Tag Archives: Stand By Me

Feb8

February 7, 2024 – A Funeral Is Held For Spencer, Thoughts, Letting It Go In Sitges & Stand

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

As Doc and Laura put a white rose on Spencer’s grave, and in a voiceover, Alexis asks how they’re expected to say goodbye to Spencer. He was so young. He was so vibrant and good (the latter being a matter of opinion). He had his whole life ahead of him, and she can’t fathom it really. And yet here they are now, all of them, having to pick up and go on without him. She doesn’t want to, and she knows none of them do either. Cyrus places a white rose on the grave, and Alexis says, so she’s been trying to figure out a way to sum up Spencer, aptly describe who he was – Sonny puts a rose with the others – as it turns out, that’s a very difficult task, because Spencer was so many things; he was complex. Ava puts a rose down, and Alexis says, as a young boy, Spencer was bewildering, precocious, precious, and fun. Trina walks to the grave with Portia, and Alexis says, he was mature beyond his years. Spencer had a knack of entertaining and aggravating them all at the same time. Before their eyes, he grew up into this confident, curious young man, magnetic really. Larger than life – Josslyn adds her rose – and he was able to captivate you with his soulfulness and his depth. At the same time, he could make you laugh so hard, you cried. Kristina arrives at the cemetery, and Alexis says, but he grew up to be strong and grounded – Josslyn hugs Trina – and he took responsibility for his choices. She was so intensely proud of him. Cameron places a rose with the others, and Alexis says she knows she’s not alone in saying she’ll miss him every day, but if they can’t hold on to Spencer in the flesh – Cameron hugs Trina – at least they can hold him in their hearts, fiercely, tightly. Alexis puts her rose down, and we hear her say, and maybe in his honor, get up to a little bit of mischief, because she knows that’s what he would have wanted for all of them. We see everyone gathered at the cemetery.

Michael wipes his shirt with a towel and picks up Wiley’s workbook, wondering how Willow makes this look so easy. Willow comes in and asks if he’s having trouble. He says he got Wiley off to school, but he forgot his workbook. He gave Amelia breakfast, and she got it all over his shirt and her hair and her face. She says, his face, and wipes it. He asks what her secret is, and she says, the secret is, there is no secret. Just be here. Have someone capable on call when you can’t be. She’s lucky that way. In a lot of ways actually. Sometimes it feels too easy to forget. He says, on days like today, it’s important to remember.

Trina says she can’t believe this is happening, and Cameron says he’s so sorry. She says she’s sorry for him too, both him and Josslyn. She doesn’t know if she said that. She loved Spencer more than anything, but the three of them had been friends since they were kids. Josslyn says hi to Cameron and asks if she can get one of those. He hugs her, and she says she’s so happy he came. He asks if she thinks he wouldn’t and she says, no. She knows he would. He says he’ll see them at Windymere, and Josslyn says she’ll be there, but Trina says she’s not sure. She doesn’t think she can handle all that. Cameron tells her to take care of herself, and she says she’ll try. He says, if she needs absolutely anything… She says she knows.

Sonny hugs Alexis and says, she was great. She says she feels like it was all a blur, but he says, she was still great. Laura joins them and says, that was a beautiful eulogy. She thanks Alexis, and Alexis says, it was an honor. Laura says, transportation to the launch is ready if they care to go, and she thanks Ava for opening up the house. Ava says, of course (🍷). She’s happy to do it. Laura says she knows a lot of people think Windymere is just a pile of rocks, but to Spencer, it was very special. It was his home for a very long time. Ava says she’ll see them there and goes over to Trina, hugging her. She asks how Trina is doing and Trina says she’s pretty numb right now, but in five minutes she’ll probably be a puddle on the floor. Ava says, that’s grief. She guesses it’s like a roller coaster. There’s so much she wants to say to Trina, but Trina says, Ava doesn’t have to say anything. Ava’s always been there for her, supported her, even when Ava had her doubts about Spencer. Ava says, he certainly proved her wrong. She’s so sorry he’s gone, but she’s here for Trina, and she’ll always be here for Trina. Portia joins them, and Ava asks if they’re coming to Windymere. Portia thanks her for the offer, but she thinks she’s taking Trina home. Ava says she understands and hugs Trina again, saying, remember, she’s just a phone call away. Ava leaves, and Portia says, unless Trina wants to go. She’ll leave that up to her. Trina says she’s tired and suggests they go home.

Elizabeth tells Cameron that it must be surreal, losing his oldest friend, and he says, oldest friend and oldest adversary. Finn says, do tell, and Elizabeth says, the competition between Spencer and Cameron is legendary, all the way back to the two of them fighting over Emma Drake. Cameron says he’s going to miss giving Spencer a hard time, and Elizabeth says she knows. Gregory says, they’re very sorry for his loss, and Finn says, whatever he needs. Cameron thanks them and tells Elizabeth that he’ll see her at home after the reception. She says, Aiden’s been baking all morning, so get ready, and Cameron leaves. Finn asks if they should head out, but Elizabeth says she just has that one thing first. He says, the offer of back-up still stands, and she says, thank you, but she’ll be fine.

Sonny asks if Dante and Sam are going to Windymere, and Dante says they are. Is Sonny? Sonny says, it’s the least he can do for his nephew, and Dante says, see him there.

Laura says she can’t tell Cameron what it does for her soul to see him here. She’s missed him. He says, it’s good to see her too, and she asks if he’s all right. He says he will be eventually, and she says she knows the feeling. The car is ready if Doc is. Doc says he’ll catch up. He needs to take care of something. Laura and Cameron leave.

Finn says, dad? and Gregory says, sorry. He was just thinking. Finn says, he doesn’t have to apologize for that, and Gregory says he wanted to be cremated, but now he doesn’t know. He thinks maybe he wants a spot of his own. The right plot, the right marker, the right words. He wants that for all of them, a place that they can gather and share memories; tell him about all the good times they’re having. Finn says, he doesn’t have to think about that right now, but Gregory says, that’s all he can think about. I think I won’t care what happens after I’m gone, since I won’t be here.

Elizabeth kneels by a grave that has no headstone, just a marker that says, Esme Prince. (Is Doc cheap?) She puts down a white rose and adjusts the sign. Doc joins her and adds another rose.

Finn says he hopes that doesn’t mean Gregory can’t talk about his ALS or what the future will look like. He can. He wants Gregory to… He just meant the burial stuff. They’re not there yet. Gregory says he knows what Finn meant. He’s getting a little cold. He thinks he’ll wait… He gasps for breath, and Finn asks, what’s wrong?

At home, Portia gives Trina a letter from the Sorbonne, and Trina opens it. She says, they’re saying they’ll save a spot for her next semester. Curtis says, that’s decent of them, and Trina says, it is, but there’s no way she’s going back to Paris. Ever. Portia says, she doesn’t have to, and Curtis says, it holds painful memories for her. They get it. Portia says she’s sure PCU can find Trina a different… but Trina says she doesn’t think they understand. Curtis asks her to help them understand, and she says she’s not going to PCU or anywhere else. School is meaningless now. Everything is. (Oh please. Not Trina being like that. I can’t.)

