What I Watched Today

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

 

Fear the Walking Dead

When we last left, Morgan had called Ginny asking for help.

Duane runs through the woods, and falls. He thinks he hears Shari on the radio, but he can’t really decipher what she said. He throws the radio, which is probably a bad idea. He finds the convoy, and tries Al’s van, but it’s locked tight. He hears something, and drops down behind the van, getting his gun ready. He sees horses legs, and draws his gun. He comes out, but there are only empty saddles. The horses just stand there, and he nuzzles one.

The opening credits feature a horse in the field. I hope they keep the credits this way next season. It’s been a fun little detail.

Morgan says he wasn’t sure Ginny was in range. She says now that they have Texas tea on tap, they’re always in range. She told him the future wasn’t across that bridge, but there’s no use crying over spilt milk. She asks where they are, and he says, Humbug’s Gulch. She says that was the biggest settlement she came across; 263 people in one spot. She tried to help them, but their crackpot leader was blind to realty, and made the wrong call. She’s glad they’re making the smart one. He says there’s room for all of them there. They just need help clearing the place. Ginny says, that place is beyond repair. Time for them to move on to greener pastures. He asks if she’s going to take everybody, and she says they take what insures the most survivors. He wants her word that they’ll be kept together, but she says, no can do. She’s putting them where she thinks they’ll do best. Morgan says he has to do right by everybody, and Ginny says right is for people who want to feel good, and can’t make the hard calls. She has 800+ people, and they’re thriving. How many does he have? He says, forty-one… no, forty. She says, sorry about Tom. She wonders if Morgan is finally ready to protect the future. Should she come and get them, or not? Everyone waits. The fence holding the zombies in, starts to give  little. Morgan says, yeah, and Ginny says they’ll be there by the end of the day. They won’t be together anymore, but they will be alive.

Morgan says he’s sorry, and walks off alone. He finds Grace sitting with June, and asks how Grace is doing. She says she’s been better. June says she did everything she could, and Grace thanks her. June says Grace did too, and leaves. Grace offers Morgan some candy beansies. She says, the guy she told Morgan about, the one at the plant. She told him how she felt because she was afraid they weren’t going to make it. They actually… She thinks the reason it happened, is that they knew it was the end. That’s why she didn’t want to let him tell her what he wanted to. He says they will see each other again, but she says, no; they won’t. For once, she knows how much time she has left. Until Virginia gets there. She’s not going to take Grace. She only cares about the future. Morgan says he won’t let that happen. She takes his hand, and says he might not have a choice.

Al flips through the videos. John telling June that he doesn’t want to wait. When they get to the Gulch, he wants to get married. Alicia painting a tree, and saying she hopes she keeps getting a chance to do this. Grace, saying she wants to be around long enough to see the looks on everyone’s faces when they get there. Al closes the camera. John asks June if she’s all right. She says she doesn’t want to be the person she was before she met him. He says she doesn’t need him to be her. June says she knows. She didn’t want any of this to happen. John says now they have something to fight for.

We hear horses. I’ll bet it’s Dwight. Yep, here he comes with the team. John says, well, look at you. Dwight says they can make it work. Al asks where he found them, and he says, roaming around what’s left of the convoy. Do they know what this means? If the horses are alive, there’s water nearby. They can make it work. They don’t need her.

They brace the fence with everything from garbage cans to pieces of wood. Alicia tells Victor that she’s not afraid anymore, and takes her weapon from him. Morgan asks Alicia what she’s doing, and Alicia says she found what she needed, and she’s not losing it. They’re not separating. She thinks they can clear this place. Dwight says the have to do it right. Zombies are beginning to reach through openings in the fence. Alicia thinks it will hold, and they can clear it. June says they have to try. Victor says they’ll need more than water. They’ll need food and medical supplies. Daniel says, Virginia isn’t walking away without a fight, but Dwight says, if they don’t fight, they’ll lose more than that. He is what he is because of how they think. John says they’re outnumbered and out-armed. Hamilton plays in my head. He says, if she comes with half the people she did before, it could get real messy real quick. They start axing zombies in the head, and put more things against the fence. Daniel says they’ll take care of the dead, then deal with Virginia. Morgan looks at a Wyoming, Y’all! billboard behind Daniel, and smiles. He says, maybe both at the same time. He tells John to get the horses, and tells Alicia to get everyone, and take them as far away as she can.

