Tag Archives: Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Apr5

April 4, 2021 – Here’s Negan (the moment you’ve been waiting for) & Amazing Mahalia

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

In a voiceover, Negan says he had a deal with Carol. She said if he did this for her, he would be thought of differently. So he disappeared, and wore a flesh mask. It was sick as all hell, but he gained Alpha’s trust. He found a way to steal her kid, and brought Alpha’s head back. He helped take out Beta and the horde, but nothing changed the way Maggie sees him. He understands; he really does. Some things can’t be forgotten.

Maggie walks with her son Hershel through Alexandria, and they chat. She asks if he remembers the song they used to sing, and he sings You Are My Sunshine. Negan looks at them, but Maggie ignores him, saying good morning to the woman working alongside him. Carol watches from the window.

Negan sees Carol in the woods, carrying a dead rabbit she’s trapped. He walks with her, and thanks her for getting him the hell out of Dodge. Things with Maggie are tense. He doesn’t mind lay low Negan, but there’s only so far he can go to get out of her way. He’s thinking maybe Carol could put in a word for him. At least get the ball rolling. Given their recent history, he figures she owes him that much. He follows her to a cabin outside of the town, and he asks if she knows this place. She says, mm-hmm, and goes inside. He says he sees he’s moved in, and she says, Daryl helped. The council voted to banish him. What he wants isn’t going to happen, and she knows it’s not what she promised, but given their less recent history, it’s better than he deserves. He says, it is what it is. If she doesn’t mind him asking, is it that the council banished him, or is it more like Carol is seizing the reins? She smiles, and says the rabbit is for him.

Negan looks into the fire, and has a drink. He hears, little pig, little pig, let me in, and sees himself sitting in a chair with his bat Lucille. He turns away, but illusion Negan says, it’s all right. He knows Negan can hear him loud and clear. Nobody likes to hear an I told you so. He must be a bit masochistic. The sad part isn’t that he ended up there. Face it. It could be a helluva lot worse. The sad part is, he thought for a second those folks would see him for anything except who he truly is… which is me. He’s a clown, a cultive personality with no cult. Negan can call him names, but he wants Negan to admit that he got further with a kind word and Lucille than just a kind word. It’s time to face the facts, old man. He’s nothing without her. Negan smashes the glass against the now empty chair.

We see the tree where the stained glass panels hang, looking a little worse for the wear. Negan remembers telling Rick that Carl said they didn’t have to be fighting, and Rick beating him down near the tree. He flashes back to being in his cell, telling Michonne that he needs to see her, and Michonne saying they don’t have his bat. He’s brought a shovel with him, and starts digging near the tree. He sees a zombie in the distance, shakes his head, and keeps digging. He digs in another spot, and another, and pretty soon, the area is full of holes. The zombie is closer, and he digs some more. He finally hits something, and scrapes away the dirt. He smiles, and pulls out Lucille, turning the bat in his hands.

Twelve years earlier. Craven from the Valaks Vipers biker gang walks over to a guy tied to a chair wearing a hood. Craven removes the hood, and the man is a younger Negan. Negan says Craven has to let him go. His wife has cancer and needs that. Craven  takes an IV bag out of a cooler filled with the medicine, and takes a bag out. Negan says, keeping him here, kills him and her, and Craven says he knows; Negan told him. His heart goes out to Negan. He can’t imagine what Negan is going through, just wondering if she’s ever going to get her treatment. He handles the bag, and says they drove out to where Negan told them the doctors gave him the stuff, but they weren’t there. Negan says it’s not his fault. He told them, the doctors move around, but Craven says, they were never there. It was so overgrown, they couldn’t get the pick-up down the road. He can’t get this stuff just anywhere; somebody took care of this for a long time, and probably has a lot of other stuff too. Tell him where he got it, and Negan can take it to his wife. Otherwise, he’ll pour it in the toilet, and make Negan watch. He punches Negan in the mouth, and Negan says, please put it back in the cooler. He’ll tell Craven what he wants to know; please keep it safe. He tells Craven, the medical part is true, and Craven says, they have a facility, right? and Negan says, they have a stockpile. Craven asks where they keep the drugs, and Negan says he doesn’t know where the stuff came from, but he’d been tracking them for weeks. He found them…

Two or three days ago. Negan hides behind a tree in the woods, holding a gun. He takes a quick look at a couple of trailers, then jumps out. He startles a man outside, and sees another one on the roof of a trailer. He says he doesn’t want to shoot, but he will, and the man says, take it easy. Negan’s vision is getting blurry, and the man says, don’t! A woman hits Negan over the head, knocking him out, and the man says she didn’t have to do that. (FYI, it’s Laura who will become one of the Saviors later.)

Negan is handcuffed to a chair inside the trailer. He tells the man that his name is Negan, and the man says he’s Franklin. Franklin takes out a key, and asks if they’re going to have any problems. Negan says, no sir, no problems, and Franklin uncuffs him. He gives Negan some pasta, and Negan wolfs it down. Franklin says, Negan is exhausted, add malnutrition, and no wonder a guy like him is in the state he’s in. He’s trying to rob a bunch of doctors with an empty belly. Negan says his wife has cancer. She was under treatment when the world went to sh*t. They’ve been trying to keep it going. Franklin asks if Negan is a doctor, and Negan says he’s a high school gym teacher. Franklin asks what he means by keep it going, and Negan says the doctor gave him a calendar of what was needed when. All he had to do was find it, and figured out how to do infusions. Franklin says, a doctor taught Negan how to give chemo? and Negan says, it’s not complicated, unless something goes wrong. Franklin asks if something went wrong, and Negan says, yeah, you could say that.   

Six weeks earlier. Negan goes to the refrigerator, and takes out a bag. His wife Lucille digs in a box, and says she’s trying to figure out what James Bond movie to watch. He tells her, the generator makes too much noise, and we hear a zombie outside. She says he’ll have to kill it, but he says if he turns the generator off, they lose interest; they always do. He puts two IV bags in the freezer, along with a thermometer. He goes outside to turn on the generator, but sees a zombie clamoring at the fence.

Back in the house, Negan reads out loud from Pride and Prejudice, and tells Lucille, this book sucks; he can’t do it. She says he won’t let her watch James Bond, so read. We hear the zombie again, and she says he’s got to take care of it. Outside, the zombie bangs on the house, and Negan comes up behind it, but as soon as it sees him, it grabs him. He swings a hammer at it, but it gets the better of him, and pins him against the house, snapping at him. He stabs it in the eye, but the knife doesn’t go deep enough to even slow it down. He says, seriously? and a shot rings out, the zombie slumping to the ground. Lucille stands there holding a gun, and still attached to her IV. He asks if she’s all right, and she tells him, turn the generator on so she can watch a movie. She goes back inside.

Negan tries to syphon gas out of a car, but gets nothing. He goes inside the car, and looks around. He finds a pouch, looks in it, and smiles.

Negan asks his wife how she’s doing, and she says, good. He says he’s got something for her. He found a stash. It’s a little dried out, but it will help with her nausea. She says he has to go out further every time, and he says, they need gas, and the place has been picked over. That’s what’s keeping them safe; there’s nothing there anyone wants. She wonders about reaching out to other people, but he says, it’s too dangerous out there. She says, that’s her point, and he says, they have three treatments left. That’s it. When they get her strength up, he’ll strap her to his motorcycle, and they’ll go wherever she wants; wherever she dreams up. He promises.