Laura looks through a photo album and says, such wonderful pictures. It’s really thoughtful of Ava. Ava says she can’t take too much credit. She found a cabinet full when she moved out, and Laura says, Nikolas. For all his flaws, he really loved his son. Dante joins them with Sam, and says he feels like it has to be said. He knows Laura called him, but he found no joy in arresting Nikolas. Laura says she knows that, and Sam says, at least they know Ace is being well cared for. Ava says, a silver lining, shall they call it? and Laura says she could really use one of those right now. The doorbell rings, and Ava leaves to answer it. Sam says she still can’t believe it. Spencer. Laura says, it’s like a nightmare she can’t wake up from. Sonny says, that’s why they call it the circle of life, and Alexis says, one life ends, and another begins.

Ava opens the door, and Cyrus is standing there.

Doc says he didn’t think anyone else would here. He didn’t expect to see Elizabeth here. Elizabeth says, it’s difficult, given all the pain she inflicted on Cameron, but she sent that pain right back to Esme, didn’t she? Helping Nikolas hold Esme captive… Did he arrange for the marker? He says, yes. He doesn’t think he’s ever known anyone quite as alone as Esme. When she woke at GH with no memory, no past, she was so frightened. She had no idea how she got there, who she was, and a newborn baby. He felt for her. Elizabeth says, it showed, but he tells her that he’d say his efforts ran short. She says she disagrees. He did his best to make her feel like she had a family. He says, a family she should have run screaming from, but she says, not from him. He says, maybe, but his brother for a father? And don’t get him started on Heather. Speaking of… Heather says, where is she? Where’s her baby? An officer brings her into the cemetery in shackles, and she wails, no, no, no, dropping to her knees in front of the grave. She touches the marker, saying, Esme, and wails some more.

Heather says she tried to warn Esme. She told her to forget about Spencer, get on with her life, bide her time until Heather could help her hold her little boy again. She clutches the marker and says, why? Why Spencer? That guy was never worthy of her. None of those people were. Why couldn’t Esme have listened to her? Why did she go to France? They told her that Spencer threw himself into the river and took her with him. They can’t find her. They said she could have been washed out to sea. She sobs and says, how come? She must be so cold. Elizabeth says she’s so sorry for Heather’s loss. It probably doesn’t mean much coming from her. Heather says, coming from her? and Elizabeth says, Heather probably hates her for helping Nikolas keep Esme prisoner… Heather says, quite the opposite. Elizabeth stopped Nikolas from killing Esme after the baby was born. She came forward and she told the truth, knowing what price she’d have to pay for that. She admires Elizabeth and knows why her Franco loved Elizabeth so much. It’s because of what Elizabeth did that Esme stood a fighting chance in this world. She gets up, looks at Doc, and says, Esme’s dead because of him.

Michael asks if Amelia is good, and Willow says, happily playing with Melanie. Noticing he’s looking at Wiley’s workbook, she asks if he needs help with his homework, and he says he wouldn’t be able to answer half these questions when he was Wiley’s age. She says, there’s an explanation for that. Their son is a genius. He asks what that makes him, and she says, the father of a genius. He says, nice save, and she says, he’s in a rush to get to work. He says, she noticed, and she says, hard not to. Is he still having issues with Drew? He says, they actually managed to patch things up, for the most part, and she asks, what’s the lesser part? He says Drew asked him for help in getting back at Nina. He said no.

Finn helps Gregory sit down and asks if he’s all right. Does he want Finn to call an ambulance? Still trying to catch his breath, Gregory says, no. It’ll pass. Finn says, he doesn’t know that, but Gregory says he just needs a distraction. Talk to him. Finn says, about what? and Gregory says, anything, just to take his mind off of what’s happening. Finn says, what is happening? and gasping, Gregory says, trust him. Would he do that? Finn says he offered to bring the snacks for Violet’s winter party at the school, and with labored breathing, Gregory says, sounds fun. Finn says, for Violet. Not so much for him. His first two attempts at making brownies were a disaster. That oven timer is trickier than people tell you. Elizabeth suggested he have Aiden make the brownies, so now her whole class is clamoring for his famous brownies, but they’re not really his; they’re Aiden’s. He thinks the jig is up. Gregory says, if Aiden was smart, he’d start charging Finn for his time, and Finn says, don’t think he hasn’t mentioned it. Gregory starts to breathe easier, and Finn asks if this has happened before. Gregory nods, and Finn says he wishes Gregory would have told him. Gregory says, Finn had other stuff on his mind, like ensuring he kept his job, saving lives, and Finn says, the life he wants to save most right now is Gregory’s. Is it a loss of sensation, or is it the opposite? Does he feel pain? Gregory says, it’s more like a shortness of breath and a twinge in his chest. It happened the first time not long ago. He laughs and says, Tracy came up with the cure for it. She ticked him off, on purpose, so bad, he forgot all about it. Finn says, that’s pretty on point. He’s glad Tracy was there, but he’s here now, and like it or not, they’re going to the hospital. He gets up, but Gregory says, no. They’re staying right here.

Josslyn and Cameron look at each other. She turns away, but then turns back and puts her head on his shoulder.

Sam says, Dante’s not on duty. He can grieve just like everyone else. He says he’s sorry. It’s not that simple after the latest attempt on his father’s life. She asks if he thinks it was an inside job, and he says, Sonny sure is convinced, and he may be right, but what he doesn’t know is it’s all part of a bigger investigation, centering around a shipment of illegal missing weapons. She says, weapons as in used in other crimes? He doesn’t think Sonny was the only target? He says, it’s looking that way, and now the FBI is involved, the lead investigator being John Cates. She says, Cates? Does that have anything to do with Stone? He says, it’s Stone’s older brother, and guess what? He and Sonny of course (🍷) have a long-standing beef with each other. She says, and he still hasn’t told Sonny yet, has he? So Sonny doesn’t know. In perfect soap timing, Sonny says, Sonny doesn’t know what?

Ava says, Cyrus isn’t welcome here, and he says he came for his sister. Surely, she could understand that. Laura comes out, and Ava says, it’s her call, and tells Cyrus not to call her Shirley. Laura nods, and Ava gestures Cyrus in. He thanks her, but Ava says, don’t thank her and leaves, closing the living room door behind her. Cyrus says he must admit, he wasn’t expecting quite that level of hostility, and Laura asks, how can he expect anything else?

Portia says she knows Trina is hurting right now, but she’s always found serenity and purpose in the classroom. And when she discovered art history… Trina says she gets education is important to Portia, and Portia says, it’s important to Trina. Trina says, but how does that help Spencer? He died saving her life. Curtis says, now is not the time to make any life-altering decisions, and Portia says, Spencer would want her to live her life. Trina says, but what about his life? His future? His purpose? It’s all gone. Spencer is gone and there’s nothing she can do to bring him back. Portia hugs her.

Willow asks why Michael refused to go along with Drew’s plan, and Michael says, while Drew has every right to go after Nina, he has other priorities. Willow says, be honest. He must have been tempted. He says he was, but then he thought about her and the kids. This family’s more important to him than anything. He’s not going to risk that again. Willow thanks him, not only for saying that, but for backing it up with his actions. It means a lot. He says, there’s more, isn’t there? Whatever it is, just say it. She says, it’s not just the people under this roof that need healing. He and his father need it too.

