Tag Archives: Talking Dead

Nov16

November 15, 2022 – Brick Helps Out Carly, Her Reason, Final Bow, Kate Critiques, Done, Renewed, Final Talk, Ending Peek, Dog, This Little Piggy & Street

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the MetroCourt, Sonny gives Brick a hug, and asks, how was the flight? Brick says, smooth weather, easy check-in, but he’s hungry, and Sonny says, lunch is on him. How was Montreal? Brick says he made some progress on that front. Plus he has a few options to discuss with Sonny. Sonny says, before they talk, there’s someone he wants Brick to meet. Nina walks up, and says, gentlemen, and Sonny tells Brick, this is… Brick says, the woman who stole your heart.

Drew finds Leo outside, and asks what he’s doing. Leo says he’s collecting leaves, but he’ll go, and Drew says, Leo doesn’t have to go on his account. What’s the hurry? Is something bothering him? Leo says, everyone’s mad, but Drew says, he isn’t mad. Leo says, yes he is. He and Michael are mad at Leo’s dad. Is Drew mad at him too?

Willow finds Michael at his laptop, and says, he’s still at it. Michael asks how her nap was, and she says, good. She and the baby must have really needed the downtime. Maybe he does too. He says, later. He’s been filling himself in on bone marrow donations, and the family is already registered because of their history with cancer, but most people don’t realize how easy it is. He thinks they should organize a donor drive at GH; provide tests, and get as many people to register as possible. Hit up social media sites, and places to advertise, like Kelly’s, Charlie’s and other hot spots around town. She says, it sounds wonderful, and thanks him. He says, of course (🍷). They’re in this together. She says she’s so sorry she kept her leukemia diagnosis from him, but he says, it’s okay. They’re focusing on the future now. She says, a future with him is all that she wants, and he says he’s going to make sure it’s a healthy and happy one.

Josslyn tells Dex, do not move from this bed, and he says he owes her. She says, big time, and she plans to collect. She leaves, and just outside the door, Carly appears. She says she’s been calling and calling Josslyn, but she hasn’t answered. What the hell’s going on? Josslyn says, actually… She opens her room door, and pulls Carly inside, saying, quick. They need her help. Carly sees Dex on the bed, and looks at Josslyn.

Esme flings herself onto her bed, groaning dramatically. She’s startled by the bathroom door creaking open, and says, creepy, drafty old place. It’s probably haunted on top of that. She closes the door, and says, hear my voice, oh spirits. Scare the crap out of Nikolas; he deserves it. She doesn’t. She tells the baby, what they need is some advice from grandpa.

Jeff goes the hospital reception desk, and says he’s looking for Nurse Elizabeth Baldwin. The nurse asks, who she should say is here? and he says, her father, Jeff Webber. He turns around and sees Finn, and says, excuse me. Have we met? He holds out his hand, and Finn says, no. Jeff doesn’t know him, but Jeff knew his wife. He slept with her.

Nikolas invites Elizabeth in, and asks if she’s all right. She wonders why he’s asking, and he says he heard she was attacked at the pier last night, and was taken to GH. He’s relieved she isn’t badly injured, but should she be up and about? She says, thankfully, it was just a little bump on the head, but he already knew that. He says, he did? and she says, he must have. Would he have left her just lying on the pier if he thought she was badly hurt?

Carly says, Josslyn needs to start explaining, and Dex asks who she is. Josslyn tells him, just rest, and Carly asks, what happened to him? Josslyn says, he got shot. She found him last night on the Quartermaine grounds. She couldn’t take him to the hospital; they’d report it to the police. Carly says, they can’t have that, can they? He got shot working for Sonny, right?

Nina says she’s so happy to meet Brick. She’s heard so much about him. Sonny ask her to join them, but she says she doesn’t want to intrude. Brick says, not at all, and Nina says, she has to warn them. She may be called away on hotel business. Brick says, that’s right. She’s the new co-owner of the MetroCourt. Congratulations. Sonny tells him, Nina is also the editor of Crimson magazine, and Brick asks how she finds the time. She says she’s working on that. She knows the ins and outs of the fashion industry, but she’s still learning the ins and outs of the hospitality business. So he and Sonny go way back. Sonny says, they’ve been though a lot together, and she asks if Brick has any stories he can tell her. Brick says, actually, there was that time in Houston… but Sonny says, Brick doesn’t want to get into that. Nina says she wants to hear it, when hostess Trish approaches the table, and says, the chef wants to talk to Nina about the new tasting menu. Nina says, this won’t take long. Then she wants to hear this Houston story. She leaves, and Brick raises his eyebrows. Sonny says, what? and Brick says, she’s stunning, and Sonny looks happy. Sonny says, she makes him happy, and Brick says he’s glad to hear it, but guesses it didn’t go over well with Michael. Sonny says, when Michael and Nina cross paths, it’s trouble, and he just thinks it’s going to get worse.

