Tag Archives: science fiction

May29

May 28, 2023 – The Truth About PADRE & Dreaming

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

Madison opens her eyes to a zombie head wrapped in a burlap sack and cinched in a vise above her. She struggles to get up, but realizes she’s tied up and strapped down. A guard comes in and tells her, sorry about the sedative, but it was easier that way. Madison asks if they haven’t taken enough blood, but the guard says, they’ve moved beyond studying her blood. It will be easier if Blue Jay explains. June comes in, and Madison says, Naomi, but June says, that was a long time ago. So long, I forgot she was ever called that. The guard says, PADRE wants her back on the island, and to get Madison ready. Madison asks if June is one of them, but June says, not by choice. Madison wonders if June has been the one drawing her blood, but June says she didn’t even know Madison was alive. She’s done everything she can to put Shrike off. Madison asks, from what? What is Shrike going to do to her? June says, Shrike has ideas on how to cure Carrion bites based on Alicia surviving as long as she did. It’s probably why Shrike was collecting Madison’s blood. It might be something besides radiation, something hereditary. Madison asks if Shrike is right, but June thinks it’s too soon to tell. There’s a boy who’s been responding to the radiation, but it hasn’t even been a week. Madison looks at the head moving around in the bag, and wonders if she can ask June a favor. June says, anything, and Madison says, there’s a file with the names of the children she took; their real names, not the names PADRE gave them. She promised Mo that she’d track down the kids’ parents, but June says, everything she’s tried to do since being at PADRE has blown up in her face. Shrike radios, asking if Madison is ready, and June nods. The guard tells Shrike that she is, and June reminds Madison of how she saved them all when she was left at the stadium. She won’t leave Madison now. She’ll be with her until the end. Madison looks again at the zombie head.

12 years ago. A teenage girl (obviously Shrike when she was younger) and boy walk into a room, and the girl says, they shouldn’t be here. They check out a two-way mirror, when a voice on the loudspeaker asks what they’re doing in here. They’re about to run, when a man in uniform comes in. It’s their dad, and he says, they should have seen their faces. The boy says, the mirror is creepy, and the soldier says, it helps him with meetings. The girl says, he needs to get the mic fixed too, but the soldier says, Sergeant Brenner says it’s probably just a faulty wire. The girl asks if he really has to go today, and the soldier says he wants to show them something.

The girl looks through binoculars and the soldier tells her, it’s a middle-spotted woodpecker. When their mom gave him the binoculars, she said, it was so he’d always see what’s coming. When he saw that bird this morning, he felt like she was trying to tell him that they’d be okay here. These birds live in families, and cooperate to raise their young. If the birds can do it, so can they. A soldier asks if they should load up, calling the man General Kreddick. The general asks for a minute, and his daughter says she hates when he leaves the island, but he says, that’s the way they’re going to help people rebuild; the same way they did this place. Each shipping container is filled with supplies to rebuild. The boy says, it’s dangerous out there. LA and Atlanta were bombed. Kreddick says, they need to seed new communities, calling the boy Ben. The young woman asks how they even know there’s still people out there, and Kreddick asks if they remember Elias and Senator Vasquez. They made contact with Vasquez yesterday. He and his staff are beneath the Franklin Hotel in Galveston. They’re safe. Ben asks why Kreddick can’t stay on the island until it’s safer, but Kreddick says, they’ll never survive here cut off from the world. What will happen when their supplies run out if they don’t have trading partners; other communities to rely on? He promises they’ll be safe here, and tells them to use the code names he gave them if they communicate by radio; it’s for their safety. The boy says he’s Crane, right? and the girl asks why she has to be Shrike. Kreddick says, the shrike may be small, but it’s brutal when it needs to be. Doesn’t hesitate to take care of its family. He tells her to take care of her brother while he’s gone, and she salutes him. He hugs them, says he’ll see them soon, and leaves.

Shrike removes the burlap, revealing the zombie head, which is pretty disgusting, and says, after everything PADRE gave Madison, she betrayed him. This is how she’s going to make it up to him. And she won’t be alone. Nightingale is going to next to her, as soon as they can find him. Madison asks why PADRE is doing this, and Shrike says, for the same reason he does everything. To ensure what he’s built endures.

Running along some railroad tracks, Mo whacks a zombie, and Dove asks if she realizes how far they are from the rest of the group. Mo says she has to do this. They need to see what’s in the railroad car.

Shrike tells Madison, years from now, when people talk about how PADRE was able to stop infections from Carrion bites killing, they’ll remember today. Madison will be a hero.

Mo thinks Finch might be inside. He never came back from his surgery. Dove says, he’s recovering from his surgery, but Mo says, after Finch’s boat got attacked, PADRE sent guards after him. She checked the logs, and it said they went to an old railroad museum, but nothing is there. She thinks someone moved the train car here. Maybe PADRE isn’t telling them the truth. What if something bad happened in there? What if it’s still happening?

June asks to sedate Madison, but Shrike says, she brought PADRE plenty of pain. It’s time she felt a little herself. The head moves closer.

Mo bangs on the tracks with a sledgehammer, and tells Dove that they have to know what’s going on in there. A guard asks what they’re doing, and comes toward them, but they run off.

Madison yells as the head comes closer, when Mo pulls the plug. Shrike tells the guards to get her out of here. Now. As the guards come for Mo, June grabs Shrike’s gun and knocks her out with the butt. Mo yells for June to help, and June stabs the head, then cuts Madison’s bonds, saying, she owes Madison one. June shoots one of the guards, and Madison gets herself free, grabbing Mo, and ducking down with her behind a cabinet. She asks what Mo is doing here, and Mo says they have to get out of here so they can do what they said, but Madison tells her that she’ll never be able to get near the island after this. Mo says her dad can help, but Madison says, until he’s back, they’re on their own. June has a gun battle with the remaining guard, and finally shoots him in the head. Mo tells Madison that they just have to find the prefects, and get through to them the way Madison got through to her. If they do that, the other kids will follow. June gives Madison some oxygen, and Hawk radios Shrike, saying,  they’re done for the day. Shrike reaches for the radio, but Madison kicks it away. Dove comes in, aiming her gun, and tells them not to move. Shrike tells her to call the prefects and tell them to get more guards, but Mo says, don’t. She was going to kill Lark. Dove says, Lark deserves it, and Mo asks if Finch did. Shrike tells Dove not to listen to Mo, and Mo says, Shrike killed him, didn’t she? Shrike says she saved him, but June says, that is a lie. Mo asks where he is, and Shrike says, somewhere his parents can’t do him anymore harm. June says, Shrike is the reason Finch got bit, and Dove asks, what the hell is going on here? Shrike says, she’s ensuring what PADRE built, and ensuring they have a future. Madison asks if that’s what this looks like to Dove, when Hawk radios Dove, asking her location. Shrike tells her to let them know and tell them to get over here, but Madison says, don’t do it. PADRE lied to her about this. Think of what else he’s lied about. Her parents could still be out there and she can help find them. Dove says, they abandoned her because they couldn’t take care of her, but Madison says, that’s not true. Dove asks how she knows, and Madison says she’s the one who took Dove away from her parents. Dove asks their names and where Madison took her from, but Madison says she doesn’t know, but knows Dove’s face. The only one tricking her is PADRE. June says, that’s why PADRE kept this a secret, but they can change that. Madison says she just needs to get to the island. There’s a file there with the names of all the kids she took, and where she took them from. That’s how she can help Dove. That’s how she can help all the kids. Hawk radios again for Dove’s location, but she turns the radio off. She says she’ll help Madison get back to the island. She doesn’t care what’s in the file, but she cares about the truth, and wants to hear it from PADRE. Shrike asks how she’ll do that, and Dove says she can if Shrike helps her. Shrike asks why she would, and Dove holds her gun to Shrike’s head. Shrike says, if Dove kills her, he’ll do worse than she planned to do to Lark today. Dove asks, why is that? and Shrike says, because she’s PADRE’s daughter. They hear something outside.

Kreddick tells the other soldiers, let’s move out, and Shrike peaks out from her hiding place, telling Ben the coast is clear. She says, he shouldn’t be here, but he says he just wants to make sure she’s safe. He sees that their dad forgot his binoculars, and wants to take them to him; he won’t be able to see what’s coming without them. Shrike says, it’s just a superstition. He’ll be fine. Ben says, that’s what they said about mom, and tells her to get out of his way, but she says, no. He shoves her out of the way, and locks her in, using a tool to brace the door shut. He runs after their father.

As they leave the train car, Shrike says, Dove is making a big mistake. Whatever answer she’s looking for, it’s not that. A group comes out of the woods with guns, and a man tells them, hands up. A woman (Diane) says, tell them what they want and no one gets hurt, and Madison says, she knows them. They’re all parents, aren’t they? Diane looks at Dove, who asks what she’s looking at. Diane asks where their kids are. Where’s Adrian? Madison says she doesn’t know any Adrian, but June says, he was here, he’s dead. Diane says, he just wanted to find his daughter, and June says, he did, but she’s dead too. She died a long time ago. Shrike says, because of June, but June says, because of what Shrike made her do. Mo says, if they want to find their kids, Madison can help, but Diane says, she’s with PADRE. Mo says, not anymore. She’s changed. Dove says, PADRE lied to all of them. Shrike is his daughter. Maybe they can find out what else he’s lied about – together. Diane says they’ll wait for the Commander, and Dove asks who that is, when a man tells them, turn around. Madison says, Daniel? and he says, Madison… and June. June says, he’s alive. Diane says, he knows these people? and he says, give them back their weapons. It seems they all have nine lives. Madison says, they’re going to need them.

Walking through the woods, Madison takes more oxygen, Daniel says he often considered the possibility of Madison being alive, but not like this. Madison says she’s not proud of what she did. She just wants a chance to make it right. He says, you and me both. Maybe they can help each other. He’s been looking for that damn island for years. If what she’s telling them is correct, she may be the best and only shot for these folks to get their children back from PADRE. She asks how he wound up with them, and he says, seven years ago, Morgan told PADRE they were out here, and PADRE found them. They brought everyone to a ship to assess them before deciding where they were going to be sent according to their skills and usefulness. Some went to the mainland, some went to the island; others, he doesn’t know where they went. PADRE thought he was too old to be of any use, so they dumped him in the swamp. Madison says she’s sorry, and Daniel says, PADRE was right about one thing, he is old. But PADRE was wrong about everything else. Being old doesn’t mean to be useless. He could take care of himself. So could everyone in the group, except for Charlie. She asks, what happened to Charlie? and he says, Morgan didn’t tell her? She says, Morgan didn’t get to tell her much before PADRE figured out what they were up to and separated them. He says, Charlie became very sick. She was like a daughter to him by then, and he promised he’d stay with her to the end, so she didn’t have to die alone. Like Ofelia. He broke his promise. He wasn’t there for her. He wasn’t there for Luciana either. She says she’s sorry, and knows Morgan would be too, and he says he had no purpose. Then he found these folks; this angry, desperate group of people in search of their kidnapped children. It gave him a purpose. He organized and trained them, and made them into an army. They’re strong and getting stronger, because there’s more of them out there. He lost his family, but he’s going to fight to help them get back theirs. She says, maybe he hasn’t lost all of his family. The files. There’s not just the kids in there. Luciana, Charlie, maybe he can find out what happened to them.

Dove says, maybe they can use the transport boat to get back to the island, and Shrike asks if she’s sure she wants to go down this road. Daniel suggests Shrike stop asking questions and start answering some, and Madison says, like who else knows she’s PADRE’s daughter? Shrike says, not many, and Daniel asks why her father separates children from their parents, but doesn’t do the same to himself. Shrike says, they don’t get it, but Madison says, they do. He’s an a-hole, like every other a-hole who runs places like this. Shrike says, he’s not. PADRE believes in the way the place is run and how they do things; he has for a very long time. Madison says, that makes no sense, and June says, she’s right. Why are they killing people for an experiment that will never pay off? Shrike says, it will pay off. Look at Finch. Madison asks, what happened to Shrike’s father? Why’d he build a place like this? Dove says, they’ve got to go, and Diane asks where Dove came from before PADRE, but Dove doesn’t know. Why does she care? Diane asks if Dove knows her, but Dove says she’s never seen the woman before. A bunch of guys from PADRE come out with guns, and one says, move away from the boat now. Madison says, they don’t understand. Shrike is PADRE’s daughter. They’ve been lied to. Daniel says, PADRE has been ripping families apart, yet kept his daughter by his side all this time. Mo says, it’s true, calling the guy Hawk. PADRE’s been lying to them all this time. Shrike suggests they focus more on getting her out of there, and Hawk says, Mo and Dove don’t have to go along with this anymore. Dove says, they’re going to the island, and Mo says, they’re going to get some answers from PADRE. Hawk asks who they are to question PADRE, and Dove says, it’s not just her. She’s seen some sh*t today. On the train. PADRE has a lot to explain. He says, she’s not thinking straight, and Daniel tells Hawk, the same could be said for him. All these people have lost children to PADRE. Maybe they could find Hawk’s parents. Hawk says, their parents abandoned them, but Diane says, we didn’t. We’ve been fighting this whole time. Daniel suggests Hawk’s group join them; fight alongside them. Hawk tells Dove to just hand her over, but Dove says, no. He says, maybe she’ll listen to PADRE, and takes out his radio, but Madison goes behind Shrike (who I keep wanting to call Shrek) and grabs her, holding a knife to her throat. She says, they can’t wait any longer. If PADRE knows they’re coming, they’ll destroy the files. Hawk asks, what files? and Madison says, the ones that say where Dove came from; who her parents are. Who all their parents are. Hawk says, they’ll make sure she never gets it. They’re not getting on that boat. Daniel says, they’re going to have to go through them, but Hawk asks if Daniel doesn’t think he’d shoot an old man. Mo stands in front of Daniel, and says, he might, but would he shoot her? Daniel says, they’ll hold them off, and tells Madison to go, but she says she’s not leaving Mo. Mo tells her, get that file. If Madison can show Dove the truth, the rest of the kids will follow. Go. June, Dove, Shrike, and Madison get on the boat, and Madison drives it away.

Ben runs through a container yard, yelling for his dad, while Sam/Shrike frees herself from the boat. She runs after him, calling his name, but it’s like a container maze, and she hits a dead end. She sees a container with DEAD HERE spray painted on it, reminiscent of the DEAD INSIDE sign Rick saw in the first Walking Dead episode. She hears Ben yelling for help, and zombies growling. A couple of them have cornered Ben, and more come and surround him. Shrike calls his name.

Finch sits in an interrogation room, and over the intercom, PADRE says he thinks it’s time Finch told them where he’s been. Finch asks what he means, and PADRE says, he was bit, but he’s still here. Healthy. Thriving. Finch asks where Red Kite is, and Starling, and PADRE says, they’ve been reassigned. Somewhere they can’t cause him any more harm. Finch says, they saved him, but PADRE says, they saved him. Over the radio, a man says, they have a situation, and the guard asks, what kind of situation? Madison says, they have his daughter. How about telling their guards to stand aside so they can have a chat? Shrike tells Madison not to do this, but Madison says, time to stop hiding behind the mirror and tell the truth. Shrike says, he doesn’t have to answer for anything, but Madison says, yes, he does. Every kid wants to know why they were ripped away from their parents, but he wouldn’t do the same with his own daughter. Over the radio, Daniel tells Madison that they got away and asks if Dove is still with her. One of their people thinks she might be Dove’s mother. He hands the radio to Diane, who says she didn’t think it was possible, but a mother knows. Shrike says, don’t fall for this crap, and Diane says, Dove’s name is Alex, and she was taken outside Baton Rouge years ago. She thinks it was that woman, Lark. She searched for so long. She sang You Are My Sunshine as they took Alex away. She never stopped looking. Shrike says, this woman is just trying to get into Dove’s head, but Madison says, stop lying to her. Shrike says she’s not lying, and Madison says, there’s one way to find out. Dove’s file. They want it. Shrike says she’s making a mistake, but Madison says, do it, or she tells everyone here who Shrike really is. PADRE says, give her what she wants, and Madison tells Dove that she’s about to get the answers she came here for.

Inside, a guard plops a box on the table, and Shrike says, there’s something Dove needs to understand before she sees that file. Madison asks, what’s that? They already know this place is built on a lie. Shrike says, it’s not what they think. It’s the only way to protect them from what happened here before. Madison asks PADRE, what happened before? but he says he doesn’t answer to her. She tells him, he always says he never lost a kid, but she doesn’t know if that’s true. Who did they lose?

Ben is totally hemmed in, whimpering, as Sam watches. There’s gunshots, and the zombies drop. Kreddick asks what they’re doing here, and Ben throws his arms around his father. Ben gives him the binoculars, saying, he forgot these, and Kreddick says, he has to get them out of here. The shipyard’s a pool of the dead. More zombies show up, and Kreddick shoots, but runs out of ammunition. The three of them take off.

Madison asks again, what happened here?

Kreddick says, they have to get back to the boat, but zombies are coming out of everywhere, and they’re completely trapped.

Shrike says, Madison is never going to get her father to admit to anything. Madison says, why is that? and picks up a sledgehammer she conveniently found on the way in.

Kreddick shoves the closest zombie away, and gives Shrike a boost to the top of a container. He shoves more zombies, and boosts Ben up.

Madison asks why he won’t answer them.

Ben reaches down, and Kreddick takes his hand, but they slip apart. The zombies start to feed on Kreddick, and he tells Ben, don’t let this die. It’s too important.

Madison smashes the two-way mirror with the sledgehammer.

Kreddick – who, to his credit, is taking this like a champ – says he loves them both. Ben and Shrike watch as the zombies envelop him, and a single tear rolls down Shrike’s cheek.

Madison sees Ben behind the mirror.

Kreddick goes down in a sea of zombies, as Ben cries.

Shrike says, her father can’t answer Madison because her father is dead. She and her brother lost him a long time ago. Dove wanted to ask PADRE for the truth. Go ahead. Ask them. They are PADRE.

Shrike watches the zombies mill around, her father now one of them.

Madison asks how this went from what their father was doing to what they’re doing now. Shrike says, they didn’t know how to go on.

Still on top of a container, Ben brings out a gun and says he found it inside. Shrike takes it, and in a voiceover, she says, what did they even have to go on for? In the past, a guy over the radio Shrike is holding asks if PADRE 1 copies.

Shrike says, but then the universe answered, and Ben says, it was one of the kids from the island. He wanted to know what happened to his parents. They all did. Shrike says, they knew what it would do to the kids if they knew their parents died; how it would break them. Madison says, so they lied, and Shrike says, they told them that their parents abandoned them. Their parents knew they couldn’t take care of them, so they fled. Madison says, and they believed it? and Ben says, their parents left and never came back. What else were they supposed to think? Shrike says, they told the kids that they’d face this new world together without their parents; that they’d be better for it. Madison says, and the shipyard? Those containers? Shrike says, their father died protecting what was inside. They made sure it stayed that way. Madison asks, how? but Ben says, it doesn’t concern her. June asks how they recruited adults. They were just a bunch of kids. Ben says, it was easy. They made them believe he was still here, and they kept on believing it. Dove asks why they lied, and Shrike says, to protect them. Dove asks, from what? and Shrike says, open it. It’s what she wanted. Madison looks through the files until she finds the one for Dove. Shrike says, go on. Tell Dove who she is. Madison sees that her name was Odessa and her mother was Ava Sanderson. She flashes back to Ava saying, she cried when Madison pulled Odessa away from her on the beach. Madison says, no, and Dove asks, what’s wrong? Shrike says, go on. She deserves the truth. Madison says, her name is Odessa, and Dove says, her parents? Madison says she knew Dove’s mother. Her name was Ava. Shrike asks, what happened to Ava? and Madison flashes back to killing zombie Ava. Madison says, she died, and Shrike asks, how? Madison says, she was trying to take Dove back from PADRE, and Shrike asks, who made her believe that was possible? Madison flashes back to telling Ava that they can help her and her baby, and Dove says, her mother is dead because of Madison? She slams Madison up against the wall, and June tells her, no. Dove says, Madison made her believe in something more, and puts her gun to Madison’s head. Shrike says, let her go, but Dove says, she needs to pay for this. Shrike says, she will, but not this way, and Ben radios the guards, telling Dove to stand down. The guards come in, and Madison asks what Shrike is going to do now. Shrike says, they’re going to continue what they started on the train, and June says, like hell they are, but Ben says she doesn’t have a choice. She says, he’s a monster, but Shrike says, she and her brother are protecting these kids from the worst pain of all; the pain of losing a parent. Madison asks what that has to do with the train. The experiments? Ben says, as long as the world is the way it is, children will continue to experience unimaginable loss, but if there’s a cure, that would change everything. Seriously? No one has thought of that before this? Shrike says, they can go back to family, to connection. But in the meantime, they’re going to protect these kids the way they always have. She holds out the microphone to Madison and asks if she wants to tell the kids she rescued the truth. Go ahead. Let the whole island hear… That’s what she thought. The guard takes Madison and June, and Dove leaves with Shrike.

June, Madison, and Dove are on a boat with two guards, Shrike driving. Madison asks what Nick and Alicia were like, and June says she doesn’t think Madison would have recognized them. The boat stops, and Dove says, let’s go. They start to walk through the woods, when Daniel, Mo, and company come out. Daniel says, they’ve got to stop meeting like this. The guards draw their guns, but Daniel says, let their people go, and they’ll walk away. No one has to get hurt. They’ve got another 12 soldiers deep in the woods, and they’ve got their prefects. Shrike says, they wouldn’t, but Daniel asks if she wants to take that chance. Shrike signals the guards, who lower their weapons, and some of Daniel’s group disarm everyone. Diane says, Alex? but Dove says, that’s not her name, and Diane isn’t her mother. Her mother’s dead. Because of Madison. June says, Dove can still have a family, even if it’s not who she thought. She said Madison made her believe in something more. That’s still there. Come with them. Dove doesn’t say anything, and Shrike says, looks like she made her choice. And every other kid on that island is going to make the same one. Remember that. Mo says, no, they won’t, and Madison tells Daniel that she’s sorry. Diane says, this was a mistake; she can’t help them. Daniel says, yes, she can, but Madison says, she’s right. Those kids are never going to follow her; not after everything she’s done. Diane says, not just them, and Madison says she’s not the leader they need. But she thinks she knows who might be. Mo asks, who’s that? and Madison says, your father. They walk off, leaving Shrike and Dove on the path.