Laura says, Cyrus has hurt a lot of people. He’s committed a lot of crimes. How does he not realize that when people see him, they still see… He says, a monster? And what about her? Is that how she sees him too?

Dante tells Sonny that, it’s not just the PCPD trying to figure out who’s targeting him. Jordan and Anna are also looking into it. Sonny asks if they’re making progress… What is Dante not telling him?

Heather says her daughter might still be alive if it wasn’t for Doc, but Elizabeth says, that’s not fair. Doc tried to help Esme, as her therapist, but more importantly as her uncle. Heather says, right. She forgot. The dutiful uncle. So loyal to his psycho brother, while she did everything in the world she possibly could to keep her baby from knowing him. Elizabeth says, she can’t blame Doc for Ryan’s crimes, but Doc says, it’s all right. Let her say her piece. Heather thanks him and says, he thought he could save Ryan, didn’t he. Ha-ha. What a God complex. So convinced he could cure what ailed Ryan, he did the exact opposite. He nursed Ryan back to full strength, then unleashed him on the world again. She did everything she could to shield her daughter from that maniac, then Doc went ahead and brought Ryan back out in the world. They call her a criminal. Ha! It’s good people like him who destroy lives.

Elizabeth says, that’s Heather’s grief talking. Doc is not responsible for what his brother did or for what happened to Esme or Spencer. Heather says, Elizabeth has such a good heart, like her sweet Franco did and Elizabeth’s boys do. She’s always determined to see the best in everyone, isn’t she? But Doc knows better, doesn’t he? Come on, admit it. Every single word she just said here just now is true. The guard says, visitation time’s up, but Heather says she just needs a few more minutes, one last thing that she has to say, because her daughter can’t.

Michael says he should probably get to the office, and Willow says, now he’s in a hurry to get to work. One mention of his father is all it takes, huh? He tells her that he doesn’t know what to say, and she says, he can’t avoid Sonny forever, and it’s not like this is the first conflict they’ve had. Michael says, that’s an understatement, and she says, they’ve patched things up before. They’ll do it again. He says, last time, it took over a year to reconcile, and she says, but when it finally happened, he and Sonny were getting along great. Michael even went to the island for his wedding. He says, they had a nice time, but that was before everything blew up. He hasn’t seen or talked to his father since his grandmother’s funeral. She says, there are hurdles to clear, and he says, big hurdles. She says, then clear them. He didn’t give up on them. Don’t give up on his father. He sighs and leaves for work.

Dante says, Sonny knows the drill. He can’t tell Sonny about an ongoing investigation, but when there’s something to tell Sonny, he’ll let him know. Sonny says he has some unfinished business back at the office anyway, so he’s going to take care of it. He’ll see Dante later. Dante tells him, be safe, and Sonny says he’s on it. Sonny thanks Ava for hosting. He knows her relationship with Spencer was complicated. She says her relationship with everybody is complicated, and he says he has security for her here, so when she’s ready to leave… She says, straight back to his place, and he says he’ll see her at home. He leaves, and Dante asks if Sam thinks he messed up. She says, no. She actually thinks it’s a good thing he didn’t tell his dad about the FBI investigation. Dante says he doesn’t know if Sonny will see it that way.

Cameron asks if Josslyn remembers what a pain in the ass Spencer was, and she asks if he means in general. He says he was thinking more about when Spencer was younger, and she says, insufferable. He says, the ego on that guy, and she says, eventually, it became tolerable, and then loveable. She thinks a lot of that had to do with Cameron. Spencer really looked up to him. Cameron says, get out of here. He had everything. She says, he didn’t have a stable home and he didn’t have a lot of friends. People were naturally drawn to Cameron. It wasn’t like that for Spencer; he had to work on that. But he had a really good example in Cameron.

Gregory tells Finn to wait for Elizabeth. He’s going to call a Ride Share and go home. Finn says he thought the goal was to stick around for a while, make Chase and Brook’s wedding, and Gregory says, Finn knows it is. Finn says, then why did Gregory hide symptoms from him? but Gregory says he didn’t. Finn says, Gregory didn’t tell him either. Maybe there’s something they can do, or maybe there’s some protocol, or physical therapy. Gregory says, there’s nothing. It’s just the way this disease goes. It eats away at you, little by little. Sometimes a lot by a lot. Finn says he thought Gregory wanted his help. What’s the point in having a medical license if he can’t do something to help his own father? Gregory says, Finn doesn’t want to help him, but Finn says, of course (🍷) he does. Gregory says, Finn wants to save him, and he loves Finn for it, but Finn can’t save him. No one can. Finn asks what he can do, and Gregory says, they can have an honest, loving relationship where they don’t walk on eggshells. Finn says, where they don’t hide things from one another, and Gregory says, where they just are, father and son. Can they stand here on this sacred ground and give that to each other? Finn says, yeah, they can, and they hug.

Heather wonders what’s going to happen to her grandson, now that her daughter’s not around to protect him, and Doc says, Ace will be well taken care of. She has his word. She says, yeah, right. Just like he took care of Esme? He says, Laura loves her grandson. She can trust that he’s in good hands. She tells Elizabeth, please. She’s depending on her. Keep an eye on them. She tells Doc, do better by her grandson than he did by her daughter, or there will be hell to pay. She says she’s ready… Hold on. She tosses a rose off the grave, kisses the marker, and leaves with the guard.

Willow sits in semi-darkness, looking at family photos on her tablet.

Cyrus asks if he can escort Laura home, and she says she has a driver, but thanks him. He says, in that case, he’ll say goodbye and hope this sad occasion can be a new beginning for them. He thinks Spencer would want it that way. She says, would he? and Cyrus says he’s not the enemy. He’s her brother who cares about her and wants to do right by her. He’s confident she’ll see that one day. He leaves.

On the phone, Sonny asks what Brick has for him… Uh-huh. Let him know, because he wants to know who the traitor is. So he can be dealt with permanently.

Finn asks how it went, and Elizabeth says, it was interesting. She’ll tell him about it on the way home. Did his dad leave? He says his dad’s waiting in the car, and she asks, what’s wrong? He says he knows what’s ahead of them with ALS, at least his head does, and she says, but his heart is having a hard time catching up. He says he sees his dad struggle and it’s getting worse, and she asks if something happened. Finn says, he’s okay. It’s just… She takes his hand and says she knows. She’s sorry. He says, his dad is a hardboiled guy. He values his independence so much, but he thinks they have to face the facts. His father won’t be able to look after himself much longer.

Josslyn thanks Ava so much, and Ava says, she’s welcome. Josslyn and Cameron leave, and outside, Josslyn says she wishes they could have seen each other under less horrible circumstances. He says, him too, but he’s glad they did. How are she and Dex? She says, they’re fine. He makes her happy. Cameron says, good. That’s all he wants for anyone anymore. For the people he loves to be happy. She says, it’s a real shame they didn’t get that with Spencer.