Michael tells Willow, organizing a bone marrow drive is inevitably going to lead to some questions, and he knows she wants to keep her diagnosis private. She says she knows she can’t keep this a secret forever, but she wants to be her, Willow, not Willow the woman with cancer for as long as possible. He says, if she’s worried about people pitying her, don’t be. The people who love her will support her, and recognize her courage and strength. She says, they’ll still look at her differently. Admit it. When he finds out someone has cancer, what’s the first thing he thinks about when he sees them? You focus on the illness. He says, maybe if he doesn’t know them. He’s sure the people who do know her will continue to admire and delight in the things that make her herself. She says she’s just allergic to the idea of people feeling sorry for her, and he says, that’s because she’s independent, and used to doing things by herself, because growing up, she couldn’t rely on her parents, and had to handle things on her own. She says, he’s right. She had no idea how deeply that feeling’s been ingrained in her. He takes her hand and says, she’s not going to be alone ever again. Him, Wiley, and the baby, they’re family, and that’s not going to change. She says she hopes not, and he says he’ll make sure of it, and kisses her.

Jeff says, Finn’s wife? and Finn says he thinks Jeff remembers Reiko. He was on Saipan with her. Jeff says he just wasn’t expecting to see Finn, and Finn says, it’s a nasty business, isn’t it? Affairs. Finding out your wife cheated on you with sone jerk who abandons his kids. Jeff says, Finn doesn’t know everything. Is there someplace they can go to talk? Finn slugs Jeff, and tells him that he has nothing to say to him.

Elizabeth says she knows Nikolas was on that pier, and don’t tell her that she’s imagining it. Enough people have messed with her head. She doesn’t need him gaslighting her too. He says he won’t. He just didn’t know if she’d remember. She says, well, she did. She was actually on her way to see him when she ran into Esme Prince. She tried to call 9-1-1, Esme went for her phone, and she must have fallen and hit her head. The next thing she knew, Nikolas was standing over her, telling her to trust him, and then he was gone. He just left her there. Why would he do that? He says he went after Esme. He didn’t want her to get away. Elizabeth says, but she did get away, because Jordan said they’re still looking for her. He says he lost her, and she says, so he just decided to go home? Why didn’t he come back to see if she was okay? He says he heard sirens, and figured the police were on their way. They’d made eye contact, so he didn’t think she was badly hurt. She says, that’s not it. He knows something. Where is Esme?

Esme tells the baby, to be perfectly honest, she’s a little afraid of their grandfather… Maybe more than a little. She’s done her research, and he’s a dangerous man, and unpredictable, but he’s the only father she’s got, and he needs her. He may think he’s the most brilliant serial killer ever, but he’s currently in Spring Ridge, pretending to be a vegetable. Not that her situation is much of an improvement over his, but he’d be so disappointed in her. He’d have some strategy she’s overlooked; some way to turn the tables on Nikolas. So instead of asking, how do I get out, she should be asking, what would daddy do?

Drew says, Michael isn’t mad at Leo, and he’s certainly not mad at Leo. They’re buds. Leo says, they’re mad at his dad, and Drew says he’s not going to lie. They had a disagreement, but families argue from time to time. Leo says, they’ve been arguing a long time. He doesn’t want his dad going, like when his mom and dad were mad at each other. Drew says, Leo doesn’t have anything worry about. Plus, his mom and dad made up, didn’t they? Leo says, they got married again, and Drew says, that’s the cool thing about families.  They argue, make up, and still love each other. Leo says, that is cool. Can Drew and Michael make up with his dad?

Carly says, Dex is burning up, but he says he’ll be fine. She asks what he was doing at the Quartermaines, and he says he was looking for a good place to hide out, like the boathouse. That’s when he ran into Joss. Josslyn says, he was in bad shape. She couldn’t just leave him there to bleed. Carly says, she could call the police, or Sonny, and Josslyn says, hospitals have to report a gunshot wounds, and she knew the Sonny was probably the reason Dex got shot in the first place. Carly says, since he has a fever, that most likely means he has an infection. Can she take a look? She lifts his bandage, and says, yep, it’s infected. He needs antibiotics. Josslyn says she was going to get some, and Carly asks, where was she going to get them? Josslyn says she doesn’t know. She was figuring that out. Carly says, now she doesn’t have to, and Josslyn says, so Carly will help them? Carly sighs, and shakes her head.

