What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Carlson is a bloody mess in a tangle of the dead. Daryl stands there as troopers mark corpses. Daryl goes up to the roof, where, Lance is telling Aaron and Gabriel, this not a good look. It puts him in a tough spot. He wants to run through it again, just to make sure. So they walked into a tense firefight, where a bunch of crazed violent strangers killed all of his trained and armed soldiers, but not the one-armed guy and the priest? They escaped, called him, and here we are. That’s their story? Aaron says, that’s basically it, and Lance asks what Daryl thinks. Daryl says they’ve all been on the road a long time; they can handle themselves. If they say it happened, then it happened. Lance says he has another theory; hear him out. It doesn’t make sense for crazed violent strangers to leave them alive, unless they’re protecting those crazed violent strangers. Aaron asks if he’s calling them liars, and Gabriel says, Lance screwed up, and they barely survived. They’re not taking the fall for this. Lance says he’s not trying to ruffle any feathers. He’s just doing his job. At the end of the day, they want the same thing – justice. Aaron says, of course, and Lance tells the troopers, keep searching. There are still monsters on the loose, and they have to smoke them out… starting with Hilltop. They should at least know dangerous people might be headed their way. He tells Daryl, suit up, soldier, and Daryl looks at Aaron and Gabriel before following Lance back down.
The alarm clock goes off, and Princess tells Mercer that they’re pretty awesome at this sex thing. They’re both adults, and they’ve both had lots of sex. He says he loves listening to her talk, and she tells him, dude, these crack of dawn super soldier wake ups suck ass. He seems like he’s always awake. She thinks he’s part robot. He says, she’s got him. Beep-beep-beep. They kiss, and Princess asks, what’s the deal with his eyes being open all night; is it some kind of meditation thing? He says, maybe he’s basking in the afterglow. He sleeps fine. She says, it didn’t look like basking; more like stewing. He asks if she’s getting at something, and she says she’s just making sure he’s cool. He says he’s fine, and she says, cool, but if he needs to get anything off his chest, contrary to popular opinion, she’s good at listening. He tells her that he said he’s fine, and she says, message received; loud and clear. See? She’s good at listening. The alarm goes off again, and she says he’s going to be late for work. She turns over as he gets up, but she doesn’t go back to sleep.
Eugene lets Kelly and Connie into his apartment, apologizing for the early hour, but the discussion isn’t ready for public broadcast. Connie signs, and Kelly asks if he’s okay. It seemed urgent. He says, Rosita had a harrowing experience on the job. We see Rosita beside him, and he says, Connie being a truth telling newsperson, he thought Rosita should give her the deets. Rosita says, she and Daryl were forced by Sebastian and his cronies to steal some cash. They found a woman there, and found out it had been done before, but no one ever made it out alive. The authorities wanted them to stay quiet, but she thinks about that woman and what she went through. There are good people here, and they need to know the truth. Connie signs, and Kelly hands Rosita the paper that had been slipped under Connie’s door. She says, it’s a list of names, people who are ex-troopers. They tried to investigate it further, but kept hitting dead ends. She points out April Martens on the list, and says, that’s her, right? Rosita says, there are more names than people who were sent. Maybe the two things are related, but they need to know more. Connie signs, and Kelly says, if the Miltons are involved, they could keep those people locked up. They need inside access. Eugene says he might know someone who could provide that.
Carol sends Judith and RJ off to school, and RJ waves to Ezekiel. Ezekiel tells them, drink deep from the cup of knowledge and listen to their teachers. Carol tells him that he’s looking lively, and he says, losing a tumor the size of a grapefruit works wonders. He’s healing well. He’s been thinking about what she said about how he reacted. He never thanked her properly. She says he doesn’t have to, but he says he does. He can’t imagine the lengths she went to. He took her words to heart and he’s been doing something extra with the time he’s been given. He’d like to show her, but she says she can’t today; she’s swamped at work. He says, at the bakery? but she says, no, another job. It’s complicated. It all went sideways, and there are things she needs to figure out to fix it. It’s better he doesn’t know. Just trust her. He says he does trust her, more than anyone. You’d think this place would make life easier, but it feels like there’s more grey instead. Carol says, rain check? and he says, guaranteed. He’s getting healthy again. She’s stuck with him. She says she can live with that, and walks off.