They lie in bed, and Negan sings You Are So Beautiful to her. We see them goofing around in wigs, and him giving her treatments. A zombie makes noise outside, and Negan says, dammit. She says, it’s not like killing a person. It’s kind of like killing an animal; don’t let it bother him. He says, it doesn’t. He’s just worried he’ll get used to it. She says, okay, then turn the generator on. He continues to eat, and asks, how’s her dinner? She says, really good. If she’d known dog food could taste like this, she would have been eating that sh*t all along. He laughs, and she tells him, happy anniversary, handing him a gift bag. He asks if she actually knows what day it is, and she says, no, but they had one coming up. He takes out a leather jacket, and says, holy sh*t. Where did she get this? She says, it was in the crawlspace the whole time. She was so mad that she couldn’t return it, she hid it. She’s sorry. If she’d known all this was going to happen, she wouldn’t have cared about the stupid credit card. He says he knows, but he doesn’t deserve anything from her. She shouldn’t be apologizing to him. He should be apologizing to her, for the man he was, and the pain he put her through… He lies awake at night wondering how he got so lucky she stuck with him. She laughs, and sits on his lap. She says she stuck with him because she’s always seen the man he is now, even when he wasn’t. And that a-hole really had it coming. He says, yes ma’am, and she suggests they go to bed. He says, no, and she asks if he has to go to work tomorrow. He asks if she’s sure she’s okay, and she kisses him.

They lie in each other’s arms, and Negan wakes to the sound of dripping. He jumps out of bed, and says, no! He runs to the refrigerator, and opens the freezer. Water pours out, and he looks at the thermometer, which is in the Fahrenheit 40s.

He looks at a map, and asks if she remembers a guy and his family who came through. Their kid had leukemia, and they were looking for a group of doctors who travel around. He showed Negan his map, and said they travel the same route, and make the same stops every time. He thinks he knows where they are. If he leaves now, he could catch them. She says, they could be dead, and even if he finds them, he has nothing to barter with. He starts to argue, and she says, stop. She has something to tell him.

Seven months earlier. Normal life is still happening. Negan is playing video games, and says, don’t be a p*ssy. You’ve got to take it. Lucille comes in, and asks if he’s playing with children, and he says they’re mostly over ten. She looks at the credit card bill, and says please don’t tell her that he spent $600 on this Happy Days bullsh*t. He says he’s got two leads, one of which is going to pay a lot. He’s celebrating early. She says he’s telling her about leads, but he can’t be a gym teacher anymore. He’s being charged with misdemeanor assault, and he refuses to go back to school. Tell her all about the job that’s going to pay for his legal bills. He doesn’t say anything, and she says she’s returning the jacket. He says he threw the receipt away.

We see Lucille on the phone with a friend, who says talks about it being cute when he was younger, but not now. Lucille says, it feels wrong to give up on him. He wasn’t in a good space. He loved his job and the kids. The friend says he put someone in the hospital, and Lucille says, that a-hole had it coming.

Negan and Lucille have dinner in silence. He asks how the food is, and she says, good. Did he do something different? He says he used rosemary instead of oregano, and a white wine reduction for the chicken sauce. She tells him that she has a 2:15 appointment tomorrow, and he asks, what appointment? She says she’s getting an MRI, and needs him to drive her home. He says he can’t tomorrow. He has a meeting with his probation officer. She’ll probably have to sit for three hours for them to tell her everything is fine anyway.

Lucille sits in the waiting room, and thinks about hearing, if it’s caught early on. She stares into space, and the doctor asks if she has someone to drive her home.

She gets in her car, and calls Negan, but gets voicemail. She tries calling her friend Janine, and the call also goes to voicemail. She calls the probation officer, and says, he should be there. He said his appointment was at 3; he should have been there 20 minutes ago. The parole officer says, sorry. He doesn’t know what to tell her. He’s not on the calendar for another two weeks. She cries quietly, and looks at her phone, she sees the call to Negan and Janine both went to voicemail at the same time, and realizes they’re seeing one another. She slams phone down, and pulls out, blasting rock and roll. I think AC/DC.

Lucille sits at home with a gun by her side. Negan comes in, and asks, what’s going on? What is it? Her hand moves slightly on the gun, but she throws cancer treatment pamphlets on to the table instead. She says she’s got cancer.

Back to where we were before, and Negan says, she knew about them the whole time? Just so she knows, he broke up with her as soon as they got the diagnosis. He never saw or talked to her again. He cries, and she says she knows. He says he doesn’t understand why she’s telling him now, and she says she wants him to know he made up for it. If he really wants to help her, just stay. He says they’re so close. It can work; the doctors said it could work. She says, no, they didn’t. Now it’s time for him to go on without her. Live life for her. Stay. He says, no. They’re not giving up. They’ve made it this far, and they’re going to see it through. He’s going to find the doctors, and they’re going to kick the cancer out of her. They’re not giving up. Not ever. She kisses him, and I’m feeling very sad.

About six weeks ago. Negan tells Franklin, he scavenged along the way, but it was worse than they thought. Then they had a problem with the dead, and here he is. Franklin says he sent his daughter Laura to the warehouse to see if they have what he needs. Laura comes in with a cooler, and says they had it all. Negan tells them, he doesn’t know what to say, and Franklin says they have a lot, and just want to help.

Outside, Negan says he came threatening their lives, and they patched him up, and gave him the first decent meal he’s had in weeks. They gave him everything he asked for, and haven’t asked for anything in return. Franklin says, what goes around, comes around, and Laura asks if the gun is Negan’s only weapon. He says he broke his knife on the way there, and she says, take this, handing him the bat. He says, the bat she hit him with? Damn, that girl packs a wallop.  

Craven tells Negan, enough. Tell him where he got the drugs. All Negan has done is told one stupid pointless story after another. First, he wouldn’t talk, now he’s begging Negan to shut up. Storytime is over. Tell him where he got the drugs, or he’s going to pull the trigger. Then Negan’s wife dies, and she’ll think he ran out on her. If Negan doesn’t start talking, he swears to God… Negan says bring him his map. Another man unties Negan’s hands, and he circles a spot on the map. Craven asks, what about security? and Negan says, it’s light. It’s just a guy and his daughter. The guards on top of the RVs are decoys, and there could be a couple of others, but they have no guns. Craven says, if they’re not there for literally any reason, he’ll come back and kill Negan, no questions asked. He tells the other guy to keep Negan locked in the storage room.  

Negan is told he’s good to go. He grabs the cooler, and runs outside to his bike. I feel sick. The trailer is in the parking lot, and Negan hears Laura saying, no! Stop! He gets on his bike, and rides out, taking one last look. There’s a scream from the trailer.

Negan arrive back home, and calls for Lucille. He heads for the bedroom, but the door is closed, and written on it is, please don’t leave me like this, with a heart. He opens the door, and hears zombie noises. He looks at the bed and cries. Lucille has restrained herself, and there’s a plastic bag tied on her head. She makes zombie gurgles, and reaches her free hand toward him. He takes out the bat. He’s obviously in anguish, but she’s nothing but a monster now. He comes closer, and we hear Joe Cocker singing You Are So Beautiful. Negan rips the bag from Lucille’s head, and cries some more, getting as close as possible.

He sits against the bed, and she reaches for him, still chained down. He rolls a bottle of scotch around in his hands, and looks at the cooler.

Outside, Negan cuts barbed wire from the fence, and wraps it around the bat.

He pours gasoline all over the house, stands in the bedroom, and lights a match. He drops it, and the room begins to burn. He looks at Lucille through the flames.

He busts out the front door with the bat, and leaves the house. He drives away on his bike, knocking the mailbox (which says Smith) down with the bat as he goes by.

The house burns.

Craven pummels Franklin, and laughs. He says, it’s been a long day; he didn’t get much sleep. This is the last time he’s going to ask. Tell him where they keep the good stuff or he’ll bring out the girl. She’s a little young for Franklin, doesn’t he think?

The other guy sits outside, and Negan comes back with his bat, and bashes the guy with it. A guard comes out of the trailer, and Negan shoots him.

Hearing the shot, Craven asks, what the hell is going on? Another guy says he’s checking it out, and Franklin works at the same screw in the chair that Negan did when he was in it. At the time, I thought it insignificant, since nothing came of it. I should have known better. There are more gunshots, and Craven ducks. He gets on his radio, and asks, will one of you idiots tell me what the hell is going on? He hears shots come closer, and looks scared. Franklin unties himself, while Craven is preoccupied with aiming at the door. Franklin gets free as Negan walk in and shoots Craven. Craven crawls for the gun, and Negan whacks him with the new Lucille. Franklin asks if there are any more of them, but Negan says he got all of them. Franklin says, damn, and Negan hands him a gun, telling him to take it and find his daughter; make sure she’s okay. Franklin leaves, and Negan pulls Craven up to his knees.