On horseback, Dwight, Victor, June, Daniel and Morgan with Grace sitting in front of him, lead the zombies away. Morgan says it’s not their intention to kill anyone. Just take what they need, and make Virginia understand not to bother them.

Al examines a downed zombie, and motions to the others. The Gulch is a real ghost town now, and the soundtrack has whistling like an old cowboy movie or something by Tarantino. Wes says the place is rough around the edges. Alicia says, it was the same with the stadium when her mom found it. They’ll rebuild it into something more. He said he needed a new medium, right? He nods.

Morgan says, all right. They can manage. He needed this. John tells June that he thinks it will work, and she says maybe they did bring everyone to the right place. John thinks they did, and says, when they get back, he’s going to make an honest woman of her. Dwight says, there it is. There’s a field where they can lead the zombies until it’s time. About a mile or so, there’s a river. Victor says there’s an access road; she’ll come from there. Morgan asks Victor and Daniel to keep watch, and they ride out. June thanks Dwight, who says they all do the  best they can. June tells him that Virginia might be able to take him to Shari. Dwight says when he was out on his own, he thought he heard Shari on the walkie. It could have been the heat, but he’d like think it was her guiding him to do the right thing. They don’t want someone like Virginia hanging over their heads. June asks if they’re ready, and they lead the zombie herd to the field.

The group at the Gulch checks out the church. Jacob says, it’s very Old Testament; they probably play the oldies there. Alicia tells Al, if the others need help, they’ll step in. Al tells everyone, she knows where the horses came from. She shows them some keys, and says, Virginia is more full of sh*t than they thought. Either I missed something, or the connection there is very cryptic.

Daniel tells Victor patience; and he uses the term loosely. Victor says they could be giving Virginia the upper hand. Daniel says they might be going too far, He hasn’t decided. Does Victor thinks they should give up and join Virginia? Victor thinks they should consider the opportunity. They should dissect what it means. It might not be as bad as they imagine. Daniel says she’s not giving them a choice, and that’s all they need to decide.

Morgan and the others wrangle and corral the zombies, riding the horses around the herd. Dwight doesn’t think they can keep it up much longer. John Shoots one that comes to close, and another that comes too close to June. He says, cattle are usually worried about us eating them. Morgan steers the horse around Grace, and she says, next time, maybe they can do this without training wheels. He says they’re going to do this.

Daniel and Victor see Ginny’s cars coming, and Victor whistles over the radio. Dwight says, it’s the signal. John rounds up some stragglers, and says, get them turned around. Dwight’s horse freaks a little.

Ginny sees the caravan trucks, and tells her guys, fuel them up. Luci gets out, and Daniel is like, damn. Victor looks, and says, oh my God. He whistles again, and June says, it’s the signal. Daniel tells them, call off the herd. Luciana is with them. John tells the others to turn around. Daniel asks what Victor is doing, and Victor says he’s heading back to tell them to arm up. He rides off, and my heart is in my throat. Dwight axes the zombies getting close to his horse. He’s surrounded and I can’t watch. Through my fingers, I see him jump off and out. I think, poor horse, and bastards! simultaneously. Dwight lies there for a moment, and takes off limping. The zombies follow.