Lance and his troopers come to a zombie conga line going across the road in the woods. Lance holds up his hand, signaling for them to stop, and tells Aaron and Gabriel to take care of it. He heard they can handle themselves. What’s the problem? They walk to the front, and Daryl goes with them. They approach the zombies, who are reforming into a group, and Aaron smashes the head right off of the first one with his mace hand. Gabriel slices the next one’s head in half diagonally, and Daryl shoots two with one bullet. Lance looks like he’s getting off on it, and when all the zombies are downed, Daryl says he saved Lance a bullet, and kicks a head over to him. Lance says, and barely broke a sweat. Nice. He tells the troopers, keep moving, and tells Daryl to put his helmet on. They keep walking, and arrive at Hilltop.
Ezekiel asks Tomi if it’s a bad time, and Tomi says, it’s not the best day, but lets him in. He asks if Ezekiel is feeling okay, but Ezekiel says, it’s about a friend who’s sick and can’t afford treatment. She needs a small procedure, and he was wondering if they could take care of it outside the system. Tomi asks what the procedure is, and Ezekiel says, an appendectomy. He has the necessary equipment, and has secured a sterile area, but they need some supplies. Tomi says, it’s risky, not just for the patient, but for everyone involved. Ezekiel says, she won’t change her mind, and they both understand the risks. He wouldn’t be approaching Tomi if this wasn’t their best option. Tomi says he lost a patient this morning, and that was here in a hospital, but Ezekiel says Tomi is the only one who can do this. Please.
At the town center, or whatever it is, loudspeakers tell everyone to do their part. If you see something, say something. Max sees Eugene and asks what he’s doing here. He tells her, what he needs to talk about required an immediate face-to-face, but he took precautions. He shows her the bag of groceries he’s carrying, and says he’s an ordinary delivery boy. They go to a supply room, and she says, he wants to her to steal secret files? They’re supposed to be staying out of trouble, not looking for it. Just when she thought things were finally going right. He says, Rosita was forced into a situation by Sebastian, and she says, this involved the Miltons? He says, so far, only the young psychopath. People have died, and more are missing. Her brother can corroborate it. He was there. A janitor comes in, and says, sorry, to interrupt, but Max says, the room is all his. She thanks Eugene, taking the bag and giving him a tip, and leaves.
At Hilltop, Lance looks up to see Maggie and Elijah on the wall, and says, good to see you. Maggie asks what he wants, and he says, there are killers on the loose. They’ve lost a lot of men, and he’s hunting them down and the Commonwealth property they stole. Maggie says she doesn’t know anything about it, and Lance says, then she wouldn’t mind if he has a quick look around… to rule them out… for the paperwork. She says she gave him her answer, and Lance looks pissed. He says something to a soldier, and Daryl walks up. He says Lance is going to get people killed if he forces his way in. Lance says he doesn’t have much choice, but Daryl says, let him talk to her. They go in, and nobody gets hurt. Deal? Daryl approaches, and Maggie says, it doesn’t have to be this way. He takes off his helmet, and says, yeah, it does. Nobody is leaving until they look around, but he promises it will be quick. She asks if he expects her to trust Lance, but he says he ain’t asking that. He’s asking her to trust him. She looks at Aaron and Gabriel, and the gate opens. The troopers go in, Daryl nods to Maggie.
Max asks Mercer, whose first name is apparently Mike, what’s going on? He asks her to be specific, and she says, Sebastian pulled a heist, and people went missing. He says it sounds like she already knows, but she says she wants to hear it from him. Why did he keep it from her? He works out with kettlebells while he’s talking, and he says, it’s none of her business. What does she want him to say? This place is not perfect? They’re lucky to be here? None of that sh*t is new. It’s part of his job. She asks if that makes everything okay, but he says, no. People lost their lives because he failed them. He missed it, and it’s his weight to carry, not hers. She says she’s not a little kid. He doesn’t need to play big brother. He tells her, says the girl who was almost caught on the radio a few months ago. He doesn’t want to fight with her. She says, then let her help, but he says, forget it; he fixed it. She says, what about Sebastian? How is it okay letting him walk free? He says, there are 50,000 other lives he’s got to think about. If he goes after Sebastian, what happens to them? Does she think they’re going to let that kind of insubordination slide? What if he disappears? Who keeps this place running? If the Commonwealth falls, more people will die. She says, not everyone views lives as acceptable losses, and he tells her to take it up with her boss. She says, the community listens to him; they look up to him. He says, he’s just a soldier, but she says, he could be more. He could change this place. Then again, maybe she’s just being naïve. Maybe he’s just a poser. She leaves, and he drops the weights he was lifting.