Zombies growl behind a metal fence, as Shrike watches them. She asks if Crane copies. He says he does, and she says, he was supposed to meet her. Ben says, after what happened, being out in the open doesn’t seem like a good idea, but she says, they’ve got a bigger problem. The parents know where the island is, which means it’s only a matter of time until they get here. Ben looks at an old photo of him, Shrike, and their father, and says, they’ll destroy everything they’ve built. She says, not if they’re not here. It doesn’t matter if they know who they are. What matters is that what they’ve built survives. He asks how they’re going to do that, and she says, by expanding. They’re going to do what dad said. Ben says, there are thousands of Carrion in that shipyard. Carrion they put there to protect what’s inside. She says, they taught the kids to fight for a reason. It’s time the kids showed them what they’ve learned.

We see tons of zombies in the shipyard.

Next time, Dwight tells Morgan that there’s nowhere to go; Morgan says, they’re trying to burn them out; Mo calls to her dad for help; and Grace says, they’ll kill him if he doesn’t tell them what happened.

🧟‍♀️ Don’t Be a Stranger…

Stop by tomorrow for what’s on Deck, and smack talk about awful people reuniting and talking smack about each other. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering those we’ve lost in service to our country on Memorial Day, and stay knowing that if you ask for the truth, it might not be what you think it is, or what you want to hear.

May22

May 21, 2023 – A Train Full Of Zombie Experiments & Space

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

June tacks up signs on the trees that say: Turn Back. PADRE will take your children; PADRE is a lie – turn back. She stabs a zombie in the head, and keeps walking. She sees someone wrote, They took my daughter. Please help, on one of the signs. She hears someone contact Warbler on the radio, saying they have a lead on an egg; it might be a mess. Using binoculars, she sees a boat come through the canal or whatever it is. She shoots the two people in the boat with tranquilizing darts. Using surgical tools and skills, she cuts their index fingers off and sets the boat free. Back at her cabin, she puts the fingers in a jar, and hears Warbler say, they’ve been hit. That a-hole got us. When he finds that son of a bitch., he’s going to cut off both his hands. I love how he assumes it’s a man.

Walking in the woods, June sees another message written on one of her signs: Who are you? Where can I find you? She looks at an old billboard that says Coastal Railroad Museum, and on the radio, a woman says, PADRE 3; rescue complete. A man responds, en route to you now.

June deposits more fingers in the jar, when a man comes to the cabin. He says he just wants to talk, but June draws her gun. She asks how he found this place, and he says he followed her. He’s the one whose been writing on the signs. His name is Adrian, and he needs her help. The Collectors took his daughter Hannah from him a few years ago. June says she doesn’t know Hannah, and he says, but June knows PADRE, and he knows she can help him. He tells her to ask whatever she wants, but she says she doesn’t want to get to know him; she doesn’t want to know anybody. He asks what they did to her. Did they take her kid? Did she take kids for them? She tells him, get out and don’t come back, but he shows her Hannah’s picture, and says, it was taken when she was 7; she’d be 12 now. He shows her a friendship bracelet he’s wearing, and says, Hannah made one for each of them. She says she can’t help him, but he says he’ll be back every day. There are a lot of like-minded people who could help with what she’s doing. They’re forming an army to take PADRE. She tells him that if she sees him here again, she’ll kill him, but he says he thinks she’s just trying to scare him. She says, if PADRE’s had his daughter this long, he’s not getting her back. They use the people you care about the most against you. He says he’s not going to stop looking. She can either kill him or help him, but he’s not giving up. She backs him out the door, and shuts it, but he says, they know who she is now, and he’s not giving up.

June looks at the photo of Hannah that Adrian left, and packs a bag, including the jar of fingers. She leaves the photo behind.

June tranquilizes three more people in another boat, and is about to collect more fingers, but she unmasks one of them, and it’s Dwight. She unmasks another, and sees it’s Sherry. She says, sh*t. She hears a gun cock, and a boy tells her not to move. June says she didn’t know there were kids on board, and the boy says he hid under the tarp. He tells her that he’s going to call PADRE, and picks up a radio. He says, PADRE 2; we got attacked. A man addresses the boy as Finch, and asks, where’s Whistler? Finch says, dead; she killed him. He asks about Red Kite and Starling, and Finch says, she knocked them out. He asks the location, when Dwight and Sherry start to come around. June grabs the radio, and Finch accidently shoots the boat, which deflates. Dwight asks if that’s June, and Finch says, she shot them. She was trying to steal their boat. Sherry says, June’s the one who’s been cutting people’s fingers off, and Dwight snatches her tool roll from her. Finch wonders why June is calling Red Kite Dwight, and asks if she used to be at PADRE. Dwight tells her that they think Finch has appendicitis, and needs surgery. She asks why he doesn’t take Finch to the clinic, and he asks where she thinks they were headed. The man comes on the radio again, and Finch tells Dwight to tell them where they are, but he says, no. June is a nurse, and is going to help him. Sherry says, his appendix could burst by the time they get him to the clinic on foot, but June says she doesn’t have the equipment. Dwight says, she’ll have to figure it out, and June asks, why is that? He says, if she doesn’t, he’s telling PADRE who’s been cutting off his Collector’s fingers. June says she just wanted to leave, and Sherry asks, why? June says, it wasn’t safe for her anymore, and Dwight asks Finch to step away for a bit, giving the boy an oar in case he sees Carrion, and reminding him to aim for the eyes. Sherry wonders what happened to June, and says, if she does the surgery, they’ll get her a boat, and she can go wherever the hell she wants. PADRE will never know it was her. June says, Finch is their kid, isn’t he? The one Sherry was pregnant with when they were found on the rafts. Sherry says, PADRE doesn’t know Dwight is his father. Dwight teaches all the kids combat, and she’s in the nursery. Finch doesn’t know he’s their kid. Dwight says, they’ve been following PADRE’s rules, and Sherry says, once the surgery’s done, they’ll take Finch back, and no one will be the wiser. June says she knows where they can do the surgery, but they can’t ask any questions. She’ll take them there and do the surgery, then they have to keep up their end of the bargain and get her the boat. Sherry promises they will.

They go into a railroad car that looks less than sterile, and see a zombie head in a clamp. Dwight asks if June is sure it’s safe, and she stabs the zombie head, saying, it is now. She turns on some machines, and preps Finch for surgery. Finch asks if it will hurt, but Sherry says, he won’t feel a thing, and when he wakes up, he’ll feel better. Sherry finds a binder that contains studies on people who have turned, and asks June, what is this; who are these people? June says, the deal was no questions, but Sherry says, the deal’s changed. Dwight says, she’s got to give them something, when they hear the cock of a gun. It’s Adrian, and he asks who the kid is. June says she’s trying to help him, and Adrian says, two Collectors from PADRE? June says, it’s not what he thinks, and he says, PADRE has his daughter Hannah. Sherry says, maybe they can help him, and Dwight says, this doesn’t have to end in a fight. He’s sure she’s fine. PADRE hasn’t lost a kid yet. If Adrian can tell him what she looks like, maybe they can figure out something. A man asks Adrian’s location on the radio, and while he’s distracted, Dwight reaches for the gun. It goes off, hitting a wall. Outside, zombies gather. Dwight holds a gun on Adrian, and crushes the radio under his foot. Adrian says, there’s lots of more of them, and they can’t be stopped. They won’t let them hurt any more kids. Dwight says, they brought him here to save his life, and June says, they have a problem. The bullet hit the control panel, and she can’t do surgery without power. Finch cries out in pain, and June says, there’s an emergency override in the back of the train. They can have power if it’s turned on. Dwight says he’ll go, and gives Sherry the gun. June says, he can’t walk through the train; it’s full of the dead. She used to work here. It was off the books. PADRE didn’t want anyone to know about the experiments they were doing. Sherry asks if they’re the ones in the binder, and June says, the woman in the photos is Shrike. PADRE wanted her to find a way to stop the effect of walker bites. She had an idea; a treatment. Radiation. It was slow and painful. It was worse than dying from the bites. PADRE tried to force June to administer the treatments. She couldn’t do it, so she ran. Sherry says, they have to get to the back of the train. Dwight looks up, seeing a trapdoor, and says he doesn’t think they have to.

Adrian tells June that he’s sorry, and she says she told him to stay away. He says, if he had, he wouldn’t have seen this place. It shows she knows more about PADRE than she let on. She says she can’t help him, and he says, can’t, or won’t? Her attacks aren’t stopping them. She’s barely slowing them down. If she wants to do something, help him find Hannah, or help the boy and get him out before those Collectors bring him back to PADRE. She says she can’t, and he says, she told him PADRE uses the people you care about against you. He’s sorry for what happened to her, but if she never gets close to anyone again, what’s she living for? The electricity comes back on, and Dwight radios, asking how Finch is. June says, he’s still sleeping, but the medication won’t last much longer. Dwight and Sherry climb to the top of the train, and Dwight asks Sherry, what’s wrong? She says, seeing Finch and hearing him call her honey. She can’t snap back to the way things used to be. They made a choice when they were picked up on the rafts. They’d play by PADRE’s rules because they thought it was the safest place for their son. After what she’s seen today, she can’t bring Finch back here. It doesn’t feel safe. June knows all of PADRE’s collecting grounds and all the places he would look. They’ll find a place, and once they’re settled, they’ll find a way to let everyone know the truth about PADRE. He asks if they can really be a family, and she says, they can. She saw it earlier. They can do this. He kisses her, and they fall through the roof of the train into a car. June radios, asking, what happened? The car is full of zombies, and Dwight shoots some of them, then he and Sherry climb up onto a luggage rack. He tells June that they fell into a car of walkers like he’s never seen. She tells them to stay where they are. She’s on her way, but he says, it’s too risky. He doesn’t have nearly enough ammo. June says she’ll figure it out, but he says, no. Finch needs her for the operation. If they don’t make it back, promise him that she’ll take care of Finch. She tells him, stay put; she’s coming. Adrian asks what she’s doing, and she says, they have to survive for Finch. He asks if she’s doing this because it’s what’s best for Finch, or because she’s afraid she’ll have to take care of him, and she draws her gun, telling him, don’t follow her.

June walks through a car where there are shelves containing jars of zombie heads, and chained up zombies who snap at her as she goes by. She says she’s so sorry, and keeps walking. The door to the next car is padlocked, and the zombies start to break free since the pipes they’re chained to are pretty beat. She starts to shoot them, falls, and the gun goes flying. She fends them off as best she can, but luckily, Adrian didn’t listen to her, and comes in, stabbing them in the head. She says she told him not to follow her, and picks up her gun. He says, good thing he didn’t listen, but she says, he should have. He says, they’re a lot alike. The only difference is, he still has someone to live for. She has to find hers. Like he told her, there are more people like them. Together, they can take down PADRE. She says she can’t help him, but he says he’s not doing it for himself; he’s doing it for Hannah. He’s going to find her whether June helps him or not. And when he does, he wants her to see that her father isn’t who PADRE says he is. They should keep moving. Finch appears with his oar, and says he’s coming with them. June says, it’s too dangerous, but Finch says he can handle the Carrion; Red Kite taught him how.

The zombies start reaching through the rungs on the luggage rack, when June comes in shooting. Finch gets one with an oar, and asks, how was that? Dwight says, that was good, kid, and Adrian and June stab the last of the zombies. Sherry asks what Finch is doing here, and he says he’s going to tell PADRE how he fought the Carrion, but Sherry says, they’re not going back to PADRE. Dwight says, they want what’s best for Finch, and it’s not there. Sherry nods, and Dwight says, they’re his parents. Finch says, they’re not, no, and Sherry tells him that she knows it’s a lot to take in right now, but she promises they’ll figure it out as a family. Finch doubles over in pain, and June says, they should get him back to the operating room. They start to move forward, and Adrian turns around, seeing a child zombie through the door window. He says, no. Hannah. He grabs June, and says, that’s why she wouldn’t help him; she knew. June killed her. June says she tried to save her. She treated Hannah for asthma when she first came to PADRE. She was just a scared kid. She missed her dad. She reminded June of her own daughter, and June wanted to take care of her and make her feel safe. Adrian says, she’s a liar, and June says, then she went out on a scout. She went off-island and got bit. It was on her back, and June couldn’t amputate, but she had to do something. He asks if Shrike put Hannah through treatment, but June says, it wasn’t Shrike’s treatment; it was hers. She saw someone survive a bite longer than anyone she’d ever seen. She’d been exposed to radiation, so June thought, if it worked for her, it might work for Hannah. She gave Hannah radiotherapy using equipment salvaged from the hospital. It stopped the infection, but the amount of radiation it took made things worse for her, and June wanted to end her suffering. Adrian asks why she didn’t, and June says, Shrike wouldn’t let her. Shrike wanted to let Hannah turn so she could study her. See how long it took. Adrian says, and June let her? but June says she didn’t have a choice. Shrike held a gun on her, and said, as long as her finger was on the trigger, June had to keep the experiments going or other people would pay the price. That’s how this whole place happened, because she tried to save someone she cared about. Other people suffered as a result, so she made sure Shrike couldn’t do to anyone else what she did to her, and she took Shrike’s trigger finger. June knew they couldn’t do the experiments without her, and knew as long as she stayed away from here, away from people, no one else she cared about could get hurt. Adrian lets June go, and looks at zombie Hannah, saying, she was all he had left. He understands now why June wants to be alone. He walks up to the window and puts his hand on the pane. He opens the door and goes in, and June says, no! He holds Hannah, telling her that he’s got her, and the zombies close in on him. The others look away.

June stitches up Finch, and says, he’s stable. He should be awake soon. Dwight thanks her, and she says she held up her end of the deal. They should arrange for that boat. He says, they will, but when it comes, they want to all get in it together. June says, that wasn’t the deal, but Sherry says, things changed. June says, for who? and Sherry says, when Finch wakes up, they want to take him away from this place. Dwight says, they want to try and be a family, and she asks what it has to do with her. He says, she’s family, and Sherry says, they understand why June chose to be on her own, but they can’t let her end up like Adrian. Dwight says, someone who doesn’t have anybody to live for. He told her before, he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her and John. He has a family because of that, and wants her to be a part of it. That is, if she wants to. She says, okay. Adrian saved her so she could find someone to live for, but she needs to put Adrian and Hannah to rest first. They’ve suffered enough. As she’s about to walk into the next car, a couple of PADRE people come in with guns, and steampunk woman says, hello, Blue Jay. June is knocked out.

Steampunk woman says, oh good; June is coming around. June asks how she found her, and steampunk woman says, they figured it was her as soon as the Collectors started showing up without to the island without fingers. She holds up her hand, missing an index finger, and even though she doesn’t say it, we know she’s Shrike. Shrike says, no one else could be so precise. When they heard the boat that was missing had a kid who needed surgery on board, she knew June would come here. Dwight asks, what’s going on? and Shrike says she assumes Blue Jay told them what this place was; how much promise it had. Sherry asks if that’s what she calls murdering people, but Shrike says, they were about saving lives. Dwight says, she’s full of sh*t, but she says, he’s the one who lied to PADRE about what they were doing today. He says he brought Finch here to keep him safe from a-holes like her, but she says, no one wants the children safe more than PADRE. They created this place so the children would be safe from Carrion. But Blue Jay ran off before she could perfect the cure. June says, everyone she tried it on died, and Shrike says, that was then. She has faith June will get it right this time. PADRE’s got something big and expansive planned. He wants these children to be as safe as they can be. June needs to pick up where she left off. June says she won’t do it, but Shrike says, she just needs a little motivation. One of the men grabs June, pulling her to the side, and another brings in Adrian’s snapping head, putting it in the vise, and pushing it closer to a sleeping Finch. Dwight and Sherry get up, saying, hey, stop it! Sherry yells for Finch to wake up, and Shrike presses a button. The head moves closer to Finch, and June launches herself toward it, but Shrike pulls her back. Dwight and Sherry continue to yell, and the head bites Finch’s shoulder. Sherry cries, and Shrike makes the vise reverse. Dwight says he’s going to kill her, and she asks why he would do that. She’s the only one who can save his life… Well, they are. She tells the men to get them out of here, and they take Dwight and Sherry out; Sherry wailing, and Dwight threatening to kill Shrike. Shrike tells June that she’d better get to work. She’s got a lot to catch up on. They’ve got new patients on their way at this very moment. There’s just one thing they have to do first. They have to make sure that Blue Jay can never hurt them. She cuts off June’s finger, and June screams.

Morgan rides in the back of a truck with Madison, and she asks if he knows where they’re being taken. He says, her guess is as good as his, and she asks why he doesn’t think he can be the person Mo needs him to be. What the hell happened? What’s holding him back? They may not be alive long enough for her to pass judgement on him. He says he keeps thinking about a thing he did – actually, a thing he didn’t do – a long time ago. She asks, what? and he says, it doesn’t matter. She asks if he can fix it, but he says, not the worst of it, no. She says, some of it? and he says, maybe. She asks what the hell he’s doing here. Mo needs him. He needs to do whatever it takes so he can move forward. He says he’s not exactly in a position where he can call the shots, and Madison starts to cough. She falls off the bench, onto the floor, and Morgan yells for the driver to pull over. She can’t breathe. A man comes back, and pulls Madison back on the bench. Another man says, get her a tank, and as he’s reaching to get one, Madison rushes both of them, and shoves them out the back door, tumbling out with them. She yells for Morgan to go, as one of the men grabs her. Morgan takes off into the woods, and she yells, do what you need to do!

Next time, Madison gets the zombie head in her face; a fight on the train; Daniel returns; and Madison says, it’s time to tell the truth.

🐷 That’s All Folks…

See you tomorrow for the usual. Stay safe, sane, and as serene as you can.

May15

May 14, 2023 – Bringing In the Fear & Happy Mother’s Day

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What I Watched Today

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

Since it was the premiere, I figured I’d throw in a quickie.

Fear the Walking Dead

Morgan made it to Padre, but not the way he wanted to. More than a place, Padre is also a dude. Morgan sat in an interrogation room, Madison leaning against the wall. Speaking over an intercom, Padre said they wanted Morgan to be a collector, and a steampunkish woman put a baby monitor on the table. A baby started crying, and Morgan wondered why the parents weren’t brought in, but Padre said, the parents didn’t want to build something better, but wanted to rebuild what they’d had, but they couldn’t. Morgan said, someone should comfort her, but Padre said, she’d do what the other children did to survive; separate herself from her emotions. Morgan said she sounded scared. Knowing it must be Mo, he said, let him take his daughter and go, but Padre said, they were doing what was best for her, not Morgan. Morgan jumped up, knocking out a guard and grabbing a gun. He accused Madison of being with Padre, but Madison joined him, saying she was going to do what she said she was. He asked if she was sure, and she said there was nothing worse they could do to her than what she was already living.

In (at?) Padre, we were introduced to Dove and Wren, who were about 15 and 8 respectively. Wren put on protective clothing and went into a ring to fight a zombie. She had some flashbacks of zombies in a swamp, and froze, the zombie getting the better of her. She called to Dove for help, and after rescuing her, Dove said Wren was too young for this. Wren insisted she just needed some training, and offered to do Dove’s chores in return. In the city, some kind of troop or scout leader shouted things like, who sustains our way of life? Who is teaching us to be strong? after which, the group said, Padre! Madison was being kept in a cell in the basement, which looked pretty bleak. The door had a dirty, round window, and one of those slots they feed prisoners through. Wren brought down an oxygen tank, and Madison called her closer. When Wren opened the slot, Madison tried to grab her, and she ran. Later, while Madison was putting lines on the wall to mark the days, steampunk woman came in, saying, it was that time of the week. She gave Madison a shot in an arm scarred with previous shots, and Madison grabbed her gun. Putting it in her mouth, Madison tried to shoot herself, but the woman said there was no ammunition in it. She sedated Madison, and said, they knew what Madison wanted was to die, but in Padre, that wasn’t going to happen.

Wren told Dove that she wanted to go to the mainland to build their future, but Dove said the only thing out there was carrion with teeth. Wren asked about Madison, lying to Dove, and saying she’d come upon Madison’s cell by accident. Dove said her name was Lark and she’d been a collector. She’d saved more kids than anyone, until she helped a guy and his kid get off the island. She took out twelve guards with a sledgehammer, and twice as many carrion. She almost killed Padre.

Wren snuck down to see Madison, and asked if Madison would teach her how to kill carrion. She needed to show Padre that she wasn’t too young to wear the mantle. Madison said she wanted something in return; she wanted the oxygen valve turned off. Wren said she knew Madison wanted to die, and Madison said she’d already done what she set out to do. Madison told her to let the weight of the hammer do the work, and after Wren made an unsuccessful attempt at a swing, Madison asked her to come closer; she’d show her. Madison grabbed the hammer through the slot and got the door open, but Wren knocked Madison back into the cell and down. Madison noticed a scar on Wren, and asked where she’d gotten it. Wren said she’d had it since she was little, and Madison asked how old she was. Wren said she was 8, and Madison said Wren’s name was Mo. She’d helped Mo and her father escape. That’s why she was locked up. She took Mo and walked out, threatening to kill Mo if the guards came closer. Madison knocked out all the guards with the sledgehammer, and told Mo that she was taking her as far away from Padre as possible.

Madison drove Mo in a boat for a while, and heard they were looking for her over the radio. She told Mo that she’d made a promise to Mo’s father, and intended to keep it. They were going to find her dad. They got out, and started hiking, and Mo pretended to get stuck in some mud. When Madison went to help, Mo knocked Madison down, and grabbed the radio. Madison followed Mo, but lost her gun, and told Mo that they had to go inland. Mo said, Madison needed oxygen, but Madison said she could handle herself. Mo wouldn’t be able to handle the dead. Zombies were coming, and Mo tried to face one, but had another swamp flashback and froze. Madison killed the zombie, and Morgan came out of the brush. Madison told Mo that he was her dad, and asked Morgan why Mo was back in Padre. How did he find them? He said he’d heard the chatter on the walkies, and this was where they’d escaped 7 years ago. He was here to take Mo back. They kept walking until they got to Pip’s World of Wonders, a deserted fairground. I love a deserted fairground.

When Padre radioed, Morgan took the radio from Madison, identified himself as Nightingale, and said he had Wren. Madison was like, what just happened? and Morgan said she’d been locked away a long time. Madison asked what they were holding over him, but Morgan said Mo was better off with them than him. Mo said she wanted to go back, and Morgan said, this was about what was best for his kid. After a brief struggle, Morgan said that Madison was only doing this to make herself feel better about the other kids she took. Morgan radioed that he had Wren, and was told, Lark (Madison) was no longer needed, and was now a liability to the settlement. Morgan told Mo to go elsewhere, and was about to shoot Madison, saying, if he didn’t do it, they might not let Mo back in, and it’s what Madison wanted anyway. Madison got Morgan down and got his gun, insisting she was going to save them, but Morgan said they didn’t need saving. Zombies started to come, and Morgan said they’d go through the swamp; the swamps were like flypaper to the zombies. They come in, but they can’t get back out. I’d say that was more of a roach motel. Who still uses flypaper? As they walked, Madison asked if they had Grace, and if that was why Morgan was doing what they wanted. She told Mo, that’s what they did. They found out what mattered and threatened to take it away. Morgan said, they could provide a way of life that works. Hearing Morgan’s name, Mo asked, what kind of a name was that? and Madison said, it was Mo’s name too. They told Madison that they’d go after her kids if she didn’t do what they wanted. Her kids were already dead, but Padre made her believe they were alive. Morgan says, when he and Mo were found, they were out of food and water, and at the mercy of a posse. It was only a matter of time before things ended. A flare went up, and Morgan asked for the radio, but Madison threw it in the swamp instead.