Trina puts on her coat, and Curtis asks where she’s going. She says she’s just going to take a walk by the lake, and Portia asks if she wants some company. Trina says she won’t be long, and goes outside. She takes the turtle dove out of her pocket and remembers Spencer giving it to her. She closes her hand over it.

Drew tells Willow that it’s never going to happen again; John wants to know what information Anna and Jordan went to jail to hide from him; Finn tells Chase that he thinks it’s time for their dad to stop living on his own; and Michael hopes Sonny can forgive him.

💭 Thoughts… I’m not loving this Spencer is dead storyline. Mainly because we all know he’s coming back. Perhaps GH should have kept that fact under their hat. It’s like the reverse of everyone pretending Bobbie was alive for the good part of a year when Jaqueline Zeman passed away. It just feels weird.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Still inflicting themselves on Barcelona, Sutton tells Kyle that she lost her dad’s ashes because she moved so many times. As much as I like Sutton, I can’t imagine losing something like that in a move. Sutton cries and says she feels like she’s scattering the ashes of her marriage too. Kyle says she gets that. It’s symbolic of a big part of Sutton’s life. Sutton says she’s been angry for so long, maybe what’s inside needs to come out, and they hug. Trevor arrives, and Sutton says, they’re on a strict timeline. She and Travor put Merce’s ashes in a box, spilling some on the table. In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s realizing it’s not just Merce, but two decades of her life that she needs to let go of. It’s time to release everything, stand on her own, and be alone. It’s completely scary, but she’s strong and can do it. Trevor tells the women that his friends were happy to meet them, and Garcelle says, even Erika? We flash back to Merce is in the purse, and Trevor says, especially Erika. They get in a fancy little bus and talk about gay sex terms.

Sitges, Spain. Sutton tells Trevor not to drop Merce. He’s not in a Ziploc anymore. She tells Garcelle and Kyle, no shopping, and in her interview, Sutton says she’s prepping mentally and emotionally for the ceremony. They go to a cliff on the beach, and Sutton thanks them for putting up with her. She’s been emotional about her dad, but it’s been 20 years, and she has to release that. We flash back to her telling Dorit that her father’s suicide was tough, and they never addressed it as a family. She says she’s releasing the pain from her marriage. We flash back to Garcelle saying, Sutton gave up her power, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, at the end of their marriage, Christian called her and said she needed to get an attorney because she’d be receiving papers. She didn’t understand and she was scared, lost in the middle of nowhere by herself. Sutton tells the women that they all have things they’re holding on to, and she wants them to do this for her, even though it’s hard. In Kyle’s interview, she says she thinks the pain of Sutton’s divorce was more than she imagined, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, Sutton has always had anger about Christian and it’s good to see her let it go. She can relate. Sutton says she’s letting all three go, and in her interview, she says, it’s so silly that she gets sad about her divorce. Christian, her dad, and Merce were three very important men in her life, and she’s about to say goodbye to all three.

Sutton and Trevor toss the ashes, and they blow back, just like with Sonja’s dog on RHONY. The women dust themselves off, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, it’s blowing in her face, her hair, and her mouth. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s all over her black dress and hair, and in Erika’s interview, she says she doesn’t know this man and doesn’t want to taste this man. They say goodbye to Trevor and continue with the ritual. As each woman says what she wants to let go of, they toss their leis into the water. Garcelle says she’d like to let go of feeling alone. She has a lot of abandonment issues. She thinks not having her dad in her life contributes to how she leads her life. In her interview, Garcelle says, her dad left when she was 3, and didn’t come back in her life until she was 14. She was betrayed by the man of her dreams, and it led her to being protective of her heart. If she has to be alone, she can do that, but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel lonely. Crystal says, her brother is leaving. He’s moving away, probably forever. We flash back to Jeffrey saying he’s going to relocate to Thailand, and in Crystal’s interview, she says she knows he has to get away from her and their mother for a while and start his own life. She knows that’s what he needs. Annemarie (ugh) says she has a very confident exterior, but needs to do a lot of work to feel that she’s in a peaceful place. She wants to be happy. Dorit says, this is no guarantee she’s leaving the PTSD she lives with behind, but she’s going to try. We flash back to PK being an a-hole, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, maybe if she lets go of some expectations with PK, she can find release and start to heal all areas of her life. Erika says, this represents all the hurt from the last 2½ years, some of which they contributed to. She’s turned a new page, and is releasing her hurt, anger, and her old life. In her interview, Garcelle says, if they caused Erika pain, it’s because they were showing her a mirror when they felt she wasn’t compassionate. We flash back to the victims/earrings stuff, and Garcelle says, it’s a little awkward. Kyle says she wants to let go of the guilt of thinking she could have done something different with and for Lorene, with her sisters, and the group. She’s letting go of any of the things she’s held onto that hurt her. In Kyle’s interview, she says, it feels strange not be sharing what’s really weighing on her. She doesn’t know if her marriage is going to survive. When she’s ready, she’ll share. She wants to let go of the uncertainty in not having the answers to what the future holds. There’s a group hug, and Kyle thinks seeing them vulnerable and sharing these moments shows they came a long way.

They walk around, and Crystal says she’s sorry she contributed to Erika’s pain. Erika says, it’s okay. Sh*t happens. That’s how you recover. In Erika’s interview, she says she loves someone taking a chance and saying they’re sorry they misjudged her. No one else has. At least Crystal has the balls. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Merce didn’t get on her, instead, he blew over her. He was known for his great leaps, so it was good. She tells the women that tour guide Manolo is walking them to their flamenco dinner where they’re going to perform their dance. In her interview, she says, it’s not ballet, but it’s good choreography. It’s sexy. They’re taking it slow because these ladies are not dancers, except for Erika. We see a clip of them at their lesson.

Everyone gets ready, and in Erika’s interview, she says, it bothers her that she didn’t get apologies. You go to therapy to acknowledge your feelings, but wanting someone else to acknowledge how you feel isn’t going to happen, so maybe she should stop looking for it.  Kyle calls home and talks to her daughters. In her interview, she says, she feels like they’re going through a hard time, and she’s sensitive to how everyone in her family is feeling. She worries and feels like everyone is more fragile. All the women are dressed in red, except for Kyle, who’s leaning toward orange, and Sutton says she’ll photoshop it. In Dorit’s interview, she says she knows Kyle didn’t get the memo on dressing in red, but considering her other choices, thank goodness she wore orange. Dorit navigates getting to the bus in her heels, and in her interview, she says she’s spent so much time in Europe, you’d think she’d know how to walk on cobblestone in heels. At least she’ll trip in style. On the bus, they talk about signing any document their husbands put in front of them without looking at it. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Marriage 101: don’t sign a document without reading it. She doesn’t care if you marry the Pope. Kyle says she signs stuff and hopes for the best, and in Erika’s interview, she says, that’s how she got in trouble. It’s okay to trust your husband until it’s not okay to trust your husband.