Michael hands Willow a smoothie, and says he tested it himself. He could barely taste the cauliflower. She says, cauliflower in a smoothie, like this is unheard of, and he says, vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are good for inflammation, and are high in folate, so it’s good for her and the baby. She says, someone has been googling cancer diets, and takes a sip. She says, not bad, and thanks him. She tells him that she’s been thinking about the idea of tracking down her biological family. Even if she finds them – and that’s a major if – how does she just show up out of the blue, and ask for a bone marrow transplant? He asks what she’d do if the situation was reversed, and she says she’d help if she could. He says, there’s your answer. There are a lot of good people out there who want to do the right thing, like she does. She says she guesses she’s jaded. People like Nina make it hard remember.

Brick says, he convinced Cortez that the price of challenging Sonny over Montreal was way too high. He’s agreed to move on. Sonny says, Brick has saved him considerable aggravation. He’s had more than enough these days. Brick asks, how’s business here? and Sonny says, stable at the moment. Brick says, what about Dex Heller, the guy he ran a check on? Did Sonny cut him loose yet? Sonny says he’s going to keep Dex around. He might even give Dex a promotion at some point. He came through for Sonny at some very crucial moments. He was loyal, and kept his mouth shut, except the last job went a little south… Brick asks if that would happen to be the prison transport that crashed, and Sonny says, Brick is on top of things, and Brick says, always. Sonny leans forward, and says, Anna got out. Dex is in the wind.

On the phone in his office, Finn says, correct. He’s reporting himself for a violation of conduct. He sees Jeff standing in the doorway, and says, please send over the form, and he’ll fill it out and return it to them. He asks what Jeff wants, and Jeff says he’s worried about Lizzy. Is she all right? He just flew in this morning and needs to know; is his daughter okay? Finn says, now he cares? and Jeff says, Finn doesn’t understand what happened. Finn says he understands Jeff had an affair with his wife, who he thought was happy in their marriage. Jeff says, she was, at first, but Reiko got lonely. She was on Saipan while Finn was on Rota. It was her first posting. Reiko sometimes got overwhelmed with the suffering they saw. She needed someone to talk to. Finn says, and Jeff was there.

Nikolas tells Elizabeth, don’t worry about Esme. He took care of her. She says, did he kill her? but he says, God no. He can’t. He won’t. Elizabeth has to trust him. She says, if he wants her to trust him, then he has to trust her. What did he do? He says he took matters into his own hands, and she says, like when he had Hayden shot? but he says he hasn’t hurt Esme; she’s fine. Elizabeth says, sounds to her like he knows where Esme is. Does he? He doesn’t say anything, and she says she’s had enough. She’s going to call the police. She takes out her phone, and he says, don’t. She asks if he’s going to make her disappear too. It would be real easy; no one knows she’s here. He asks if she thinks he’d harm her. She’s his touchstone; his one true friend. She says, just tell her – where’s Esme? He says, she’s here. He made sure she can’t hurt anyone else. Elizabeth says, that’s what prisons are for, but he says, Esme can’t go to prison. He won’t let her escape, and she’ll pay for everything she’s done, eventually. He swears on their friendship. Can’t she just leave it alone? Elizabeth says, no, she can’t. She wants to see Esme right now.

Esme hears footsteps, and says, go away. She’s on a hunger strike. Elizabeth says, Esme? and Esme jumps up. Elizabeth says, she’s pregnant? and Esme says, Elizabeth has to help her. Nikolas is crazy. He wants to kill her and her baby.

Sonny tells Brick that he got word from Dex via email. He’s laying low, but he’s going to contact Sonny as soon as he can. Nina comes back, and Sonny says, he and Brick will talk later. Nina apologizes, and says, where were they? She remembers; Houston. Sonny says, they’re done with Houston, but Brick says he doesn’t think so. They were at a game in one of these private boxes… His phone rings, and he sees it’s Carly. Sonny asks if there’s a problem, and Brick says, probably not, but he should take this. He excuses himself, and Nina says, Sonny was saved by the bell, literally. She’s going to hear this Houston story sooner or later. Brick goes around the corner, and answers his phone, saying, Carly. this is a surprise. She says, hopefully a good one, and he says, a dream come true actually. She says, he may not feel that way after he hears her request. Does he have a contact in town? He says, him. He’s at the MetroCourt. She says, he’s here? Excellent. She needs a huge favor. He says, anything for her.