Madison said they had to find shelter, and Morgan said he knew a place. They came to a slowly sinking houseboat, and Mo flashed back to being there before with zombies surrounding it, and asked if something had happened to her here. Morgan said, the less she knew, the better. They needed to stay ahead of them. When they got to the houseboat, Morgan said, Padre was going to come looking for them when they didn’t show up at the estuary. He saw Madison’s arm, and she said, they drew her blood once a week. Sometimes she didn’t cooperate. He told her that he was sorry; he didn’t know they’d locked her up. He’d given himself a set of rules. He only took kids who’d lost their parents or whose parents wanted them to have a better way of life. Madison asked what Padre thought of that, but he said, they didn’t know. She asked, who else was on the rafts? and he said he didn’t know where Daniel and Luciana ended up, and no one knew where Victor was now. Mo looked around the houseboat, picking various things up, but Morgan wouldn’t give her any information about what anything was. She found the Walkman and listened to Grace singing. Morgan said, it was nothing, just a song, but Mo said, it wasn’t. She remembered.

Mo said, the zombies were going to pull them under. She remembered. Madison shouldn’t have taken her off the island. As zombies closed in, Mo got Morgan’s gun, but Morgan promised Mo that Padre would find them before anything happened. Mo said Madison wanted to die; now she was going to get them killed. Morgan said they were going to wait for Padre; this is how they were found last time. He’d radioed and told them to come. Madison said they didn’t have a radio this time, and Morgan said, there were as many zombies in the back of the boat. Madison said she’d draw their attention, while he and Mo got away, and Mo said, this is what happened last time, isn’t it? and Morgan said, yes, and he was sorry. Madison banged the sledgehammer against the outside of the boat, bringing the zombies to her. Mo said they couldn’t leave her behind, but Madison told them to go. Mo’s foot got stuck for real in the swamp, and as Morgan fought off zombies, she flashed back to the first rescue there. Madison started banging the boat again and yelling, over here! Morgan said he didn’t think Padre was coming this time, and just as the zombies were about to overpower Madison, Grace sped up the swamp in a boat, shooting all the zombies.

Grace said she got here as fast as she could ,and Mo asked who she was. Grace said, her mother. Now let’s get the hell out of here. She’d heard the radio chatter when Madison escaped, then heard Nightingale’s message. She figured they’d go to the houseboat. Mo said, Grace was the one singing, and Grace said, it was a long time ago. Mo needed to put that out of her mind. Mo said they didn’t have to go back. Seven years ago, Morgan almost died saving her. They could do this. Padre’s been lying to her, saying Morgan was selfish and couldn’t make hard calls, but he did before and did just now. Madison could come with them. Madison said she’d only slow them down, and Mo asked, what about the other kids she’d rescued from Padre? but Madison said she couldn’t help them. Mo asked, why not, since Madison had helped her, and Grace said, it may not be that simple. They hear boats coming, and Grace said she’d radioed Padre, and they were coming. Morgan said, Padre could protect Mo in ways they couldn’t, and it wasn’t up for debate. Grace said. Mo had to go back, but Mo said she wouldn’t go back. She knew something had been missing, and it was her parents. Morgan said they weren’t her parents. Her parents were Isaac and Rachel, and they were dead. He’d made them a promise a long time ago to take care of her, and that’s why she was going back to Padre. Madison said they had a chance to be with their daughter, and they were throwing it away, but Morgan told her to run and not to make it harder than it was. Mo told her to save herself, so she could save others, but Madison said she wasn’t going to make it. Mo said, she had to try, but it was too late.

Some boats came, and Madison was grabbed by guards. Steampunk woman told Madison not to worry; she still had use for her. Madison told Mo to remember what she’d shown her, and the Padre people took Mo and Madison away. Morgan said, at least they got to see her, and Grace said, that’s what made it so hard. Grace started to leave, and Morgan asked steampunk woman what his next assignment was. She told Morgan that he was being retired as a collector. They’d invested too much in Mo. They were afraid she and Morgan might cross paths again, and now she knew he was her father. He knew what was best for her now, but that might not always be the case. She told the guards to take him away.

In Padre, Mo sat in the interrogation room, and over the intercom, Padre said, sometimes we have to learn a lesson the hard way. He was just glad she was okay. He felt she was going to play a crucial role in the next steps the settlement was about to take.

Mo told Dove that she shouldn’t have gone. She wanted to be a part of what Padre was building Lark showed her what was out there. Lark showed her how lucky she is to be here.

Padre’s voice said he was glad to hear that; they needed people like her. That’s why he was going to let this transgression slide, but future transgressions would bring harsh consequences.

Dove said she hoped Mo learned her lesson, and Mo said she did. Getting in the same arena where she faltered the last time, Mo creamed a zombie.

Padre asked if he’d have to worry about her again, but Mo said, no, sir. He asked if he had her word, and she said, yes, sir.  

In the arena, Mo smiled, but then kept it to herself.

Next time, Mo says, something bad happened in there; an army gathers to fight Padre; Morgan and Mo are reunited; Padre comes after Morgan; and lots of zombies.

To All the Moms biological or not, Stepmoms, Moms-To-Be, Mother Figures, and of course Pet Moms…

Happy Mother’s Day!

Nov21

November 20, 2022 – The Ones Who Live, Dead Dissection, Finale Songs, Spin-Offs, Photos & Cult

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead Finale

Running into the hospital with Judith, Daryl yells for help. He tells Judith that she’ll be okay. She sees a distorted view of the hospital, troopers running in, and Daryl falling. She sees a zombie headed for the doors, and rolls herself off the gurney. She pushes and pulls at the inner sliding glass doors, getting them almost shut as a zombie bounces off of them. More zombies have gathered, and as she shuts the doors the last few inches, hands poke through. They fight to get in, and she shoves a desk in front of the doors. She passes out next to Daryl as zombies pound at the glass.

A zombie advertises DoorDash, and it’s quite funny. Now that I think of it, I wonder what a commercial spot cost for this show.

Maggie and the others kill zombies a million different ways, as their group fights its way through the horde. Jules gets bitten, and Luke spikes the zombie through the head. He tells her that she’ll be okay, but that’s not going to happen, since he gets grabbed. I say, noo! as the zombies pull at him, and he sees Jules getting eaten. Carol, Maggie, Negan and the others jet through somehow, scooping up Luke in the process. I honestly don’t know how any of them could make it through this death machine, she says like this could possibly be a real life situation.

Daryl is lying on a gurney, and hears, hey, it’s me. He opens his eyes, seeing Connie, Kelly, Magna, and Yumiko gathered around Luke on another gurney. Luke’s legs are pretty much gone, and he’s crying, as we all would. Daryl tells Carol that he’s fine, and gets up, but Carol says, no, he’s not. He looks at Judith, and says, she’s lost a lot of blood. Yumiko tells Luke to stay with them, and Carol says, it took everything they had. Pamela is holed up in the gated community, and left everyone to fend for themselves. If they go after her, there are going be troopers. Daryl asks if Mercer doesn’t know people on the inside, and she says, Max thinks so, and he said he’d come back. He asks if they just wait, but she says, no. They’re going to take care of Judith, and him. Kelly starts to cry, and Yumiko takes Luke’s harmonica out of his pocket, telling him, they’ll keep the music alive. Kelly says, for him, and Connie signs, for everyone. They love him so much. Now we’re all crying, and Luke slips away. Magna takes out a knife and stabs him, but we mercifully don’t see that happen, and everyone sobs. Except Carol and Daryl, who are stoic. Daryl asks if Carol knows how to do a blood transfusion; he’s going to give Judith blood. She says, the types have to match, but he says, his goes with anybody. His brother made him sell it when he was a kid. A cover is put over Luke, and Carol sets up an IV. They hear clattering, and Magna says, they have to sweep the hospital. Everyone leaves, except Daryl, who stays to do the transfusion.

Mercer paces a cell in a prison uniform, which seems startling. Zombies shuffle by in the hallway, and he hears machine guns. Princess yells for him to get back and cover his head. She gets rid of the zombies in the way, and busts in. Max runs to Mercer, hugging him, then Princess jumps into his arms, and they kiss. He smiles, which I don’t think we’ve seen before.  

Maggie tells Negan, get ready, and he asks if her weapon is for Pamela. She doesn’t say anything, and he says, the offer still stands. She says she’s good, and zombies begin to come. Mercer is back in his gear, and Ezekiel tells them to wait. Aaron and Lydia run up, and tell them that Jerry and Elijah are still out there. They jump in a truck, and Ezekiel drives.  

The nursery is chaos, and a zombie chows down on someone. Gabriel, Eugene, and Rosita run in, and Rosita says, Coco. She sees a zombie reaching into the crib, but as she runs over, another one grabs her. But she’s mama bear now, so these undead are no match. She goes into hyper-kickass mode, and saves her baby. Eugene runs in, followed by Gabriel, who scoops up another infant. On the radio, Mercer asks if there’s an update on the kids, and Gabriel says, they found them. Mercer says, thank God.

Daryl watches Judith, and she opens her eyes. She asks, what’s happening? Where is she? He says, at the hospital, and she asks, why? Is she going to die? He says, no, but she says she feels like she is. Then she can’t find her mom, who’s finding her dad, so they can all be together. He smooths her hair, and tells her that she’s fine. She says, her mom told her this thing that she told her dad; we’re the ones… She’s suddenly out, and Daryl tells her, wake up. Carol comes back, and says, the hospital’s been breached. They’ve got to go. Daryl says, he can’t, and Rosita radios that they’re in the alley behind the hospital. They went through the horde, and their ride is f***ed. Daryl wheels the gurney to another room. He tells Judith that she’ll be okay, and locks her in. He puts another gurney in front of the door, then knocks over some shelving for good measure. He runs to the front, joining the others, and a zombie is smashing at the glass with a rock. Some zombies are already inside, and the others finally crash through, tons of them pouring in. Daryl and Carol fight them, and Daryl says, they’ve got to move. Run. He goes back to where Judith is, shoving the shelves over, and pulls he bed out. Carol radios that the hospital has been breached. They’re going out the back. When they get there, it’s another cluster of zombies, so they keep going, and find another door.

Eugene comes out of a van, shooting, and Gabriel says, back to back. Eugene says, they’ve got to find a way out. A zombie grabs Rosita, but Gabriel shoots it. Rosita suggests they go up; she’ll be behind him. They climb up a pipe on the side of a building like freaking Spiderman, but then the zombies start climbing too. Rosita gets stuck they tell her, reach up, but she falls backward, along with Coco, in a pack strapped to her stomach. She somehow pops back up, and climbs onto an overturned ambulance. Eugene tells her to jump, and jumps onto the pipe, and gets in the window. That was one heart-stopping moment.

Daryl and company rendezvous with Mercer, who helps get Judith to a safe house, where Tomi examines her. He tells Daryl that it was good he gave her blood. He’ll do what he can. He tells them to prep an IV, and clear the room. Aaron checks on Lydia, and tells her that she’ll feel it sometimes, like it’s still there. Is she okay? She nods, and says, Luke and Jules… He says he knows, and she says, it’s the same with Eli; she knows it. That’s just what happens. People die; cities fall. Things just don’t work out. People tell her they do, but they don’t. Jerry’s not coming back either, is he? Aaron says he hasn’t given up hope. They’ll  find both of them. Carol hears, but says nothing. Maggie asks if Aaron has seen Negan, but he says, not for a while, and she runs off. She finds Negan climbing the stairs with a rifle, and asks if he’s going after Pamela. He asks what it matters, as long as it’s done, and she asks, what’s his angle? He says he has no goddam angle. He’s doing this for her. If she takes Pammy out with this thing, hell will rain down on her, and she ain’t gonna come back, and she has to come back. So he’s doing it. Last night, when he was down on his knees about to lose his wife, about lose everything, he finally understood what it must have felt like. He knows he probably owes Maggie more than this, but he’s so sorry for what he took from her and her son. She takes the rifle from him, and says, you comin’?

Eugene and Max doze, and Eugene sees Rosita watching Coco sleep. He walks over, and asks if she wants to take a break, but she says she just wants to soak Coco up. He smiles, and sits with her. He says he bets she can’t wait for summer. She can finally take Coco for a swim at Oceanside. In his research on child-rearing he came across an outline of the benefits that swimming has. It builds confidence; not that Coco will have a problem. Rosita has it in spades, so it’s in Coco too. He can’t wait for summer, can she? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, when she fell… She looks at him, and he asks, where? She shakes her head, and he pulls back the collar of her shirt, seeing the bite make on her shoulder. She says, it’s okay; no crying. She doesn’t want them to know yet, so pull his sh*t together. He says he can’t, but she says, he can. She’s still right here, and he’s going to be fine. Tears shine in her eyes, but yet she smiles, and Eugene says he just loves her so much. She says she loves him, he kisses her head, and leaves. He sits with Max, and she asks if he’s all right. He says he’s completely fine.

Daryl and Carol watch Judith. She stirs, and Daryl sits on the bed. He calls her a little ass-kicker, and she says, big ass-kicker. He says, damn straight, and she says she’s fine, like he promised. What she said about her mom and dad… He asks if it’s true. Is that why she never came back? Judith says she’s sorry she didn’t tell him. She was scared he’d leave too. He says he’s right here, when they hear gunshots and yelling. Mercer tells them that people are banging at the gate, and they’re shooting anyone who climbs over. Loads people are dying, and he can’t just stand by. The truck is gassed, and can get them home. It’s not their fight; these are not their people. Ezekiel says, they are; so is Mercer. They may not think this place is worth saving, given how they were treated, but it’s worth it to him. The people are worth it. He’s not allowing them to fall without a fight. Not today. Not with him. Who else will go? Aaron says, they can do more than save themselves, and they need to. Everyone is like, let’s go, and Ezekiel tells Mercer, lead the way, brother.

Pamela stands near the gates, watching all the people yelling for her to open them. Maggie looks at her through binoculars, and tells Negan, they’re almost there. Mercer comes out, along with Carol, Daryl, and company, and a group of trooper sympathizers. Pamela says, arrest them, and everyone draws their guns. Mercer says, the people outside want in, and she says, traitor. He says, no, she is. She disappeared hundreds of citizens, and lead the dead to their doorstep. She shot a child, and now she’s left thousands to die. A herd is also coming. The people yell, let us in, and Gabriel steps forward. He says he’s opening the gate, and he’ll kill anyone who tries to stop him. Trooper Vickers says, they’ll be forced to shoot him unless he stops, and Carol says, they’ll fire back. Pamela says, shoot him, and Daryl asks what the hell she’s doing. They all deserve better than this. She built this place based on the old world, a world that f***ed people over. Pamela says, if she opens the gate, the dead will get in, not just living, and he says, if she doesn’t, they lose everything anyway. We have one enemy, and it ain’t the walking dead.

Vickers tells the troopers to lower their weapons, and says, he’s right. Give the priest the key. On your command, General Mercer. Mercer says he’s arresting Pamela for high crimes against the people of the Commonwealth. Cuff her. Maggie tells Negan, she’s getting arrested, and he says, prison like that is worse than death. Gabriel unlocks the gate, and the people swarm in. Several of them help Gabriel to close and lock it behind them, and the zombies grope through the gate, still trying to get in. Eli runs to Lydia, who says she thought she’d never see him again. Jerry calls for Nabila, and Ezekiel says, come with him. Pamela looks dazed, and moves closer to the gate, seeing zombie Lance. She moves even closer, and he grabs her, pulling her toward him. She closes her eyes, and Judith tells Pamela, you have to help them. It’s not too late; it’s never too late. Maggie shoots Lance, and says, now we’ll take this place back.

Mercer says, here’s the new plan. They’re going to get a vehicle out, and clear a path. Don’t engage with the dead any more than necessary. We see them fight their way through the horde, and Aaron saying, hold the line. Mercer says, take the vehicle out back. He’s headed for the town square, and will let them know when it’s clear. Jerry is in charge of dumping the barrels of fuel from the depot into the sewer tunnels underneath. They’ll start the PA system to draw the zombies to the Estates. Eli does some wiring, and Mercer says, it’s almost go time. Get the fuel in the sewers. They only have one shot at this. They pour out the gasoline, and everyone is wiring something or hooking something up. Max says she hopes it works, and Princess says, if it doesn’t, they’re dead.

Living Colour’s Cult of Personality plays at top volume, and the zombies pour into the Estates. When the song stops, the record player arm goes back, and two flints ignite a spark. Everything blows up, and it’s quite an explosion. It rips through the tunnels, and outside, flaming zombies drop like… well, flaming zombies. Everything burns.

Pamela whines, it’s not easy having a good time so many lives in her hands, and she had to make ugly decision. How do you pick who does the jobs no one wants? Who gets the nicer house? Carol says, they had to make an ugly decision to keep alive after everything she’s done, because they’ve all done things. They’ll figure it out. They’ll make sure of it. At least they don’t have to worry about who gets her house. They close the cell door behind them.  

Negan looks at his old Whisperer mask, and tosses it. Maggie sits across from him, and says she was thinking about what he said. She wants to thank him. She can stop wondering if he’ll ever say those words, and if she can forgive him. She knows now she can’t. Glenn was beautiful. She’ll never love anyone like that again. She remembers his smile, his goodness, and the way he made her feel. But when looks at Negan, all she sees is the bat coming down, and blood running down Glenn’s face. She hears him calling for her, and hears Negan mocking her. She can’t forgive him, even though she’s grateful that he saved her son; even though she knows he’s trying. She’s trying too, because she doesn’t want to hate him anymore. She doesn’t want to hurt like that. She doesn’t want her son to see that anybody has that kind of hold over her. If he and Annie want to stay, they’ve earned their place. But if she can’t look at him some days, work with him, or move on, that’s why. All she has are her memories, and she doesn’t want to remember Glenn like that. He nods, pain visible in his eyes, and she leaves.

There’s a big group dinner, where there’s much laughter, Landslide playing on the phonograph. DOG IS HERE!!! Yumiko toasts to Luke, and they all raise their glasses, clinking them. Daryl looks outside, and sees Negan. He nods, and Negan nods back, but keeps walking. Yumiko asks Magna if she can just say… but she doesn’t finish because Magna kisses her. Gabriel sits with Rosita, and asks if she’s okay. She says, everything is perfect. She just wants to remember this moment. She whispers something to him, and he covers her hand with his. She wipes away a tear, and Judith sees.

Carol and Maggie walk Rosita into a bedroom, and she lies on the bed next to Coco. They leave, and she cuddles with Coco, as Daryl stands in the doorway. Gabriel comes in, and kneels next to the bed. He says, receive her into Your arms of mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace. And into the glorious company of the saints and light. May her soul, and the soul of all those departed, in the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. He takes her hand, and she kisses Coco. Gabriel says, they’ll see her again someday, and takes Coco. Eugene comes in, and sits next to the bed. He says he wouldn’t be the man he is today if he hadn’t met her. He takes her hand, and she says she’s glad it was him in the end. She closes her eyes, and he cries.

One year later. Eugene leaves flowers at Rosita’s grave plaque, and we see plaques for those who are gone. We hear Ezekiel say, my fellow citizens. They’re here together today against all odds. Eugene takes Baby Rosie from Max, and Ezekiel says, they’re here to honor those who sacrificed for them, so they could pursue a more perfect union.  Even though they’re not bonded by blood, they’re family. As Governor, Ezekiel is making Mercer his Lieutenant Governor. Princess lets out a whoop, everyone laughs, and she blows Mercer a kiss. Ezekiel says, they pledge to live by those words, and everyone applauds. He and Mercer bro hug, and Connie hugs Daryl. She signs, what’s up, cowboy? How’s the frontier? He says, quiet for now, and asks, how’s work? She signs, great. She’s keeping the new administration honest. He says, she seems happy, and she signs, she is. Lydia hugs Judith, and gives her a present. Judith asks who it’s from, and Lydia says, it’s a surprise, and leaves. Judith opens it, and finds her compass with JG engraved on it, along with a note that says: This has always helped me find my way. I’m returning it to you in the hope that it can guide you to your dreams. Thank you for letting me use it. Negan.

Daryl and Carol look at the Wall of the Lost in rebuilt Alexandria, and everyone around them does normal stuff. Gracie runs in and hugs Judith, and Eli hugs Aaron. Aaron tells Gabriel that he never thought they’d get back to any of this. He had hope, but they’ve been lucky. Gabriel says, it’s not luck; it’s effort. They have a lot to be proud of; family, community, our future. Maggie hugs Daryl and Carol, and says she wants to talk about the future. There’s a lot out there to find out about, and she thinks it’s time they did. It’s a beautiful day to head out. Daryl says, yeah, and tells Carol that he wishes she was coming with him. She says she knows it will be good for both of them, and he says he’s proud of her. She took Hornsby’s job and made it her own. She made everything better for her kids, and she’ll keep making it better. She says, he will too, and he says, it’s not like they’ll never see each other again. She says she’s allowed to be a little sad, and a tear rolls down her cheek. She says, he’s her best friend, he puts his arm around her, and they look at the lake.

Judith and RJ say goodbye to Daryl, and Judith says, she’ll keep an eye on Dog. Daryl tells her to keep an eye on Carol too. If he sees anything, he’ll find both her parents, and bring them home. She says, he deserves a happy ending too, and he says he’ll be back. She says he knows, and they hug. Ezekiel takes the kids, and Carol straightens Daryl’s poncho. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. They hug, and he gets on his bike. He looks at her, starts the engine, and heads into down the road, passing a random zombie who was apparently Greg Nicotero.  

We go heavily down Dead Memory Lane, seeing all the characters we remember and those we forgot about, as…

A match lights the darkness, and we see Rick sitting by a fire, writing a letter. In a voiceover, he says he thinks about the dead all the time, and about the living… who he lost. Elsewhere, Michonne writes in a journal that she tried to get to their kids again and again, but it was too far. But they’ve got each other; they’re connected. He says, he thinks about them all every day; their faces, what he’s learned, how she made him who he is. She says, they’ll always be together, even when they’re apart. We together is the strongest thing. We’re love, and love is endless. We are endless. He says, together we’re the pieces of a whole that keeps going with what we gave each other; one unstoppable life. You showed me that. You gave me that. Michonne looks into the fire at Rick on the other side.

