goes. He tells Madison that his name is Mel, and holds out his hand. She doesn’t reciprocate, and says they’re not going anywhere. Mel says he’s heard that too. She says they’ve been like them, moving from place to place, and they’re not going back to that life; they’ve found a better way. Mel says they just haven’t been tested yet, but they’re about to be. If she changes her mind, they’ll be waiting. I’m wondering where the women are in this merry band.

Nick toils in the fields. Mel and his friends play more music, country this time. The weevils still rule the turnips. Madison continues to hammer. The others put down their guns, and join her. Takeaway point: Country music makes people do carpentry.

Luci goes out to the bus. Charlie watches from the window as she leaves the book outside. Luci goes back, and joins in on the hammering. Nick remembers working on Jeremiah’s house.

Now

Morgan and John are on their knees, with Madison and her group around them. Morgan says, we’re not who you think we are. Nick rifles through Morgan’s knapsack, and Morgan tells him to help himself. Luci says they must be with them, and holds up the numbered flag. Al asks, who? Victor says, the Vultures. Al has no idea what he’s talking about, and says, if you a-holes would put your guns down, we can help each other. Madison asks who put the flag up, and Al asks what is it to them? Alicia tells Al that she’s going to answer their questions. Al says they found it, and Alicia says show them where.

They get into Al’s truck, and move out.

Next time, Morgan and Nick tussle, Alicia fights zombies, and Morgan says it’s not going to work out how they think. And in case you didn’t know, Naomie is being played by Jenna Elfman.

😸 Ha-Ha!

On Talking Dead, when they say goodbye to those we’ve lost this week, they included Nick’s crop, calling them tur-nopes.

🍸 I barely glanced at The Real Housewives of Potomac, but I did see Robyn trying to have some serious words with Ashley about respect. Ashley was wearing a hat – a fascinator no less – the size of Potomac, and I wondered how Robyn could even keep a straight face, much less discuss anything important. This was during a garden party Gizelle had for a book she was writing (via ghostwriter) about pastor’s wives in the Black church, who are called First Ladies. It’s fiction, but loosely based on her own experiences. I’d definitely read that.

🏯 I was watching a mini-marathon of Abandoned episodes on Viceland this morning (I love that show!), and it led to my leaving the TV on when the original 1980 film of The Shining followed. I’ve never thought it was as good as the book, and thought Jack Nicholson seemed crazy from the jump. I would never let him babysit my hotel over the winter. And Shelley Duvall… well, she was Shelley Duvall. The remake (1997) had more of a sporting chance, since it was a mini-series and had more hours to tell the story. Sadly, although I finally got the topiary animals I wanted to see (Stanley Kubrick couldn’t get them to look right on film in the original, so they were scrapped for the maze), it was somewhat tepid, and lacked the intensity of the original Danny (Danny Lloyd) and Dick Halloran (Scatman Crothers). Which brings me to my point. It was pretty much background noise until Scatman was on the screen. While I love looking at the hotel – sometimes the setting can be one of the stars of the film for me – my favorite scene is when Dick connects telepathically with Danny in the pantry, then explains the shining to him. They just seem so real. That it still captivates me after all these years is a testament to their acting skills. SPOILER – if you’re the one person who hasn’t seen this film. That’s what made it even worse that they killed him off, totally changing the end of the story, where he saves the day. I heard there was supposed to be a third time, again for the big screen. Whether that’s the charm or not, remains to be seen.

🎷🚬 The second episode of Southern Charm New Orleans was on tonight. While Charleston is your upscale country cousin, NOLA is your sultry, mysterious maiden aunt, who never ages, but has a portrait upstairs.

🔌 I saw a commercial for Amazon Echo, and it was a father telling Alexa to announce “ready or not” to his kids during a game of hide-and-seek. How lazy can you get????  Unplug now. Save yourself.

🔮 Danny Learns About His Gift…

🌎 Happy Earth Day! 🌍

Apr22

April 21, 2018 – Double the Dead with Catch-up & a Side of Random Thoughts

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What I Watched Today

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

 

I couldn’t do this last week because the wind blew my internet away. But now, I’m all caught up, and if you weren’t, you will be too. Sorry for the different tenses between shows. It just came out that way.

The Walking Dead

Rick wondered how it happened that Carl got bit. Siddiq explained that his mom believed the dead’s souls were trapped. Carl wanted to honor her to gain Siddiq’s trust, and died paying respects to a woman he never knew. Siddiq had a brainfart, and forgot it was dangerous. Which didn’t exactly answer the question.