Ezekiel and Tomi get the supplies they need. A soldier goes by the door, and they duck out of sight. Tomi tells Ezekiel that the troopers should move on soon, and they can head to the loading dock. Ezekiel says, for a guy who was worried about coloring outside the lines, Tomi knows what he’s doing, and seems to be enjoying it. Tomi says he did his share of rebellion back in the day. This place has a way of lulling you, and you think, why upset the applecart? Lance says he’s keeping them safe, but is he protecting others or himself? They slip out, and as they round the corner, run straight into a trooper.
Lance uncovers a truck, and asks if it’s new. Maggie says she’s converting the engine, but it doesn’t run. He says, they found tire tracks near the ambush, and not many cars are running these days. Daryl tells him, if he has something to say, just say it, and Lance says, he comes from a long line of gearheads (which I find hard to believe). Does she mind? He looks under the hood, and says, it’s clean for a truck that just sits here; It looks good, and they left a lot of fuel here last time. He looks at something, and says, no wonder it won’t work. The starter relay is disconnected. He hooks it back up, and puts the hood down. He says, let’s test it out, and see if he has the magic touch. He gets in, and turns the key, but nothing happens. He tries a few times, and Maggie walks over to him, and says, you have until sundown. Then you and your people can be on your way. Lance looks at Daryl, who looks disgusted. Lance can’t figure it out.
Tomi and Ezekiel sit at a table, in custody. A trooper opens the door, and Carol comes in. She tells the trooper that she can handle them from here, and thanks him for his discretion. He leaves, and Ezekiel says he was hoping her new job had connections. Tomi asks if they’re screwed, but she says, don’t worry; she has it handled. Is Ezekiel trying to get into more trouble? Ezekiel says, not all trouble is bad trouble. Since he’s already pulled her out of work, what’s a few more minutes?
Ezekiel leads Carol through the animal stalls, and Tomi says, please tell him that his friend is human. Ezekiel goes to a structure that says, veterinary treatment, and inside is a clinic where people are waiting. Carol says, he really has been busy, and Ezekiel says he has a debt to repay. Tomi’s patient Theresa is in the back. They go into another area.
Mercer sees Princess in the hallway, and asks if she’s got a minute. She says, for him, she’s got two, and he says he wanted to apologize for earlier. This whole thing is new to him. Not the sex part, but …. us. She kisses him, and says, listen. She’s got a special sense when somebody is not okay. She’s had a lot of firsthand experience. She might put out a totally sexy carefree fun times vibe, but she can handle the heavy stuff… in case he ever needs it. He says, he killed two of his men and covered it up. He never thought he’d be that guy. That’s not how he was raised. He didn’t cross certain lines… until now. What’s really messing with his head and keeps him up is, he keeps thinking he’d do it again. He’s spent a long time trying to keep it together, be solid for everyone else. It’s all he knows, and he’s good at it, but maybe this place needs something else. Maybe he’s part of the problem. He’s tired. Princess kisses his hand, and suggests they go inside and figure it out together. He nods.
Herschel walks out of the graveyard, and sees Lance poking around behind a building. Lance says he doesn’t know if Herschel remembers him. He heard Herschel has an exciting life. Has he taken any exciting trips lately? Herschel doesn’t say anything, and Lance asks, how about his mom? The last thing Lance would want is for something to happen, especially to Herschel’s mom. He needs Herschel’s help. If he can get the truth, he can fix things. That’s what he does, but he can’t keep people safe if they keep secrets. Think hard. Is there anything Herschel wants to tell him? Herschel says he probably should get his mom, but Lance gets in front of him, and says, Herschel is a good kid. He’s a brave kid. The thing about good kids is, they deserve presents. He found this hat where bad things happened. He takes out Herschel’s baseball cap, and says, it would be a shame to let it go to waste. He puts it on Herschel, and says, he’ll be damned; a perfect fit. What are the odds? Elijah flies in out of nowhere, slamming Lance up against the building. There’s shouting, and the troopers run over, guns drawn, along with Maggie and Daryl, who also have their guns drawn. A trooper tells Elijah to release Lance or he’ll shoot, and Herschel tells Maggie that Lance said something bad was going to happen. Maggie tells Lance, plenty of others have made the mistake of threatening her family, and most of them are dead. Daryl tells Lance, he found nothing, so unless he wants to die for nothing, tell them to drop their guns before something really f***ing bad is going to happen. The F-bomb has officially been dropped by Daryl on sort-of network TV, and the Twitterverse goes wild. Lance says, sorry for the miscommunication, and they leave. BTW, closed captions actually spelled it out too.