Michonne is in a stable with a horse, and Rick’s meager possessions. She writes, I know your brother is back there. Just as sure as I know he’s out there. Somewhere. Not just as a part of us. He’s alive out there. She will find him. She knows he’s trying to find them.

In another place and time, and with the same possessions, Rick is on a riverbank, wearing a CRM jacket.

Michonne saddles her horse, and rides out, lopping off a zombie’s head as she rides past.

On a beach rife with zombie heads poking out of the wet sand, Rick hears a helicopter, and says, no. He tosses his bag away, and a loudspeaker says, he’s been located. He’s being instructed to surrender. Remain in place with his hands up. He spikes one of the zombie heads with a tool I use for yanking out weeds from the garden. The loudspeaker tells him, it’s like she said; there’s no escape for the living.

As Michonne rides, she says, remember what she told him. It’s what he said. Hold it in your heart. It’s true. Forever.   

We hear, we’re the ones who live, and we see all the highlights of the past seasons. Michonne rides into the fog, ready to do battle. Rick holds up his hands, looks up, and smiles.  

Judith tells TJ, we get to start over. We’re the ones who live.

There was a thank you from each cast member to the fans.

Next on the agenda, Fear the Walking Dead, Dead City, Daryl Dixon, and Rick and Michonne. The Walking Dead Universe – bigger and deader.

👩🏾‍🏫 Explaining the Dead End…

An in depth look at the ending. For those who must.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-finale-rick-michonne-ending-explained/

🎧 Playlisting Dead…

The cast chooses songs for the finale.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-finale-cast-character-playlist-songs/

⚰️ Dead Next…

About that bigger and deader universe.

https://ew.com/tv/the-walking-dead-finale-spin-offs/

📸 Dead Snaps…

Photos from behind-the-scenes.

https://ew.com/tv/the-walking-dead-behind-the-scenes-photos/

👣 Dead On My Feet…

If you got to go to the finale, you’re a lucky dead dog, but the seat in front of the TV wasn’t bad. Lots of laughing, hugging, and reminiscing, and I definitely got the vibe they’d been passing out champagne… or something. Stop in tomorrow for some soap and OG Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay embracing, or at least accepting, the change of seasons, and stay knowing, you don’t have to be bonded by blood to be a family.

Nov14

November 13, 2022 – The Commonwealth Wall Is Breached, Some Talk, Vampire Season Finale & Tom’s November

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

Judith’s voiceover says, for the longest time, we were fighting to survive, trying to get back what we lost. This family, my family, we would do anything to protect each other. We’re fighting now for something else, something bigger… a new beginning. But that comes with a cost. There’s always a cost. I never got to know my mom Lori. My brother Carl dreamed of a day we would live in peace. My mom Michonne tried to hang up her sword. My dad Rick was searching for mercy. And me? I guess I’m a Grimes too. She holsters her gun. I keep thinking about something my mom told me. She looks at a copy of the Constitution, and rolls it up. TJ walks in. It was a secret saying she shared with my dad; it was like a good luck charm. For me and RJ too. I was afraid to say it out loud; afraid say so many things out loud. But we didn’t know when we started this, that this would be the day everything changed forever.

Maggie and the others gather at the train. Rosita says, let’s go now, and they get in. Princess asks Magna if anyone knows how to drive a train, and Magna says she thinks one of the prisoners used to be an engineer. They load supplies, and Negan asks if Maggie has any thoughts on how they’re taking out the bitch. She says, Pamela? and he laughs. He says he gets that others have reasons of their own for going back, but no one is safe as long as Pamela is breathing. He assumes she agrees. Together, they can get this done. They don’t need the others. She closes the storage compartment, and says, we’re not a we. She sees Herschel, and gives him a hug, telling him that she loves him. Annie hugs Negan from behind, and tells him, be careful. He says she knows him; he always is. He tells her to hold down the fort, and she says, make sure he comes back in one piece. He says, yes ma’am, and everyone says their goodbyes. Judith tells Daryl that she’s coming with them, but he says, no. They need her here. She says, that’s crap. This isn’t the future her brother wanted. It’s not what her mom and dad fought for. They want to help everyone, not just themselves, and she wants to be a part of that; to make what her family believed in real. Carol says, they’ve been focused on what’s in front of them for so long, Judith is thinking, what about after? Maybe they should all do a little more of that. Daryl says, all right, but stay with him. Judith agrees, and Daryl asks Nabila to watch RJ.

Mercer brings Eugene to Max and Yumiko, and Eugene says he’s safe thanks to Max’s brother. Max hugs Mercer, and Yumiko asks why he didn’t tell them. Mercer says, it was safer this way. Some of her people have saved his ass through the years, and he won’t forget it. They need to lay low for now. Yumiko says, the people heard them. They’re angry, and they need to push them. Mercer says he needs to gather enough troops on his side to get Pamela. Yumiko and Max can stir the people, but Eugene has to stay out of sight. A sympathetic trooper opens the door, and tells Mercer that he’s out of time. The trooper radios in some bullsh*t about Mercer taking a statement, and how Mercer will come over when he’s done. They leave, and Eugene locks the door.

Zombies claw at the train, as Rosita goes over plans with Gabriel. She says, they won’t stand out as much in the wards, and can go behind the children’s house to rescue them. Gabriel says, they will get their daughter back, and she asks if that’s his faith talking. He says, in her, yes, and she says she’s glad he’s here. Tyler tells Princess, it’s weird them ending up in a place like this again. He’s sorry about what happened. She thanks him, but says she has no time for sorries. They have to contact the guy who will help. Tyler raises some kind of antenna out of an opening in the ceiling to get reception. Connie signs that she’s glad they found him, and Kelly tells him what Connie said, adding, they’ve been looking for him since Pamela’s party. Magna says, society threw him away. He was desperate and mad, but they heard him. He says he wanted Pamela to hear, but he shouldn’t have hurt people. Connie signs, he can fix his mistakes. The governor might not have listened, but soon the people of the Commonwealth will.  

The people shout outside Pamela’s office window, and she tells Mercer, incompetence. They have no idea how he got away. Mercer says, clearly he had help. Some people are unhappy with the verdict. It’s going to take time to narrow down the suspect list. There have been reports of people going missing for a while, and they don’t have answers. Maybe this time, they’ll get lucky. She says, just do your job, Michael – startling me, since I’ve only thought of him as Mercer – before more people get hurt. He leaves, and she tells trooper Vickers, keep an eye on him. She wants a door-to-door search for Eugene, and they’re to shoot him on sight. Vickers asks if Pamela would like them to try and disperse the crowd, but Pamela says, she’ll find some bones to throw them. If things escalate, there’s a plan in place. Vickers leaves, and Pamela takes out a super-secret radio, and says, B17.

Aaron and his group continue to walk with the zombie horde, as the trooper jeeps ride around them. The zombies follow a jeep, and Aaron says, now’s their chance. Get to the trees. The message is whispered throughout the group, and they start to move to the edge. A trooper on motorcycle goes past. Lydia is used to this, but the others look freaked. The horde follows the jeeps and bikes. From the crane shot, we see the road is long.

On the train, Ezekiel sees Negan looking at him, and says, what? Negan says he never thanked Ezekiel for getting in front of the rifles. Thank you. He asks why Ezekiel did it, and Ezekiel says, a lot of reasons. Dying like a martyr is too easy. Living and making something positive out of his days, that keeps him from giving into anger over what he lost. He doesn’t want to live out whatever days he has left in bitterness. He’s not even supposed to be here. The dead came for me, and yet I smile. War came for me, and yet I smile. He opens his collar, showing Negan the tumor, and says, cancer. And yet I smile. He tries to anyway. So why did Negan tell the warden his own name instead of Ezekiel’s? Negan says, for his wife, and his kid. He wants to leave a better story than the one Ezekiel’s been telling; when it mattered, he did something right. Not to prove anything or get anything, or to save his own ass. It was to save all of them. They’re better than him, and if Ezekiel thinks he doesn’t know that, then he hasn’t been paying attention.

Judith tells Daryl and Carol that she hasn’t heard from her mom in a long time. She tried a couple of times, but nothing came back. Carol says, there could be a lot of reasons. Judith’s mom can take care of herself better than anyone Carol knows. Daryl says, her mom would be proud of her; her dad too. Judith says, Carl too? He nods, and Carol says, Judith and Carl are a lot alike. Judith says, Carl died saving people. She wishes she’d had more time with him. She wishes they had more time to just remember them. Carol says, they will, and Daryl says, when this is over, he’ll tell her every story he remembers about all the people who loved her. He puts his arm around her, and she puts her head on his shoulder.

Mercer pretends to question Yumiko, who says, he thinks she had something to do with Eugene’s escape? He says, all they know is, he’s missing, and she was the last person to talk to him. Vickers says, if she knows where he is… and Yumiko says, she would be with him, and not stuck having this conversation. The sympathetic trooper tells Mercer that an Aurora is trying to raise him on the radio, and Mercer says he’ll take in here. Yumiko is dismissed, and Mercer says he needs the room. Vickers leaves, and he answers. It’s Princess, and he tells her that they should switch to another channel; her old apartment number. He asks if she’s all right, and she says she’s fine. How’s Eugene? Mercer says, he’s safe, for now. Where is she? She says she’s on a train headed back to him. She’s bringing people; the prisoners Hornsby and Pamela disappeared. He asks what she’s planning to do, and she says, change things; take Pamela down. Will he be okay with that? He says, yeah. Get the prisoners back to him. With them as witnesses, they’ll have legal grounds to remove Pamela. He tells her to bring everyone to an access tunnel that runs along the west wall, and tells her how to get there. He says, it leads to an industrial building. He’ll be there. It’s good to hear her voice. The trooper tells him that there’s been an alert. A swarm is coming from the east.

Aaron whispers, up ahead… to the RV, and the message is passed. They gravitate toward the van, and Aaron opens the door. They start to file in, but Jules gets moved along with the horde, and Luke decides to follow her. Eli ends up outside, and Lydia grabs for him, but gets badly bitten on the arm, and lets go. Aaron pulls her inside, and the zombies clamor at the RV door.

An alarm sounds, and the troopers get ready. There’s a PA announcement for the citizens to remain inside. Lockdown is being initiated. Max finds Mercer outside, and he tells her that he’s being sent out. She says, that doesn’t change the goal, but he tells her that she doesn’t want to give these hotheads and excuse to start trouble. Wait for him. If he’s lucky, his girlfriend is coming back, and she’s bringing her friends. Vickers watches him, and he tells Max that he’s supposed to meet them at Union Station. He hugs her, and tells her to keep them hidden until he gets back. He leaves, and Vickers looks at Max, while lockdown is being initiated repeats on the loudspeaker.

In the RV, Lydia says, they can’t leave, but Aaron says, they have no choice. She says, they can’t lose him, but Aaron says, he’ll lose her. Jerry says, they’ll find him, and Aaron checks her arm. He tells her that he made it all right. This is the hardest part. She cries, and Aaron says, she’s so loved, while Jerry gets his sword. Lydia bites down on a belt, Aaron keeps the tourniquet taut, and Jerry’s sword comes down. Lydia screams.

There are guards near the entrance to the tunnel, and Negan says, they’re sitting ducks, but Princess says, Mercer will show up. Daryl says, they’re out of time, and Carol suggests they find another place to slip in. Maggie says, there are only four of them; they can take them. Rosita says, if the guards go missing, they’ll know it’s them. One of the guards gets a radio call from Mercer, who says he needs more troops to deal with the incoming swarm. One of the troopers says, including the tunnel? Are they supposed to abandon their post? Mercer tells them, stop wasting time and move, and they leave. Daryl says, let’s go, and they go to a building where Gabriel breaks the lock. Maggie opens the door, and they go inside, Daryl going last, and closing the door behind him.

Pamela literally clutches her pearls, when Vickers come in. She tells Pamela that Mercer saw his sister, then reported to the wall. He asked for additional backup for the horde; nothing unusual. Pamela asks where he called them from, and Vickers tells her. She asks if Pamela wants her to recall any of them, but Pamela says, no. She’s sure he has his reasons.  

From the lookout tower, Mercer radios Echo, asking what position they’re in. Echo says, they’re approaching now, and Mercer says, once they’re clear, double back, and work their way east. The jeeps continue to circle the horde, and a zombie jumps into the back of one of them. Theta radios Mercer, saying, they’re out of control, and Mercer asks, what happened? but Theta says, it’s unclear. Mercer hears yelling and machine guns, and looks out with binoculars. He radios all units to fall back, and regroup on him. Bring out the heavy armor. Once they regroup, they’re going to knock the hell out of this thing before it gets to their city.

Eugene paces, and hears a trooper saying, mandatory search. He bangs on the door, and says, open up. Eugene quietly slides the chain off, and gets behind the door. The trooper busts open the door, and Eugene whacks him in the head from behind. He gets the trooper down, and beats the crap out of his head. The trooper’s radio comes to life, and someone asks, Brooks, what’s your 20?

Lydia drowses as the zombies clamor outside. She wakes, and says, we have to go, but Aaron says, she lost a lot of blood. She says, they need Elijah, but Jerry says, Elijah, Luke, and Jules are all pros. They don’t need their help. Lydia insists they do, and cries. Jerry holds her, and Aaron looks sad. He tells her, don’t sweat it. She’s lost enough. Jerry says he’ll find them, and Lydia says she’s going. Jerry says, no; they’ll meet up later. I find them; I find you. Piece of cobbler. See you on the other side. He takes a deep breath, puts his hood up, goes out, and closes the door.

Maggie and the others walk through the tunnel until they come to a ladder. Maggie goes up first, and comes out in the train station. The others follow, and they slip through quietly. Daryl sees padlocks on the doors, and says, something ain’t right. Tyler says, we’re almost there, and suddenly shots ring out, and he falls.

At the tower, Mercer says he’s lost contact, when Vickers shows up with some other troopers. She says, he’s under arrest, and resistance will get him life in prison or death. Mercer tells his troopers to lower their weapons, and tells Vickers, he’ll go, but they need to fortify the city’s defenses before the swarm hits. She says, Governor Milton insists the walls will hold, but he says, this is bigger than Pamela’s bullsh*t. They need to stop the dead before it’s too late,

At the station, everyone scrambles, and there’s a gunfight. The part of the group not shooting bellies under the benches to safety. Pamela comes out, and takes a gun from a dead trooper. Trying to shoot Maggie, she hits Judith, and everything stops. Daryl tries to rouse Judith, and tells the rest that they’ve got to go. Maggie shoots the trooper next to Pamela, making her freak out. Pamela yells, you did this, and Carol says, they’ve got to go now. Daryl tells Ezekiel, throw it, and Ezekiel rips a fire extinguisher off the wall. He throws it with the strength of ten, nearly all the way to the balcony, and Daryl shoots it in midair.

On the street, Yumiko and Max see what’s going on in the station, and join the group as they come out, Daryl carrying Judith. Eugene comes out another door, and follows a trooper, knocking him out. They run down an alleyway. The zombie horde is at the city wall, and a trooper in the tower radios, where the hell is the backup? They need every available… He sees a zombie halfway up the wall, and says, Christ! They’re climbing the walls. He shoots it, but another is already on the platform. He radios that they need back up; the east gate. The rotters are climbing… Arrgh! The other troopers are like, WTF? over and over. The trooper at the top gets his face eaten, and in an ironic twist, pushes the button to open the gate. Alarms go off, and zombies stream into the Commonwealth.

Pamela fixes her makeup, clearly not reading the room. Vickers comes in, and says, the parameter has been breached. They’ve lost 15 troops; and even more civilians are dead in the Commonwealth. Pamela says, that’s not possible. They have a standard. They’re supposed to be in lockdown. Vickers says, they’re climbing the walls and flooding in, but… They can still make a stand if they hold here, and save a big portion of the city. Pamela tells her to pull the forces back, and add troops to defend her home. They’ll divert the swarm to the lower ward. Vickers says, that will leave thousands of citizens unprotected. It’s a death sentence. Pamela tells her, protect the estate, and seal the rest off.

Daryl runs at the head of the group with Judith. A truck blocks their path, and Ezekiel says, this way, leading them around a corner. As they run, trucks go past, and Ezekiel realizes they’re blocked. He tells them, fall back, and Carol says, the trucks aren’t following them. Magna says, what is that? and Connie signs, they’re not coming for us. They’ve got bigger problems. The lightbulb comes on that there’s a zombie horde in the Commonwealth, and Negan voices what’s on everyone’s mind – what the f***? Luke and Jules magically appear, and Daryl tells everyone, move. Carol says, they’ll cut them off, and they shoot and slash zombies as they run through the throng. Carol grabs Daryl, pulling him and Judith through. Judith opens her eyes slightly, says, daddy? then closes her eyes again. It’s a mess

Next time, the series finale – zombies infiltrate the house where the children are being held; Ezekiel says, people might not think this place is worth saving, but it is to him; Daryl yells for help at the infirmary; and everybody dies. Just kidding.

⚰️ Things are getting weepy already on Talking Dead, and it looks to be a great episode next week for TWD finale, starting with a red carpet at 8:30. Tonight, the guests were asked to give three words about the finale. Michael James Shaw (Mercer) said, bunnies, blood, and sherbet. Cooper Andrews (Jerry) said, eat more cobbler. And executive producer Denise Huth said, massive, ridiculous, and she thinks we’ll cry.

🧛🏼‍♂️ Final Interview For the Season…

Recapping this week’s Vampire. It was pretty gory.

https://ew.com/tv/interview-with-the-vampire-season-1-finale/

And a little scandalous.

https://decider.com/2022/11/11/interview-with-the-vampire-season-1-finale-exclusive-clip/

No surprise, it’s been renewed already.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a41936415/interview-with-the-vampire-season-2-release-date/

🤸🏽 On the Other Side…

Come take a load off tomorrow with some soap and a charter on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay always bringing a hostess gift to a party, and stay making something positive out of your days, and not live them out in bitterness over what’s been lost.

Oct17

October 16, 2022 – Pamela Wants Eugene’s Head, News Of the Dragon & Reaper

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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, Judith says, sometimes she wonders if it takes more courage to live or to die. We’ve all done things still be here; things we’d like to forget. We flash back to some of those, and she says, we became who we needed to be… Who we are now, the choices we make, maybe that’s all that matters.

There’s chaos in the commonwealth, and Eugene and Max get separated. A woman points to Eugene, and says, he’s the one who killed Sebastian. Daryl grabs him, and even though he doesn’t want to go without Max, shoves him inside the nearest building.

Sebastian is on an examining table, and Mercer asks if he should shoot him, but Pamela says, no one touches him until she says so. She tells Mercer, Sebastian was a good boy, despite what people thought. Perhaps she was too late. They had issues, but families are complicated. He says he knows that, and she says, his sister was loyal to her for over a decade. She wants to think Max just lost her way, and perhaps can be helped before it’s too late. Pamela needs an example to remind people that their actions have consequences. If they find and arrest Eugene, they can make him an example for the Commonwealth, and maybe she can help his sister. She wants them to do a city wide sweep, and capture everyone from Riverbend, Hilltop, and Alexandria. Any known associates of Eugene are to be questioned regarding the Founders Day riot and Sebastian’s death.

Aaron, Jerry, Lydia, and Elijah walk the horse and wagon on a path through the woods. They see some zombies milling around up ahead, and Jerry asks if Aaron thinks they should hunker down, but Aaron says, no. They’ll find a way around. Jerry thinks off-roading is risky, and he can dazzle them with his bean recipe, but Aaron says, they should keep moving. Jerry asks, what’s the rush? and Aaron says he wants to make sure Oceanside is okay, and get to Alexandria. They have no time to spare. They head into the woods.

Rosita sits in the interrogation room, and Mercer comes in. He sits down, opens a folder, and reads her statistics out loud. He asks if she can verify the information is true, and she says, seriously? So they’re strangers? He keeps repeating the question, and she says, it’s true. He says, she was seen with Eugene at the Founders Celebration, and she says, it was about a half hour before the riot broke out. He asks what they were talking about, and she says, his sister. She wanted to stay here, and change this place for the better. He asks if she’s seen Eugene since then, but she says, no. He says, at the end of the day, obviously, Eugene is going to be with her; they’re like family. He tells her that he respects her, even if at this moment, she doesn’t respect him. He needs her to tell Eugene to turn himself in. Eugene’s remorse and cooperation will go a long way in helping everyone. If her people make it harder than it needs to be, no one will be going anywhere, and it will only get worse for all of them. She laughs, and walks out.

In the church, Daryl is carving a stick, and there’s a knock at the door. Daryl answers, ready with a knife, but it’s Rosita. He asks, how’d it go? and she says, there were a lot of repeated questions and intense staring, and he says, same. They’re leaving at dawn. She asks if he knows Mercer is watching, and he says he’s counting on it. Eugene comes out from the sacristy, and Rosita asks how he’s holding up. He says, better than he deserves, and asks if she knows Max’s whereabouts. She says she doesn’t, sorry, but he says, he should be the one saying, sorry he got them in this compromising situation. Daryl says, they had it coming, and Rosita says, they’ll get Eugene out. Daryl says, the east gate. There’s a shift change at dawn. Rosita says, they’ll meet the others outside, but Eugene says, at the risk of sounding ungrateful, he can’t leave without his beloved. Daryl says, Eugene wouldn’t make it a block, but Eugene says, he won’t leave without at least ascertaining Max’s safety. Rosita says she’ll look for Max. If she can find Max, maybe they can get them both out. Over the loudspeaker, Pamela says, the perpetrator of these horrific events will  be be punished. Anyone who had information on his whereabouts will be rewarded. Anyone aiding and abetting him will share his fate of swift and final justice.

The wagon gets stuck in the mud, and Jerry suggests leaving it behind, but Aaron insists they can do this. They finally get it moving, but Jerry hurts his knee in the process. Aaron looks out, and says, this looks like it might be the place; it has walls. They’ll go on foot. They go inside what’s left of the Kingdom, and Elijah builds a fire. He and Lydia make eyes at each other. Aaron is trying to fix a flag, and tells Jerry, it’s got big walls, they have water nearby, and there’s tons of land to farm. The Kingdom 2.0. He messes up, and it totally changes his mood. He says, it’ll be dark soon. He’ll first watch.

Pamela cleans the blood off dead Sebastian’s face, and I wonder why he’s not a zombie yet. She says, he always complained that she chose this place over him, but there wasn’t a choice. She was never capable of giving him what he needed, or controlling him. And now… after all the struggle, trauma, and sacrifice, what are they left with? At least they don’t have to disappoint each other anymore. Sebastian starts growling, and Pamela looks disgusted. On her way out the door, she tells a trooper, take care of that.