Negan sits and says, look at us; here we are again. Last time, Craven said he talks too much. The bad news is, he’s got stuff to get off his chest this time as well. This time, Craven best hope he never stops talking. When he does, something terrible is going to happen to Craven. He never killed a man before tonight. He came close once. There was a bar that he and his wife used to go to; it was their favorite bar. It was their favorite because it had their favorite jukebox that played their favorite song; You Are So Beautiful, by the one and only Joe Cocker. The greatest love ballad ever written; he’s sure Craven agrees. There was this guy there who had one of those voices you can’t unhear; it was like Negan’s brain had been hijacked until he couldn’t hear anymore. Their song was playing, and the guy was talking and laughing, so Negan’s wife Lucille goes over to where the guy is, and politely asks him to keep it down so she can hear her song. Let’s just say he chose poorly. So now, Negan has to get up, and go over. He says the guy owes him 50 cents, so they can play the song again, and he can shut the hell up so Negan’s wife can enjoy her song. Now here’s the important part – the part where he really wants Craven to pay attention. You know when people say they’re so angry, they see red? That sh*t is actually true. The a-hole comes at him, and all he sees is red; it’s like he’s looking through blood. He wailed on the guy until he wasn’t moving, reached out, grabbed his wallet, and took out a dollar. They played the song twice. It turns out, the pr*ck had kids who went to school where Negan taught gym. Needless to say, the school was unthrilled. He got fired, the guy sued him, and since he had no job, his wife had to pay the guy’s medical bills. The point of the story is, there are consequences to him seeing red. Seeing red meant bad things then; he was a bad man then. Now, nobody is suing anybody, nobody got fired, and nobody’s keeping score. Now seeing red is a question of what Negan is capable of. He hates to break it to Craven, but he’s starting to think he’s capable of damn near anything. So this is for not killing him. He beats Craven with new Lucille.

In the present, the zombie has finally reached Negan, and he whacks it twice. He looks at looks at the bat, breathing heavy.

Negan is back in the cabin, sitting in front of the fireplace, holding the bat. He says he’s sorry. He was a coward. He couldn’t face the pain he was in. He ran away, and made himself not feel anything. He didn’t want to feel shame; shame was the one thing he still felt. He’s sorry she went out like that; he should have been there. He’s sorry he named the baseball bat after her, and sorry for the pain he put her through. He hopes she found someone in the afterlife, and is screwing her brains out… Not really, but fair is fair. He misses her. He loved the sh*t out of her, and he’s going to do her fighting for her. He puts a cloth over the bat, and puts it in the fireplace. He watches it burn.

Negan walks back into town. Carol and Maggie see him, and Carol walks over to him. He asks where the A-team is off to, and she says, an Army base. If they find anything, they’ll bring something back to his cabin. He says, that won’t be necessary. The situation isn’t going to work out. Carol says, if Negan stays, Maggie will kill him. Carol didn’t want his death on her conscience; now it’s not. He says, fair enough. He keeps walking, and looks at Maggie as he goes by. He smiles, but with Maggie, it’s more like, if looks could kill…

This was the finale, and Fear the Walking Dead starts its new season next week.

This had to be the saddest episode ever.

💐 Happy Easter…

Hope you enjoyed whatever it is you enjoy on Easter Sunday, or if Easter is not your celebration, enjoyed whatever you enjoy on any Sunday. See you tomorrow for Sailing, and until then, stay safe, stay seeking wisdom, and stay not judging those who carry baseball bats covered in barbed wire. You might not know their whole story. Although then again, you might want to non-judgmentally run.

Mar29

March 28, 2021 – Carol Needs To Fix Something, What’s To Come, Behind the Scenes, Psychic Dive & Visualizer

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

In a voiceover, Carol tells us that she didn’t plan on surviving. She was going die with the horde, but her family pulled her back; they always do. The Whisperers destroyed Hilltop, and she had to tell Maggie that she’d sent Negan to be part of them. They’re working tirelessly to rebuild in Alexandria, but the Whisperers destroyed their crops. The return of Maggie, along with more people, meant more mouths to feed, and she and Daryl found that the horde had killed everything worth hunting. Every tough decision Carol made was to protect them, and she’ll do whatever it takes. She’ll do what she can to make things right.

Carol walks with Daryl and Dog on a path through the woods, Daryl gives Carol a knife to open her canteen (I find out later on Talking Dead that it’s Leah’s knife), and they share some water with Dog. Carol says she wishes they had more to show for their trip. All the new mouths to feed… He says she’ll make it work. She always does. She says, he’s not coming back? and he says he’s staying a while longer. He asks if she wants a ride; his bike isn’t far. As they walk, he says, hey… and she says he doesn’t have to apologize. He tells her that he was just going to say good luck. She says, good luck to him too. They walk in opposite directions, and Dog is conflicted, but goes with Carol. Daryl says, fine.

Daryl pushes his bike out of woods, and starts it up. He drives off.

Carol returns to Alexandria with Dog. Dog pokes at a ratty scarf on the ground, and Carol picks it up and keeps walking. She goes into where she and Daryl stay, and gives Dog a bowl of water. Funny, I see Dog drink a lot of water, but never see him pee. She tells Dog, for the record, she didn’t need an apology from Daryl. She knows what he said – an apology is just a truce. It doesn’t fix anything. She pets Dog.

Carol walks through town, and sees Jerry. She says she was thinking of working on the north gate post, and if that works out, she’ll clean the dead fish from the fishery, but Jerry says Rosita already has a crew fixing the gate post, and the fishery has been cleared out. She says, it doesn’t smell like it, and he says it’s being used for fertilizer. He asks how the trip was, and she says, good. He asks if she need help, but she says, no. She has to figure something out. He asks what she’s got in her hand, and she says she found it in the street. Somebody must have dropped it during the evacuation, and she thought she’d mend it. She just wants to fix something. Tell her how she can help; anything at all. He says he’s thinking, and his stomach rumbles. He says, food is important to thinking. She says she’s sure she can whip up something from what she found, and he tells her, a bunch of people are crashing in Michonne’s kitchen, and the solar panels are messed up; Whisperers probably. They also had to throw out a bunch of grain. Carol asks, why? and he says, rats. She says, anything else? and he asks what she’s going to make. She says she doesn’t know; maybe soup. She’s got a couple of fish, nuts, and mushrooms. She’ll make it work. He says she always does, and she asks if he ever heard the story of Stone Soup. They used to read it in school. (I actually remember having that book as a kid.) A stranger came to a village, and had nothing to trade but rocks. He convinced the people that he could make stone soup. Then he told one person that he needed to borrow some salt, and another, a little bit of onion. A little bit of this, and a little bit of that from everyone in the village, until there was real soup, and everyone was happy. Jerry says, it doesn’t sound very tasty. Maybe Ezekiel and the others will bring help soon, and she won’t have to make soup out of rocks. She says she hopes so.  

Daryl is riding along the path, and his bike stops. He checks something, takes up his crossbow, and begins to walk.

Carol checks out the pantry/garage, and finds a few things. She cuts some mushrooms, and chops up some fish. She puts some salt in the pot, and throws some over her shoulder. She hears Dog growling, and runs into the living room where Dog is attacking a blanket. She says, hey, and he grabs the scarf. She picks up a book that belongs to Daryl, The Golden Age of Piracy, and says Dog is being a bad dog. He knocks over a lamp, and she tells him, back off. Take it easy. She rights the lamp, and sees the cord has been chewed. She looks down and sees rat droppings. And tells Dog, it’s okay. It’s a rat, She hears it too. Dog takes off through the house, and knocks the pot over in the pantry. She says, bad dog. Go. She tells Dog not to look at her like that. This is serious. They need that food. Go. Dog goes back in the living room, and Carol closes the door. She looks at the spilled ingredients, and says, dammit. She devises a trap, and sets it on the floor, saying, see you later, a-hole, and leaves.