Crap. Where’s everyone else? Dwight comes to some rapids, and says, sh*t. Zombies are coming, and John says they’ve got to get there first, or Dwight is done for. They tease the zombies, and shoot a few. Dwight looks for an opening. He tells the others to go back; he can handle himself. They’re like, no way, and ax more zombies in the head. Dwight says he knows what it’s like to live with someone who doesn’t believe the same things. He can’t let that happen to them. He runs, and Morgan asks if Grace wants to try it without training wheels. She take the reins, and he jumps down. He bangs his pokey stick on the ground to attract attention, then stabs, stomps, and pushes, flying through the herd. Dwight falls, and Morgan says he’s not leaving Dwight behind. He and Dwight take care of some stragglers. John leads the zombies into the water, past Morgan and Dwight, who are hiding in the bushes. I laugh as the zombies tumble down the rapids. Wheee! John, June, and Grace are on the other side, and the zombies are gone. Dwight says they can’t fight Virginia without the walkers. Morgan says if they don’t fight, she wins.

Al says, they didn’t die because they refused help; they died because they fought back. She killed them. That’s where the horses came from. If they fight her, they’ll die too. Wen says, maybe not if Victor is a smooth talker. Alicia says they have to hold on to what they have. Morgan radios, saying they’re outnumbered and out-gunned. Any chance they had, just went down the river. Al asks if they should give up, and Morgan says, make sure everyone survives. They did what they came to do. They helped lots of people. The only way it will mean something is if they stay alive. Dwight asks if they should just turn themselves in. Morgan says Virginia can take them wherever she wants. She can separate them, but she can’t make them forget what they did or who they are. Al says, it’s the end game, but Morgan says, not yet. There’s still time left. Alicia asks, for what? and he says, for them to live the way they said they were going to.

Wes and Alicia paint the church for June and John’s wedding. June thinks the dress is perfect, and John says he thought so too, when he found it in the costume shop. Dwight gives his and Shari’s wedding rings to John, telling him that he’s standing because of them. He doesn’t know what’s in store for his life, but he’s going to live it on his terms, and when he finds Shari, they’ll want a fresh start. They won’t need these. Jacob officiates. He asks if John takes June, and John says he loved her since the first day she washed up on his shore. June takes John, but when she puts the ring on his finger, it doesn’t fit. Charlie gives him something to string it on, and June tells him, don’t lose it, as she puts it over his head. June and John join hands. Jacob says they live in a broken world, but with each union, a piece is set right With pleasure, he pronounces them husband and wife. They kiss, and John breaks the glass per Jewish tradition. Jacob says, mazel tov!  Daniel and Grace sing, It’s All Right, while Charlie accompanies them on the guitar. Al films. Everyone marvels as the sun suddenly streams between the boards of the ceiling and walls. They hear the cars approach. Morgan says, this is it. The kids are gathered. John and June kiss.

They get ready. Morgan comes out, and Ginny says they tidied the place up. She’s heard some good chatter on the walkie, and Victor told her about the stunt they were trying to pull. She hopes they’re not thinking about one last hurrah. Morgan says, no. They asked for help; they’re going to take it.. Ginny says, good, and Morgan says, but she has to take all of them. That means Grace, the elderly, the sick, and injured. She has to give heath care to all of them, or none of them. She says he’s in no position to make demands. You don’t get sauce on the side at the soup kitchen. (Who does she think she is? Dr. Phil?) Morgan says she won. Let them win too. They’re all alive. Since she’s all about value, that should be priceless to her. Ginny says, anything else? He says the only way it will work is if they have a guarantee not to lose a single one. Otherwise, then they’ll both lose. They stare at each other.

Ginny looks perturbed, and finally says, goddammit. Fine. It’s worth saving a few bullets over. She says they have a long drive ahead. Adios yesterday; hello tomorrow. Morgan goes inside. Ginny smiles.

Luci says, it’s going to be okay. She gets in a truck, and it drives off. Al tells Ginny that her van can be a bitch. It breaks down more than you’d think, but she keeps it running. She asks why Ginny is doing this, and Ginny says, maybe it’s right. This can’t last. She takes Al’s camera, and says, that’s not a lie. Al will see she’s speaking the truth, and Ginny is going to make Al tell her what she knows about the about the helicopter. Sarah tells Wen that she’s never leaving anyone in the rear view again. She’s pushed into one of the cars. Victor tells Alicia that he needs to curry favor with Ginny. They’ll be fine. They can do more damage from the inside. A guy takes Alicia’s weapon, and Ginny says Alicia won’t need it. Daniel tells Ginny to remember who he is.