Mercer takes Princess into his office, saying, she shouldn’t be here. She asks if he’s kicking her out, but he closes the door, and says he can’t be seen treating her differently. She says, so it’s nothing personal? and he says, Milton’s son is dead, and Eugene is being held responsible for it. Princess says, if they catch Eugene, they’ll kill him. How can Mercer be good with that? She was by herself for years, scaring off anyone who got close. Eugene believed in her, and accepted her; no judgments. He saved her. Bad people don’t do that; good people do. Eugene didn’t know that was going to happen, but it did, and they can’t change it. They have to look out for family. Mercer says, Eugene will get a trial, and Princess says, a fair one? He doesn’t say anything, and she nods. She asks, what’s the point of this place if a good man is put to death? A trooper comes in, and tells Mercer that Max has been sighted, and he says he’s got to go. Princess says, her too.

Aaron asks if Lydia wants to rest; he’ll take over watch. She says, she’s fine, and he asks if everything is good with her and Elijah. She says she just had a moment that brought back memories of Henry. She doesn’t think she can do it again. Aaron says he was married once; not legally, but married. He doesn’t talk about it much anymore. He and Eric met in DC, and had an instant connection. Eric asked him out, and he said no for six months. She asks, why? and he says he’s not sure. He thought he was too busy or not ready, or maybe he was just afraid. Eventually, he said yes, and their time together, and years in Alexandria were the happiest moments of his life. After Eric died, he thought he’d give anything to take back one of those noes, and have one more day. Loss is inevitable; it always has been. The only thing we can control is when we say yes. We see zombie hands gripping the top of the wall.  

Max slips around the buildings after dark. She sees Rosita, who starts to come toward her, but troopers are coming. Rosita holds up her hand, and Max starts to backtrack, but it’s too late. The troopers surround her, and tell her that she’s under arrest. She imperceptibly shakes her head at Rosita, who steps aside as they pass.

In the interrogation room, Max reads a confession, and says, those aren’t her words, but Mercer says, they need to be. She reads that she  suffered from depression, and stopped taking her medication. Her confusion and paranoia caused her to slander the Milton family, and manipulate the tapes. She hopes the Commonwealth can find it in their hearts to forgive her. He tells her, sign it and say Eugene got her involved, and she can get a pardon. She says she did this because she couldn’t stand being part of  something rotten anymore; it was killing her. They want to hang Eugene out to dry, and Mercer says, he’ll be executed for treason. She says, for trying to save this place. Speak the truth, no matter the cost. Their dad used to say that. Even as a general, he never forgot his responsibility as a citizen. She thinks he would have liked Eugene. She thinks he would have been proud of what they tried to do, and ashamed of Mercer. She pushes the confession back across the table to him, and he leaves.

Daryl sees Eugene looking out an open window, and asks if he’s trying to get caught. Eugene says he’s peeping at the trooper activity level. He’s tired of being on the proverbial sidelines. He starts to leave, and Daryl stands in front of him. Eugene tells him to step aside; there’s no need for this to get ugly. Daryl just looks at him, and Eugene says, very well, backs up, and rolls up his sleeves. He makes fists, and Daryl stands there a moment, then moves aside, telling him, go ahead. Eugene walks past Daryl, and says, Daryl’s not trying to stop him? Daryl says, he’s not going, and Eugene says, because he’s a coward, but Daryl says, no, because he’s smart. Eugene says, he’s always been a liability, relying on others to help him survive; relying on their courage. He knows he has a penchant for prevarication, and is ashamed that it’s his only discernable skill. He asks if Daryl thinks people are born brave or become it? and Daryl says, both.

Ezekiel tells Princess that they’re working to smuggle Eugene out, and she says, they’ll meet up with the others, and it will be like it was – them, Yumiko, and Eugene – the four of them on the road again. Ezekiel says, he’s not leaving, and she says, even after this crazy sh*t that’s been happening? She says, all the more reason to stay. The people want change, so what better time than when the powers that be are frightened? She says, maybe they don’t feel like fighting underneath. Maybe they think it sucks, and it’s not worth holding on to. He asks if she thinks Mercer is a good man, and she says she’s known a lot of guys who she thought were good, but they don’t always turn out to be good. He says, most people are trying to make the best of what’s in front of them. Maybe Mercer is doing the same. She says, maybe she deserves more than making the best of a bad situation, and he says, she does. He puts his hands on her shoulders, and says, whatever she decides, he’s here if she needs him.

On his knees in a cell, Lance hears footsteps coming toward the door. The door unlocks, and a trooper lets Pamela in. He leaves, and Lance thanks her, and says, he hoped she would come. He has a lot to say, but what matters most is talking to her about a way forward. She says, he killed her son. He had some workers murdered, and they turned into rotters who attacked the public. He says he needed to get her attention. He never intended… He took a gamble, and it didn’t go the way he thought it would. He and Sebastian had their differences, but in the end, he was there for Sebastian. When Sebastian needed people for his side projects, he helped her son. She smooths his hair back, and touches his face, then does the Vulcan Death Grip on his neck. She says, this is because of them; Hilltop and Alexandria started the descent into chaos… They’ll never stop until they’ve taken everything. He asks what they has to do with him, and she says, they’ll do it his way. She provocatively takes his lucky coin out of his pocket, and says, they’ll take a gamble. She tosses it back and forth in her hand, and says, if he wins, he gets to live. If he loses… Which hand? She holds out her fists, and he picks the left one. It’s in there, and I say, dammit. He thanks her, she puts it in his vest pocket. He promises to do better; no games, no secrets. He’s 100% at the Milton family’s disposal. She says she knows he is, and zombie Sebastian is brought in on one of those leash sticks. He says, he doesn’t understand, and she tells him, like he said, he’s at the family’s disposal. Thanks to him, this is all that’s left. A trooper tosses in a dead guy, with a bullet hole in his forehead, along with a knife. He undoes Lance’s bonds, and she says, the body is still warm. Feed her son.

Mercer comes to Princess’s apartment, and asks if they can talk. She says, sure, and he comes in. She says, this is awkward, and he says he doesn’t want her to leave. She says she kind of has to, and he says, because of him. She says, yeah… no… maybe. He’s great, but she’s just got to get out of here. Eugene is going to die. He says he’s doing everything he can to make sure that doesn’t happen, but she says, not everything. It’s all such a sh*tshow. He says he knows this place ain’t perfect, but she’s been out there. She’s seen what’s waiting, and it’s worse. She tells him, don’t say that, and he asks if he’s wrong. She says she needs him to understand. Nothing’s been easy. Even before all of this, it wasn’t easy. Her dad bailed on them when she was 9, and her mother remarried. Her stepfather brought her evil stepbrother to live with him, and they both started acting like they were her dad; yelling and shoving. They sit down, and she says, and her mom let it happen, just to keep him around. She’d raise hell all the time, and her new dad and new brother started tying her up and throwing her in a closet when she acted out. They’d leave her for hours, and she’d piss herself sometimes. Then they’d take turns beating her. All she can hear is, Juanita, you have a roof over your head; Juanita, the bills are being paid; Juanita, it could be worse. F*** that, thinking it could be better. It should be. This place is starting to look like her stepdad. If she sits by and watches it happen, that makes her, her mom. And she’s not her mom. So she’s got to go. She tears up, and Mercer tries to take her hand, but she pulls away. She picks up her bag, and says, because of what happened to her, when she sees a man, she sees a monster. She’s been seeing them like that before they died and turned into actual monsters. She knows that’s not him, and she wants him to know that. She leaves, and he stares at the empty doorway.

At the new old kingdom, Lydia tends the fire with Aaron. They hear a gate open, and Aaron says, they triple-checked everything and made sure it was locked. It’s probably the wind. They hear a bunch of noise, and Lydia says, that wasn’t wind. Aaron gets up, and says, maybe they should do another sweep, when some zombies come toward them. Aaron says, sh*t. Is Lydia good? She says, yeah, and they stab, whack, and gore the zombies. Lydia is having a problem killing one, and Aaron says, they need to get Elijah and Jerry now. They run like hell, yelling for Jerry and Elijah to wake up; there’s trouble. They dispatch zombies for a moment, then barricade themselves in the nearest place. Jerry wonders how they got through the walls, and sees a doorknob turn. It opens, and Jerry slams it shut with his body, saying, what the hell? Since when do the dead use doorknobs? Aaron says, the Whisperers. They have to get on the roof. Lydia goes up first, then helps Elijah. They look out, and there are tons of zombies milling around. Aaron asks how Jerry’s leg is, and Jerry says, good enough. Aaron says he’ll hold the door, and Jerry tells him, be careful. Arms are reaching in through the wall, as Jerry and Aaron switch places, and Jerry makes it to the roof, Aaron following. They discuss jumping to the next building, and ask if Jerry can make the jump. Jerry says, no problem, but Aaron says, they can’t risk it. Aaron says, there’s an area where they can get down, and separate the Whisperers from the rest of the group. Zombie hands appear on the top of the wall behind jerry, and followed by the whole zombie. It picks up a rock, and Jerry yells, dude! Aaron fights with the zombie, but finally gets it down. He says, another goddam Whisperer, but when he tries to take off its mask, its facial skin and scalp comes off in his hand. He stabs it in the head, and Jerry asks, how the hell are the zombies doing that? Aaron looks horrified.  

We don’t see it, but it’s now daylight, and zombies lie everywhere. Aaron looks at the face in his hand, and Jerry asks what he thinks it was. An aberration? Aaron says, he’s heard roamers and lurkers have come back to places they remember, and heard stories about zombies that climb walls and open doors. He’s not sure if the stories are true, but maybe there are other kinds. Jerry says he hopes not, and Aaron asks if he’s sure he’s okay to travel. Jerry says, thanks to Aaron, and Aaron says, it’s his fault. Jerry says, today is a new day, and Lydia goes over to where Elijah is loading the wagon. Elijah says he’s going to grab the rest of their stuff, but Lydia asks him to wait, and kisses him.  

Wagons ho! out of the latest Kingdom, and Aaron says, what Jerry was saying about The Kingdom 2.0, he sees it now. Jerry says, Ezekiel will be king again, but Aaron says, it feels more like it was built for King Jerry. Jerry says, and Queen Nabila; he likes the sound of that. Aaron says he does too.  

Rosita comes to the church, and tells Eugene that Max isn’t coming. It’s too late; she’s already in police custody. Daryl says, the shift change is about to happen, and they should get going. Eugene says, it’s time for him to bid them adieu, and Daryl says he’s going to  check on the others, and will meet Rosita back at her place. He leaves, and Eugene tell Rosita, his path is leading elsewhere, but she says, there is no other path. There is nothing he can do for Max. He says, maybe not, but what kind of a man would he be if he didn’t try? She says, they’ll kill him, and he agrees that it’s not rational, but matters of the heart never are. If he leaves, it won’t be a life worth living. When he was at his lowest, feeling like a posterior cosmic joke, Rosia told him that his person was out there, and he should find her. He trusted Rosita – he always does – and she was right. Now he needs her to trust him. It’s going to be okay. He wants her to give something to Coco for him, and takes off his bolo tie with a heart on the medallion. He says he believes that one day Coco will have the style to pull this off; maybe after age 15. She takes it, and hugs him.

Eugene walks into the trooper station, and one of them yells, on the ground! Name! He says, Eugene Porter. He’s here to confess he made a recording that he surreptitiously switched with the tape that was supposed to be played at the Founders Celebration. While he didn’t mean for it to happen, he’s confessing to the death of Sebastian and the melee that followed. Mercer says, anything else? and he says he acted alone. While Max was present, she had nothing to do with any of it. Mercer swallows hard, and says, take him.

Max sits stunned, while Mercer tells her what happened. Eugene sits alone in his cell. Rosita puts the necklace into her bag. Her door opens, and she says, is everyone ready? Two guys (not troopers) try to subdue her, and she kicks their asses, but a third jumps her, and she’s overwhelmed.

Next time, Pamela tells Yumiko that her friends have been removed from the Commonwealth, and she needs to consider how her actions will affect her brother; Pamela (who’s apparently very busy in this episode) tells Eugene, if he doesn’t tell her where his friends are, he’s dead; and Eugene says, no matter how bleak it appears, it’s not the end.

🐉 Dragon Tails…

Two recaps, and a trailer for the finale.

House of the Dragon Recap: A Succession to Rival Waystar Royco’s

https://ew.com/tv/recaps/house-of-the-dragon-season-1-episode-9/

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-finale-trailer-death/

⚰️ Not Dead Yet…

Stop by tomorrow to see what’s going on in Port Charles and on the Mediterranean Sea. Until then, stay safe, stay being a reliable friend, and stay understanding that loss is inevitable; it always has been. The only thing we can control is when we say yes.

Oct10

October 9, 2022 – Chaos At The Commonwealth, Dead Ending & Spell

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

When we last left, Daryl had a knife to Lance’s throat. In the meantime, Carol was trying to make a deal with Pamela, saying, if her son didn’t do what he’s accused of, someone did.

In a voiceover, Judith says, they’ve come too far; they’ve lost so much. We flash back over the last 10+ years, and she says, it’s hard to trust people when they can go at any time, but the people who go, the people who die, aren’t lost forever. She has to believe that. Remembering their voices is how we keep them alive.

In the tunnel, Mercer tells says, everyone, stand down. He comes forward past the troopers with Carol and Pamela. Daryl backs Lance up against a wall, the knife still to Lance’s throat. Pamela says, he heard Mercer; lower his weapon. It’s not just about him. She needs Lance alive. Mercer tells him, not here, not like this, and Daryl says, he’s choosing this POS? but Mercer says, if he was, Daryl would be down already. Daryl asks Carol what she’s done, and Carol says she made a deal for them. Daryl stares at Lance, making him unsure for a hot minute, then takes the knife away. But in a surprise move, Daryl stabs Lance’s hand through to the wall. Lance screams, and Daryl removes the knife, making him scream even louder. Daryl tells Pamela, don’t worry, he’ll live, and throws the bloody knife down.

Back at the Commonwealth, Carol tells Daryl, Maggie, and Gabriel that all slates will be wiped clean on both sides. They’ll be given supplies, water, and weapons; anything they need to rebuild. Then they’re free and clear. Gabriel says, they can just go home? and Maggie asks what Pamela is going to get. Carol says, Hornsby. He’s going to tell the people that he’s responsible for the people who died. He takes the fall. Annie says, they’ll have to talk to their people. It’s a lot to think about. Negan says, like how Lance killed most of their people, and Carol says, anybody else? Maggie says, the most important thing is that they’re together. She doesn’t want to go it alone anymore. She doesn’t trust them, but thinks it’s worth the risk. Daryl says, all right, and walks off.

Mercer guards Lance on a hill somewhere, Lance’s hands tied behind his back. Lance whines, but Mercer tells him, get used to it. Lance says, he thought they got along well, and Mercer asks, how many of his men has Lance gotten killed? Lance says he thought Mercer realized by now, they’re not his men. A couple of growling zombies toddle toward Lance, as Pamela watches, and Lance tells Mercer, hop to it. Mercer flips out an ax like a switchblade, and chops their heads off. Pamela tells Lance that he’s being transported to the Commonwealth where he’ll be put on trial, and he tells her, it’s just the two of them; she can drop the act. She tells him, it’s no act. He’s gone too far. He laughs, and says, it’s never been a problem before how he got the job done, but Pamela says, they’re not talking about the past; they’re talking about now. He can survive if he plays his cards right, but his life at the Commonwealth is over. Lance says, after all he’s done, his service to her, but she says, he served himself above anything or anyone else, trying hard to prove the world wrong. Lance says, she’s refusing to see that he’s made something of himself, and she says, he’s an angry, delusional little boy, trying to win a game he’s too foolish to realize he’s never actually been a player in. She starts to walk away, and Lance says, she still needs him. She stops, and he says, if something happens to him, certain alliances with stabilizing factors are likely to become a problem, but she doesn’t respond, and keeps walking. He says, whatever game she’s playing, he’s very much in it.

Pamela addresses the public, saying, Lance abused his position, and caused untold suffering, but their friends, allies, and dedicated armed forces made sure he was unable to escape. She promises justice will be served. The crowd applauds, and Stephanie tells Eugene that Lance is taking the fall. Pamela says, they’re going to be celebrating what makes the Commonwealth great – its people. They’ll rise above because they’re the Commonwealth. Eugene wonders if there’s nothing more they can do, and Stephanie says, he’ll be leaving; it’s not his problem. He says he’s still here, and she thanks him for everything he’s done. He says, if she ever considers a change of scenery, she can visit him. She’s shown him her home, now he can show her his home. She looks up to see Sebastian on a balcony, and says, maybe someday, but not yet.

Aaron tells Maggie, they’re going to make sure Oceanside is okay, and Maggie says, it’s going to take them a while to get everyone ready and get the supplies together. They’re headed for Alexandria  first. Aaron says he’ll see her there, and they hug. Carol asks if Lydia is sure she wants to go with Aaron and not go home, but Lydia says, it’s just a few more weeks on the road. Elijah comes over and talks to Lydia, putting his arm around her. When he leaves, Carol says, a few more weeks? and Lydia says,  sorry… She hasn’t forgotten Henry, Carol hugs her, and tells her, take happiness where she can get it, and never be sorry for it. Carol leaves, and Daryl asks Lydia if she’s okay. She says, she thinks so, and he says he never thanked her for saving Carol. Lydia says, she never thanked him for saving her, and they hug. Daryl tells her, be safe, and she says, him too. Daryl hands Judith a Rick’s gun, but she says she doesn’t want it, and hands it back. She says, her mom talked about the day she would hang up her sword for good; not because it was completely safe, but she wouldn’t need it. Things should be getting better now. Daryl says, they will be when they get home, but Judith wonders, how, when things are still broken? Shouldn’t they help the people here, like they did in Alexandria? He says, what they did in Alexandria was different, but Judith says, that’s just because he wants to run away. He tells her to stop, and Aaron, Jerry, Lydia, and Elijah head out in a wagon.  

Ezekiel is hauling some animals to the zoo in a wagon, and Carol says he doesn’t have to lug those anymore. He says he can’t disappoint the kids, but she says, someone else will do it. He tells her, maybe he enjoys the exercise. She says, he’s not coming. They’ve got plenty of medicine. He says, it’s not that. His place is here. They were all desperate for help, and he was desperate to make a difference. One last time. This place, these people, Carol, gave him a second chance to do more. So that’s what he’s going  to do. She takes his hand, and he says he’s helping the people of another kingdom before it falls apart. He lets some kids in, and tells her, we can all do that, then follows them.

In her office, Pamela listens to a tape from President Milton, reenforcing the Commonwealth’s mission statement, and Sebastian wonders why he has to hear this. Pamela says, there are certain things he needs to do if he’s ever going to lead. Stephanie/Max gives him a speech to read, and he says, it’s a privilege to be here, honoring the founding power of their great home. He crumples it up, and says, it’s crap, but Pamela isn’t having it. She tells him that he’s jeopardized their home enough with his stupidity. The public will see he has nothing to hide, and be reminded whose grandson he is. Show her. He picks the paper back up, and uncrumples it. He says he will, and she says she knows he will. Politics wasn’t her first choice either. He was born to lead this place. Stephanie/Max jets.

In an OB/GYN exam room, Annie gets a sonogram, and the doctor tells her that her amniotic fluid is high, but she’s in the right place. They caught it in time. She leaves, and Annie tells Negan, it’s going to be fine. Staying isn’t an option. There are people looking to them, and she can’t risk them; she won’t. Negan says he keeps hearing his dad’s voice saying, your life is not your own once you have kids. He always wanted to know what that meant. Now he finally gets to. Annie says, she hears Ian and Jesse, and the people they killed. They don’t need this place. It’s us now. Negan kisses her, and smiles.

Daryl packs, putting his gun in its holster, and picking up a HUGE knife. He grabs his angel wing vest, and puts it on. He’s ready to rumble. He asks RJ where Judith is, and RJ tells Daryl, he’s not supposed to say. Daryl checks Judith’s backpack, and sees it’s empty. RJ tells him, she said she wasn’t coming, and Daryl asks, where’d she go? RJ says he doesn’t know, and Daryl leaves.

We see a commercial for the 47 Walking Dead spin-offs that are coming up.

The Founder’s Day Celebration begins, and Daryl tells Carol, about this parenting thing, what would Rick do? She says, Daryl is the one who’s here, and he says, it’s weird being a parent. She says, when Sophia was born, she had no idea what to do. She just knew she loved her. She was so tiny, and looked to her for everything. He’ll figure it out. He says, yeah, but doesn’t seem so sure.  

Eugene follows Stephanie down a hallway, and says he’s not sure this is the best idea, but she says, there’s no choice. She has to do something. All the years she’s worked in this office, and she just went along with it, went along with Sebastian. He doesn’t know what it’s like to feel guilt like that. He says he’s fairly familiar with the burden of that kind of guilt, and she says she was proud of what they did. She thought they were trapped in the old world, so why shouldn’t they try something better? Thinking like that made her feel good, like they could change things. Now it’s all being erased. They have to try, no matter what, but he doesn’t have to be involved. He says he wants them to be safe. He can’t trust this man, but if she believes there’s an outside chance he can help them, Eugene will suck it up, and do his best.

They go to Lance’s cell, but Stephanie stays out of sight while Eugene does the talking. Lance says he thought Eugene would be gone, but Eugene says, not quite, and drops a bag through the cell door slot, saying, sustenance for conversation. Lance brings a candy apple out of the bag, and asks if it’s for all the times he got Eugene out of a cell. Eugene says he’s surprised Lance hasn’t gotten himself out, but Lance asks, what makes Eugene think he wants to? Eugene asks if there’s any assistance he can offer, and Lance says, weak play. If he wants something, ask for it. Stephanie listens as Eugene says, he’s looking for any damaging information on Pamela and her progeny, and Lance says, that’s a tough one. He’d love to help, but the irony is, Pamela is probably the only reason he’s alive. Some friendly advice. If they go after go after the Miltons, the Miltons will crush them. Things are just getting better for Pamela. They wanted her head, and now they’re dancing in the streets at the Founders Celebration. Eugene is better off making nice with Pamela and her sadistic sh*t of a son. He adds for Eugene to make sure he tells his girlfriend too. She’s great at hiding in plain sight, sitting next to Pamela. The last thing they want is to end up in a cell like his. They have to live with it unless they’re willing to burn the whole thing down.

Gabriel stands at the pulpit, and says, be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you. We see the pews are empty, and someone comes in. Gabriel says, He will not leave or forsake you. My last sermon. Rosita walks up the aisle with baby Coco, and says, not his last. He asks if she’s packed, and she nods. He says, the parishioners brought him food. They can enjoy Mrs. Brennan’s ambrosia on the road. She says, it’s all his, and he says he didn’t think he could come back to this, to Him, but he did. The people in the pews gave that to him. Rosita says, he gave them something too, and what he gave them will be here long after he will. He says he wishes they’d brought cotton candy instead, and they hear a sound from the back. They go into the sacristy, and Judith stands next to an open window.