Jerry sees Carol, and asks how the soup is coming. She says, great. She needs a couple more ingredients, and she’s going to see what she can rustle up. He tells her, rustle up some stones too, and she laughs. She walks around a field, gathering some greens. A zombie toddles along, and more come out of the woods. She asks if they think she can’t take them herself. She says, first, you, and stabs the loner in the head. She points to the others, and says, then you, you, and you, and you.

We hear zombie noises, and the sounds of zombies being whacked in the head. We see the wildflowers in the forefront, while Carol dispatches zombies in the background. Carol picks up her greens, and continues on.

Daryl walks through the woods on the path. He sees an abandoned car, opens the hood, and pulls something out. How convenient! He sees a truck, and goes underneath, taking something else. It’s like a mini graveyard of cars, and he sees another with a decrepit zombie inside. He opens the hood, but can’t find what he needs. He puts down his stuff, and slides under the car. I say, don’t do that, but he doesn’t listen. The zombie moves to the backseat, and the car moves, nearly squashing Daryl. He tells it, stop moving, and the car rocks as the zombie scrambles to the front. Daryl grabs some wires, and slides back out. He bangs on the window, picks up his stuff, and says, thanks, buddy.

Jerry sees Carol coming back with blood on her, and asks, what the hell happened? She says, nothing, and tells him that she got some greens for tasty nutrition. He asks if she’s sure she’s okay, and she says, yeah. Back to it. She returns to her place, and dumps out the greens. She checks the trap, but nothing yet.

Daryl goes back to his bike. The music is tense, so I wonder what’s going to happen. He checks his pockets, and remembers handing Carol his pocketknife. He takes out a bigger knife, and screws around with something on the bike. He walks the bike out onto the road.

Carol rights a solar panel, and strips the ends of the wires. Jerry comes by with a wheelbarrow, and asks if she’s got it. She says she’s good, and he says, let him know if she needs anything. He keeps walking, and she says, sure will. Then she single-handedly fixes the solar panel. On his way back, Jerry sees the panel, and just looks at her. She goes back in, and tries the light switch. The light comes on.

Daryl continues to walk alongside his bike, and pushes it up a hill. He comes to railroad tracks, and sees some zombies in the distance. He takes out binoculars, and checks them out, seeing one wearing military camo. He puts his backpack on the bike, takes up his crossbow, and walks toward the zombies.

Daryl gets his bow ready, and walks toward the zombies. He steps on a twig that cracks, and it captures their attention. He walks faster past them, and they follow. He aims his bow at a zombie in camo caught in a tree near the edge of a hill. I guess he figures, why waste a shot? since he puts the bow down, and tries to reach for the zombie. He slips, and the zombie goes sliding down the hill along with him. He manages to throw it off of him, and gets on top of it, grabbing for the knife on the ground. He stabs its head, and goes through the zombie’s stuff, pulling out what he needs. He hears the others coming, and sees them at the top of the hill. He sidesteps, and one slides down, the rest following like lemmings. He heads back to his bike. He messes with the engine, and a zombie crawls toward him. He’s like, enough already, and shoots it with his crossbow. He takes the arrow out of the zombie, and goes through its pockets, finding some good stuff. Too bad there isn’t an engine in there. He says, nice, and fiddles some more with the bike.

Carol tells Dog, come on. Dog sits, and she says, don’t make her beg. She tells him, good boy, and he comes into the pantry with her. She puts the greens in a pot, and tells him, if he’s good boy, she’ll save him some scraps. She lifts the trap, and is startled by the rat, who gets away. She chases it all around the pantry, knocking things over, and Dog is like, WTF? She yelled at me for doing that. The rat runs into a hole in the wall, and she stuffs a towel into it. She tells Dog, what? Are you two friends now because I yelled at you earlier? She says, screw it, and unplugs the pot, saying, she’ll make soup tomorrow. She goes into the bedroom, but dog hesitates. She tells him, come on, and he jumps on the bed without any coaxing. He lies next to her, and she says she feels the fight coming out of her. Dog misses him, doesn’t he? Don’t worry; he’ll come back. He always comes back. She doesn’t though, does she? She asks if Dog thinks they should scram, and get out of everybody’s hair. They could. Dog gives her kisses. I love Dog.

Daryl does an elaborate fixing of the bike, using a multitool, and holding a flashlight in his mouth.

Dog stirs, and wakes Carol. He makes a small bark, but she tells him, shh, and gets up.

Daryl tries the bike, and it starts. He drives off.

Carol goes downstairs, lighting the way with a flashlight. Dog goes ahead. I also constantly worry about Dog. She looks around the pantry, and hears Dog making noises near the wall where the rat was. She pokes through the wall with a knife, and makes a hole. She listens, and waits. She slashes at the wall some more, and waits again. She goes back another time, and makes more holes in the wall. She knocks over a shelf, and starts bringing down the wall by hand. She leans against what’s left, and slides down to the floor. Dog looks worried, and comes over to her, lying next to her. She puts her hand on Dog and pets him, because dogs calm everyone down and make everything better.

Carol cleans up the pantry, sweeping up the mess. Jerry knocks at the door, and she slides it open. She says, hey. He looks inside, seeing the wall, and she says, it’s fine; she’s fixing it. What’s up? He says his cover story is that he’s coming by for soup, but no poker face. He’s going to fess up. He’s just checking on her. She asks if he thinks she needs checking on, and he says he does. Ezekiel would agree with him. She says she can’t argue with that, and Jerry says he wishes he could check on Ezekiel too. She says she’s sure Ezekiel is coming back as fast as he can. He likes checking up on people as much as Jerry does; it’s pathological. Why can’t they just let people like her suffer in peace? Jerry says, it’s a real problem, and she says, yesterday wasn’t her best day. It was a bad day. He says, the wall is all busted up. Ezekiel would have a saying for this kind of thing. She says maybe she just needs to fix what she broke. He says, a friend thinks you’re perfect even when everyone thinks you’re broken. He noticed Daryl didn’t come back with her, and two plus two equals eureka. She says, what if you’re broke, and your best friend realized later than everyone else? and he says, Ezekiel probably has a saying for that too. He just doesn’t know what it is. She asks what he would say, and he hugs her. The rat walks out the door, and goes around the corner. He says, was that… and she says, yeah. Come on in. The soup is almost ready.

Daryl drives into Alexandria. Carol is putting the wall back together. She starts to put on the scarf, looks at it, and says, sorry, throwing it in the trash. She goes over to close the door, and Dog runs out. He runs to Daryl, and she asks, what the hell happened to him? He says he was going to ask her the same thing. The usual. He says, yeah, same, and she asks if he found anything. He says, yeah, and asks if Dog was good. She nods, and wonders if he’s hungry. She made soup for everyone. He says he’s all right, and thanks her. She says, sure, and tells him that she forgot to give him his knife back. He tells her to keep it, and she says, really? He nods, and she puts it in her pocket. He says he’s beat. He’s going to hit the sack. She says, her too, and he goes off with Dog. Carol goes back inside, seeming lighter.

Next time – the finale – Here’s Negan. Negan’s backstory, and the birth of Lucille. Hilarie Burton Morgan – Jeffrey Dean’s real life wife – will be playing Negan’s wife, the first Lucille.

🧨 Here He Is…

A preview of what’s to come in the finale.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-heres-negan-sneak-peek-season-10c-finale-jeffrey-dean-morgan-hilarie-burton-morgan/

⚰️ Drama in Deadland…

A little gossip, a little news.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-creator-robert-kirkman-defends-former-showrunner-scott-gimple-fan-ruined-show/

🩹 About That Splinter…

Showrunner Angela Kang does a deep dive into the psyche of Princess.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-princess-angela-kang-showrunner-splinter/

🚕 You Don’t Have To Go Home…

The weekend has come to a close, so back to the same old after two days of the other same old. Whatever same old it is for you, stay safe, stay being open to opportunity, and stay thinking your friends are perfect, even if they’re broken.