Charlie runs to Daniel, who tells her everything will be fine. He’ll find her. Charlie babbles a little, and he says she has to go. A guy puts Skidmark in the bed of a truck. Daniel says they travel together, and the guy says, not anymore. I call him all kinds of names, mostly using the f-word, and some I just made up.

Al gives June the tape of the wedding, saying they gave it to her, but June and John should have it. John tells June, they’ll find their way back to each other. She says she knows. They’re pulled away from each other, and June gives John the tape. John says he’s not sorry for a single moment, and tells June that he loves her as he’s pushed into a truck. June tries not to cry, and gets in another car. Morgan tells Grace that they’ll take care in way he can’t. Grace says, somehow, it doesn’t feel like the beginning of the end. Morgan doesn’t know what will happen to them, but when they were in the mall on the carousel, he felt something. It scared the hell out of him. He only felt that way one other time, with Jenny. Maybe this is different, maybe it’s the same with her, but it feels like it’s a possibility. Whatever happens, or wherever they end up, he needs her to know that. She says, okay. Ginny brings a man over, and says, he’s Doc Holt. He’s in family medicine, but did a rotation in oncology. She asks if this is what Morgan had in mind, and Morgan says he appreciates it. The doctor takes Grace’s arm, and she tells Morgan, she felt it too. She needs him know that. the doctor leads her to the car.

Morgan watches as the cars go. He walks over to Ginny. She says, ready? He asks where she’s taking him, and she says he gets to stay there. She has to protect the future by not repeating the past. She takes out a gun, and he says she doesn’t have to do this.. She says she does. Morgan whips his stick up, and knocks her in the head. He gets her good, but he’s shot near his shoulder. She struggles, but finally sits up. Morgan is having more difficulty, and tries to reach for his stick, but Ginny gets to it, and tosses it across the street. She stumbles over to a body, and takes a gun from it. Morgan crawls backward to a porch, and pulls himself up the steps. Ginny stands over him and cocks the gun. She says she resents his face so much, and shoots, but it’s a prop gun.

Ginny radios Doc Holt, and asks how sick Grace is. Morgan says, please, don’t hurt her, like begging would make a difference to this bitch. The doctor says, Grace isn’t sick; she’s pregnant. Ginny laughs, and asks how far along she is. The doctor says, it’s hard to tell; three or four months. She’s malnourished. She says she’ll meet him at the lodge. She tells Morgan, what they were doing had no future. She hopes he dies, but that’s not the point anymore. She hopes he heard her. She gets in her jeep, and drives away Morgan pulls himself inside the church.

On the radio, Morgan says if someone is listening, what they were doing wasn’t about just doing right. It was about the future. They fought for the future; they fought hard core. It was for her; for all of them. So if Grace is listening to him, live. A small crowd of zombies heads for the church. Morgan says, all of you, if you can hear me, just live. The zombies get closer.

💬 One question. Wouldn’t zombies get weaker as time went on, and they kept losing their parts and such? Just a thought. Even though I didn’t catch the whole show, it was great to see Talking Dead back again. I don’t know if it means anything, but Lennie James (Morgan) was not a guest. So does that mean he’s not dead? I went through so many emotions with this finale. There was horror, sadness, and even humor. Ultimately, I was left angry, but also looking forward to the next installment.

😞 It was also the season finale of Preacher tonight, and the end of the series. What a shame. I haven’t been able to keep up with it as much as I would have liked, but it was a fun show. IMO, it was also the show that most looked like a graphic novel.. Adios, Padre.

👹 Changes Are A-Comin’…

FTWD’s showrunners tease us.

https://ew.com/tv/2019/09/29/fear-the-walking-dead-season-finale/

💀 Okay, So It’s a Little Early…

But relevant to tonight’s TV, and you knew it was coming, right?