Ezekiel told Jerry to justify what they’ve lost, be prepared to lose everything. but they weren’t going to lose sh*t. Daryl still thought Dwight could be setting them up. Morgan got weird, thinking that something was happening, and nearly skewered Henry with his pokey stick. Maggie wouldn’t let the stray Saviors come along for the battle. Morgan insisted on coming, even though Rick was skeptical. Morgan said they were worse than they were, and it was wrong for Rick to have given his word, then double-cross the renegade Saviors. They lost everything good, and can’t go back. Morgan wanted to finish it.

Negan told Dwight that he had nothing, and told his guys to load Dwight up. Eugene personally checked and quality controlled all of the ammunition, and Negan tested it on an effigy of Rick. Eugene suggested a one-fell swooper. Negan decided Gabriel should tag along; he had things to confess.

Negan set up a roadblock, using his own people as bait. He told Gabriel that Rick thought he got the real story. Now he’ll find the map with the time and place, and believe it, because he’s going to kill everyone who could have told him otherwise. Sure enough, Rick kills them all, even the last guy begging for his life. Morgan saw Jared in a vision, and he told Morgan that he should try dying sometime. Ezekiel found the map on one of the dead Saviors, and Carol figured they could get to Negan before he knew what happened.

Gabriel was surprised that Negan wanted to kill everyone; he’d thought Negan didn’t want that to happen. Negan told him it wasn’t about want; it never was. Gabriel bounced out of the moving car, but Eugene helped hunt him down. Negan remembered Gabriel saying he didn’t want to die a fruitless death, and told him you can’t always get what you want, while I got a Rolling Stones earworm. He told Eugene to put Gabriel back in the car.

Jesus tried to explain the conundrum of safety to Morgan, and proposed the pokey end of his stick for the dead, and the blunt end for the living. When Rick and company came out into the open, they heard whistling. It looked like the Saviors had Rick’s people outnumbered by about 300%. Negan said he met Rick’s ambush with a bigger one, and to come out and face them. He wanted to make it fun, so he brought some old friends. He told them that Eugene made today possible; the same with Dwight. He told Dwight he was going to watch them die, and live with that. He was going to clean house, starting with Gabriel. He told Rick there never had to be a fight, if he’d just accepted how things are. Negan started to count down, and they looked like the Jun horde from The Beastmaster coming over the top of the mountain.

They joke was on them, because Eugene had quality controlled the bullets to shoot backward, and they shot themselves. Pretty good trick. Rick announced the charge, and there was lots of shooting, but Negan took off. The ex-Saviors Maggie didn’t want there came anyway. A bunch of Saviors who came out of nowhere, nearly nailed the group, but got blown up by the Oceansiders, who’d decided to join in too. The remaining Saviors kneeled in front of Maggie, and said, it’s over.

Rick went after Negan on his own, but ran out of bullets. They kicked each other’s asses for a while, by the tree where Carl is buried. During a break, Negan told Rick he was bullsh*tting with the eenie, meenie, minie, mo business in the beginning. He just didn’t want to kill a kid’s dad in front of him, but if he had, the kid might still be alive. Negan always makes good points. He told Rick he’s bigger, badder, and has a bat. Rick wanted to talk about the future. He told Negan that Carl said there didn’t have to be a fight. Despite looking somewhat weepy, Negan said Carl was wrong, and Rick slit his throat. Surprising the hell out of me, and probably everyone else, although somehow, it seemed anti-climactic and rude.

Everyone was like, whoa, and then, now what? Rick said Negan was still alive, and told Siddiq to save him. Maggie freaked out, saying they had to end it, and it wasn’t over until Negan was dead. Rick said they were all going home. Negan might be alive, but his way of doing things was over. Anyone who couldn’t live with it would pay the price. He said they were going to live in peace and fairness, and find common ground. The world was theirs, but others would come for them unless they stood together. The new world was going to begin, and there had to be something after. Rosita gave props to Eugene for the sabotage, but punched him in the face anyway for the puke.

Morgan gave Carol his pseudo armor for Henry, and walked off. Rick got teary, as Rick is wont to do these days, and said, mercy prevails over the land. He sat where Carl was buried, and cried.

The ex-Saviors decided to go back to the Sanctuary, hoping to get something out of it.  The guy whose name I can never remember told Maggie that he’d been reading the book, and could make some things. He has a passion for building things, and said she gave him his life.

Daryl took Dwight to the woods. Dwight started crying and saying he knew what he did, and knew he’d have to face it and pay. He was ready; it was enough to see Negan taken down. He cried, saying how sorry he was, and Daryl told him to shut up. He tossed Dwight some car keys, and said to keep going. If he saw Dwight again, he’d kill him. As Dwight walked away, Daryl told him to find her. I assumed he meant Sherry.