Jul18

July 17, 2020 – When Kristina Called Sam a Danger Junkie, Matured, New Rules, Busy As a Fox, NOS4ATease, Machete Grounded, Life After Sarah, Good Fridays, When In Rome XII Quotes & Fred Daydreams

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

I didn’t even bother checking the guide, since I knew it would just be wrong, and also knew today’s GH Flashback was from May 5th, 2020. Revive your memory below, or if you’re a stickler for details, go to:

https://tvwiththeresa.wordpress.com/2020/05/06/may-5-2020-elizabeth-tells-nikolas-to-let-spencer-decide-lucci-speaks-jax-has-an-episode-kelly-gets-good-news-nick-sings-star-wars/

Franco asked Ava what Nikolas did, and Ava said she thought she was supposed to be comforting him. Franco said he was trying to get her to open up, and she admitted she and Nikolas had an argument about Spencer, and it got ugly. Nikolas said Kiki had despised her, and she’d driven Kiki away. He told her that he hoped Carly’s influence saved Avery. Franco said Ava’s marriage was toxic. She should leave the dark prince to brood on his own; she didn’t need any of it. At the hospital, Nikolas said Elizabeth was obviously upset, and she told him that he’d driven her sister out of Port Charles, causing her to abandon her daughter. The Nikolas she knew would never do that; that’s not a friend. Nikolas said he was at a crossroads, and needed her help with a decision. In her office at Crimson, Nina thanked Jax for talking to Charlotte, and Jax asked how it went. She said Lulu showed up, talked to Valentin, and agreed to drop the petition for full custody. They’re going to share custody 50/50. On the phone, Carly asked Michael how it went with Diane, and told him that Diane would make sure he had every advantage when they went to court to fight for Wiley. At the MetroCourt, Nelle asked if Martin was prepared to win sole custody for her, and he said that depended on her. Still arguing at the clothing drive, Kristina told Sam that she’d never asked for help. Sam took it upon herself to act like a savior. Sam asked if she was supposed to watch Shiloh exploit and brainwash Kristina. She loved Kristina, and Kristina had given up on them, not the other way around. Kristina said she’d been in pain and depressed. She’d felt hopeless and alone when she joined DoD. Where was Sam’s concern then? Sam had probably expected her to be a loser. Sam suggested Kristina go to therapy. Sam had been on trial for murder, gone to prison, and lost time with her children. She couldn’t be around her family now. Kristina said Sam had wanted to go against Shiloh, just like she enjoyed sneaking around, violating her parole. Sam was addicted to danger, and the only reason Sam and Jason were still in love was because of her.

Elizabeth told Nikolas to find someone else to talk to, and he said Spencer was willing to explore their relationship again. Elizabeth said she told him Spencer just needed time to heal, but he told her not to pop the champagne cork yet. Spencer had agreed under the condition he leave Ava. Elizabeth said that was a get-out-of-jail-free card. Franco told Ava, she had the gallery, but she said it wasn’t an island. Franco got that she wanted to be queen of the castle, but thought she should find a real prince, and dump the frog. Ava started babbling about where to hang the portrait, and Franco said she didn’t need to do that with him. He knew the real reason she’d married Nikolas. Carly told Michael that Diane was the best, and was thoroughly prepared to show he was the better parent. Nelle could try conning the judge, but the truth would come out. Jax told Nina, there was nothing worse than being caught in the middle of a nightmare custody battle. There was a difference between a parent who adored their child, and one who was good for them, and Valentin fell short. Nina said Charlotte made Valentin a better person. Carly showed up, and asked if Nina had something they could use against Nelle in the custody hearing. Nelle told Martin that she had a respectable job and had just bought a house. She was going to win because Michael had just suffered a shattering breakup; he’d been cheated on. Martin asked if she’d leaked it to The Invader, but she said Wiley’s mother wasn’t mean-spirited or malicious, but she expected him to tell the judge about Michael’s failed relationship. Martin asked if Nelle could keep a partner, or did they all die? Franco said, in a weird way, Ava’s choices were motivated by love, but he didn’t understand Nikolas. He thought she was punishing herself for Kiki’s death. Elizabeth told Nikolas that he had a long way to go before he turned back to being the good guy she knew. He said if he divorced Ava, he’d lose everything, and she asked if Spencer wasn’t worth it. She wondered if he had feelings for Ava. Kristina said Sam was a danger junkie, and couldn’t stand the day to day. She’d wanted domesticity with Drew, but when the real deal came back, Sam went back to ride or die. Molly said Jason loved Sam, and Kristina said she there was no question Jason would die for Sam. He just couldn’t live with her.

Nelle told Martin that her fiancé’s death had been an unfortunate accident. She’d pleaded guilty to spare his family any further pain. Martin said he’d get out the violin, and she said she prevented Ryan’s escape at her own peril. Martin said she was good, but if he brought up Michael’s relationships, hers would also be called into question. She said Shiloh was the love of her life, and their relationship was tragically cut short by Sam, who was a good friend of Michael’s family. Sam made her a widow. He asked if she had any character witnesses that could testify as to her integrity, humanity, and compassion. Nina told Carly, she hated to admit it, but Nelle had been an exemplary employee. She couldn’t give Carly what she didn’t have. Carly said Wiley would need surgery again in another six months, and if it was up to Nelle, he wouldn’t get it. Nina asked if Carly had listened to Nelle’s reasons, and said she thought Wiley would be better served if Michael compromised like Lulu and Valentin had. They put their issues aside for Charlotte’s sake, and Charlotte is better off. She thought shared custody would be the best situation for Wiley. Carly said Nelle had won Nina over. Nikolas told Elizabeth that she had no idea what it cost him to survive the shooting and the fall. The entire time, he’d been planning his return, and all that kept him alive was his need to reclaim his  name and birthright. Spencer had no idea what it was like to live without a fortune. Elizabeth said, 10% was still a fortune, and it wasn’t like Spencer would be out on the streets. How did he know what Spencer wanted without talking to him? Would Spencer rather have money or his dad? Ava told Franco that he was wrong, but he said she sabotaged her happiness because of Kiki. Ava didn’t kill her, Ryan did, and she’d rather do battle with Nikolas than deal with her feelings about Kiki. She told him to stop caring, and go back to the psycho he used to be.

Nelle told Martin that Carly had locked her on the hospital roof, and signed her name to documents allowing unnecessary surgery on her child. Martin said, so she had no one to vouch for her character? She said she visited Wiley every day in the hospital, and even brought the nurses donuts. They could attest to her maternal instincts. He said he needed someone she’d known longer than a month. Michael was going to have a parade of pillars of the community, family, and friends, which she lacked. Nina told Carly that she thought Nelle wanted to be the best mother she could, and Carly said Nelle was a pathological liar, incapable of accepting kindness, or showing love and affection. She would leave Wiley emotionally damaged. Nina said what if Nelle was affected by mental illness? and Carly said Nelle was a sociopath, and totally playing Nina. Jax said he thought Nelle was taking advantage of Nina, and Nina asked, what if Carly had been judged on how she used to be? If she’d had no one in her life who’d stood by her, who would she be now? Sam asked what Kristina meant. Kristina had always been supportive of her and Jason’s relationship; why was she saying that Jason would want to be away from her? Kristina said it was hotter when they were forced to be apart, and the relationship wouldn’t survive without drama. Nikolas told Elizabeth, he was afraid of Spencer’s answer. Spencer had said he didn’t care about the money, but he was used to the lifestyle. Elizabeth said Nikolas couldn’t make assumptions about teen boys. Cameron had hated Franco, and now they were each other’s biggest fans. Nikolas wondered how two totally different people could find happiness, and Elizabeth said Franco had stood by her when she was the town pariah, and they’d connected over art. Franco told Ava that he wasn’t a psycho anymore, even if Ava’s invite said that. Ava said he had a tumor to blame it on; she didn’t. He said he still had to deal with the people he’d hurt in his head; it didn’t go away. Ava asked how he coped, and he said, Elizabeth and the boys, making art, and being of service. She said she didn’t do healthy well. She wasn’t good at finding love, but she knew how to make money, and played to her strengths. He said by exploiting the bad boy genius artist, and she asked if he was okay with that. Nelle told Martin that she had no family, but a good lawyer could make her terrible childhood work. Martin said the judge would want to know if she had someone to call in an emergency. It would be a hard sell with her having opposed Wiley’s medical procedure. To be honest, her best hope was for shared custody.

