What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Beta enters an RV. Two Whisperers remove a chair, and open a secret door in the floor. Beta drops down. He lights a lantern, and goes through a tunnel.

Baby Coco stirs, and Rosita gets up. She goes to get the baby’s blanket, and I gasp out loud. When she turns back, Beta is standing over the crib. Beta raises a knife, and plunges it downward. Rosita wakes up.

The gate at Alexandria parts. Gamma is standing there, surrounded by armed guards. She removes her mask, and says she’s the one who knows Aaron. Gabriel says they know who she is. She says, they’re in trouble. They’re trapped in a cave where Alpha placed the horde. They might have gotten out; she doesn’t know. Gabriel says she told them it was in a field, and she says, Alpha moved it. He says, the whole thing? Right before their group got there? Gamma says she’s just telling them what happened. She’s trying to help. Rosita asks, why? and Gamma says, the baby that the Whisperers left at Hilltop is her nephew. Gabriel asks where the baby’s mother is, and Gamma flashes back to pushing her sister into the zombies. She says, dead. Gabriel looks at Rosita, and asks Gamma, if they give her a map, can she show them where the cave is? She says she can, and the guards lower their pokey sticks. Gamma moves toward the gate, and Rosita punches her in the face, saying, she’s a liar.

Daryl hides in a crevasse, and sees Alpha. She takes an arrow out of the head of a zombie, and moves on. Daryl follows behind. Holding a knife. Another Whisperer comes out of a cave. They lead a group of zombies out.

Gamma wakes in the cell. Rosita says she’s not the first one, and Gamma asks if Rosita killed the last one. Gabriel says, he did. Rosita says they were sent to spy on them, and killed her baby’s father two days ago. Gamma says she doesn’t know anything about that, and Gabriel says it’s amazing how much she says she doesn’t know. He’ll lay it out for her. She’s working hard to convince them that she’s different from the ones who lie, walk with the dead, and eat worms. She says, what if she can’t? and Rosita says, then she’ll die. No second chance. Gabriel says, by the way, she’s the third one. Gamma says she’s telling the truth, and Gabriel says, this isn’t for show. He’s a servant of God. He’s heard many confessions, and he can tell she’s holding back. Outside the gate, her story was that she’s the baby’s aunt. Gamma says, it’s not a story, and he says it tugs at the heartstrings, but she’s hiding something. That makes the whole thing a lie. She says, ask God if she’s lying, and he says God told him to hang her. Gamma says she killed her sister. She killed her sister for Alpha. Alpha didn’t even have to ask; she just did it. Does he believe her now? Gabriel says, get her a map.

Alpha and two other Whisperers continue with a small zombie group. A zombie gets shot with an arrow, and the Whisperers split from the group. Daryl fights with Alpha, but gets cut, and there’s blood in his eyes. He can barely see, but gets her back down anyway. He asks where they are, as the zombies come closer. He slaughters a few, but Alpha grabs her knife from where it fell, and stabs Daryl in the leg. Daryl still can see a little, but everything is red, and he struggles.

Gabriel says, fourteen miles inland. He asks if there are any other ways in or out, and Gamma isn’t sure, but says they’ll be guarded. Rosita says, what about the border? It’s guarded all the way, but Gamma says, it’s too long for Alpha to defend. Most of the patrols are near the cave. Gabriel tells someone to take Gamma back to her cell.  When she’s gone, Gabriel tells the others that they’ll get two rescue parties together. Rosita says they don’t know if the information is real. Scott asks Gabriel if he’s sure Gamma’s not lying. Gabriel says he is and he does know. They’re hesitating because they’re afraid, and they shouldn’t be. Scott asks, why? and Gabriel says he brought her in so they could see the Whisperers are cowards. They broke her completely, and they can break others. Keep them alive. Pull their teeth, and take their fingers; get more information. The more pain and fury they pour on the Whisperers, the sooner they’ll drop their act. Which is what it is.

Alpha follows Daryl to a gas station, carrying a shotgun, and is obviously hurt. A knife sticks out of Daryl’s leg, as he grabs for things on the table above him. He gets a metal bar. Alpha comes closer, but then sits down. She bangs on a pipe with the gun. Zombies start to come.

Gabriel arms himself, and Rosita does the same. He asks if she’s okay, saying, she seemed off in the meeting. He suggests she stay and work defense at the gate. The smart thing would be for her to sit this one out. She tells him, don’t worry; she won’t freeze. She’s good. He should worry about his sh*t. It’s erratic. It seems like he’s itching for a fight. He says, so what if he is? and Rosita says, she doesn’t want… He says he knows, and she says she’ll see him out there.