A work crew goes into an enclosed lot, and a woman says, it’s the same every year. They set it up just to take it down, and don’t even see the event. A man says, as long as he hears the lottery numbers, he doesn’t care. He promises not to forget her when he wins. Shira and Calhoun, the couple who were hunting Jerry and the kids, come in, shoot everyone, and leave.

Daryl goes to the church, and finds Judith sitting on the floor. She says she wasn’t trying to worry him, and he says he knows. She says, she just… He says, wanted to be alone? He gets it. He had a spot like this when he wanted to hide and not go home. She asks where it was, and he says, he’d go to a river behind his house. He’d go there and wait until his dad went to sleep. She asks if he was alone a lot, and he says, yeah. She says she doesn’t mind being alone; sometimes she likes it better. He says, you have time to think, and she says, and figure things out. He sits next to her on the floor, and says, sorry about earlier. She says, it’s okay, and he says he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he’s trying really hard. He wishes things were like how she wants them to be. That’s the way they should be, but they aren’t. He has to keep her safe. He’ll hold onto the gun for a while, until she wants it, or not. Either way, she’s stuck with him. He asks if they’re good, and she says, they’re good. She asks if she gets to say bye to her friends, and he tells her to help him up.

Sebastian practices his speech, and says he sounds like a d-bag. Why he thinks that’s different from how he always sounds, I’m not sure. Pamela says, he’ll be great, and gives Stephanie/Max a tape recorder, for later. Pamela leaves, and Sebastian says, this is bullsh*t. She puts the recorder down on a credenza, quietly turning it on, and pours them both a drink. He mutters his speech to himself, and she gives him one of the glasses. She asks if he’s going to do it, and he says he doesn’t think he has a choice, but she says, they all do. He tells her, not according to his mom. This should be his brother; he’s the one she wanted. Sebastian is just the one who’s still here. She says, he could be more than that, and he accuses her of just being a lackey who’s getting him to do what his mother wants. She says she doesn’t just work for his mom; she’s a citizen. He shouldn’t just tell people words. They respect the truth. He says, the people don’t want honesty. They want to be told everything is going to be okay, so they can ignore what a mess this world really is. The Commonwealth is built on buying into bulls*t, and the desperate need to believe the American dream is still real; that they can rise above their station. It’s a friggin’ joke. The reality is, the poor will stay poor so the rich can do whatever the hell they want. There are no bootstraps to pull themselves up on. His mother even hand picks the lottery numbers. The people who Max thinks want honesty are just too stupid to see it. They’re pathetic. She says, it sounded like he believed that. Maybe he just chooses to be a spoiled a-hole. If everyone expects it, who’s left to disappoint? She picks up the recorder, and leaves.

Daryl, Judith, and Carol walk around the fair, and Daryl tells Judith to go have fun. She runs off to be with her friends, and Carol tells Daryl, nice work. Eugene is working a booth that sells lottery tickets, and Stephanie gives him the recorder. She tells him that she’s all right, and an announcer tells everyone to take their seats. The main event is about to begin. Everyone cheers and shouts, and Mercer precedes Pamela and Lance to the dais. Pamela waves to the crowd, and a wrestling bell dings. The announcer asks if they’re ready to witness a battle for the ages. We see a ring, and some wrestlers give the audience some WWE action. The winner (who was in the WWE IRL) starts to chant, Commonwealth, and the crowd chants with him. Pamela comes into the ring, and thanks the combatants. She says, to continue this wonderful day, her son Sebastian has prepared a few words. She gives Sebastian the mic, and he says, it’s an honor and privilege to be here to celebrate the… He lowers his notes, and says he knows a lot of them don’t think well of him, and knows he probably deserves it. It’s going to take a long road to earn their trust, and live up to his legacy. He doesn’t have the words to describe what this place means to him, but his grandfather did. So he humbly asks them to join in listening to the wise words of President Milton, the founder of the Commonwealth. The audience applauds, and Pamela nods to Eugene. So does Stephanie, and we hear Sebastian say, the Commonwealth is built on buying into bulls*t, and the desperate need to believe the American dream is still real; that they can rise above their station. It’s a friggin’ joke. The reality is, the poor will stay poor so the rich can do whatever the hell they want. There are no bootstraps to pull themselves up on. His mother even hand picks the lottery numbers. The people who Max thinks want honesty are just too stupid to see it. They’re pathetic. Sebastian launches himself toward Stephanie, who takes off. The crowd starts throwing things at Pamela and the troopers, some of them attacking the troopers. Pamela yells for everyone to remain calm, and Mercer tells the troopers, no firing weapons. Stephanie runs through the crowd, with Sebastian after her.

In his cell, Lance hears a whistle. He looks out, and Shira and Calhoun give him a hand signal. He takes a bite of the candy apple.

Mercer tells the crowd to back up, but it’s just getting worse. Bottles are being thrown, people are jostling toward them, and tons of people are running. By now the work crew has reanimated, and come onto the scene, and everyone changes course. A few are caught unaware by the zombies, and are feasted on. Sebastian grabs Stephanie, and Mercer looks out from the ring, and sees what’s going on. He radios, tango, tango, tango; all units to the square. He tells Pamela that he’s going to make sure the inside walls are secure, but she says she’s the governor; he’s supposed to protect her. He says, his job is to protect the Commonwealth, and he leaves.

Everything is chaos, and from where I’m sitting, it’s pretty exciting. Ezekiel grabs (I think) RJ. Daryl takes Judith’s hand, and they move quickly through the crowd, but get separated. Daryl is as panicked as I’ve ever seen him, as the crowd moves her along, and away from him. She gets to the side, and sees a zombie coming toward her. She freezes, and someone shoots the zombie from behind. Daryl grabs her, and says, let’s go. She tells him to give her the gun, and he does, saying, they’ll do this together, okay? They run, as Mercer walks against the crowd. He shoots a couple of zombies, and Judith shoots one. Stephanie is looking around for Eugene, when Sebastian surprises her. He says, she’s nothing, and pushes her into a zombie. The zombie grabs her, but she manages to keep it at bay, while Sebastian stands there acting like it’s a laugh riot.  Too bad for him, Eugene arrives, and doesn’t find it funny, pulling the zombie away from Stephanie, and shoving it onto Sebastian. Sebastian yells for help, and no surprise, the best he gets are looks of amusement. Eugene tells Stephanie, they need to go, and the zombie finally locks on to Sebastian’s neck, ripping it open. He dies a gruesome death, and we all relish the moment. Judith shoots the zombie, and Sebastian gurgles blood as we hear, they’re just to stupid to see it. The Commonwealth is built on buying into bulls*t, and the desperate need to believe the American dream is still real; that they can rise above their station. It’s a friggin’ joke. The reality is, the poor will stay poor so the rich can do whatever the hell they want.

Way to make a point.

Next time, Pamela says, they need to make someone an example to remind the people that actions have consequences; and an elite group of zombies has learned to open doors and climb walls.

⚰️ Built On Bullsh*t…

The actor’s feels about how Jerky McJerkface met his end. He was on Talking Dead tonight as well, and is, of course, the nicest guy. The bad ones usually are.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-sebastian-milton-death-teo-rapp-olsson/

🤸 Back Through My Lookingglass…

Visit again tomorrow for some soap and yachting on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay leaving it looking better than you found it, and stay being desperate to make a difference. We can all do that.

Jun6

June 5, 2022 – Madison Brings the Skinny On PADRE, Guesswork, Season 8 Knowledge, About PADRE, Madison Talk & Wild

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

Someone breaths heavily, wheezes, then coughs. Over an intercom, a voice says, you made it, but you don’t sound like you’re doing so hot. We can help, but first you have to decide if you want to be a part of this; if you’re willing to do what needs be done to get what you want. There’s a bright red light.

Morgan wakes up, and we hear a zombie. We see he’s in a tent, suspended between two trees, a good twenty feet up. A zombie beneath reaches up, looking like my dogs do when they hope something will fall while I make dinner. Morgan gets on the radio, and asks if anybody can hear him, but just gets static. He asks, is anybody out there? Anybody? Mo cries, and he picks her up. He says, she’s hungry and they’re going shopping. They’ll take mama with them. He puts on the  tape of Grace singing, and puts headphones on Mo, who I have to say, is very cute. Mo sleeps, as Morgan carries her in a duffel bag on the beach. He looks down to see a hood moving in the sand. He removes the hood, and sees a zombie head stuck in the sand, a crab sticking to it.

Morgan goes to a town, and looks in a car, finding a can of formula, but it’s empty. He looks through the lockers in a pediatrician’s office, and them walks to some wrought iron gates that say Sanderson across the top. He opens them, and walks to a house. He goes inside the very creaky front door, and looks around. Mo talks to herself, and Morgan hears a woman saying, I’m here. Where are you? Morgan brandishes his weapon, and pushes open a door, seeing a woman holding a knife. She asks what he’s doing here, and he raises his hands, saying, he’s just looking for food. She says she doesn’t have any, and Morgan sees a bunch of pregnancy tests lined up on the vanity. He says, okay, and puts down his weapon. He ask how far along she is. This is his daughter Mo. He’s Morgan. She lowers the knife, and says her name is Ava. He says he thinks they can help each other, but she says she can help him with this advice. Take that girl as far away as he can. He says, not until he finds her mother and the rest of his family. It looks like she’s looking for hers too. Ava suggests he reconsider, saying, this is no place for kids.

Back in his tent, Morgan tries to radio Grace, asking if she’s out there. He says he can’t keep doing this without her. He did what she asked, and got Mo someplace safe, but Mo needs her. He needs her. He’s scared, so he needs his family. A man asks if somebody is up there. He could use some help down here. Morgan unzips the tent, and a man wearing a hood says, good evening. Everything goes black.

Morgan wakes up on the beach, and sees a bunch of guys in hoods digging a hole. He starts to get up, and head hood says, don’t be a hero. Morgan says he doesn’t know what they want, but whatever it is, they can work it out. Just give him his little girl back. Head hood says, she doesn’t belong to Morgan, like all the other kids he took. Morgan says he didn’t take any kids, and the guy says, where are they? Morgan says, give him back his daughter, and they’ll never see them again. The guy tells Morgan, get in that hole, and tells the others, bury him. Morgan asks why they’re doing this, and he says, so every other sh*thead sees what happens when they steal our kids. Cover him. He’s getting what he deserves. He puts a hood over Morgan’s head, and Morgan hears gunfire. He gets the hood off, and sees they’re all dead, and someone is holding Mo. He says, whoever you are, thank you for saving my life. A woman says she’s not here to save him, and he says, they thought he was her. His baby is everything to him. He can’t let them take her. We see it’s Madison, and she says, the baby is better off with her. He’ll get over it; she did. He starts to jump out of the hole, and she shoots near him. She takes a hit of oxygen from a tank, and he says, please, stop, but she says, she’ll kill him if he follows her. He starts to get out, and she shoots near him again, then trots off with Mo.

Madison runs past hooded heads on the beach. She gets on the radio, telling Oriole that she’s approaching the drop. She goes to a dock and inside the boathouse. There’s no boat, and she radios Oriole, saying, you’re late. A man says, they’re getting them processed, and she asks how long it’s going to take. He says, as long as it takes, and she puts Mo down, giving her something to eat. On the radio, she hears Ava saying, Jim, can you hear me? We need you. This baby needs you. Madison tells Oriole that she has the lead on a new egg. She’s going to leave this one in the birdhouse, and check it out. She tells Mo that she knows Mo misses her daddy, but she’s better off without him, and she leaves.

She passes the heads again, and hears, Jim, I need… She gets on, and says, hello? Ava says, who is this? and Madison says, someone who wants to help. She heard Ava’s message; where is she? Ava asks how she knows Madison’s not the one stealing kids, and Madison says she’s a mother herself, and knows how hard it is. Ava says she just wants this baby to be okay, and Madison says, Ava just has to tell Madison where she is. While she’s talking, zombies surround Madison. She takes out her battleax, and kills them all. She takes some oxygen, and sees the tank is low. As she walks, she asks if Ava is still there. Tell Madison where she is. Ava says, if Madison really wants to help… and Madison says she knows it’s hard to know who to trust. Morgan comes up behind her, and turns off the radio. He tells her, hand over the gun, and she gives it to him. She says, he’s making a mistake, and he says, not as big as the one she made taking his daughter. Drop her weapon, and turn around. She does, and he asks, where is she? Madison says, somewhere he’ll never find her. He says, wrong answer, and she asks where her oxygen tanks are. He says, someplace she’ll never find them, and she says, she’s the least of his problems. The people she’s with can kill him in ways he can’t imagine. He says, they should probably get moving if she wants to breathe, and she says, if they find out he’s interfered with the egg, he’ll be sorry. Parents think they give kids what they need, but if he saw where she’s from, he’d see why she’s taking kids. She can’t breathe, and he gives her some oxygen.

In what looks like an interrogation room, a voice over the intercom asks if Madison has considered their offer. She says she’ll do what they ask, but they have to hold up their end of the deal. They voice says, we will, and she asks how she knows. The voice says, the only reason she’s still breathing is because of them. What’s her name? She says, Madison, and the voice says, not anymore. They’ll tell her who she’s going to be from now on.

At the dock, Madison says, they’re too late, and Morgan asks what she means. She says, they’ve already rescued Mo. Her people came sooner than she expected. He looks at the log, and sees a notebook that says, PADRE on it. He asks if she’s with PADRE, and she asks what he knows about it. He says, let’s move, and they leave the dock. He asks which way they went, and she says, his baby is better off without him, but he says, she doesn’t get to decide what’s best for his family. She says she already did. A zombie straggles up, and she takes out her weapon. She says she used to be like him, and Morgan stabs the zombie with his own pokey tool. Madison whacks at Morgan, and they struggle. He sees Alicia and Nick tattooed on her wrists, and backs off, saying, oh, dear God. She’s Madison Clark. She asks how he knows her name.

Morgan says, Madison? and she asks how he knows her name. He says her kids told him, but she says he’s full of sh*t. She says, her kids are alive, and he says, he’ll tell her what he knows in exchange for his daughter. She says, there’s only one way to rescue his daughter; bring someone else’s kid to take her place. He says, there’s no other way without taking a child away from their family? and she says, no. She coughs, and he says, what if the kid isn’t born yet? The woman Madison was talking to on the radio is pregnant, and not doing so good. He knows where she is. She asks if he’s sure he’s ready to go down that road, and he says, he will if it gets his daughter back. She says she’ll take him to PADRE to look for Mo, and get her back. He asks if PADRE will look after the baby and mother; he’s not taking a child from their mother otherwise. She says, yeah, and he hands her back her weapon. She breathes into the oxygen mask.

They walk, and Morgan asks if Madison got smoke in her lungs when she escaped the stadium. Is that why she needs the oxygen? She says, something like that, and he says, the way he heard it, there’s no way anyone got out of the stadium alive. She says she’s full of surprise. What else did her kids tell him? He says, quite a bit, but she’s not what he imagined, stealing kids. She says, rescuing kids, and he asks if that’s her or PADRE talking. She asks what he knows about PADRE, and he says, he knows they’ve been putting out a radio message, nobody can find them, and Alicia had been looking for them, but he’s not going to tell her any more until he gets his kid back. She asks if Morgan thinks he’s doing the right thing when she’s in the right place. PADRE can give her the life people like him can’t. He asks what she means by people like him, and she says, parents. He couldn’t even feed her. It looks like he’s barely scraping by. He says, Mo is his daughter, and her mother is coming back. They survived the bombs in Galveston. She asks if Nick and Alicia were there, but he says he’s not telling her anything more. Their family have gotten through worse. She says, family isn’t the answer; it’s the problem. It’s what PADRE has figured out. What they’re building is different. He says, Madison put her life on the line for family; what the hell happened to her? They come to the gates, and she asks if this is the place. He says, what now? and she says, they go in, and tell her the truth; they’ll go a place where the baby will be taken care of. He asks, what happens to the mother after the baby is born? but she says, he doesn’t need to know. He says he does, but she insists, he doesn’t. He asks how she can do this to people, and she says, you get used to it, breathing in more oxygen.

In the interrogation room, Madison says she did what they asked. Now it’s their turn. The voice over the intercom tells her, More. One time isn’t enough. They’re going to need her to keep doing it. She looks at the tattoos on her wrists.

Morgan and Madison walk into Ava’s house, and Morgan asks if Ava is there. Ava comes out on the upstairs balcony, and asks what he’s doing here. He says he found somebody he thinks can help her, Madison says, they spoke on the walkie, and Morgan told her where Ava was. Ava says, she wants Jim, and Madison asks if Jim is the baby’s father. Ava says, this house belonged to her family. She was born here, and thought it was safe. Madison says she can help Ava and her baby, and Ava asks, how? Madison says, she can take them to a safe place with good people. It’s the kind of place a kid dreams about growing up in. Ava says, it sounds too good to be true, but Madison says, it’s for real, and it’s their best shot at their kids’ future. Morgan’s kid is in there. Morgan says he didn’t think it was possible for a place like this to exist, but it does. Ava asks, what’s it called? and he says, PADRE. She says she’ll get her things, and when she’s gone, Morgan asks Madison what’s going to happen to happen to the mother? Madison asks if he doesn’t think it’s a little late to be asking, but he says she didn’t answer him before. She says, he knows or he would have pressed. They split them up; that’s how PADRE works. They gave it their best shot, but they were looking at it the wrong way. The way they see each other, and what they do for each other. PADRE has rewritten the book on all of it, what it looks like; no attachments or connections. He says he’s not doing this. He’s seen a mother lose her baby before, and doesn’t want to see it again. She says, then he’ll never see his daughter again. Ava comes back, and asks if everything is all right. Madison says, it is for her, and Morgan says, him too. They should get her to PADRE. Madison looks outside, and sees a bunch of hooded figures headed their way. She says, they found her, and asks if there’s a back way. Ava asks why they’re after her, and Madison says, they’re pissed off about her saving some kids. Ava says, follow her, and they head out the back way.

They run across a field, and Madison asks Morgan for some oxygen. Ava says, the beach is this way, and trips over a zombie that’s stuck under a bush. Madison smashes it’s had in, and Morgan asks if Ava is okay; did she get bit? She says she just got cut from the vines, and Madison says they have to keep moving. If that group catches up with them, they’ll be killed. Morgan says, if something happens to Ava’s baby, it’s on her, and Madison wonders where they should go. Morgan suggests a conveniently located crypt nearby, although it wouldn’t be my first choice, given that there are zombies everywhere. They go inside, and close the door, pulling a cement bench in front of it. Morgan says, it’ll be okay, and Madison takes out a heart rate monitor to check on the baby. Ava says, the baby is fine, and asks, who’s after Madison? Madison uses the monitor, and Morgan says, what is it? Madison says, she can’t get a heartbeat, and Morgan asks if PADRE doesn’t have doctors, handing her the radio. She says, she can’t hear it, but he tells her, keep looking. She says, Ava isn’t pregnant; she never was. Morgan says he doesn’t understand, and Madison says, Ava was tricking them to get Madison to take her to PADRE. Morgan asks if it’s true. Is Ava not pregnant? Madison says, it doesn’t matter. Tie her up, and leave her food and water; she’ll just slow them down. Ava says, Madison doesn’t remember? Madison took her daughter a year ago. She told Ava that it was for the best. Madison really doesn’t remember. She was five. Her name was Odessa, and she cried when they pulled her from Ava on the beach. What Madison told her wasn’t true. Madison says, Morgan knew what was going on, and they still have to get out. Ava tells Madison to take her there, but Madison says, Ava’s plan could never work. The doctors at PADRE would have checked her as soon as she got in the door, and kept checking the entire time she was there. Ava says she needs to see her daughter, and Morgan says, since Ava isn’t pregnant, how is he getting Mo back? Madison says, even with a trade, there was no guarantee. Ava is stunned that she was to be used as a trade, and Morgan shoves Madison up against the wall. He tells Madison to find a way for him to get to his kid or she’ll never know where children are. His eyes look crazy, and he says he wants his kid. If she wants to know about hers… Madison says, she doesn’t want to find them. If she never sees them again, that’s okay. She got over it before. She wasn’t lying when she said that before. Morgan tells her, she was just saying that; they had a deal. She says, so she could get what she wanted, and Morgan says, why else would she be doing all of this? Madison takes a breath of oxygen

In the interrogation room, the intercom voice tells Madison that she needs to rescue more children.  

Ava says, Madison has kids? and Madison says, they’re all doing what they’re doing for their own reasons. Ava picks up Madison’s weapon, and hits the oxygen canister, so that the oxygen sprays everywhere, and busts open one of the graves. Another dicey move in a zombie apocalypse. She pulls out a shotgun, and says, her granddaddy wanted to be buried with his favorite hunting gun, so he could be prepared in care he didn’t end up at the Pearly Gates. She doesn’t think they will either. (Was he going to shoot Satan?) Zombies start to bang at the door, and Morgan says he knows Ava is angry, but they’ve got to go if they’re going to get out alive. Ava says, she has another way. Madison might not want to see her kids, but she doesn’t want them to die. Ava gets on the radio, and asks if they’re the ones looking for the collector. A man’s voice asks who she is, and she says, someone like them; a woman who got her child stolen, like them. She found a way to motivate the collector. Madison says she can’t help Ava, but Ava says she thinks Madison will find a way. She points the gun at Morgan, and says, tell Madison where she can find her kids, or she’ll shoot him, and his daughter will never see him again. Tell her where they are. Morgan says, it’s not going to work, and Ava says, why? He says, because they’re already dead. He’s sorry, but Madison’s kids are gone. Madison shoves him against the wall, saying, he told her they were alive, but he says he wouldn’t lie. She says he never did know about her kids, and he says, Nick was shot; Victor, Alicia, and Luci were all there. They buried  him themselves. She says, and Alicia, and he says, she got bit not long ago. She took her own arm off, but not before infection set in. She fought it off for months; longer than anybody ever has. Madison leans on him, and says, no. He says, the last time he and Alicia talked, she was close to the end, and Madison cries, saying, no. Morgan says he’s sorry.

Zombies are starting to get the door open, and Morgan says, there’s 30 of them out there, and more on the way. The man on the radio asks if Ava is there, and Morgan tells Madison, he’s still waiting on their deal. She says she can’t give what she promised, and he tells Ava that those people tried to kill him already, and they’re going to kill all of them. Ava says they can get out, and the man on the radio asks why she isn’t answering. Morgan turns the radio off, and asks how long before they’re found. Ava says, it’s a big property; it could be hours. Morgan says, they’ll have to fight their way through the zombies, and get out before the posse finds them. Ava doesn’t want to bring Madison, and Morgan says, he’s sorry about what they did, but they’re going to need Madison. He tells Madison that they’re going to need her. He’s sorry he didn’t tell her the truth from the beginning. He did what he thought he had to. She asks what they were doing when they died, and Morgan says, Nick was going through a bad patch when they met; Alicia too. They thought Madison was gone, but they’d been making steps to build something better when it happened. Madison asks how Alicia got bit, and Morgan says, the bombs they were talking about; she was trying to stop them from going off. She survived the explosion, and escaped the fallout. She fought the infection for as long as she could. Madison says, he didn’t see her die? and he says, he had to leave with Mo. Alicia could still be out there. She says, no one survives a bite, but he says, Alicia is different. Maybe she found a way. Madison says, even if she did, she doesn’t want to find her, and he asks, why?  