Jax suggested Carly and Nina dial it down. He told Nina, even when he and Carly were at odds, he never thought Carly would use Josslyn to spite him. Nina said it was better to have the love of both parents, and Jax said she couldn’t compare Carly and Nelle. Carly said she never risked Josslyn’s health or safety to punish the family, and there was more to motherhood than biology. Nina didn’t understand because she’d never been a mother. Nelle asked why she was paying Martin so much, and wanted a refund on her advance, unless he could ensure she’d get sole custody. He asked if she was prepared to be a mother. Ava told Franco, talent could only get you so far, and she had to remind the public who Franco was. He said he was okay with that, but he wasn’t so sure about Elizabeth. They’d had an argument, and he’d hurt her feelings. Ava said she knew Elizabeth would forgive him. Let her bring the bad boy back to the art world. it was the one bright spot in the foolish, ridiculous life she’d built for herself. Nikolas told Elizabeth, this was about Franco, not him, and Elizabeth said she wasn’t thrilled that Ava was using Franco’s criminal history to promote his art. Franco had said that wasn’t how the art world worked, but she didn’t know that because she wasn’t a real artist. Nikolas said he was there when she found her talent and found solace in art. If she could have developed her vision, she would have put Franco to shame. She wasn’t afraid to show her soul. Nelle said Martin was accusing her of being a bad mom, and he told her that wasn’t what he’d said. Fighting for custody was easy; raising a child was hard. Nelle said she was alone for the nine months she carried Wiley, and alone when she gave birth. Martin suggested she read some baby books and blogs, and make sure she talked about the minutes she’d had with her son. He told her to wear not-waterproof mascara, and find a character witness, preferably someone not in prison. She said he didn’t want to let her down.

Carly said she knew Nina believed she would have had a connection with her child, and been the best mother, and she would have, because she’s a good person. Nelle didn’t have it in her. She’d handed Michael’s baby to Brad and said the baby had died. Nina said, maybe she was telling the truth; Brad lied about everything else. Carly said Nelle didn’t give a damn about Wiley. All she cared about was hurting Michael. She asked Nina to think about that, and tell her if she can’t remember anything they could use. Carly left, and Nina asked Jax if she was wrong. Carly waited for the elevator, and Nelle came out. Sam told Kristina, something always got in the way of her and Jason being together, like Shiloh. Alexis said Sam went to prison for Kristina, and Kristina said, now Sam was on parole. If she stayed away from Jason, she’d be home free, but Sam can’t help herself. She had to break the rules and spice things up. Jason appreciated Sam when he wasn’t busy taking care of Carly and Sonny. Jason was always busy cleaning up their messes, while Sam was home taking care of the kids. Jason would die for Sam, but his first priority was Sonny and Carly. Nikolas said he had no right to ask Elizabeth to trust him, but to give him a chance. She had the soul of a true artist. She asked him to think about calling Spencer. Franco said Ava’s life would be more bearable without Nikolas, and she suggested he apologize to Elizabeth. They had a good marriage, and could make it better. Tell Elizabeth that all he cared about was making her happy. He said he was glad he could help, and Ava said he did, more than he knew.

Nelle asked if Carly was trash talking her to Nina. Carly said she’d been trying, but Nina seemed to think she and Nelle were friends. Too bad Nelle was going to betray Nina, like she’d done everyone else. Carly left, and in the office, Jax told Nina that Carly had some good points. Nelle listened outside the door, and Nina said she was aware of Nelle’s dark side, but she’d seen Nelle’s vulnerable side, and didn’t think it was an act. Jax disagreed, but Nina said maybe Nelle just needed a person to believe in her. Maybe she was that person. Nelle came in, and Jax couldn’t leave fast enough. Nelle thanked Nina for standing up for her, and Nina said, don’t make her regret it. Nelle said she wouldn’t, and had a big favor to ask. Wiley’s custody hearing was tomorrow, and she had no one to vouch for her. Carly made sure of that. Nelle said she was wondering, would Nina willing to testify on her behalf?

👩🏽‍🎓 Growing Pains…

Porsha has moved forward from being a naïve Housewife to an independent woman. Brava!

https://extratv.com/2020/07/15/reality-star-porsha-williams-arrested-at-breonna-taylor-protest/

🎞 Speaking Of the ATL…

Kandi dishes on the new normal of filming.

https://extratv.com/2020/07/16/kandi-burruss-on-the-rules-of-filming-the-real-housewives-of-atlanta-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

🏃🏾‍♀️ She’s Here, She’s There, She’s Everywhere…

Vivica is right up there with Tyler Perry as being one of the hardest working people in show business.

https://extratv.com/2020/07/14/vivica-a-fox-talks-possible-empire-finale-plus-those-zendaya-comments/

🧛🏻‍♀️ When Dead Isn’t…

Check out episode five of NOS4A2.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/nos4a2-exclusive-clip-episode-five-zachary-quinto-joe-hill-amc/

🚀 Machete Don’t Film…

Just one more hold up in the entertainment world. And Machete in Space is just what the world needs right now too.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/danny-trejo-bad-news-machete-kills-robert-rodriguez-update/

🎬 She’ll Be Back…

Linda Hamilton talks about her new project, and life as she knows it.

https://extratv.com/videos/laenzw7oe2q/

🌞 A Ray Of Quarantine Sunshine…

This could have been my new favorite show, but I came to the party too late. If you did too, we can both watch full episodes here:

https://www.amc.com/shows/friday-night-in-with-the-morgans

🦜 Quotes of the Week

Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts. – Nikki Giovanni

All great achievements require time. – Maya Angelou

I thrive on obstacles. If I’m told that it can’t be done, then I push harder. – Issa Rae

I have standards I don’t plan on lowering for anybody … including myself. – Zendaya

You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it. – Maya Angelou

Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all. – Arthur C. Clarke

Life under a good government is rarely dramatic; life under a bad government is always so. – Oscar Wilde

Good government is known from bad government by this infallible test: that under the former the labouring people are well fed and well clothed, and under the latter, they are badly fed and badly clothed. – William Cobbett

It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about. – Dale Carnegie

Today is a new day. Hiding from your history only shackles you to it. We can’t undo a single thing we have ever done, but we can make decisions today that propel us to the life we want and towards the healing we need. – Steve Maraboli

You have all the weapons you need. Now fight! – Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), Sucker Punch

When you become the image of your own imagination, it’s the most powerful thing you could ever do. – RuPaul

🐌 Keeping It Moving…

Here we are, at that part of the week I’m never sure what to call. I hope the week has been kind to you, and that you’re being kind to yourself and those in your orbit. Like a friend of mine said, 2020 seemed like such a cute number, but sometimes looks can be deceiving. So stay safe, stay altruistic, and stay looking for a light in the Eastern sky. Or the Western sky. I’m not sure.

Jul11

July 10, 2020 – When Valentin Was Theo, Jill’s Advice, Just Say No, Sit Stay, Dead Return, Join the Morgans, Shore Twinning, Big Idiots, Upcoming Union, a Dozen Grade A Quotes & Dream

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Round, and round, and round it goes. Where it stops is a GH Flashback from July 26th, 2016.