Willow tells Michael, since a bone marrow transplant is her best option, and a relative is the best match, let’s do it. Let’s track down her biological family. He says, let’s get started right now, and she asks if he remembers saying she couldn’t believe anything Harmony said about her birth or her birth parents. She agrees, but there is one thing she knows for sure. Harmony was a member of the Friends for Peace and Love commune when she was a baby. They should start there.

Brick comes back to the table, and says, sorry. He has to cut this short. Nina says she hopes he’s in town long enough for them to take him out to dinner, and he says he looks forward to it. Especially continuing that Houston story. Sonny isn’t getting off that easy. He leaves, and Nina says, Brick is a charmer. Sonny says, he has a reputation. He’s a good guy, and one of the very few people Sonny trusts with his life. What’s going on with the chef? She says, they’ve reached a new understanding. Nina promises never to mention Asian fusion again, and Giselle promises not to throw any more sauce pans. Plus, Nina got a stylist to give Giselle a deal on her wedding dress. He says, a little bribery never hurts, and she says, he seems more relaxed. She knew something was bothering him. He says, things are looking up today, and she says she’s glad. Last night, she didn’t want to worry him… He asks, what’s on her mind? and she says, more of the same. She had another run-in with Michael and Willow.

Finn says, it’s that old story, huh? Sleazy mentor takes advantage of a young doctor just out of med school. Jeff says, if it makes Finn feel better, but Finn says, none of this makes him feel better. He just wants the truth. Jeff says, the truth is, he and Reiko never meant to hurt anyone. Finn says, Jeff couldn’t help himself, and Jeff says, something like that. Finn says, he understands Jeff is a cheater – Hayden’s proof of that – but Reiko wasn’t like that. Jeff says he doesn’t know what Finn wants him to say. What would make him feel better? Finn says, Jeff is looking for a quick fix. Too bad he can’t wipe out Finn’s memory. Shut him up the way he and his wife shut Elizabeth up.

Nikolas jumps between Esme and Elizabeth, and tells Esme to stand back. Leave Elizabeth alone. Esme says, thank God Elizabeth found her. Nikolas won’t listen to reason. Elizabeth says, Esme wasn’t reasonable when she attacked her on the docks, and Esme says, she’s sorry. It was a big misunderstanding. She thought Elizabeth was working with Nikolas; that Elizabeth was calling him. She was running for her life. Nikolas says, right. Elizabeth can see that Esme is fine. She has a comfortable bed, food… Elizabeth says, she’s trapped in here? and Nikolas says, she tried to escape off that terrace. He has to make sure she doesn’t put the baby in danger. Elizabeth asks how long Esme’s been here, and Esme says, he’s had her here for weeks. He and Ava tried to kill her, and when that didn’t work, he locked her up in here. Nikolas tells Elizabeth, he had to lock her up. Esme’s the one who’s been attacking people with a hook. She killed Brando and that bartender. She attacked Ava and Diane Miller, and even tried to attack him. Esme says, he’s lying, but Nikolas says, Elizabeth has to believe him.

Nina says, Willow told her to drop dead, when all she was trying to do was apologize, but Sonny suggests she leave it alone. She says she’s just trying to get them to understand she’s not a bad person, for Wiley’s sake. Willow is so cold. Nina doesn’t know what’s going on with her. He asks if they can just stick with the original plan, which was to stay clear of Michael and Willow. She says, okay. She’s sorry he can’t see Wiley either, and he says, he doesn’t like it, but it’s not forever. She says, he doesn’t really believe that, does he?

Jeff says he understands Finn is angry about Reiko, and Finn says, what he had with Reiko was years ago. What Jeff did to Elizabeth was unforgiveable. Jeff says, he and Carolyn did what they thought was best for their daughter, and Finn says, great job, dad. But Jeff and Carolyn’s little brainwashing trick didn’t stick. Elizabeth has been dealing with this for months. She was sleepwalking. She could have hurt people; she could have hurt herself. Jeff says, that’s exactly what they were afraid of 25 years ago. Lizzy was just 15. She couldn’t cope with what happened to Reiko. Finn says, so they made her forget, and shipped her off to be someone else’s problem? and Jeff says, that’s not how it was, but Finn says, that’s exactly how it was. Elizabeth thought she was delusional. She was going out of her mind trying to figure out what was wrong with her, because of what Jeff and his wife did. She’s the one who’s suffering through this.