The voice over the intercom says, we think it’s time. She’s rescued more children than any other collector, so now they’ll help her find hers. She pulls her sleeves over her tattoos, and folds her hands on the table. She says, no; she doesn’t want to find them. She tells Morgan, she was willing to die in the stadium so her kids could see what she was building was worth fighting for. PADRE played her from the start. They made her do things she didn’t want to, so when she could finally get her kids back, she’d say no. Morgan asks why she’s still taking kids, and she says, because she knew what they’d do if she walked away. They’d find Nick and Alicia, and make them do what she wouldn’t. Now she doesn’t have to worry about that anymore. She wishes she knew that before she took Morgan’s daughter. They hear gunfire outside, and Morgan says, the posse is going to kill them both. He tells Ava that Madison saved him once before, but Ava wants to give her up. Morgan says, they need to get their kids back, but Ava says she doesn’t think this group will see it that way. From outside the door, the head hood says, if they’re hiding Madison, they’ll have a problem, and Madison says, let them in. Don’t do this for her. Morgan says he has to get his daughter back, and Madison says, she can’t undo things. Morgan says, they just need to find a way, but Madison says, there’s only one way to show them that he’s not with her. Morgan calls to them to wait. He’s going to open the door and hand her over to them. Morgan tells Madison, sorry, but she says, it’s the only way he’ll live to see his daughter one day. He and Ava move the bench away, and open the door. The head guy says, hands where he can see them. He removes his hood, and asks if Madison remembers him. She took his boy last winter. He puts a hood on Madison’s head, and tells the others, start digging. High tide is in less than two hours.

Outside, Morgan looks pretty bummed, and Ava says, Morgan made the right call. Morgan asks what they did with Madison, and the head hood says, left her to watch the tide; it’s worse when they see it coming. Morgan asks what Madison told them, and he says, not much, but she didn’t need to. He shows Morgan the PADRE notebook, and says, now they know when Madison was being picked up. He gives Morgan a hood, and says, they’re going to surprise her friends at the beach and bury them all. Someone will talk. He asks if Morgan has a problem with that, and Morgan says, it won’t get their kids back, and it will get everybody killed. Ava tells them to let Morgan go, and the head hood says, that’s not how any of this works. She says, the PADRE people took their kids; why are they fighting each other? Let him go. The head hood says, Morgan knows what happens if he gets in their way, and Morgan says, he knows and he won’t. He tells Ava, don’t go with them; she doesn’t have to. She says she has to get to her kid. She has to do something. She shows him a stuffed toy, and says, Odessa lost it the day before Madison took her. Ava promised to find it and give it back to her. She’s not breaking her promise. He says he knows, and she goes with them.

Madison’s head pokes out of the sand, and she coughs. Zombies begin coming out of the water, and she flashes back to the intercom. We see a toy dropped into a bin, and hear a baby crying. Madison drops toys and other baby stuff into a bin, and holds a stuffed tiger, hesitating before finally dropping it in with the others. She closes her eyes as the zombies come closer. One falls, and crawls toward her. She remembers the bin again, and the zombie’s face is chopped off by Morgan. He slices and dices the other two, and says, Madison doesn’t deserve to go out like this. She says she can’t help him, and he says, when he met her kids, he was in a place not too different from her; wanting to get away from everything and everybody. Meeting Alicia and Nick, and seeing what she gave them was a big part in turning him around. In a way, he owes her. The people who did this are wrong, and they have to fight for what they believe. No one is gone until they’re gone. Alicia told him Madison used to say that. Madison says, everything she’s done, she is gone, but Morgan says, hang on; he’s got her tanks. He runs off, and more zombies come out water. She says, they’re all… She realizes they’re wearing hoods, and says, she told them not to go to the dock.  She calls to Morgan, who begins to stab them until he sees the one with the stuffed toy hanging from its belt. He takes the hood off, and it’s Ava. He says, no, no, no, and Madison calls his name. He says he never should have done this, and because he’s so distracted, he falls backward, Ava on top of him. Madison gets an arm out of the sand, and manages to grab her battleax, chopping off the surrounding zombies at the knees. Morgan tells Ava that he’s sorry, and Madison bashes her head in. She grabs the oxygen mask, and inhales. She asks Morgan, what the hell was that? and he says, Ava is dead because of something he did. She won’t see her daughter because of him. Madison says, she’s dead because of PADRE, and Morgan says, Madison was just ready to give up; what changed? She says, she’s gone, but he’s not. She’ll help him get to his daughter, and they’ll show PADRE that they’re wrong. He says, then what? and she says she doesn’t know. She wasn’t lying when she said the only way to get to PADRE is to take another child. He says, there’s got to be another way there, but she says, there isn’t. He looks at the tape player, and says, there is. It just means they can’t fail.

They go to the dock, and the guard asks who Morgan is. Madison says, he’s a collector with something to offer. The guard says he doesn’t see anything, and Morgan says he has information. There are rafts with people on them. The guard asks, what kind of people? and Madison says, the ones they might want. Morgan says, there’s a pregnant woman on one of them. He can tell them more, but the guard’s got to let him go with them. The guard says, get in.

On the boat, Morgan asks Madison, where the hell are they going? Where’s PADRE? She says she’s been meaning to tell him – she doesn’t know. They’re blindfolded, and we see the boat speeding away toward an ocean liner.  

This was the finale, so no preview.

🔎 Since We Have Nothing Better To Do…

Speculation on when the next season will land.

https://undeadwalking.com/2022/06/04/fear-walking-dead-season-8-release-date-speculations/

🏃🏽 Rushing the Season…

The body’s not even cold yet.

https://screenrant.com/fear-walking-dead-season-8-news-updates-details/

🐣 Where Children Are Eggs…

The way Madison described it, it sounded like Christmasland in NOS4A2.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-where-is-padre-explained-madison-clark-season-7-episode-16-gone/

🕶 Who Gonna Check Victor…?

Madison’s Why.

https://undeadwalking.com/2022/05/30/fear-walking-dead-madison-will-return-now-know/

Her best moments. At least according to TVInsider.

https://www.tvinsider.com/1047056/fear-the-walking-dead-madison-clark-best-moments/

🏂 Sliding Into Monday Like…

Come on by tomorrow for some soap and peek at what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay looking for the good in the challenge, and stay knowing, no one is gone until they’re gone.

May30

May 29, 2022 – Alicia Saves a Friend, Bird Tale, Time To Go, Dissecting Rick & America

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

Alicia is being carried on a stretcher. She’s in and out, and alternately sees zombies and the people carrying her. Alicia is parked on the beach, as everyone gets the rafts ready. Alicia says hi to a bird, and Jacob says, she’s waking up. He calls for June, and June tells him to get saline and epinephrine, and tells Alicia that she’s low on fluids. Alicia asks why the rafts are being prepped, and June says, she doesn’t remember? The tower is burning. When the walkers from the canyon burn, it’s going to be released into the air. Alicia asks where they’re going, but June says, they don’t know. Alicia wonders where Morgan ended up, but June says, he hasn’t landed yet. Alicia struggles to get up, but June tells her she can’t; the fever will kill her. Alicia asks, where the hell is Victor? but June says, he didn’t want to come. Alicia asks if they know where is he, but June says, as far as they know, he’s still in the tower. Alicia looks at the column smoke rising in the distance, and gets up, telling them to put everyone in the rafts, but June says, Alicia needs rest. Alicia looks around, and notices a girl in a mask. She says, someone heard the message, and calls, over here. The girl goes in the other direction, and Alicia says, come back, and follows. She tells the girl not to run away, and the girl says, she’s not running. She has to find her friend. Alicia says she wants to help, and the girl says, then help her find her friend in there, and gestures toward the tower. He knows how to get to Padre. She runs into the smoke, and the smoke gets heavier. Alicia walks into it after her.

A zombie struggles, caught under a shopping cart, and Alicia stabs it in the head. Luci radios, asking where Alicia is, and Alicia walks up to an armored truck. She tells Luci that she found the girl she told Luci about; she might know where Padre is, and they need a place to go. Luci asks why Alicia left on her own, and Alicia says she can’t put them in danger. Don’t come looking for her. She walks on, and has a flash of seeing zombies. The girl says, over here, and walks into the smoke. Alicia asks what she knows about Padre; is it real? The girl turns out to be a zombie, and Alicia slashes its head into a pile of mess. She looks at her artificial arm, and it morphs into a melting skeletal arm. She looks at her reflection in something, and sees a zombie. She opens her eyes, and she’s inside the truck. She sits up, and the girl says, it’s okay. Alicia passed out on a body; the girl heard her scream. Alicia asks how the girl got her in here, and the girl says she dragged Alicia. They almost didn’t make it. Alicia asks her name, and says, she’s Alicia. The girl says she knows; she heard Alicia’s message. That’s why she was at the beach. Alicia says the girl can take her mask off, but the girl says she doesn’t take it off. Alicia says, the girl helped her in the woods; why didn’t she stay? The girl says she was looking for her friend. She asks why Alicia is sick; is it her arm? Did one of them bite her? Alicia can tell her. She’s not scared of bites. Alicia says, it doesn’t matter; there’s nothing she can do about it. Alicia looks through the stuff in the truck, and asks if the girl’s friend can really help them find Padre. The girl says, yes, but they have to find him first. He’s all she’s got left; he’s like family. She asks what Alicia is looking for, and Alicia says, anything to bring down her fever. The girl asks if fevers don’t come from infections, and Alicia asks how she knows that. The girl says, her mother says she’s too smart for her own good, and Alicia says, her mom said the same thing about her. A huge lightbulb comes on over my head, and I know who the girl is. Alicia says, this infection is different. She’s been fighting it a long time. The girl asks if Alicia found Madison, and Alicia looks at a tape labeled Amina. She asks how far away the girl’s friend is, and how she’s going to contact them, and the girl says, the same way Alicia contacted her when she heard the message. Alicia says, that’s not going to work. The tower is on fire, and the irradiated dead are headed there. Alicia barely made it here. They’ve got to get to the rafts before the dead get to the flames. The girl says she’s not getting in a raft, and aims a gun at Alicia. Alicia takes it out of her hand, and says, it’s not loaded. Has she looked for bullets lately? There’s none. The girl asks why Alicia followed her, and Alicia says, to help save her friend, but also to do something that will outlast her. The girl asks if Alicia thinks she’s going to die, and Alicia says, look at her; she might not make it to the beach. This thing is going to beat her, and she won’t be able to help her friends. The girl says, Alicia is wrong. She can beat it and help her friends. Alicia insists that’s not true, but the girl says she was bit too, and she’s still here. She shows Alicia scars on her arm, and says she needs to get to the tower and make contact with her friend. He saved her, and he’ll save Alicia too, then get them to Padre.

Speculative Spoiler: I could be very wrong, but I wonder if Alicia is talking to herself. They’ve already been borrowing heavily from Z Nation. Why not again?

They walk, and Alicia asks when the girl got bit, and how. It must have been a while ago. The girl can trust her. She’s here, isn’t she? A zombie comes toward them, and the girl says she’ll deal with it, but Alicia says, she won’t even reach its head. The girl hands Alicia a bullet on a cord, and Alicia asks where she got it. The girl says she found it near the truck. Shoot him. Alicia has a zombie flash, and stabs it in the neck. She falls to the ground with it, and it grabs ahold of her. The girl whacks it with a hammer, and asks if Alicia is okay. She almost got herself killed. Alicia says, the walker is mulch, and the girl isn’t hurt. There’s nothing to be upset about. They start walking again, and the girl asks why Alicia didn’t use the bullet. Alicia says, it would have drawn more dead, and the girl asks why Alicia has a bullet if she’s not going to use it. Alicia says, so she doesn’t turn, and the girl asks if Alicia has dreams about turning; she had them too. Alicia asks if she still has them, but the girl says, no. It was only when the fever was really bad. Her friend will help Alicia. She’s not going to end up like one of them. Use the bullet next time.

They walk closer, as the tower burns. Alicia says, they need to go to the rafts, but the girl says, maybe other people got Alicia’s message. Alicia can go if she wants, but she’s staying. Alicia says, this is impossible, and the girl says, what about the other people who heard Alicia’s message? Is she going to let them walk into that? Alicia says, when they see it, they’ll turn around, but the girl says, they won’t know to go to the beach. They could end up someplace worse. They need to go. Alicia says she can’t push much further, but the girl says she’s not leaving. She walks toward the tower, but Alicia stops her. Alicia says, if they go in there, they’ll both die, but the girl says, they’ll die if they stay out here. Alicia asks what she means, and the girl says, Alicia knows what she means. Alicia faints, and the girl fights off some straggling zombies. She tells Alicia to stay with her, and gets on the radio, asking if there’s anyone there.

Alicia is on a rolling cart, and Sarah says, she’s waking up. They stop, and Luci says, they weren’t going to leave without her. Dwight takes off the straps holding her to the cart, and Alicia asks how they found her. He says, they heard her SOS. A new guy says, hello, and Sarah tells Alicia, his name is Josiah; he’s friendly. Alicia asks, where is she? and Dwight says, who? Alicia says, the girl who helped her. She can help them get to Padre. Luci says, they don’t even know if that place is real, and Alicia says, the girl helped her kill the walkers. Dwight says, it sure looks like Alicia killed them, and Alicia sees her arm weapon (weapon arem?) has blood all over it.  

Alicia says, the girl saved her twice; it’s blood from before. She wipes it off, and June says, Alicia is still burning up. Alicia wonders where the girl is; she was there. Josiah says, Alicia was alone when she went back to the tower, and Luci asks why she did that. Alicia says, to send a message; the girl wanted to find her friend, and she promised to help. She has to go back there. Sarah says, Alicia is going on the raft, by force if she wants to play it that way. Alicia says she’d be doing the same thing if she were in their position, but she’s not leaving. Luci asks why it’s so important, and Alicia says, the friend is going to tell her how to save them. June says, the raft is their best shot, and Alicia says, the girl was bit, but she’s alive, and her friend helped. She’s been dreaming of turning into one of them for months. She doesn’t want to die, and she doesn’t want to turn. The girl’s friend can help her live. June asks if Alicia is sure she’s not just saying that because she wants it, and Alicia says, she knows how it sounds, but she’s real. Daniel says, when people doubted him, it didn’t feel good, and Sarah says, but he didn’t have all his faculties. He says, maybe he still doesn’t, but Alicia helped him think more clearly. He can’t let he go on her own; he’s coming. Luci says she owes Daniel one, so she’s in, and June says, she’ll clear the tunnel faster with help. Dwight says, Sherry will kill him if he lets Alicia go by herself, and Sarah says, she doesn’t want be the only a-hole who says no. She tells Dwight, let’s get us some crispy critters.

Alicia keeps trying to radio the girl, when she finally answers. Alicia asks where she is, and the girl asks if Alicia thinks she can get to the roof, but Alicia says, it’s too dangerous to do on her own. She’s coming, and her friends are clearing the tunnel. The girl says she’s on the stairs, but the radio goes dead. Alicia takes out the bullet, and Luci tells her, if she talks to the girl, ask if they can get in there. Alicia says, she talked to her, and she’s going in. June says, not alone, and Sarah says, they’re not leaving. Josiah says, they opened it pretty good, but he can’t be sure it will stay stable. Alicia says, they need to get to the raft. If she learns where Padre is, she’ll radio them. Sherry needs Dwight, Sarah just found her brother, and Daniel’s got to be there for Charlie. She tells Luci that they’ll need someone to show them the way, but Luci says, they have Alicia. Alicia says she has to do this on her own, and Luci nods, saying, she’ll see Alicia and the girl at the shore. Alicia goes inside, and the door closes behind her.

Zombies toddle around the tower as it burns. Alicia goes upstairs wearing a mask, but then takes it off. She thinks about being a zombie, and radios the girl, asking, where are you? Are you in the stairwell? The girl says she’s on the roof and needs Alicia’s help, but Alicia says she’s not sure she can make it. The girl says, she has to; it’s the only way. Alicia stops, pants, and says to herself. you can do it. She sees a bird flying up through the stairwell.

She opens the roof door, and the girl says, over here. Alicia says, you’re alive, and the girl says, so are you. Alicia says she doesn’t want to die; she’s not ready. She suggests they find the girl’s friend, and gets the radio, but she sees it’s been burned by the fire. She yells, no! and the girl says, what? She tells the girl, it’s broken, but the girl says, it’s okay. Alicia says, they need to get in touch with her friend, and the girl says, they still can. Her friend isn’t out there; he’s in the tower. That’s why she wanted to come. Alicia says, her friend (and I say in my head, Victor), what’s his name? The girl says, Victor Strand, and I pat myself on the back for figuring everything out so early on. The girl says she’s sorry she didn’t tell Alicia sooner, and Alicia flashes back to Victor saying, those people were never part of his vision… She’s never going to forgive him, even if he saves everyone, because the damage has been done… He’s trying to save her life… Alicia says, no; it doesn’t make sense. She remembers Victor saying he knows she thinks he’s a monster, but he’s the same man he’s always been. She can’t stop what’s coming. Alicia says, right. She shouldn’t have come. The girl says, Victor needs her to help him, and Alicia asks why she should. The girl says, Victor is her family. He can save them; save us. Alicia knocks the girl down, and holds the pointy end of her arm to the girl’s throat. She asks if anything the girl told her is true, and the girl says, Victor can help her if she helps him. Alicia says, no, and the girl asks if she’d rather die than save him. Alicia says she would, and the girl asks, why? Alicia says, Victor took everything from her, and the girl says, don’t let him take her life too. If Alicia leaves him, she’ll die. Alicia keels over, and asks the girl why she cares what happens to Victor, but the girl says, it’s not about Victor. It’s about Alicia.

Alicia hears the door clank, and tells the girl, wait. Where is she going? No one’s there. She goes back inside, and sees the bird. She wonders why the girl would come in here, and keeps walking. She comes to Victor’s quarters, where the lights are flickering. Victor says, who’s there? Is there a visitor? Alicia says, Victor? and we see Victor, lying in bed with an empty booze bottle next to him. He asks if his mind is playing tricks on him, but Alicia says, it’s not a trick, and flops into a chair. She says she’s here, and he says, she’s got to get out. She says she can’t, not now. She’s not going to make it. He says he’s sorry. he wanted to give her everything. She says, he didn’t give her anything. He took everything. He asks if it’s because of what he did to Will, but she says, Will is just another person she outlived. So many people had to die so she could live. He says, this is about her mother? but she says, it’s about so much more. It’s about making what her mother gave them, mean something. What she didn’t get was to make a place that would last beyond herself. He says he’s so sorry for everything, and she puts the bullet in the gun. He tells her, don’t do that. If she turns, he deserves anything she does to him. She says, it’s not for you – she flashes on the zombie side – it’s for me. She puts the gun to her head, and says she’s sorry. She remembers Will and Charlie, and says again, she’s sorry. She remembers Luci, Daniel, Morgan, and Madison. She sees the bird on the windowsill, and tells it to go. Please leave, goddammit. She thinks about Madison telling the story of Amina, and how Alicia had decided that bird was going to live. Alicia walks over to the bird, and we hear Madison say, the bird lived because her kids didn’t give up on her. Alicia holds out her funky glove-covered hand, and the bird hops on. She says, maybe this is the last thing she was meant to do. She tries, unsuccessfully, to smash the glass, and the girl helps, smashing through the window. Alicia holds her hand out the opening, and the bird flies away. She thanks the girl, and asks why she came back. The girl takes her mask off, and says, because she can’t leave Alicia. Alicia says, no… I… I don’t understand. The girl says, she does, and Alicia says, you’re… me. (Another pat for me.) Alicia hears Madison say that Alicia gave them a chance when there aren’t a lot left in the world, and asks why the girl brought her hear. The girl aka Little Alicia, says, Alicia knows why. It’s on that tape. Alicia looks at the Amina tape, and the girl says she was wrong. Her mom didn’t die to build something like this. She died so that part of Alicia didn’t give up on the people who would live. She shows Alicia the scars on her arm, and says she wasn’t lying when she told Alicia hat she survived the bite. So will she. She’s the only one who can make sure this isn’t the end for her. Alicia says, she can’t; she’s going to die. The girl says, not if she makes sure people remember this part of her, and Alicia asks, how? The girl says, Alicia knows how. She has to save Victor.

On the beach, June tells everyone, don’t leave anything behind. They don’t know how long they’ll be out there. They get the rafts ready, and June says, they can’t miss the tide. Alicia will catch up. They can’t be there when the walkers catch fire. Try to stay clustered in case they get separated. Luci says, they’re shoving off, when Alicia radios that she needs help. Luci asks where she is, and Alicia says, the MRAP. She can’t make it much father. Luci asks if she found the girl, and Alicia says she did; she found someone else too. Victor says, they’ll never take him, but Alicia says, they will if she asks. He coughs and groans a little, and asks, why save him after everything he done. He laughs, and says he asked her mother the same question. She asks what her mother said, and he tells her, she said she did it because she knew who he was.  Alicia asks if he thinks she really did, but he says, not like Alicia. So he’s asking again, why save him? She says, it’s not about him; it’s about her. So he can do what she doesn’t when she’s gone; find a place where everyone is safe. He asks if she thinks he can, and she says, she’s not sure, but she think he’ll try. He tells her, stay with me, but she fades out.

June feels Alicia’s forehead, and says, she’s waking up. She tells Alicia, don’t move. She’s got to get fluids. They’ll make the raft as comfortable as they can. Grace says, the readings have spiked. They’ve got to go. Alicia asks Grace to tell Morgan something for her, but Grace says, Alicia can tell him herself, and hands her the radio, saying, Morgan wanted to talk with her too. Morgan asks, is that her? and Alicia says she’s sorry she didn’t do what she said she would. He says he got Mo in the raft, and that’s all that matters. He wanted to tell her that she might be right. He’s heard chatter on the radio. There might be a Padre. He thinks Padre is real, and thinks they might actually have someplace to go to. How about that? How is she feeling? She says she needs to tell him something. No matter what happens to her, he won’t be doing it alone. He says, no, because she’ll be all right, right? He hears only static, and asks if she’s there. Mo cries.