Judith talks to Gamma through the cell window, asking what her name is. Gamma says, no one has asked since she got there. It’s Mary. Judith asks where she was before the Whisperers, and Mary says she’s from Santa Monica; it’s in California. Her parents’ names were John and Alice. She went to school… She doesn’t remember. She tells Judith, Alpha has a way of making you forget. Judith says, she really doesn’t remember anything? and Mary says, echoes of left feelings. Her life was ordinary; that much she knows. When it all went down, she and her sister kept making bad decisions. They needed someone to make decisions for them. Then they met Alpha. Judith says they met the wrong person first. If they’d met her mom and dad, she wouldn’t be in the cell. Mary doesn’t look like a monster to her. Rosita calls to Judith, who says, bye. Rosita looks at Mary.

Alpha continues to bang on the pipe, and zombies continue to move toward the sound. They walk past her, except for one, who makes close-up and personal zombie noises in her face. Daryl kicks a fire extinguisher down from the wall, and whacks a couple of heads with it. He tussles with a zombie, and ends up pulling the knife out of his leg. He stabs the zombie in the head, but now he’s bleeding like a stuck pig.

The groups get ready to go out. Gabriel hears over the radio that a herd is headed for Alexandria, and makes the decision for Laura and Rosita to stay back. He and Scott will each take a squad, and break up the herd. He tells Rosita that he’s not speaking for her, but she admits it could get them both killed, and says, it’s better this way. He kisses her goodbye, and says he’ll see her soon.

A zombie rises out of the earth from a grave inside Alexandria. Oh wait, it’s Beta, that crazy kid. He brandishes a knife in both hands.

Inside a house, two guys talk about the Whisperers being a joke, and get ready to go out. Beta gets inside, and screams come from the house. Beta kneels on the floor, as a guy crawls away from him.

On the radio, Gabriel asks, what the hell happened? They saw nothing coming? Rosita says, nothing. Scott wonders, what the hell is going on? Beta kneels in the middle of carnage, bodies surrounding him. Gabriel says most of them are out there. There’s hardly anyone back home.    

The dead start to come to life around Beta. Outside, Rosita leads a group through the street, and sees zombies coming. She radios Gabriel, saying, they’re here, and runs toward the zombies with the group. Beta goes to the cell, and unlocks it. Mary says, it isn’t what she said. She lied. Beta says, these are not her people, and Mary repeats, she lied. He says, she is your Alpha, and opens the door. He says she was dead the moment she came to them. Step toward him. He holds out his hand, and she says, why? He says, she wants you. She said death would be painless, but if you fight, it will not be. Step toward him. She stays where she is, and says all Alpha wants is her in pain. He’s lying for her. Again he says, step toward him. Mary moves forward, and says she’s not afraid of him. He says, yes, she is. Beta feels a blade at his back, and Laura stands behind him holding some kind of battle ax. She tells Mary, get help, and Mary runs out. Beta grabs the ax, and they struggle, but Laura jumps on him. Outside, Mary yells for help, and hears a voice says, up here. Laura and Beta fight, but he knocks her out. He stomps out to the street.

He goes inside house, and quietly walks upstairs. He looks around, slipping into a bedroom and out again. He sees a closed door, opens it, and a shot in the chest blows him back. It’s our girl Judith. She and Mary run, but Mary lingers, and Beta grabs her ankle, tripping her. Beta gets up, and we see his wearing some kind of chest plate. Rosita says, hey, and he turns. He has a huge chef’s knife, and rushes her, but Rosita slugs him in the gut with a bat. They struggle, and he gets Rosita down. Mary tells him, stop. Alpha wants her alive. She holds a knife to her own throat, and tells Beta, step toward her. Nice move.

Beta and Mary walk down the road. Beta says, you will fall. You will rise. You will walk with your sister again. Gabriel and his squad are suddenly in front of them. Mary hits the ground, shots are fired, and Beta jets. The group points their guns at Mary, and she says she didn’t betray them. He was going to… please. She’s telling the truth. Gabriel looks at her, and puts his gun up on his shoulder.