Michael gives Willow some printouts of articles about the commune around the time she was born, and says, any luck online? She says, not yet, and he says, she can use these to compile a list of members who were there when she was born. There’s a knock at the door, and Michael opens it to Drew and Leo. He says, hello there, and Leo says, maybe Michael’s not mad at him. Michael says, Leo thought he was mad at him? and Leo says, and his dad too. Leo sees Willow, and runs in to show her the leaves he’s collected. Drew tells Michael, Leo senses the tension between them and Ned, and knew they were angry, but he reassured Leo that families argue sometimes, and it’s all good. Michael says, seems like it worked, and Drew says, but the kid’s right. They’ve been at odds with Ned for months, and they’ve got to fix that.

Josslyn says, Brick is the right guy to know, and Carly says, they’re lucky he’s in town. He’s going to text her when he’s got the meds, and she’s going to meet him. Josslyn says, he didn’t ask why she needed them? and Carly says, he’s not one to ask questions. Josslyn says, he’s probably done this a million times for Sonny, and Carly asks what Dex was doing when he got shot, but Josslyn says, he wouldn’t tell her. Carly says, and last night, when Josslyn said she was with friends, that was a lie? Josslyn says, yes, she lied, but it’s not like they tell each other everything. She didn’t know Carly was dating Drew. She saw them kissing. Carly says, her seeing Drew and Josslyn being in danger are two totally different things. Yes, she’s seeing Drew, but they have to keep it quiet. She’s not getting into that right now because they have bigger things going on. Josslyn says, that’s fine, and thanks Carly for calling Brick, and for understanding. Carly says, listen to her. She’s not here to visit. She’s here because she’s worried about Esme. She’s in town, and attacked Elizabeth last night. Josslyn says, Cam’s mom. Is she okay? Carly says, she is, but Esme got away, and no one knows where she is.

Back downstairs, Nikolas says he’s sure Elizabeth could use a drink. He knows he can. Elizabeth asks if Esme was lying, and Nikolas says, yes. The first thing she did after she escaped was come after him with a hook from the boathouse. She’s been in town for weeks. And look at her victims. Esme despised Ava. He doesn’t know why she went after Brando. Maybe he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Elizabeth says, that’s what the police think. They think Josslyn was the intended target that night. He says, that fits. Esme hates Trina and Josslyn, and Diane and that bartender ruined her plot to frame Trina. Elizabeth asks if he really thinks Esme is a serial killer, and he says, yes. She says, all the more reason to call the police, but he says, Esme can’t go to prison; she’s pregnant. Elizabeth says, right, with his grandchild. Does Spencer even know? He says, the baby isn’t Spencer’s, and she asks, who’s the father? He walks away, and she says, oh no, he didn’t. He says, it was a huge mistake, and she says, he slept with his son’s girlfriend? What is he doing? Her phone dings, and she says she has to go. He asks what she’s going to do, but she says she doesn’t know. She heads for the door, Nikolas following, and he grabs her arm, saying, listen to him. She says, let her go, and he says he’s sorry. Let him explain. But she jets.

Esme paces, saying, she can’t believe Elizabeth walked away. She’s supposed to help people. She’s not sure if nurses take the Hippocratic Oath, but they take some sort of oath, to promise to care for those in need. She guesses for Elizabeth that only applies to people she likes or approves of. It’s fine to leave her captive. She groans and sighs, and says, if only she had some leverage. She feels her bump, and says, leverage. That’s you, Ace. She has to convince Nikolas that if he doesn’t treat her right, it’s bye-bye baby.

Willow tells Leo that they’ll make a collage tomorrow, and Leo says, see you, fist bumping Drew on the way out. Drew looks at the stack of articles, and says, Friends of Peace and Love. Wow. Michael says, it’s just something he’s working on, and Willow says, it’s a commune; she was there as a child. Drew says he didn’t mean to pry, but she says, he’s not; he’s family. She’s trying to locate her birth parents, and see if she has more family out there. He says, he’s been there. Good luck to her. She says she needs it. She doesn’t have much to go on, except Harmony’s version of what happened. Drew flashes back to Carly telling him that Harmony said Nina was Willow’s birth mother on her deathbed, then telling him, the DNA test proved otherwise. He says, Harmony was a  convincing liar, and Willow says she didn’t realize he knew her.