Manolo serenades the women as they go into the restaurant, and In Kyle’s interview, she says she doesn’t want to perform. She doesn’t know the dance and doesn’t drink anymore. We flash back to her doing the splits on several occasions. Manolo makes a toast in Spanish, and Annemarie asks about everyone’s favorite part of the trip. Crystal says, watching Storm’s father make paella, and Kyle says, today they had honest, real moment. It was an emotional, but good moment. Erika says, it’s been a long time since she felt relaxed and good on a trip. The trip to Aspen last year was horrible. We flash back to the women saying she should show compassion for the victims, and Erika saying she doesn’t give a f*** about anyone but herself. Erika says, they’re not going home Pollyanna, but for her it’s more positive than it’s been in a long time. Annemarie says she doesn’t know the histories in the group, so it seemed cryptic to her when Erika said she was letting some things go despite what anybody had to say. She felt many of them contributed to her pain. What did she mean?

Erika says she felt mischaracterized and misunderstood. The appeal was reversed, but those things will always hurt. Garcelle says, when they were at the retreat, Erika told them that she wasn’t sure if she trusted the group, but Erika says she feels more relaxed now. Trust is earned over time, and she’s taking it step by step. In her interview, Garcelle says she sees how deeply Erika was affected by them. Although they were just asking questions, and thought Erika understood they wanted to see her side, but also wanted her to show compassion and empathy. They could have just moved on. Sutton makes a toast to Erika, and says, even though some of them didn’t receive a door invitation to Erika’s show – we see a clip of Kyle getting an invite like she won Publisher’s Clearing House – she wants to congratulate Erika on her residency. She knows it’s a big deal. They’re proud of her and they’ll all be there. In her interview, Sutton says, in elementary school, her mother made her invite the entire class to her birthday party. Erika says she remembers their support when she was on Broadway, and Sutton chartered a plane. We flash back to that, and Sutton tells her that she’s just saying she could have gotten an invite. (After chartering the jet? Yes, she should have. Maybe Erika should think about acknowledging other people’s feelings instead of being so concerned about her own.) They watch some dancing, and in Kyle’s interview, she says she’s nervous and embarrassed. There are professional performers up there. Nobody wants to see them; they want to see the professionals. Dorit says she doesn’t know if she can do it in her dress and shoes, but Erika tells her, stomp that sh*t out. The MC announces that they have VIP guests, and the women get up on stage. In Sutton’s interview, she says, it’s been emotional, but at the end of the day, she loves them. She wants them to stay happy like this forever. They’re laughing and having fun and sharing things they’ve never shared before. Getting through problems individually and as a group is so good. Friends become family, and this is her family, and she loves it. They do a few hand moves, and stamp their feet, and there’s applause. It wasn’t really dancing, but okay.

The women are back in Beverly Hills and back to routine. Dorit pops by (her words) Kyle’s house and asks how she and Mauricio are doing. Kyle says, good. She was seeing a therapist, and now Mauricio joined in. Dorit asks how it’s going, but Kyle says she doesn’t know. In Dorit’s interview, she says, lately, one of her best friends is as disconnected as possible. She wants to be there for Kyle. She wants Kyle to know she supports her. Kyle says, she and Mauricio never fight, but on the bad side, they’re not communicating. They’d rather not deal. We flash back to the mom/tattoo sort of argument, and Kyle says she’s more the one who has a fiery side, and Mauricio wants to be stoned peaceful. Add in traveling and their work schedules… Dorit says, traveling took a toll on her and PK, and in Kyle’s interview, she says she thinks Mauricio believes if he gives her time, she’ll get over it, but they need help. She tells Dorit that the agency is expanding and it’s like his child. He takes his energy to fix the agency’s problems, so why can he give the energy he gives to the company to them? In her interview, she says she’s supported Mauricio through everything from day one, when he had nothing, When she said they were in trouble and she needed him to work through it with her, she needed to feel it was a priority. If Mauricio puts no effort into them, they’re not going to end up together. They’ll never survive this.  

Next time, Sutton goes on date number two with Steve; Dorit wants PK home for Mother’s Day, but PK tells her that she’s not his mother; and Erika dabs at her eyes and says, it never had to be this way.

📺 Tortured By Reality TV Society…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a more relaxed atmosphere. Until then, stay safe, stay not clicking your fingers for the waitstaff, and stay never signing a document without reading it, even if it’s given to you by the Pope.

Oct4

October 3, 2021 – Negan Teaches Maggie To Walk, Huh, Hope Makes a Choice & Stand

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

Maggie says they’re about three miles out, but Negan says Daryl told them to go home. Maggie says, Daryl knows she would never turn back, and Negan asks, with what army? He asks Gabriel to back him up, but Gabriel says his family is starving. Negan says, at least admit they’re walking to their deaths for a sack of beans, and Maggie says Negan has always been more interested in himself than helping the people back home. Go; she doesn’t need him. He says, they both know that’s not true. He wants her to make him a promise in front of the goddam priest that if he sticks around – if he does this for her – he won’t have to keep looking over his shoulder. She says they’ll never be even, and he says, then she’s down a soldier she desperately needs. It’s her call. She says he’d take a promise from her? and he says, yeah, who wouldn’t? Assuming she’s a woman of her word. He’s always been a man of his. He holds out his hand, and she barely shakes it, Gabriel tells them, listen, and they hear the traditional garbled noises of zombies headed their way. One comes closer, and Maggie stabs it in the head. She says, it was Elijah’s sister’s best friend; she was just a kid. They have to get them; all of them. More zombies come toward them.    

Stephanie and Eugene fight with some zombies in an empty building, and Eugene says Stephanie is doing great. She says she’s doing okay, not great. It’s not like riding a bicycle. He says it’s the cerebellum protecting her from unpleasant memories. He has to ask. She’s known Lance a long time… She says, pretty long, and he asks if Lance is capable of taking care of their transgressions. In other words, will their labor truly lead to their freedom? She tells Eugene, if Lance says it will, then it will. He has his own way doing things, but Eugene can trust him. He’ll see.

Ezekiel and Princess work together in another building. Ezekiel insists he’s fine, but Princess doesn’t think so. She tells him that they’ve got to get the space back, and need to clear the bodies. He starts dragging them out, but he’s having a hard time, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he’s fine, and she apologizes for snapping. He says, it’s cool, and starts coughing. She asks what she can do, and he says, it’s dusty. He’s sure that’s it. Eugene and Stephanie join them, and ask if they need help. Princess asks Stephanie, how much longer? and Stephane says she guesses a couple more. Princess says, Ezekiel isn’t going to make a few more days, but Ezekiel assures her that he’s fine. She says he needs to see a doctor, but he says he’s not leaving her to work alone. She tells him not to be stupid; they have real hospitals and sh*t here. She asks if Stephanie can make it happen, and Stephanie said she’ll talk to Lance right now. Eugene says they’re most obliged, but Ezekiel wonders if they’ll incur another debt. Princess says she’s not afraid of hard work, and a couple of guards come by with a young couple who look like Preppies from the 80s. The boy says they’re way too close to where the masses are working. The smell is revolting. Eugene says, who the hell was that?