Gymboree Jadis was reading at the trash heap when Morgan showed up. He told her that Rick said she could come back if she wanted. He explained that Rick wanted to show people that things can change, and needed all the hands he could get. He told her that she didn’t want to be alone, and everything in life worth a damn, is people. She told him her name is Ann, which was kind of a let-down. He told her he needed to be alone, and go back without him, which made perfect sense considering what he’d just said.

Dwight went back home to the cabin in the woods (no, not that one), where he found a note. it just said honeymoon, with an infinity symbol below it.

In Maggie’s office, she told Jesus that he was right. She had no regrets, but he and Rick were right. Rick wasn’t right about Negan though. She said they had to make it thrive for the people who live there. They needed strength, and the ability to defend themselves better, but RIck was wrong; Michonne too. She said they were going to bide their time, wait for the right moment, and then show him. Daryl came out of the shadows, and said, yeah, they will. I don’t like this.

Negan woke up, his neck bandaged, handcuffed to a bed. Michonne said she needed to tell him some things. They planned on making him watch what happens. Rick said it wasn’t about who he killed, but what he did to so many, making them live for him and putting them under the boot. Negan struggled to say, he saves people, and Michonne put her hand on his throat. Rick suggested they could open his stitches for a while. Rick said Carl pitched something better; working together for something bigger than all of them. Michonne added, being an example. They weren’t going to kill or hurt him, but his fate was to rot in a cell for the rest of his life, evidence that they’re making and getting back a civilization like they had. He’ll get to see how wrong he was about what people and life can be. They’ll show people things changed by keeping him breathing. Michonne said after all this, he’s good for something.

Gabriel went to the burned out church and thanked God. He said he understood, and knew now. He’s been given so much, and now he can see.

Rick wrote to Carl. As he wrote, we saw them in the old days, walking down a road. He told Carl that he forgot who he was, and Carl made him remember. He remembered walking with him, and knew who he was for the first time. They were walking side by side, but Carl was bringing him somewhere. To the new world. He made it real. Rick sees it and remembers. Officer Rick and little Carl continued to walk down the road.

Moving right into…

Fear the Walking Dead

Out in the middle of nowhere, a man stands by a truck. He hears something, and asks if anyone is there. He longs to hear someone else’s voice, and suggests they come out and have something to eat. He talks about his life before, and says he can make popcorn. He also has books. He says, since no one is there, before he goes quiet again for another year, he has a story. He talked to a woman who showed up. He let her stay. They had feelings for each other, and one day, they allowed it. He hoped by saying it, he would see it. He did. It was nice, and there hasn’t been a lot of nice. We hear a zombie. The man shoots it, and we see Morgan just behind. The man introduces himself as John Dory, like the fish. He asks Morgan what’s his story?

Morgan is at the trash heap. Jesus knocks at the entrance. He thought they could continue their acquaintance. He insists Morgan cares about people, and tries to get him to come back.

Morgan is alone again. There’s another knock at the entrance, and this time it’s Carol. She asks him to come back. He helped her, so let her help him. She’s not going to tell him what to do, but he belongs with people who care about him.

Again, Morgan is alone. Rick shows up, and says he can hide, but he can’t run. He wouldn’t be alive if not for Morgan. Rick was hurt, and Morgan brought him in. Morgan wasn’t shot, but he’s been hurt. He asks Morgan to come back, and not to waste another second. He’s alive and part of the world. A lot of people are there because he helped them. Morgan says that’s not him anymore. Rick disagrees, saying he’ll end up with people one way or another. He’s part of the world already, so just come back. Rick leaves.

Morgan packs up his stuff, and gets his stick. He takes a long last look at the trash, and moves on down the road. He thinks about Rick’s words, and starts to run. He hotwires a car, and the gas tank is miraculously full. He walks some more. He sees a group of people, and avoids them. He finds another car, and drives again. He goes into a town and sees a cluster of zombies.

He opens a car to find someone who’s sick and shaky. He starts to leave some supplies, but the guy doesn’t want them. Morgan says, sorry. He thought the guy was on his own. The guy says, we all are. Morgan moves along, and it starts to rain.

Morgan comes up behind a zombie in the woods. A shot rings out, the zombie falls, and we’re back to the beginning. John tells Morgan he’d like company, but Morgan is hesitant. John asks if he’s seen a woman with a pistol like his; he’s looking for her. Morgan says he hasn’t, and starts to leave, but John suggests he stay the night; he can take the back of the truck. Morgan sees the wisdom in a good night’s rest. He slips out later while John is snoring.

Morgan finds a tent with a lantern lighting the inside. He sets down his stick and gets whacked in the head. I jump a mile.