Grace tells Alicia, if he didn’t hear, she’ll make sure he knows. Charlie comes over to Alicia, and Alicia says she’s sorry she couldn’t stop it from happening to her. Charlie says she’s sorry she wasn’t there for Alicia, and Alicia tells Daniel, look after her. Charlie says she knows it’s going to be okay. She got to do something she never thought she would. They finally got to see the beach. Alicia says, they did, and Daniel says, it’s time. Alicia tells Daniel, it’s going to be oaky, and Daniel says, he wasn’t there for Ofelia at the end, but he can be there for Charlie. He will see Alicia again. Sherry says, they’ve got to go, and she thanks Alicia for taking them in. Luci says she’ll be in the raft with Alicia, but Alicia says she has to do this alone. Victor says, no she won’t. He gets in, and says, they’ll rough it out together. Alicia says, stop, and gets out of the raft. She doesn’t know how fast she’ll turn. He says he’s willing to take that risk, but she says she’s not. It’s up to him – she chokes up a little – to make sure everything they’ve been through means something. People may have heard her message, and are headed to the tower. He cries, and says, she did make it mean something. She saved all of them. She saved him. She did what he asked back in Lawson. She pushes his raft into the water, and says, she didn’t just save him so he could live to do what she couldn’t. She did it because she loves him too. He smiles, and she laughs.

The rafts go down the river. Victor waves, and Alicia waves back. Alicia falls to her knees, then all the way down.

Alicia opens her eyes and sees the bird. She looks good, like fully made up good. She sits up, and sees everyone is gone. She drinks some water, and feels her forehead. She takes a reading, and the girl appears. Alicia asks what she’s doing here, and the girl shows Alicia her arm. The scars are gone, and Alicia asks what it means. The girl says she thinks it means Alicia saved her. How does Alicia feel? Alicia says, she feels… like she hasn’t felt in a while. Like herself. They smile at each other, and Alicia picks up her mask and the gun. The girl asks where she’s going, and Alicia says, to find people who heard her message. She’s going to spend whatever time she has left making sure they have someplace safe to go. They smile again, and a zombie comes down the beach. Alicia walks toward it, shoots it, and continues to walk in the direction of the tower, as she puts her mask on.

Next time – the finale – weird people who wear hoods grab Morgan, accuse him of stealing their children, and try to bury him alive. Madison returns.

🐦 A Bird In Alicia’s Hand…

Madison’s Amina story.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-who-is-amina-explained-fear-twd-season-7-episode-15/

🚪 Exit Interview…

Well, it does seem kind of open-ended. And we all saw Madison go down, yet she’s coming back, so who knows?

Alycia Debnam-Carey Exits ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ After 7 Seasons

You never know. That mortgage might need to be paid one day. Never say never.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/alycia-debnam-carey-exits-fear-the-walking-dead-season-7-goodbye-post-alicia-clark/

⚰️ Serious Nerd Talk…

Delving into the depths of Rick.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-rick-first-zombie-negan-ending-explained/

🌼 Spring Into Summer…

If you have tomorrow off, enjoy, or if tomorrow is just another day off, enjoy that too. There’s no soap tomorrow (GH is a rerun), but I’ll be on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay striving for honesty in all relationships, and stay knowing, if the walker is mulch and no one was hurt, there’s nothing to be upset about.

May23

May 22, 2022 – Alicia Wants the Tower, Bring Out Your Dead News & Fire

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

Victor listens to perfume commercial music as he shaves. I don’t know the name of it, but you’d know it if you heard it. He’s told Alicia is here for him, and he says, divine providence. He walks out past people farming, out onto the roof, and Wes asks, what happened? Victor says, today is the day they’re going to wipe the slate clean, and Wes says, she didn’t come alone, handing Victor the binoculars. Victor looks, and says, the gang’s all here. He picks up the phone, and asks Alicia to what he owes the pleasure. She says she thinks he knows, and he says she brought company. He asks, where’s Morgan? Is he going to make a grand entrance? She says, he’s somewhere safe with the baby where Victor won’t find him. Victor calls Morgan a coward, and says it’s auspicious of her showing up. He was going to call her. She asks, what for? and he says, to talk. She says, so talk, and he tells her, not like this. Come inside and have a drink. She asks if he’s waving the white flag, and he says, they’ll talk inside; just them. She looks at her group, and says, one drink. She hangs up, and Wes asks what Victor is doing. Victor says, he’s got it covered, and hands back the binoculars. He asks if there’s something Wes wants to say, and Wes says, Victor drove Alicia away for a reason. If he lets her in, he could lose everything he’s built. Victor assures Wes that he won’t, and asks Wes to be a gem, and get a bottle of the Luna Fonteluza he has in cold storage. And when the sun goes down, be ready.

Daniel tells a guard to get off him, and Victor tells Daniel to excuse them; they take security seriously. One of the guards says, Daniel pushed through, and almost broke a ranger’s neck. Victor tells Alicia, Daniel wasn’t invited. His agreement was only with her. Daniel says he wants to see Ofelia, and Victor looks puzzled. Alicia says, he’s not well, and Victor tells his men to take Daniel to the basement. Alicia tells Daniel that it will be okay. If Victor hurts him… Victor says, that’s what the roof is for. He’s just putting Daniel in time out. Alicia says, Luci lied and told Daniel that Ofelia was here, and Wes says, Alicia can pretend to be outraged, but at the end of the day, they’re all just like Victor. Alicia says, Wes wouldn’t be alive weren’t for Daniel, and Victor says, he saved Wes as well. Wes wonders which one he owes his life to. He pours two drinks, and Victor says, here we are. Wes says, Alicia shouldn’t be here. She and her friends left him to die in the bunker. He leaves, and Victor suggests he give Alicia the grand tour, but she says she’s good right here. He hands her a drink, and says, to new beginnings, but she says she thinks they have different ideas of what that means. He says, they’ll see about that, and notices she’s wearing the St. Christopher medal. He says he sees she still has it, and she says, she took it off Will’s body when she buried after Victor killed him. Victor says, it still means something to her, and she asks if he remembers what he said, that they needed to forget who they were, for her, for all of them. Was it worth it? Victor says, absolutely. He didn’t forget who he was; he embraced it. He knows what she thinks of him, but their story isn’t over, and she tells him, one way or another, he won’t be running this place after today. He says, it’s not about today; it’s about tomorrow. Everything he’s done was to lead them here. She says, so she and her army gets pissed off, sh*t on, and left to die? They’re ready to kick his ass. Victor picks up the phone, and says, do it, and she says, do what? He says she has her army; he has his. He tells the guard to cut the phone on the platform. He doesn’t want them giving anyone a warning. He tells Alicia that there’s a crater of walkers soaking up some nasty stuff. He’s told his rangers to lead them here. A generator starts up, and he tells her it’s to power the beacon to draw the dead, and kill her army. She starts to walk out, but Victor’s men stop her. She asks if he thinks this is the way to win her over, and he says, she’ll come around. He originally used the light to keep her out. Now it’s to keep her in.

On the roof, a ranger flips a switch, and the beacon comes on.

Alicia yells for her people to get out of here, but Victor says, they can’t hear her. She tells him, turn off the light, and he says he’s sorry it came to this. She says, he’s going to kill them, and he says, they’re not part of his vision. Once they build this place into what it can be, she’ll understand. He tells his rangers to take her downstairs, and take Daniel to the roof; an example has to be made. Wes says he’s sorry he doubted Victor, and Alicia removes her glove, revealing her crazy arm. She kicks the rangers’ asses, and grabs Victor’s gun, holding it on him. She tells him, turn off the light, and Victor says, if she does this, she’ll wipe out everything he’s built. Victor asks if she thinks Wes is going to listen to her, and she says, if he won’t turn off the light, she will, and he says, he has 50 rangers who will do as he says to protect the tower. Alicia presses the elevator button, and forces Victor into the car. As they go up, Victor says she’s making a mistake; delaying the inevitable. She says, he’s not calling shots, when the power goes out. He says, emergency protocol, and she threatens to kill him, but he says, she can’t stop what’s coming. She asks if he’d rather die than give the place up, but he says, she won’t kill him. He’s doing this for her. She says, he’s doing what Teddy did; locking her up while he destroys the things she cares about. She’ll tell him what she told Teddy – she’s not making the world the way he wants it to be. Wes calls from outside, and Alicia tries jumping up to open the trap door. Victor kicks the gun out of her hand, and draws his sword. He says he knows how she feels, but they have a long future ahead. Wes yells for them to open the door, and Alicia asks if she looks like she has a lot of time left. He says, they have antibiotics, and have a fully stocked infirmary, but she says, it’s not going to work. She’s tried everything, and it’s getting worse. He says, they’ll find a way to stop it; June will figure it out. Alicia says, no she won’t. No one survives what she’s going through. She’s not afraid to die, but it can’t end like this. Not for them. Wes bangs on the door, and Alicia says, please turn off the light, and she’ll call off the army. He has her word. He looks at the medal and says, that’s not good enough. Stay here in the tower with him. She says she’s running out of time, and he says, give him what she has left. He wants to show her that she’s wrong about him. Do they have a deal? Wes continues to bang on the door, and Alicia holds out her hand. He helps her up, and opens the door, telling his men, stand down. It’s okay. They made an agreement. He agreed to turn off the light in exchange for a cease fire. Wes says, she’s playing him, but Victor disagrees. Wes says, they’re surrounded. If the light is turned off, they’re done. Victor insists they’re not. Alicia’s agreed to live in the tower with him. Wes asks if he’s lost his mind. Does he think she’s going to accept that after what he’s done? Based on what? Victor says, his instincts. They’re what made this place, and he’s not going to stop listening to them now. Wes draws his gun, and says, Alicia is Victor’s blind spot. If Victor isn’t going to protect this place, he will. Victor says, Wes is outnumbered, and Wes tells the two rangers with him, Victor’s instincts are the same ones that lost them the baby and the safety of the moat; that told him to bring Alicia in here. They can’t trust Victor’s instincts anymore. The rangers aim their guns at Victor, and Victor says, wow. He never should have let Wes in.  The lights go off, and Victor and Alicia jet. Wes yells, get him, and Victor shoots at him. He and Alicia run into a stairwell, and Alicia says, she needs to warn them. He says, they won’t make it to the roof on their own, but they might have one ally left.  

Wes radios the head ranger and tells him that Victor isn’t in charge anymore. The ranger asks, what the hell is going on? and Wes says, they can’t take any chances. Take Victor out.  A handcuffed Daniel comes up behind the ranger, throws his arms around the ranger’s head, and pulls the handcuffs against his throat. He asks if the ranger knows why this is happening to him. It’s never too late to learn new things. When you handcuff someone, you put their hands in the back not the front. The ranger slumps to the ground, and Daniel takes off the handcuffs. He hears someone coming, and Alicia and Victor come in. Daniel raises his gun, but Alicia tells him, stop. Victor is here to help. She knows how it sounds, but if he doesn’t turn off the beacon, their people will die. Daniel suggests Victor call off his dogs, but Alicia says, they need his help. Daniel says, not until he sees Ofelia. Where is she? Alicia asks if he remembers Mexico, and Victor says he searched for her so he could reunite. She got sick, and they didn’t get there in time. Daniel has brief flashes of what happened, and says, Ofelia was sick, yes, but Victor never reunited them. He never found her. He kept lying.  Ofelia is alive and in the tower, and Victor knows where she is. Where is she? Does he want to end up like his friend? Victor says, she’s on the top floor, and Daniel says, the penthouse; smart choice. Is Victor lying to him? Victor says, she’s there. They just need his help to get to her. Daniel looks at Alicia, lowers his gun, and says, okay.

Daniel shoots a ranger in the stairwell, and tells Victor and Alicia, they probably heard that upstairs. He’s going to the next level. Victor says, they’ll hang back, and Daniel walks up. Alicia asks what Victor is playing, and he says, June, Grace, and Wen. After the Great Baby Handoff what happened with the baby, he locked them top floor. She asks what he thinks is going to happen when Daniel realizes Ofelia’s not there, but he says, it won’t matter. They need to free them, and get them on their side; he’ll have to relent. He’s finishing what Luci started, if that’s what he needs to do to keep the place standing, He knows she thinks he’s a monster, but he’s the same man he’s always been. He just stopped apologizing for it. Alicia asks if really he believes that, and he says, he does. She says, then so will she. He says, that’s why he’s willing to turn off the beacon. She’ll see everything he’s done is worth it. They hear a shot, and a ranger’s body falls past them. Daniel tells them, come on, but all of a sudden, Alicia feels dizzy, and says, she can’t… Victor catches her as she passes out, and he says, they need to get her to the infirmary. Daniel says, they have a deal, but Victor says, they need to help Alicia first.

Victor rifles through the medications in the infirmary, and Daniel says, the rangers have found them; they have no time for this. They need to move. Victor picks something out, and says, epinephrine. June had it on hand when he was poisoned. Daniel says, they need to get out fast, and picks up a clipboard. He asks what it is, and Victor says, it’s a record of everyone in tower. Daniel looks through it, and says, Ofelia’s name isn’t on here; why? Victor says, she’s not on the top floor. He only told Daniel that because it was the only way Daniel would help him. Now he can help Daniel. If he wants his daughter, there she is. He takes Daniel to the next room, where Charlie is in bed asleep. Daniel says, that’s not his daughter. Where is she? Victor says, Ofelia died in Mexico. Luci lied for the same reason he did; so Daniel had something to fight for. Daniel says, Victor is trying to fool him, but Victor says, he’s trying to save Daniel. He’s trying to save Alicia, who’s the closest thing to a daughter he has. Charlie is the closest thing to daughter Daniel has. Ofelia is gone, but it’s not as if he has nothing left. Charlie means something to him. She’s sick, and doesn’t have much time left. Daniel says, she’s not his daughter, and cracks Victor in the head with his gun, knocking him down. He says, he’s finished with Victor, and Alicia says, no. Victor says, maybe Daniel can do for Charlie what he couldn’t do for Ofelia; he can be there for her. Charlies wakes up, and says, Daniel? Daniel tells her, don’t look. He doesn’t want this to be what she remembers of him. Victor says, don’t do it, and Alicia says, he’s right. Be the man he wanted Ofelia to see. He flashes back to Ofelia, and a tear runs down his cheek. He lowers the gun.

Alicia wakes up, and Victor tells her, easy now; she got adrenaline. How’s she feeling? She thanks him, and he says he should be thanking her. Daniel would have killed him if she hadn’t appealed to his better angels. She asks, what happened to Charlie? and he says, radiation exposure. She says, that doesn’t mean… and he says, it was worse than what’s happened to the others. She was exposed to alpha particles, the same as the walkers headed here. Grace said she has a couple weeks left. Alicia asks if nothing can be done, and he says he’s afraid not. All the more reason to preserve what they have. All the more reason for her to spend what time she has left in here, not there out. He tells her, come on, and helps her up. She tells Daniel that he has to go, but Daniel says, he can’t leave Charlie. Not now; not like this. She needs him still. Charlie says, it’s okay. He can go. Daniel says, can they still get to the roof? This is where he wants to be, with her, and she says she’s so sorry she’s not Ofelia, but he says, don’t be. She helped him remember why he wanted to find her before she died. Being with her is helping him think more clearly.

Victor explains they’ve stashed weapons everywhere. After Arno’s attack, he wanted to be prepared just in case anyone was planning an encore. She asks if he meant it, and he says, what? She tells him, what he said to Daniel, about her being the closest thing to a daughter he has. He says, they want the same things, and he needed Daniel to believe that. She says, he did. He made Daniel see it. It wasn’t just her who talked Daniel down. He says, they used to save people all the time, and she asks if he means Wes. He says, it’s been a while, but despite everything, they still make a pretty good team. She says she guesses they’ll find out. They’re outnumbered. They’re going see them coming. Victor says, not necessarily, and takes out cans of tear gas. He throws them in the stairwell, and he and Alicia put on masks. She says, they’re flying blind, and he not as blind as them. Stay here. She asks if he thinks it’s going to work, and he says, it’s not the first time he’s walking into the unknown. He leaves, and we hear shouting and gunfire. Alicia waits, then calls to him. He says, it’s clear, and tells her to head to the sixth floor.

Wes says, tear gas? It reminds him of the day he and Victor first met. So much has changed since then, with him, Victor, and Alicia. He knows Victor wants to believe the best in her; he did too, but we are who we are. Victor’s come so far. To finish what he started, he has to protect what he built. It’s honest; it’s real. It doesn’t try to be something that’s not possible. Don’t throw away all of it for her. Victor says, he’s not, and jets. He calls to Alicia on the stairs, and she says she thinks the adrenaline is starting to wear off. He says he’s got her. She says she didn’t think he’d come back, and he says, of course he would. The last time they were in a wall of fog, she didn’t leave him. She knew he was trying to find her. Wes shows up, and says he can’t let Victor do this, and shoots at them.

Alicia and Victor barricade themselves in a room, and Victor asks how much ammo she has. She says, not enough, and Wes and the rangers start shooting through the door. Wes says, come out or they’re coming in, and Victor tells Alicia that he’s sorry. He wanted them to have a clean slate. He wanted them to rebuild together. He thought they had more time to know each other and to heal. Wes says, it’s their last chance. The door starts to open, and Victor says, he should have told her a long time ago that he loves her. She’s the closest thing to family he has left. That’s what this was; that’s always what this was about. He just wanted prove something to her. He hoped this place would show her the man he is. Everything he’s done; everything it’s cost him. That it was worth it, because if didn’t, it was for nothing. Wes and some rangers come in, and Wes says, hands up. Alicia tells him, don’t do this. Those people out there don’t deserve to die. Wes says, neither do the ones in here. He was thinking of the day he and Victor met. He’d told Victor, people are people. He’d said he thought Victor was the exception to the rule, but no one is. He thought Victor understood, and that’s why he kept Alicia far away. Victor says, if they help these people, the place won’t be weaker; it will be stronger. Wes says, it won’t. He found this in Alicia’s bag. He shows Victor a transmitter, and Victor says, out of all the things she could have brought, why that? Alicia says, she brought it from the bunker to broadcast a message. There are people out there who need help. They thought they’d find it with Padre, but there is no Padre. At least not out there. She thought she could use the transmitter… Victor says, so she could build Padre here. She says, she told him that she’s not afraid to die, but this place will live long after she’s gone. Wes says, she’s lying, like Luci lied to Daniel. She wants to get on the roof, and she’s just telling him what he needs to hear to get what she wants. If she sends a message, it will draw more people, and they won’t stand a chance. If Victor doesn’t protect this place, he will. He tells Alicia, sorry, and aims his gun at her. She says, it’s fine, and closes her eyes. Shots are fired, but it’s Daniel shooting the rangers with Wes. Wes shoots Daniel, and Alicia picks up a gun, and aims it at Wes. She asks if Daniel is okay, and Daniel says he’s fine. He needs to warn the others. Victor tells him where to find Grace, June, and Wen, and says, free them. Wes says, do it, and he’ll kill Alicia. He can’t let her do it. She says, she saved life. He believed in them once before, and she’s asking for the same thing again. Before Wes can make a decision, Victor runs through Wes with his sword. Buh-bye, Wes. Alicia asks why he did that, and he says, for the same reason he built the tower; so she wouldn’t have to. Wes wasn’t going to stand down, and they’re running out of time. Let’s go and turn that light off.

A zombie toddles around outside, and Dwight stabs it in the head. He says, Alicia should have been out by now, and Luci says, they can’t wait. Sarah says, as long as that beacon is spinning, the skinbags will be on them like flies on a turd. They see people coming, and it’s June, pushing Wen in his wheelchair, with Grace alongside her. Sarah asks if Wen is all right, and he says he’s better now. Dwight asks, what the hell is going on? but Daniel says, he doesn’t have time to explain. They all need to get inside. Grace asks where Morgan is, but Dwight says, they don’t know yet. Daniel says, they need to hurry. Alicia and Victor are turning the light off. Luci is surprised they’re on the same side, and Daniel says, there are dead in a crater, and the light is drawing them. Dwight asks, how far? but Daniel says he’s not sure. He urges them inside, and June says she has to patch Daniel’s gunshot wound, but he says he has to see Charlie first. Victor tried to convince him that Charlie was Ofelia, continuing what Luci started. He asks why Luci did that, and Luci says, she thought it was the only way. Some rangers start shooting at them, and they run inside. We see zombies coming toward the tower, and Wen says, they’re trying box us out. They shoot back at the ranger.

Victor shoots the snipers on the roof, and Alicia asks why they’re still shooting. He says, the rangers guarding the tunnel must have circled round, and she says, they’re sitting ducks. She tells Victor to turn the beacon off; she’ll give as much cover as she can. He goes over to the light, and she asks what he’s doing. Why is he waiting? He says, she’s never going to forgive him, and she asks what he’s talking about. He says, even if turns the beacon off, even if he helps her save everyone, the damage has already been done. She says, they don’t have time for this, and walks toward the light, but he pushes her down, and a wire snaps, hitting the tower where the beacon is. He says, it’s never going to be enough. He’ll never make her love him. She says, he ruined it by what he did to Wes, and he says he had no choice. She says, he’s always had a choice, and he always makes the wrong one. He says, he was saving her life, but she says, he was trying to save his own life. And he didn’t care who he killed to do it. He says, that’s not true, and she says, the person he used to be person, the person he said he wanted to forget, was never him. She goes after him, but gets the pokey thing on the end of her arm stuck in something, and another cable snaps, hitting the beacon. Sparks fly, and the light goes out. Alicia says, they’re here.

Alicia and Victor look down. A zombie grabs some random person, and the others run inside. Alicia climbs up, and fiddles with the fuse box. Victor asks what she’s doing, and she sets up the transmitter. Victor says, it’s too late; there’s no way out of here, but Alicia says, there’s one. Speaking into the mic, she says, this is Alicia Clark. If you’re listening to this, you’re not alone. The place you’ve been looking for, the place you heard about, Padre, it’s here; it’s at the tower. She gives the coordinates, and says, We’re going to build the new home you’ve been looking for. We can help, but first we’re going to need help from you. A fire starts, and Victor says, it’s going to spread through the whole building. Alicia faints and falls, the roof ablaze.

Next time, a road trip, still looking for Padre, and the tower burns.

⚰️ Dead Stuff…

My regular computer is wonky, so no bells and whistles, just news.

https://ironandair.com/norman-reedus-the-ravaged-twd-finale/
https://undeadwalking.com/2022/05/21/fear-walking-dead-season-7-episode-15-release/
https://undeadwalking.com/2022/05/22/fear-walking-dead-the-raft-things-note/
Fear the Walking Dead season 7 episode 16 (finale): Madison is back!

🍪 Send Cookies Immediately…

Short but sweet, join me for soap and what’s on Deck tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll be back at my normal device. Until then, stay safe, stay being the person your dog thinks you are, and stay remembering, it’s never too late to learn new things.