Daryl, Aaron, and Gabriel sit around a fire in the woods, and Daryl says, they’re not going back to the Commonwealth. Lance is going to keep searching. Aaron says, if they can’t give him the killers, maybe they can find the guns and buy time. Something is about to go down. Daryl tells them to keep their eyes open. Lance tells a trooper to find something.
Carol says Ezekiel did good, and he says, Theo did most of the hard work, but he admits he feels special. After all they’ve been through, and as close as he came, he got a fresh start. It’s important to him that his friend knows how much he appreciates her. Carol says, it must feel good, and he asks, what’s going on? Carol says she was thinking about the world, and he says, that’s a big subject. Anything specific? She says, the years… the darkness… After everything, in the midst of everything, he’s there, glowing. The light suits him. Ezekiel says, it came from a spark that she helped him find. He says, the darkness is heavy. Some carry more than others, because they’re strong enough to hold the weight. They make the light; she makes the light. She says he knows they’re not getting back together, right? and he laughs. He says, she keeps saying that. Someone runs over, and tells Ezekiel that Theo says he needs to come back; Theresa’s appendix burst. Ezekiel and Carol run back to the makeshift OR, and Tomi puts Ezekiel on breathing duty. He sends Theo to get more antibiotics, and Carol puts in gauze when necessary. I find it amusing that, with all the gore on this show, I’m grossed out watching him do surgery. Tomi tells Ezekiel that he’s doing good, and says, they have to flush the cavity. He asks Carol for saline, and the next thing we know, he’s sewing Theresa up. He says they’ll know more in the next 24 hours, but it looks good. Ezekiel says, see? A small procedure. Nothing to worry about.
Max goes to Eugene’s apartment, and asks if they can talk. He says, he regrets his earlier ambush. It was mighty uncool of him. Max says, stuff is happening, and it’s bad. He tells her, it’s not his intention to put her in a tough spot. If this makes her uncomfortable… She says, it does; sneaking around when she’d hoped things were going back to normal. Maybe she’s not built for this, but she doesn’t thinks he has a choice. He says, of course she does. They can find another avenue. She says, that’s not what she meant. She has no choice because there is no back to normal. They know what they know, and because of that, things have to change. They can’t wait for someone else to step up and help. He takes her hand, and says he can promise her this. Whatever they find, whatever comes their way, she won’t be alone. He’ll be by her side, come hell or high water. Against all odds of the cosmos and humankind, they found each other. He was never more certain of anything. They kiss, and she says, so what does she need to steal?
In the woods, Leah loads bunch of guns, and sets them up in a semicircle. She goes inside a small tent, and closes it. Some troopers come by, and open the tent, but it’s empty, and the guns start shooting, hitting a couple of troopers. Lance says, he’s here to talk; hold your fire. He’s come long way to find her. She’s not easy to track down, and since she’s caused him more than a handful of trouble, at least hear what he has to say before she kills them. Leah comes out of the woods, her gun ready. She says, talk fast, and he says, his name is Lance Hornsby, and he’s here to offer her a job.
Next time, Maggie says, it’s not ending until she ends it; Aaron says, they’ll fight their way out; Lance says, Leah gets to scout for the woman who killed her family, and he gets to do his job without interference; and Leah suits up to go hunting.
⚰️ Dead Done…
Wrapping it up.
https://movieweb.com/the-walking-dead-wraps-for-the-last-time/
https://ew.com/tv/norman-reedus-commemorates-last-walking-dead-shoot/
👨👦 Stand Off…
Who knows? Maybe Negan and Herschel can have a spin-off.
https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-negan-hershel-rotten-core/
🦹🏼♂️ Dead But Not Forgotten…
You’re never really dead on Walking Dead. Or a soap opera.
https://ew.com/tv/samantha-morton-alpha-tales-of-the-walking-dead/
🕶 Hidden Agenda…
What’s really behind that friendly broker personality.
https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-trust-lance-hornsby-leah-angela-kang/
👢 Looking Fierce…
A look at Madison’s new look.
https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-kim-dickens-madison-clark-first-look-photo/
🤬 F-Dash-Dash-Dash…
I have to admit, I was startled. And it’s not like I don’t use it myself.
🛍 Bagging It Up…
See you tomorrow when it’s time for soap and to get Sailing. Until then, stay safe, stay slow to anger, and stay being the light, or at least helping to find the spark.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 