A man tells Yumiko that the recruiters were impressed with her, and she says she thought they’d found her difficult. He says he expected someone with her pedigree to have high standards. She’ll have no trouble finding a position there. She says she’s happy to work for them, but she’s not staying there permanently, and wants to make that clear. He says, after meeting Ms. Milton, she might reconsider, but she says she’d rather see her friends. Can someone take her to where they’re working? He says, they broke the law, and Lance arranged for them to be released with a fine. They’re clearing the buildings. She says, of what? and he says, the dead. She says, they’ve been assigned to clear the buildings for days, weeks, months? And she’s expected to provide legal services for… He says, Ms. Milton and her cabinet, and she says she’d like to speak with Ms. Milton right away. He says, that would be difficult. Lance’s expectations of the timing were different. She asks if Lance is his supervisor? And he says, no. She says, then she’d like to speak to her right away.

We see a zombie tied to a tree, and Gabriel prays over a grave (we assume Elijah’s sister’s best friend). Maggie says if Elijah’s sister is out there, they’ll find her, and every last one of these murderers. Elijah says, but the one… is his. Maggie tells Gabriel, there are scouts everywhere. If he gets a chance to kill one of them, do it. If they’re alone, he has the advantage. Gabriel says, if he gets a chance to kill one, he will. He leaves, and Nathan asks if Maggie is ready. She says she’s not cutting up anyone she knows, and Negan says they just need two. He kept his mask for practical, sentimental reasons. She says, it’s not fun, and he says, not with that attitude. She tells him, let’s get this over with, and they walk, leaving the tree zombie snapping at the air.

Two soldiers return to the Commonwealth, and tell Pope, they’ve done three sweeps, but there’s no sign anywhere. Pope asks if they checked along the train tracks and the underpass. Come on. There are dozens of those a-holes out there, and their brothers are dead. They’re not ashamed? Leah says, they were following her recommendations. She told them where the team went, and where to go next. If he wants to scream at somebody, scream at her. Daryl watches, and Pope asks if she’s trying to be noble. Get them to like her? Try keeping them alive. She asks if yelling is going to help do that, and Pope tells her, take your boy out there, and find those goddam idiots. She tells Daryl, come on; we have orders. She leaves, and he follows her. Ever notice how no one goes, hang on, I have to go to the bathroom first? Like they would in real life?

Daryl and Leah walk, and he asks if she’s all right. She says she’s fine. He says he’s sure the guys are grateful, and she asks how he knows. He says, he’d be. She says she may have been stupid. Daryl has a good place. If he spends time with these people, she’s sure they have their side. Does he have something to say about it? He says he’s just surprised, and she asks, why? He says, they won. They have walls and food; why keep hunting? She says, they need to make sure they don’t come back. He says he doesn’t understand, and she says, it was easy for him on his own. He only had to worry about himself. They have a whole community to protect. They have structure and a leader, who got them this far. What happened back there isn’t normal. He says he’s met guys like that before, and she says, Pope has puzzles to solve; he’s riled up. How can their people be so hard to find? Daryl asks if Pope is just going to kill everybody, and go back to being a good guy, and she says Pope is like a father to her. He’s made her strong. He believed in her when no one else would, and it made her strong. Daryl says she doesn’t need anyone make her strong.

Maggie walks, wearing the mask, while Elijah watches, and Negan gives her instructions on how to walk. He unties the zombie, who walks up to her and keeps going. Maggie trips, and gasps. The zombie does an about-face, and she tries to get the mask off. It comes toward her, but Elijah gets it back to the tree. She says she hates this sh*t, but Negan says it’s not going to fit perfectly; it’s someone else’s face. This might actually work. If he can do it, she can do it. They’ll fix it, and try again. She did good.

Gabriel watches from the woods, as a guy in an old-fashioned cloak approaches a cemetery at the edge of the forest. He kneels for a moment, takes out a dagger, and gets back up. He  seems to sense Gabriel, and says, help me, father. You who guided me during the darkest of times. I treasure our conversation and the guidance you’ve given me. Is there anything I should know? He listens, and says, thank you, father. Gabriel has his sword ready, but the guy leaves.

Yumiko and Tomi walk into the terminal. She asks how long of a break he has, and he says, just long enough to show her his dorm room. She says she doesn’t understand why he wouldn’t want the life that comes with being a doctor there, and he says he doesn’t want to go back to how it was before. She liked that type of life; he didn’t. Everything moved too fast, and people burned themselves out working until they died or wanted to. He asks her to sit, and says, no one can know he was a doctor. Promise him. She asks what he means, and he tells her, trust him. He likes things the way they are. This place makes sense. She says, okay, fine and tells him that she has a meeting with Pamela Milton later. Is there anything she should know? He says it’s nice for her. Someone like him would never meet her. She asks, why not? and he says, they have to know their place. Some stormtroopers come out of nowhere and grab him, taking him away. He says he did nothing wrong, and Yumiko says she’s his lawyer. He’s entitled to his rights. We hear, the Commonwealth way, over the loudspeaker.

Maggie walks with a few zombies in the woods, as Negan watches. He says he told her that she’d get it right. Congrats and you’re welcome. She takes her mask off Elijah says, he’s changed, but Maggie says, they can’t believe that. He’s helpful, or would be if there’s something in it for him. Elijah says, so her promise? and she says she hopes she can keep it.

Yumiko tells Lance that she needs to talk to him. Where the hell is her brother? He says her brother is fine, and she says, that wasn’t her question. He says she has an appointment with Pamela Milton, even after he told her that he was taking care of things. He needs some time, and she says, for what? He says, it works like this. Her people need help. Her friends broke the law and she wants them free. Those are big asks, and he can deliver, but there needs to be something in it for him. She asks, what? and he says, a friend in a high place. Someday, he might need a favor and she might be favorably inclined. So what does she say to sitting tight a few more hours? She says, a few more hours, and he says, excellent. Lance continues smiling the way he does all the time, and she doesn’t like it.

Leah and Daryl walk. and he points to a cabin. She says, the patrol has been through; they’ve checked miles of trails. It should be cold. He says, it looks like someone’s been through here. They move closer to the house, and Daryl notices something. He says, come out with your hands up, and a guy steps out from behind a bush. He says, don’t shoot; his family needs him. Daryl tells him, stand over there, and Leah says, there are soldiers looking for people like him. How did he avoid them? He says, they don’t know what he’s been through. His wife is hurt, and he can’t care for her and look for food. Let him go. Daryl tells him to show them, or he’ll shoot the guy in front of his family later. The guy says, okay. Please don’t hurt them. Leah radios Pope, saying, they found a man in the woods… She’s not sure if he’s part of their target. He’s taking them to his people, and she’s not sure how Pope wants to engage… He tells her to kill them, and she says, copy that.