At the MetroCourt bar, Nina showed Carly the progress Crimson had made in finding Josslyn’s kidney donor, by using their website to reach out. Kristina asked Sonny if he could accept and deal with her being gay. Could he accept her? Sonny said it was a lot of information to take in. At Perks, Alexis was freaking out because Kristina hadn’t come home last night, and hadn’t called. She left a message for Kristina, saying she knew Kristina was an adult, but as long as she was under Alexis’s roof, she had to call and say she was all right. Paul showed up, and told Alexis that Julian was being arraigned, and she said she’d be watching while Julian was remanded without bail. Julian was in the hospital, griping about how all of this was driving him and Alexis apart. He said he wasn’t giving up or going to the arraignment, and ripped up his divorce papers. Julian’s henchman came in, and Julian asked about Ava, but the orderly said no one had heard from her. Julian told him to get a dose of the medication that would make him sick, since he needed to stall.

On Cassadine Island in Greece, a load of people – Ava, Laura, Doc (who’d been shot), Lulu, Dante, Sam, and Jason (really Drew who still thought he was Jason) – were being held prisoner by Valentin, who at the time called himself Theo. Nikolas had been with them, but Theo had already shot him and he’d fallen out a window and disappeared (he was later presumed dead until he showed up for Valentin and Nina’s wedding, two years later). Lulu had gotten away through a secret door which led to underground tunnels. Sam and Jason were in a separate room with a guard, and Jason was chained to a chair. They woke up the guard, who told them to be quiet or he’d shoot them. Sam got up to get some water, felt dizzy, and fainted. In another room, Theo told the rest of them that he’d like to let them go, but it was unlikely they’d keep their mouths shut. He asked who wanted to be the first to die, and Lulu showed up with a gun, saying she voted for him. She told him to drop his gun, and order his guard to do the same.

Paul told Alexis that she should concentrate on her own situation. The Bar Association was going to charge her with a violation, as she’d refused to take a deal for Carrrlos in exchange for him testifying against Julian. She hadn’t been acting in the best interest of her client. He suggested she do herself a favor, call Diane and work on a defense strategy. She was looking at disbarment. Kristina told Sonny about her attraction to Parker, but Sonny said he’d known gay guys from his club days in Brooklyn, and they’d all known they were gay early on. Nina read one of the responses to Josslyn’s story to Carly, who said they weren’t a match for Josslyn’s blood type. Even though it wasn’t Josslyn’s donor, Carly still wanted to contact the parents, and tell them how grateful she was for what they’d done.

Lulu said if Theo thought she couldn’t or wouldn’t pull the trigger, he’d be wrong. Theo said if she pulled the trigger, so would he, and asked if she thought she could kill him before he killed her mother. Would she bet Laura’s life on it? Jason told the guard to help Sam, and swore if something happened to her, he’d kill him. Like the Hulk, he broke the arms off the chair, and the chains holding him to it.

Carly told Nina it was a huge undertaking, and Nina volunteered to help her with the follow-ups. Carly said they had a bond, since they’d both made the mistake of dating Franco, but wondered why Nina wanted to help. Nina said it was good for business, and driving traffic to the website, but Carly didn’t buy it. Nina said her chance at being a mom came and went when she was asleep, so it made her feel good to help. It made her feel motherly. Paul went to Julian’s hospital room, and suggested he save the taxpayers some expense, but Julian wanted to prove he was innocent. Paul said he was going to personally oversee Julian’s hospital release, and escort him to the courthouse. Julian would be doing a perp walk, and Paul arranged for press photographers. Julian said his next show with the press would be an apology. Paul said this was just the preliminary round. The main event would be when he took Sonny down. Kristina told Sonny that she’d never felt this way before Parker, who’d helped her after her break-up. Sonny asked if Parker reciprocated, and Kristina said she thought so. Sonny said when Kristina propositioned Parker in exchange for a better grade, Parker had turned her into the administration. Kristina said she’d broken the rules. This was all new to her, and she wondered if they could talk about it. Sonny said if he hadn’t seen Kristina and Parker kissing, would she have told him the truth?

Alexis called Diane, and told her the Ethics Committee and the ABA was coming after her. Diane had to come up with a strategy. Julian was being arraigned, and she needed to be there. She told Diane to send her an email with the precedents on ethics violations. She saw Parker getting coffee at Perks. Sam opened her eyes, and Jason told her that she’d fainted, and gave her some water. She asked how he got free; what happened? He said the chair was old, it broke, and he got free, which didn’t exactly explain how he broke those chains. He told her to stay there, but she said they were in this together. He said she  was the most stubborn person he’d ever met in his life. Theo told Lulu, put the gun down, or watch her mommy die. Lulu lowered the gun, and the guard took it from her. Dante had gotten the guard’s gun, and Theo said that went for him as well. He told Dante and Lulu to hold hands so they could die together. It showed he was merciful.

Paul said he’d gotten Julian dead to rights, and was going to send him to prison. Julian said Paul had obtained his confession illegally, and he was going to get his attorney to suppress it. Paul said Julian was going to answer for his crimes. Julian’s thug, dressed as an orderly, said he needed to check Julian’s vitals. Paul said, it was time for Julian to face justice afterward. Paul left, and the orderly showed Julian a vial. Alexis asked Parker why she was at Perks, and Parker said she was attending a conference at PCU. Alexis said she was at Kristina’s workplace, but Parker said she didn’t know Kristina worked there; she was just there to get coffee. She had no idea why the hostility, and thought they’d found common ground. Alexis told Parker that she’d said she’d stay away from Kristina, yet here she was. Kristina didn’t come home last night, and hadn’t called home. Parker said Kristina was fine, and Alexis asked if Kristina had been with Parker. Parker said they’d spent the night together.

Kristina admitted that Alexis knew months ago, and Sonny asked why she didn’t tell him. Kristina said Alexis had encouraged her to be honest with him, but she didn’t think he’d understand. He was Sonny Corinthos; the real deal. She was his seriously messed up kid, and they couldn’t manage a relationship. She’d been suspended from school, and was constantly questioning who she was. She was scared. He said, of what? Did she think he wouldn’t love her or he would turn his back on her? She told him, yes. Nina told Carly that she had to get back to Crimson before their publisher went to jail. Carly said it would be great to have Julian behind bars, and Nina said she wasn’t going to miss him. Josslyn came in, and on her way out, Nina said Josslyn’s story was an inspiration to her readers – and to her. Carly told Josslyn that Nina was referring to the response to her transplant, and Josslyn said she knew they meant well, but she wanted them to stop the search for her donor.

The orderly told Julian that he could only get one dose, so make it count. Nina came in, and Julian said he couldn’t catch a break. He assumed she was there to gloat, but she said he assumed wrong. It was a document giving her full autonomy over Crimson, in exchange for her silence about acts of corporate sabotage. If he was convicted, she had to protect the magazine. He said he wasn’t going to prison, but she said he couldn’t be too sure. He signed, and she was almost out of the room, but turned around, saying he missed a spot. She bumped into the orderly, and he dropped the vial, spilling what was inside. She said good thing they were at the hospital, and he could get more medication. Kristina told Sonny that she loved him, but sometimes he could be intimidating. He told her, everyone said that, but it wasn’t about him; it was about her, and them together, trying to make it right. She could tell him anything. He might not understand, but they’d work together to figure out where to start. He’d been under the impression that she was more than friends with Aaron. But then she met Parker? Kristina said she liked Aaron, but their relationship was on the surface. She connected on another level with Parker, and never felt a deep connection like this. Sonny said Parker had been Kristina’s professor and mentor, which put Kristina at a disadvantage emotionally. If she wanted to go out with women, fine, but Parker wasn’t right for her. Alexis told Parker that she’d taken advantage of Kristina, but Parker said she hadn’t; Kristina had sought her out. Kristina wanted closure, they talked, and it led to something else. It was innocent. Alexis said, it wasn’t innocent. Parker was an adult in a position of power, and seduced a young, questioning girl. Parker said she and Kristina were both adults and willing participants, and Kristina couldn’t find her identity without exploration. Alexis said it was nice of Parker to take time away from her marriage to be Kristina’s guide. Parker said she was getting a divorce, and Alexis said now she didn’t know if Parker was rebounding, or had convinced herself she cared. Parker said she cared very much about Kristina, and Alexis said she cares about her intern, but doesn’t sleep with him. She wondered if Parker could see a future with Kristina, because Kristina did. She thought Parker should put an end to that fantasy.