Dex opens his eyes, and says, Joss? She says she’s here. He needs to hydrate. He gives him some water, and he says he had this wild dream that her mother was here. She says, that was no dream; she was here. She’s getting antibiotics for him. He asks, why? and she says, because his wound is infected, but he says, why would she help him? Josslyn says, because she asked her mom to help, and he asks if Carly is okay with her helping him. Josslyn says, she doubts it, but Carly isn’t going to lecture her now while he’s spiking a fever. Besides, she’s in no position to judge. He asks, why not? and she says, he’s not the first person to get shot working for Sonny. Her mother took her chances, now Josslyn is going to take hers. He says, why bother? She thinks he’s an idiot working for Sonny. She says, he is an idiot. Now he needs to lie back down and rest. She fixes his pillow, and he says, thanks, beautiful.

Jeff says he thought he owed Finn an explanation regarding his affair with Reiko, but he doesn’t have to justify how he and his wife chose to save their daughter 25 years ago. Finn says, Elizabeth is still dealing with this. For her, this is her present, and Finn’s a part of that. Jeff says, is he? He knows Finn has been seeing Elizabeth, but is that still true? Finn wonders why he asks, and Jeff says, Finn wasn’t in Monterey supporting Elizabeth when she needed it. What kind of relationship do they really have? He’s made mistakes, but he sacrificed his relationship with his daughter so she could live her life without the guilt she felt over Reiko. Finn says, that’s what Jeff tells himself. Even if he thought abandoning his daughter when she was 15 was best for her, where the hell has he been for the past 25 years? They see Elizabeth standing in the open doorway. Rut-roh.

Nina looks at her phone, and tells Sonny, lucky her. Giselle wants to yell at her again for her Asian fusion idea. She’ll be right back. She leaves, and Sonny looks at the email from Dex: Laying low. Will reach out when I’m able to come back.

Willow asks if Drew knows something else about Harmony, and Drew says, just that her reputation hasn’t shown her to be all that truthful. He’s sorry if he sounds disrespectful. He realizes Harmony still raised Willow, but he thinks it’s a good idea to verify everything she said about Willow’s birth parents. Willow says, so far, they don’t have a lot to go on, and Drew asks if she wants him to do some digging.  

Leo is in the woods, when he hears something beeping. He picks up a phone, and sees there’s an alert for an email from Sonny. I guess we can assume it’s Dex’s phone.

Nikolas comes into Esme’s room, and she asks, where’s Elizabeth? Did she call the cops? He says, not yet, and she says, he knows it’s just a matter of time. He doesn’t think Elizabeth would really lie for him, does he? He says, no. That’s why this ends now.

Dex says, the first night he and Josslyn met, she was so mad at him. She says, okay. She thinks his fever is spiking. He takes her hand, and says, she’s his guardian angel. Not like a sweet angel, like a warrior angel with a flaming sword. So beautiful, it hurts to look. He closes his eyes, continuing to hold her hand, and she says, it’s a good thing he’s delirious. He’ll never remember he said that… but she will.

Carly knocks at Brick’s hotel room door, and he says, Carly Corinthos. She gets more gorgeous every time he sees her. She says, it’s Carly Spencer now, and he looks so dapper as usual. She thanks him for coming through for her, and he says he’ll always be there for her. Come on in. Carly goes in, and Nina comes out from around the corner.

Tomorrow, Drew says he knows why Willow is in such a hurry; Nina wonders what Drew would think of this; Carly tells Josslyn, this is not the time to let her guard down; and Esme goes into labor… maybe.

🥪 Still Missing the BLTs…

Apparently, a knee replacement led to a Heather replacement.

Robin Mattson Reveals Why She Didn’t Return to GH!

🥀 Losing a Legend…

Saying goodbye to yet another veteran star of the soap screen.

https://people.com/tv/john-aniston-dead/

https://people.com/tv/days-of-our-lives-will-pay-tribute-to-john-aniston-in-his-final-episode/

⛴ Big Stew Energy…

It’s a shame she retired, but I can’t say I blame her.

Kate Chastain Shades Below Deck Mediterranean’s Natasha Webb, Says She’s “Awful” At Her Job

🗽 You Can’t Fire Me…

I love it. She’s done because they don’t want her anymore.