Alpha takes off her mask. She asks Daryl if he can see beyond the darkness to the light, but he says no. She says she’s teeming with joy. She sees the ones who brought her around them. She says, thank you for making me strong. They made her, and her daughter. Daryl says she lost her daughter. Alpha drove her away because she didn’t love her. She asks what he said, and moves toward him, saying, she’s all ears. She stumbles and falls, and crawls along the floor. She lies there a moment, and sees a blurry Lydia. Lydia takes her hand, and Alpha asks if she’s really there. Lydia says, yes, mama, and Alpha says, don’t call her that; Lydia knows better. She came home. Alpha says, I am you, and you are me, Lydia. She starts to sing, Lydia, the Tattooed Lady. She puts a knife in Lydia’s hand, and covers it with her own. She says she wants to make sure Lydia is ready, but Lydia says she can’t. She didn’t come for Alpha, but the others. They’re not perfect; just human. It’s all she ever wanted, and what Alpha never gave her. She touches Alpha’s face, and Alpha says she wants Lydia to stay.

Alpha opens her eyes. Lydia is gone. Alpha gets up, obviously in pain. She limps toward where Daryl was, but Daryl is gone. The knife is stuck in the table, with the words, your way is not the only way, carved next to it. Alpha laughs.

Gabriel walks with Scott and points to where Beta gained entry, saying, this was Dante.  Scott says, the Whisperers sealed whole sections. Aaron returns, and Gabriel and Scott hug him. He says he’s all right, and Gabriel asks, what happened? Where are the others? Aaron says, they got separated, but most of them got out. Scott says, most of them? and Aaron says, not everyone.

Rosita sits in a wagon, and Gabriel asks if she’s sure she doesn’t want to take Coco. It’s a short trip. She says she wants Coco safe, and she’s safe with him. A little caravan gets ready, and Aaron lifts Judith into one of the wagons. Mary sits with Rosita, and Rosita formally introduces herself. They shake hands, and the caravan heads out.

Daryl comes to, leaning against a tree in the woods. Lydia tells him, easy. He asks how long he was asleep, and she says, most of the day. He says, she was just out there watching him? She says, and watching them. Deciding. He says, deciding what? Did she kill Alpha? Lydia says, if it was Daryl’s father, could he?

Alpha lies on her back, holding the knife. She says she’s no longer weak. She’s stronger than ever. The horde will consume them. Their screams will be songs to her. A couple of Whisperers help her up, and she says, bathed in blood; we are free. We love no one; we are free. We hear nothing; we are free. We are the end of the world.

Next time, Lydia says her mother coming, and everyone gets ready for a fight.

💥 News Flash: Starting this Friday – March 6^th – the Shahs will be moving to Fridays at 9 pm.

Shahs of Sunset

Reza says he needs a new shoe closet, and Adam says he wants to convert the garage to a big closet. Reza is like, thanks but no thanks. He has a promotional gig in Las Vegas coming up, and says he has to kill it at Sally Beauty Supply with his haircare products. If he doesn’t, it’s $500K down the tubes. He tells Adam, the product isn’t generating the income they need to live. GG texts that she has to cancel coming along. Reza relays the news to Adam, and says Destiney will be coming. He says he’s forgiven her, and Adam says he’d rather move on than hold a grudge.

MJ and Tommy fawn over Baby Shams. Vida comes by, and says she thinks Shams should be on the cover of People. In MJ’s interview, she says she thinks she and Tommy are naturals.

GG’s mom Fati cuts up several pineapples. In GG’s interview, she says, in trying to get pregnant, she’s been googling everything, and pineapple is supposed to be helpful in thickening the uterine lining. She’s going the embryo transfer today. She started with IVF treatments in October of 2018, and says her ass is black and blue from the injections.

Mike visits Nema, bringing along his French bulldogs. Nema says he’s finally found the super ultra-modern home he’s always wanted. Mike explains microfiber to pup Lexi. Pet massage therapist Gene comes by to give Nema’s dog Jack a massage, since Jack broke his back a couple of years ago. In Nema’s interview, he says he rescued Jack, and got Jack in the divorce. Erica then became Jack’s stepmom, and got involved in Jack’s life, so now they’re co-parenting. Mike says he thinks Nema is leading Erica on, and Nema tells Mike that he never says Mike is leading Paulina on. They bicker, and then apologize to Gene. Gene says his focus is on the dog. Mike says Erica and Nema work together, and Nema keeps saying he’s going to marry her one day. We flash back to Nema telling Erica that they can’t not end up together, and her saying, not if he’s like he is now. Nema says, Paulina is dating a guy who cheated on his wife, and she has two kids. Mike tells Nema not to judge him on his past. In Mike’s interview, he says he’s grown, and deserves to be treated right. Nema says he doesn’t want advice from Mike. Since Mike is a dishonest guy, the advice it tainted. Ouch. He doesn’t think Mike is ready to be a stepdad. In his interview, Mike says Nema has never even seen him around Paulina’s children. They’re like his own. Mike gathers up his dogs, and leaves.