Carly told Josslyn it was important to complete her medical records, and Josslyn said it was more important to protect her privacy. Carly was making her life story public. Carly said she didn’t know it was a problem, and Josslyn said it got worse every day. It was bad enough she had a scar, now everyone knows how she got it. Carly said the transplant saved Josslyn’s life, but Josslyn didn’t see why it had to be public knowledge. She hated that kids were talking about her behind her back. Carly said she was sorry people were so stupid and ignorant, and Josslyn said she wanted to go back to when it was normal. Carly said they needed the information, but Josslyn said the longer she went without a recurrence, the longer it was certain she’d be fine. She said if Carly didn’t stop the search, the next time she visited her dad, she was staying and never coming home again.

Sam and Jason came in, and overtook Theo and the guards. Theo took off, and Jason and Dante disarmed the guards, then Jason went off to find Theo. The guards were tied up, and locked in a room. Lulu hugged Dante, and said she’d gotten scared when the guard took him away. He asked where she’d gotten a gun, and she said she’d knocked out a guard, but he could be awake by now. She flashed back to going through the tunnel, and finding remains. Laura said Doc saved her life. Theo was going to shoot her, and Doc got in the way. Ava suggests they get the hell out of there, but Sam wanted to wait for Jason. Lulu said, he’d saved their lives, but Ava said they didn’t want to give that maniac a chance to do to them what he’d done to Doc and Nikolas. Jason tore through the house, looking for Theo, but he was gone.

Carly said she needed to safeguard Josslyn’s health, but Josslyn said her dad was on her side. Carly said there were no sides, and Josslyn said, her privacy versus Carly’s public quest. Carly said she almost lost Josslyn once, she wasn’t losing her again, but Josslyn asked if Carly every thought about how it affected her. Carly said she did, but she was the adult, and had to make decisions Josslyn might not like. That was a parent’s job. Josslyn said it wasn’t fair. Carly was so afraid of losing her that she was hurting her. Julian put the final signature on the document, and told Nina, go. Nina said he was rude, and not to expect her to visit him in Pentenville. Julian told the orderly that he needed to get another vial, but the orderly said he didn’t know where they were kept. It was too late, because Paul came in, and said Julian was cleared to leave the hospital. His arraignment awaited. Carly called Nina, and told her to call off the search, and remove it from the website. She couldn’t get into it; just do it. Parker told Alexis, she couldn’t break things off with Kristina just like that, and Alexis told her, do right thing and save Kristina hurt down the road. If she cared about Kristina, walk away. Parker said she didn’t want to hurt Kristina, and Alexis said she should have thought about that before she set this in motion. She needed to end it, and Alexis would help Kristina pick up the pieces. Kristina told Sonny that he didn’t have to worry, but he said he always would. She was his little girl, and he’d never give up on her – ever. She said he didn’t answer when she asked if he could accept a gay daughter, and Sonny said she was his daughter. There was no question – no matter what.

Carly apologized to Josslyn, and said her story would be removed from the website, and Josslyn thanked her. Josslyn went off to get some ice cream, and Sonny came in, followed by Nina. Nina said she’d concluded her business with Julian. She passed Paul on the way out; he was there to slap the cuffs on Julian personally, and roll him out the door. Sonny said that was good news. Nina told Carly that she’d thought some more about how they could zero in on the donor, but then Carly called off the search. Carly said Josslyn felt her privacy was being violated, so it would be removed from the website, while they discreetly continued. Nina left, and Sonny asked if Carly thought that was a good idea. Carly said she knew what was best, and Josslyn would come around when they found her donor.

Josslyn called Jax and said he was wrong. Her mom got why she was upset, and promised to drop the search. She handled it. Carly asked why Sonny was so blue. Kristina saw Alexis at Perks, and apologized for not calling; she’d gotten busy. Alexis said she was worried, but she knew Kristina had been with Parker. Kristina asked if Sonny told her, and Alexis was surprised that Sonny knew. Kristina said he saw her with Parker. Alexis asked how it went, and Kristina said, better than she thought it would. Sonny told Carly that he’d talked to Kristina, and she’d come out to him. Kristina told Alexis that she was glad she’d told Sonny the truth. It was a lot for him to process, but he still loved her. Alexis said, of course (🍷) he did, and Kristina asked how Alexis knew she was with Parker. Alexis said she ran into Parker at Perks, and Kristina said they made each other happy, and they were going to figure out what happened next together. Meanwhile Parker was writing a letter to Kristina saying, I’m sorry. I can’t.

Jason told the others that Theo was gone. He’d barricaded himself in a room, and by the time Jason broke in, Theo had disappeared. He said they were getting out, and they started to leave. Lulu didn’t want to leave Nikolas, but Laura said Doc needed help, and they had to get back to Spencer. In the tunnel, Theo made a call, and said the guests weren’t leaving alive.

🗽 So Says Jill…

Interesting how Jill thinks Kyle should leave a franchise she so desperately wants to go back to.

https://people.com/tv/kyle-richards-responds-to-jill-zarin-comments-about-her-marriage/

📍 Can’t Say I Blame Her…

Mo’Nique was smart enough to never go there in the first place.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/monique-addressed-rumors-she-might-replace-nene-leakes-on-the-real-housewives-of-atlanta/

💵 Positive Reinforcement…

It’s come to this. The same kind of training I use with my dogs.

https://pagesix.com/2020/07/07/networks-offering-reality-tv-stars-good-behavior-bonuses-to-not-slur-feud/

⚰️ When There’s No More Room In Hell…

When will The Walking Dead return is still anybody’s guess, but Negan has a few thoughts.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-season-10-finale-showrunner-angela-kang/

👩🏽‍💻 This Might Be Old News…

I hadn’t heard about Friday Night In with the Morgans, but I’ve been a little busy. It looks like fun, and you can stream full episodes from AMC’s website.

https://www.tvinsider.com/936393/friday-night-in-with-the-morgans-jeffrey-dean-morgan-hilarie-burton/

🏖 Attack Of the Shore Clones…

I don’t know if it’s me or what, but all these meatballs girls look alike.

https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/jersey-shores-angelina-slams-deena-over-wedding-and-baptism-drama/

🏡 Oh Happy Day…

That was sarcasm. I don’t know if bringing this show back is a good idea. And I don’t mean because of the pandemic.

https://tvdeets.com/full-production-on-big-brother-to-resume-this-august

💍 Where Reality Meets Talk…

Mazel Tov!

https://tvdeets.com/rich-kids-of-beverly-hills-morgan-stewart-engagement

And apparently, Jordan isn’t doing too badly.

https://www.inquisitr.com/6149800/morgan-stewart-engagement-ring-cost/

https://www.brides.com/story/rich-kids-of-beverly-hills-morgan-stewart-engagement-ring

Since they didn’t really give you a closer look.

MorganSRing

📡 Quotes of the Week

The time is always right to do what is right. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict—alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence. – Dorothy Thompson

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. – Muhammad Ali

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. – Indira Gandhi

Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together. – Eugene Ionesco

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. – Maya Angelou

The bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep. – E. Cossman (Or sometimes a good stiff drink…)

You never know how or when you’ll have an impact, or how important your example can be to someone else. – Denzel Washington

I would put on my old uniform and go to war all over again to protect the right of Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump to say offensive things on TV and Twitter. – Sen. Tammy Duckworth, responding in The New York Times to Carlson and Trump’s attacks on her patriotism

There’s not enough wine for this show. – Cynthia Decker, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiance Happily Ever After

Those French fries are so old, they’ve had birthdays. – Robert Springs, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiance Happily Ever After

One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings. – Franklin Thomas

🤿 Here We Go Again…

Get your mask on and do something different, whether or not you call this a weekend. It’s been another long week for me, waiting on test results for one of the dogs, and hoping for a (technically) negative outcome. I have several who are the same age, and they all seem to be reaching that age. See you on Monday-really-Tuesday, and meanwhile, stay safe, stay hoping for the best, and stay holding your fluffballs close.