Ramona Singer Confirms She’s Done With Real Housewives of New York City

💀 Still Undead…

FTWD is safe amid the rash of spin-offs.

https://undeadwalking.com/2022/11/08/fear-walking-dead-cancelled-2022/

🗯 Talking Through It…

Sounds cool, although I don’t know if it’s an historic event.

https://undeadwalking.com/2022/11/15/walking-dead-series-finale-event-chris-hardwick/

⚰️ Last Walk…

Nothing major, but spoilers included.

https://undeadwalking.com/2022/11/14/walking-dead-series-finale-promo-photos/

🐕‍🦺 And Most Important…

Don’t touch Dog.

https://undeadwalking.com/2022/11/12/daryl-dixons-dog-die-walking-dead/

🐷 Ending On a Sty Note…

This is the same reason I don’t want to go to an animal shelter. God knows how many I’d come home with.

https://people.com/pets/jason-momoa-brings-home-pig-after-filming-slumberland/

👓 Rereading the Room…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and a cup or two of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay thinking for yourself, and stay never mentioning Asian fusion to a temperamental chef.

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.

Dec6

December 5, 2021 – Alicia Comes Face To Face With Victor, Talk Tease, Walking Trailer, Ending the Beyond & Making It

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

In the past, Teddy tells Alicia, good luck, as he locks the door. She screams, he can lock her in, but she’s not going to make the world what he wants it to be. He says, that’s what he’s counting on, and leaves. She bangs on the door, and says, let her out. She rips off the ropes on her wrists, and cries.

Alicia sits on the floor in front of the door, crying. She walks through the halls, and a shower spray hits her in the face. She goes downstairs, and looks around. She opens a door, and cautiously goes in the room. She hears the click of a gun behind her, and a man’s voice says, don’t move; turn around. He drags her to the zombie tree, and she asks if he knows what Teddy is doing. He says he found another straggler, and moves her toward the tree, pushing her close to its snapping mouth, saying, fresh compost for their garden  Arnold comes in, and tells dude that Alicia is the one waiting they’ve been waiting for to lead them to a new beginning. Alicia says she’s not leading these psychos, and Arnold tells her, Teddy warned them that she’d say that, but he said she’d come around. Alicia pushes dude into the zombie tree, and the zombie is like, mmm, plant food. She gets dude’s gun, and holds it on the people in her way, making them move, as she goes out the door. Arnold says, let her. She’s not going anywhere.

In the present, Alicia yells for everyone to go; leave everything. Morgan says, they have to stay ahead of the smoke. Zombies come into the camp, and as they run, Morgan asks where Alicia has been. She says, it’s a long story, and now is not the time to tell it. She yells for her people to move.

On horseback, Sherry says, all clear, and Dwight relays that information, saying, masks off. She asks if he got a head count, and he says, twenty-eight, minus Mickey, who’s on patrol. She tells him to see if he can find Mickey before they get back to camp. Morgan tells Alicia, if the people who set the explosives are telling the truth, her camp is done. She says, food, supplies, everything they had is back there. He says he can’t stick around. He and Victor had a falling out, and he has things to take care of. Victor will let her and her people in. She says she doesn’t want to see Victor, and Morgan says, Victor didn’t think she would. Grace and the baby are there; he’s holding them hostage. She asks if he’s going hurt them, but Morgan doesn’t think so. Victor needs Grace to help him. Alicia says, then he can wait. There’s a reason she needed to find him. She needs his help. A guy comes out of the woods, pushing along a zombie on a stick lead. The zombie snaps at Alicia, and Morgan asks, who is that? He tells Dwight that he doesn’t understand: is it somebody she lost? Dwight says, she won’t tell them. The guy who attacked Victor didn’t want her finding him. Morgan asks, why? but Dwight says he has to ask Alicia. Alicia says, get him ready. 

In the past, Alicia is banging at the door with an ax. Will comes out, and tells her to wait. Don’t… She knocks him down, and he says, she’s not getting out that way. He lived before those a-holes found it, and he’s been trying to get out. Alicia lets him up, and he introduces himself. She asks if there is a way out, and he says, maybe, and starts to walk. She follows him, and they go downstairs. She asks how long he’s been there, and he says, since Senator Vasquez security detail brought them here. She asks who Senator Vasquez is, and Will says, the junior senator for Oklahoma. After the hospitals got crowded, the government officials regrouped here, but they never made it. They had protocol to ensure there was continuity in government, and were supposed to keep the door locked until it was safe  She asks where everybody else is, and he says, dead. They weren’t supposed to let anyone in, but it had been years since they’d seen the living when these people showed up, and they didn’t want to watch them die through the window. The senator opened the door, and they killed everyone. She says, except him? and he says, he was doing maintenance on the air filters and could hear everything from the upper level. He hid, which is what he’s been doing ever since. She asks, how do they get out? and he says, the people activated a time lock. She asks if there isn’t another way, and he says, there might be. She asks if he hasn’t tried, and he says he hasn’t been up there yet. She says, someone up there is trying to destroy everything. She tried to warned someone, but she’s not sure he’s going to come through. He asks what she means by everything, and they hear Arnold yelling, Alicia. Will tells her to go back to them, and she asks what he’s going to do. He says, find a way out, and she leaves.