Destiney and Sara get ready to go to Las Vegas. In Sara’s interview, she says, Destiney is a lot. Destiney lives in Destiney’s own world, but Sara is glad to be getting to know her.

Reza and Adam check in at the Waldorf Astoria in Las Vegas. They meet with Dan and Sheree Funsch, Reza’s business partners. Reza says he’s so nervous, he had a nightmare that no one showed up. They sit near the pool, and a waiter brings over an incredible mini spread and Bloody Marys with lots of garnishes. In his interview, Reza says the products are selling on the website, but to make real money, they have to be in a national chain store. He asks what’s expected of him, and Sheree says he has to be the ultimate politician. In Reza’s interview, he says they have a one year exclusive, and he wants to convince them the products are going to fly off the shelves. Sheree says it’s his first big test, and in his interview, he says if he doesn’t kill it, he’ll be back to slinging real estate. He tells Dan and Sheree, let’s go do it.

GG frets about having to quit smoking weed. For the last three years, she’s only gone a couple of hours without it.

Sara and Destiney check into the hotel. Destiney tells Sara about the time she was mistaken for a prostitute in Vegas, and in her interview, Sara says she wouldn’t want to share that information with anybody.

MJ and Tommy talk about having another baby, and Vida says they’re crazy. In MJ’s interview, she says the night before the baby came, Reza checked in. After she’d delivered Shams, Tommy texted Reza about how she’d had complications, and was in the ICU. Reza’s response was, prayers for a speedy recovery. We see a clip of Reza reading his response to Adam, and that’s the last sentence in a rather long paragraph filled with care and concern. So wtf? Tommy tells MJ, Reza knew how bad it was, and starts getting loud and animated. In her interview, MJ says instead of racing to see her, he confronted her on the phone. Everyone knows that Adam has a sexually deviant sense of humor. Tommy calls Adam the hillbilly whore of WeHo.

In the Presidential Suite, Reza puts on his gold leopard belt buckle. In his interview, he says, it’s sad, being in Vegas without MJ. They’ve been going there together since they were kids. He’s doing this without the help of his best friend. Destiney and Sara come to the suite, and they make dinner plans. Reza says he has to hustle, but a car will be waiting for them to pick them up for the event.

GG is being a back seat driver from the passenger seat. In her interview, she says it was the worst decision of her life to ask her mom to drive. An Uber motorcycle would have been better. GG’s dad Mahmoud meets them. GG says it’s a scary, but fulfilling moment.

Adam tells Reza, the launch is going to be amazing. Adam wears the same shirt he wore the night Reza proposed, and tells Reza it’s his lucky shirt. In Reza’s interview, he says having Adam there means the world to him. He’d invested in the product behind Adam’s back, but they got over it. Ali tried to take them down, but he couldn’t. At Sally’s Beauty Supply, Reza talks with the buyer, and says it’s an honor to be there. He sets up a display table. It’s kind of like a book signing. In his interview, he says he is honored. He’s a little Persian kid whose dreams are all coming true. He explains, the secret to good salesmanship is, one, understanding who you’re dealing with; two, knowing how to interact; and three, knowing when to close the deal. If you master those, you can sell anything.

Destiney and Sara arrive, and buy one of everything in Reza’s line. The manager announces that they made 120% of their sales plan. In Reza’s interview, he says, it’s a big deal for a middle-American company to have confidence in a gay middle eastern man.

Vida fusses over Shams. I don’t think she’s going to give him back.

On the way back, GG tells Fati that she can’t believe it. She asks if Fati cares how her driving affects others. In her interview, GG says her parents are rock stars. Not many Persian parents would be okay with their daughter being single and getting herself knocked up. She shows her dad a video of the procedure, done using an ultrasound. In GG’s interview, she says, and no foreplay. Mahmoud tells her that she has to watch funny movies, and Fati suggests Mel Brooks. GG says, Mel Brooks is ancient. She starts a video baby diary, and explains to the baby that she’s got to lay low for the next 48 hours. Mahmoud tells her, everything is good; she’ll be fine. She says she can’t be the baby anymore. He says she’s almost 40, and she threatens to punch him in his bad knee.