Dude tells Morgan, whatever he’s thinking, don’t. Morgan says keep the food, and he’ll go. Dude doesn’t want him telling no one. Morgan says he has no one to tell, and doesn’t want to know anyone. John is suddenly there, and shoots dude in the arm. He says he’s looking out for his friend, and dude says he has friends too. They’re surrounded, and John says now he got himself captured. He’s reminiscent of Eugene in how he speaks.

A big ass truck drives into the tent city, or whatever it is. The woman behind the wheel asks what’s going on, and remarks they have new people. She likes new people. She has a cake and some Cup O’Noodles, the good kind, and she’ll throw in some Pall Malls. Apparently, dude likes Pall Malls. She opens the hatch of the truck to reveal a couple of machine guns. She tells dude, there’s always a choice, and this is an easy one. Morgan and John get in the truck.

The woman’s name is Althea; Al for short. John asks if she’s an officer of the law, and she says, not exactly. She tells them that they owe her. She didn’t save them out of the goodness of her heart. John draws his gun, but she says she just wants to ask them questions. What they’ve seen, who they’ve met, where they’ve been, and where they’re going. She tells them that she’s a journalist, pulls over, and picks up a video camera.

Al interviews John, who talks about Laura. Al asks how they got split up. He says it’s not a happy story, and gets vague. Morgan asks why it matters; there are no news stations anymore. She says he owes her. He tries to give her some food instead, but she only wants his story. He just wants to go. John gives him some clean socks for the road.

Dude comes back with his friends to hassle Al. They want the truck. Dude asks for Morgan’s stick. Morgan slams him with it, and he and john get the better of dude and several of his guys. John gets his gun back. Morgan jumps onto a truck, and John inadvertently lets a bunch of zombies loose. Dude tries to steal Al’s truck, but doesn’t have the keys. Al flings them away, and dude tries to run for them, but a zombie goes after him. Morgan gets shot in the leg by a sniper, who’s been a bad shot up until now. Morgan knocks him around on the roof. The sniper falls off, but hangs onto the ledge, dangling above a gaggle of zombies. Morgan holds out his hand, and pulls him back up. As thanks, the sniper punches Morgan. This is a good example of no good deed going unpunished. They both tumble through the roof. No surprise, Morgan does not help a second time, and gets the hell out. He throws a grenade or something, ducks, and the room blows up. He goes back outside.

John and Morgan shoot and pike zombies. Dude harasses Al for the keys until John finally shoots him, and leaves him for zombie food. Al gets in her truck, opens up the guns, and kills the rest of the zombies. And they all lived happily ever after. Not quite, but they lived.

Al says Morgan still owes her. He tells her to pull over. She films as he talks about Alexandria and the Kingdom. He says there was a big fight, but he left before he left. She asks why he left, but he thinks she should talk. He asks why it’s important, but she doesn’t want to return the favor. She says one real thing, and they’re even. Why did he leave? He tells her that he loses people, then he loses himself. He starts walking down the road again.

Morgan sees the station wagon the sick guy was in, and sees someone walking in the distance. He follows them, but some zombies, feeding by the side of the road, decide to follow Morgan. Since his leg was injured in the fight, he can’t go too fast, and he falls. They’re on him, but John appears once again, and pikes them in the heads.

Morgan needs to know who it is walking up the road. I guess he’s hoping the guy made it, but that’s a no, and he ends up spearing now-zombie guy in the head with his stick. He says he’ll travel with them until his leg heals, and no asking questions. Al says she’s not going to stop, and he says, no answers then. John says she’s taking him to look for Laura in exchange for more story.

Al sees someone in the middle of the road. Both Morgan and John inform her that they don’t kill. She tells them it’s a great moment to share that information. It’s a girl, hunched over. Al asks if she’s injured, and tells Morgan to get the first aid kit. The girl says there are bad people there, then grabs Al in a headlock. It’s Alicia. Victor, Madison, ♫ and the rest ♫, come out from the forest. Al asks what Alicia’s story is.

And there we have it. Until tomorrow night.

🔎 An Observation…

Andrew Lincoln always looks like a businessman on an interview when he’s a guest on Talking Dead.

🎬 Another Thing I Watched…

Mourning Son is a 2015 documentary about the murder of Dave Navarro’s mother, and how it’s affected him throughout his life. It’s also a glimpse into what an incredible artist he is. I had no idea about his background, but always thought he was a very honest and kind man. When Bill Maher was hosting Politically Incorrect – before he fully turned into a mean curmudgeon, and was just working on it – I saw Dave put him in his place when he was talking out of his ass. I’ve admired him ever since. Even more so after seeing this excellent film.

🎆 Right now, I’m (finally) watching Girl’s Trip, and between this and Star, can confirm that Queen Latifah wears more fabulous wigs than the entire cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta put together.

🛀 Enjoy the Remaining Weekend Like…

Minions