With a small bunch of zombies corralled in the woods. Negan and Maggie have something to eat. He says he feels for her in all this. She might think it’s bullsh*t, but it’s true. She says, how’s that? and he says, he’s not a robot. It sucks to see your friends as walkers, and that should be enough, but they’re about to do some crazy sh*t. She’s going to break into the community she built, and lost. He gets it. She says she and Negan lost their communities in different ways, but he asks if she thinks he doesn’t understand the losing side of a massacre. She says, there were no children or families at the Sanctuary, and he asks, where’d Aaron get his crazy from? Does she think he doesn’t know about that? She says, he can debate battle plans if he wants, and he tells her, all he’s saying is that he remembers his home was invaded, and people were killed. The men who were killed had friends, girlfriends, and people who felt a loss that he couldn’t heal. He had to explain why their leader failed to protect them. She says the people he killed had families, and he did it in front of their families, and he says he did, but the world is different now. There are fewer people to fight for, and fewer people to fight with. Hell, there are fewer things to fight over. She asks if he’s saying he’d do things differently if he could do them over, and he nods. He says, yeah. If he had it to do over, he’d have killed every single one of them. She asks why would he say that, and he says, it’s the truth. They’ve got to do what they can to protect their people. That’s why they’re here. That’s why they’re doing this. She asks why he’d say that to her? and he says they had a good day, her and him, and the only way this works is if they’re honest.

Eugene, Princess, and Stephanie pile up bodies, and Princess asks where they bring the dead. Stephanie doesn’t know exactly where, but says, somewhere far from the water supply. Ezekiel comes bouncing back with Lance, and tells Princess, much gratitude. They did the work, and he brought lollypops. He passes them out, and Princess asks if he doesn’t want one. He says he’s had several, and she asks how it was. He says he’s good as new. They gave him antibiotics, painkillers, and IV fluids. I’m thinking he’s had more than that, and wonder what’s in those lollypops. He thanks Lance, who says he was happy to do it. He’s just glad everyone’s okay. Do they feel up to a new assignment? Ezekiel says, bring it on, and Lance tells Eugene and Stephanie to clear out the north fence line; Stephanie can show Eugene where it is. He asks Ezekiel and Princess to come with him, and they follow him.  

Gabriel comes back, and tells Maggie, good news; they’re still there. Maggie asks if he ran into any of them, but he says, no.

The young entitled couple who’d passed by, are now making out in a lean-to by the edge of the forest. Eugene and Stephanie arrive just as a bunch of zombies come out of the woods. Eugene whacks zombies like never before, and Stephanie holds her own. Eugene says, teamwork, and he and Stephanie high-five. The boy asks what the hell that was about. Eugene and Stephanie disrupted their date. Eugene says he and Stephanie saved their lives, and the boy says they have private security for that. Stephanie says, let’s go, and the boy says, that’s the best idea they’ve had yet. Eugene says, there’s no reason to rude, hoss, and the boy says he’s not used to talking to plebians. Eugene says, someone used their dictionary. He and Stephanie have earned either gratitude or an apology. The boy asks who the hell they think they are, and Eugene tells him, hold his horses. The boy asks who Eugene thinks he’s talking to, and Eugene says, a tiny little man. While this is going on, a zombie has come out of the woods, and is almost on top of the girl. Stephanie whacks it down, and the blood spurts onto the girl, who squeals. The boy tells Stephanie, stupid bitch, look what you did to my girlfriend, and Eugene punches him in the face. Stephanie says, what did you do? and Eugene says, he was being an a-hole. Stephanie says she’s so sorry. They’ve been working without a break. Eugene didn’t mean to… Lance and Mercer appear, and Lance asks, what happened? The boy says, these lunatics attacked them. And where was Mercer? He had rotters up his ass, and this dumb sh*t rolled up and attacked them. Eugene says, that’s not the way it went, and Lance asks if it’s not true Eugene hit the boy? Eugene says he did, and Lance asks what he was thinking? Doesn’t Eugene know who this is? Let me just interject here. This obviously wasn’t in the employee citizen handbook, so what the hell? Isn’t that Lance’s fault?

Yumiko goes to Ms. Milton’s office, and the receptionist thanks her for being on time; Ms. Milton is fastidious about her schedule. She asks if Yumiko would like something to drink, but Yumiko says she’s all right. The receptionist asks her to have a seat, and Yumiko looks at a coffee table book about Italy. The receptionist says Yumiko is part of the new group who came in. Are they settling in okay? Yumiko says, yeah, but she hasn’t seen her friends in a few days. The receptionist says she’s sorry to hear that. Is everyone okay? The phone rings, and she says, of course. She’ll do it now. Yumiko asks if everything is okay, and the receptionist says, Ms. Milton will have to reschedule. Someone attacked her son.

Eugene sits in a cell, and Lance comes in. He says Eugene was supposed to save and protect the governor’s son. If he’d done that, he’d have been a hero. He could have asked for anything. Eugene and his friends want out, but now the price is higher. He needs the name of Eugene’s town and how to get there. Eugene says he’s been on his own, and Lance says, then welcome. This is home. He and his friends can keep killing walkers, and his people – whoever they are – can figure things out on their own. Eugene says, if he were to disclose the coordinates, what guarantee can Lance provide that his community will be safe? Lance says, look around him. Think of how they’ve been treated, all the chances they’ve gotten. Eugene says, that’s not a direct reply to his query, and Lance says, it’s up to him. Lance starts to leave, and Eugene says, wait. I say, dammit.

Maggie practices walking in the field with a small group of zombies, along with Negan. She and Negan split off, and go over to a building. They take the boards off a door, and open it. Zombies stream outside, and I wonder who was saving them up in there. Everyone wanders around a parking lot.

A storm begins, and the guy leads Daryl and Leah to a house. He moves some vent hoses aside in the basement, and reveals an entryway. He goes in, and a wounded woman sits on the floor with a little boy. He says he told them the truth. Please don’t hurt them. Leah tells him to take his son and run. Don’t come back. The woman tells the boy to go ahead with his father, and don’t be afraid. The guy cries and says he loves her. She says she loves him too. No one cares since we don’t know them. They leave, and the woman says they’re the answer to her prayers. He was never going to leave while she was alive, but it’s dangerous to stay. She’s ready. Please. Leah actually looks like she has an emotion, and the woman closes her eyes. Leah aims her gun, but can’t do it, wiping her tears away. Daryl shoots the woman, and asks if Leah is going to tell Pope. She says, that Daryl killed her? It will look good for him. Daryl retrieves his arrow from the woman’s forehead, and covers her face. He says there’s something he needs to tell Leah, but the radio crackles. Pope tells them to come back, and she says they’ve got to go.  

Maggie, Negan, and Elijah walk with a whole lot of zombies. Maggie sees Elijah’s sister among the dead, and it freaks her out a little. She surreptitiously takes Elijah’s hand, and they continue to walk, tons of zombies now behind them. They head toward Hilltop.

Next time, zombies attack Meridian and Alexandria; Pope says, the end is close, and they will not escape this time; and Virgil talks to Judith about Michonne.   

🔦 News flash: Walking Dead has an official whiskey.