Destiney makes plans on the phone to meet her mom for high tea the next day. In her interview, she says her mom loves Vegas, and is literally her best friend.

Mike tells Paulina that Nema said something was off about her since she was allowing a guy as dishonest as him around her and kids. Not quite what Nema said, although I do think it was none of his business. In Mike’s interview, he says, when people tear others down, they’re deflecting from their own shortcomings. Nema should get therapy, rather than talk sh*t about him. Paulina says she’ll confront anyone who talks sh*t about Mike.

In the car, Nema tells a friend he’s going on a blind date, and she suggests his teeth might be intimidating. Ha-ha! In Nema’s interview, he says Mike doesn’t get why he’s not sleeping with half of Los Angeles like him. He meets his date Aimee at a restaurant. He tells her it’s his first blind date, and she says she’s been on dating apps. In his interview, he says he was married in his 20s, when he was supposed to be out and fun. After his divorce, he dated Erica, so this is a new frontier. He asks about her last relationship, and she says, he cheated. He tells her that he was cheated on, as well as his father having been cheated on. His father always had a chip on his shoulder, and Nema didn’t want to turn into that person who’s pissed for the next thirty years because of a cheater. He says, it’s a great blind date, and in his interview, says this is proving he’s over Erica, and can enjoy someone else’s company. He says, let’s get out of here, but Aimee has already called an Uber.

Sara’s brother Sam joins them for dinner. In Sara’s interview, she says Sam lives in Vegas. He’s the brother of four older sisters, and the only boy. They’re very protective. She worries about his decision making. They’re shown to a private room for a four-course menu with a wine pairing. Sam says his goal is to make money between poker and sports betting. In her interview, Sara says, it’s a stereotype in the Persian community, if you’re not a doctor or a lawyer, you’re a failure. Sam and Destiney flirt. He says he’s never dated a Persian girl. In Destiney’s interview, she says he’s mysterious and edgy, and she likes his muscles. Reza says, the meal was off the charts. They have a shot of tequila, and make faces like I do when I taste that nasty stuff. Reza says he took care of the bill, and Sara says she loves having rich friends.

The group busts out on the party bus. In Reza’s interview, he says there’s a point in the evening where your buzz is in the perfect spot, and he’s in that zone. They go to a rooftop bar that also has golf. Destiney orders tequila. Reza says, Destiney is feeling Sam. In his interview, Reza says, Destiney is always talking about the man she wants. She doesn’t need to be a good picker in Las Vegas. He’s thinking it’s wham bam thank you Destiney ma’am. He tells Sam get behind her, and show her how to swing. In Sara’s interview, she says Sam hooked up with her makeup artist at her sister’s wedding. She’s not Sara’s makeup artist anymore. Reza says, she didn’t get ball in, but she’s going to have a baby in nine months. Sara asks Sam not to sleep with Destiney, but he says, Destiney’s got game. Destiney sits next to Sam, and he says Sara was telling him not to flirt with her. She says, is he flirting? She thought they were having a conversation. In Reza’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what’s bothering Sara, but he’d rather his brother hook up with an acquaintance than a skank from Vegas. Sam says he’s going to have Destiney, and Reza tells Sara, this is happening. Destiney sits on Sam’s lap, and they kiss. Reza says the car is there, and Sam and Destiney hold hands on the way. Back at the hotel, Reza drags Sara into his and Adam’s suite, and Destiney and Sam get busy.

In Reza’s interview, he says it’s hard to think about the milestone moments in his life without his best friend by his side to celebrate. It makes him sad, and he wonders if this is a new chapter.

Next time, a cooking class turns sour. This season, MJ and Reza have it out, Destiney says enough is enough, GG doesn’t believe either one of them, Tommy gets out of hand, and GG gets knocked up.

⚰️ Bring Out Your Dead…

Too bad George Romero won’t be around to see this.

https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/286074/day-of-the-dead-tv-series-syfy

📇 Meanwhile, In the Interesting Facts Department…

Everything you wanted to know about Leap Year, but were afraid to ask.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/28/leap-year-next-one-12318364/

🧺 And He’s Practical Too…

If I squint, I can kind of see Gus as a home-ec teacher.

https://www.amc.com/shows/better-call-saul/video-extras/better-call-saul-how-to-iron-a-shirt

🤦🏻‍♀️ How Does It Happen…?

Friday, always so full of promise. Monday, hopes dashed again.