The Walking Dead: The World Beyond

We flashed back to the Republic blowing up the Campus Colony. Elizabeth told Hope that she would be reunited with her father, so Hope got on a helicopter with Elizabeth and Huck. Instead, Elizabeth said, change of plan, and they landed on a rooftop in Albany. Hope asked if Elizabeth had lied about taking her to her father, and Elizabeth said, not yet. She told hope they were heading into new world, where clusters of the dead were roaming around the continent, and as far as they could tell, the world. There were columns of them so big, they’d run right over whole cities. Elizabeth then gave Hope a bullsh*t story about how one giant horde was headed for Omaha, and another to the Campus Colony, and they mashed together. They’d tried to rescue ask many as they could, airlifting out those still alive, but the Colony was gone. Elizabeth brought Hope to Albany because it had been her home. She’d been working in military defense, and realized how quickly any chance for a future could crumble. She asked if Hope still believed a future was possible, and Hope said, she does, she did, she should. Elizabeth said that despite the fallen cities, she was trying to get Hope to think more positively. That’s why she pushed Hope to go on this journey; to see how fragile civilization was. It took everyone coming together to give it a shot. Hope’s father was a genius, and valuable to their research, but he was also a troublemaker. They couldn’t risk bringing in someone who could jeopardize the community. She asked if Hope wanted to work with them. She couldn’t bring Hope in to join her father unless she knew that, despite Hope’s grief and anger, she was committed in being an asset to the future; committed to a life where she’ll consume knowledge to hand to the next generations. Hope needed more time to think, and Elizabeth told her to think about what she truly wanted. She gave Hope a radio, and said she’d need Hope’s answer by dawn. She thought Hope had every reason to walk away, given the extent she and her friends had been manipulated, but she’d be taking her chances alone on her own, and wouldn’t make it out of the city alive. Life was a gift, and Hope could choose to waste it alone or fight for a future with for others, making sure it never happened again. The choice was hers. Hope left, and Huck asked if Elizabeth was really doing this when Hope could die. Elizabeth said, or Hope could join them, but she needed Hope to choose.    

Will told Felix and Iris how he escaped CRM, who wanted him dead, and he would be if they found him. He told the two of them to a place called The Perimeter, where he’d been taken in. It had been an abandoned farm, and before everything fell apart, it was an artists colony. He introduced them to Indira, the head of the council. She told them that she was sorry about their home, but since Will was vouching for the, they had a home there until a more permanent solution presented itself. They could keep their knives, but were she asked that they surrender all other weapons. The council will ask them some questions, but she wants Felix’s leg looked at first. She asks what they have to live for. Living took effort. It took everything, and she needed to know their reasons if they were staying. Felix said, these two, indicating Will and Iris, and a few others. Iris guessed she lived for Hope, and Indira said the world was nothing without hope.

Will and Felix got reacquainted, and Felix had a good cry. Will explained that Indira was risking everything harboring them, and cautioned Felix and Iris against trying to rescue Hope just yet. This was about the long game. Not just how to keep them all safe, but what would happen afterward. One wrong move, and it was over for all of them.

Hope went into a school, and while she was exploring, it didn’t take long for her to run into a zombie and end up rolling down a flight of stairs with it. She managed to kill it for real, but got a nasty head wound bouncing off the wall. Zombies came at her, but she fought them all off. Then she thought she saw Elizabeth, and flashed back to Elizabeth telling her to think about what she truly wants. After killing the last zombie, she saw a poster for a missing woman named Candace Froder. She looked down the hallway to see a hooded figure, and said, hello? 

In the meantime, Elizabeth asked if Huck was thinking about going after Hope. Huck had insisted that Hope was worth the risk of this trip, and that it was the only way to change her. Huck said it had, and Elizabeth said, not enough, but it could still be a win. Elizabeth said she’d only wanted the best for Huck. Hope reminded her of Huck at the same age. She was lost and angry. Elizabeth thought Huck needed Hope to look up to her.

Hope flashed back shooting Elton’s mother.

Elizabeth told Huck that it was easy to form an attachment after being on assignment for an extended period. She wouldn’t stop going after Silas, but after he’d been captured, he was stonewalling. She was still focused on finding the others, but if they continued to be focused on finding Hope’s dad, they’d need to be dealt with. She asked how much Felix and Iris knew, but Huck didn’t say.

Hope ran to another building, trying the doors. After getting inside, and thinking she was alone, she opened a curtain, and someone jumped out, scaring her, me, and probably whoever else was watching. It was the hooded figure Hope had seen, who turned out to be the missing Candace. She fought with Hope, and Hope asked why she was doing this. Candace said she wanted what Hope had. Her group had helicopters, clothes, and food, and whatever they didn’t have, they took. Hope realized it was the same woman from the poster, and said she didn’t want to hurt Candace; she just wanted to go. Candace asked, go where? You didn’t just die. Someone else got your clothes, food, and supplies. What was Hope doing there? Hope said she was just trying to make it. Candace attacked Hope, who pushed her away, into the waiting arms of some zombies who have managed to get their arms, and mouths, outside of a barred gate. Hope sat on the floor, rocking back and forth, and when she opened her eyes, poof! They were gone, and it was all a hallucination. She remembered better times with her dad, and cried. She looked inside a book, and saw one of his secret messages to her. Once again, she recalled Elizabeth asking what she truly wanted.    

Hope called Elizabeth to come back for her, and Elizabeth said she was happy to hear from Hope. Hope said Elizabeth was right. She wasn’t going to make it alone, but she didn’t want this be all there was. She didn’t know if that’s what Elizabeth wanted to hear, but it was the truth. Did she pass? Could she see her dad? Elizabeth said it was okay to hate them; she should. But the bad things they did must be done. They carried the burden so others didn’t have to, so there would be good in the world. Maybe one day, this might not be all there is, but it would be if they didn’t have a world to go back to. She imagined Hope understood that differently now. Huck wondered if Elizabeth had wanted to see if she’d go after Hope, but Hope and the others had changed her. Elizabeth said she was glad she was wrong.  

Huck told Hope that she thought she knew what they could do about Silas. She’d found a settlement, but told her mother that she hadn’t found anything. It guaranteed all of their safety if they had to run. Hope wasn’t having it, and said Huck was just covering her own ass. How about if she told Huck’s mother how badly Huck had screwed up her mission? Since Huck screwed up her life, she’d do the same to Huck. Huck said the only way to stay safe was to lie to her mother. The place was safe, as long as they played by the rules, and didn’t screw sh*t up. Hope said there was no way she was working with Huck.

Iris wondered why the cover-up didn’t make sense, and Felix agreed. The only reason they weren’t dead was because they left. They’d taken a risk. Maybe that’s how they had to keep living. Do what they needed to do, no matter the risk. The council was letting them stay there, and the rules were different. They’d have to change how they played. Iris pondered zombie hordes, then went out sneaking around with a bow and arrow. She saw a CRM guard poking around.  

Hope was led down a long hall like she was going to prison, but she was taken to her father. She hugged him and cried.

A zombie came out of the woods, distracting the guard, and Iris shot the guard. She fought with him, finally knocking him down. She stabbed him, and removed his mask, revealing he was practically a kid, but there was no remorse. She said, it wasn’t the zombies; it was him.    

Kind of a filler episode, eh?

Next time, Elizabeth captures an enemy. Hope’s dad tells her that he’s working to stop the zombies, and Iris says, this is war.

🌬 Gone Like the Wind…

It’s late, but join me tomorrow on Deck and for some soap. In the meantime, stay safe, stay building your character, and stay having a good attitude, even if you have to wear someone else’s face.