In the present, they pour something that looks like glue or honey over zombie Senator Vasquez, and Morgan asks, what the hell’s going on, and what does it have to do with him? Alicia says she needs him to help her find a place called Padre, and he says, lots of people are looking for it. What does she know about it? She says, it’s someplace safe with plans to rebuild, and the resources to do it, and he asks if she knows where it is. She says, she doesn’t, but he does, indicating her zombie friend. Senator Vasquez is pushed along, and Morgan asks, what makes her think that? She says, he wouldn’t understand; no one has. He’ll just have to trust her. He says, okay, and zombies start arriving. Morgan says, everybody up, and he and Dwight stab a head or two. Sherry rides up, and says they’ve got company; rangers on horseback. Dwight wonders why Victor is after them, and Morgan says, they’re all dressed like the people who attacked the tower. Alicia says, they’ll find place to lay low, and Morgan tells her that Victor has room for everyone. She asks Dwight about Mickey, and he says, she wants no part of it; Victor is scaring their people away. He thinks they should get everyone moving, and Morgan says, this had better work. Alicia asks if he trusts her, and he says he does.

Alicia takes some guts out of a zombie, and explains to Morgan, it’s so they don’t follow. She tells him that he might want to cover his nose and mouth; she’s seen people get sick from less. Is he in or not? She holds out a gut smeared cloak, and he takes it. The senator is released, and walks past them. I deduce zombie life is boring, and they follow him.

In the past, they go into a room, and Alicia asks, what is this place? Arnold hands her a weapon, and says, Teddy wanted her to have this. She sees a folder marked, Padre, and asks, what’s this? He says, something the old-timers left behind for her. He listens on his radio, and says, in the service area? It must be one of the senator’s people. Send him back to the earth. The person on the other ends says, they’re one step ahead of him.  

As they’re about to feed Will to the zombie tree, Alicia says, they might want to listen to him. She throws something at the guy holding Will, and he lets go. She says, Teddy is right. She’s the person who’s going to lead them to a new beginning. It starts now, and no one gets returned to the earth. Let him go, and leave them now. They leave, and Will thanks her. She tells Will that she needs a way out, and he asks if zombies remember anything. He seems shaken (understandably), and she asks if this is the first time he’s seen one up close. He says, it’s not that. Senator Vasquez knows where Padre is. She says, they don’t remember anything; just walking. When you forget that, that’s when things become dangerous. She asks about the Padre binder, and he says, it was left by people who thought they could rebuild the future. The senator said it was stocked with everything they needed to start over. She asks if it’s Padre Island, but he says, it was classified; the senator was the only one who knew where it was. The senator who is now the zombie tree. He’d messaged his family, when it became clear they he couldn’t make the trip here. She asks if they made it, but he says, they don’t know if anyone made it. They could never got a clear signal there. She asks if he thinks they could find it if they got out of there, and he says, her guess is as good as his, but if they find a way out, he’s not going with her. She says, they’ll kill him if she leaves. She shows him the St. Christopher medal and gives it to him.

In the present, the senator walks, and Alicia and Morgan follow. Alicia wonders if Morgan needs the Geiger counter, since the senator will hear it, but he says, if they follow the senator without this, they could end up like him. She stops, and he asks if she’s all right; she’s sweating. She says she hasn’t eaten in a week, or slept in twice as long. It’s about 100 degrees out here, so she thinks she’s doing well. He asks if she has any idea where they are, but she says, it doesn’t matter. They’ll follow the senator for as long as he goes. Someone starts shooting at them, and Morgan says, if Victor knows she’s here, they won’t fire. She says she doesn’t want to see Victor, and Morgan says, he doesn’t want to get shot. He yells, these aren’t the people who attacked the tower, and Victor says he’s not here for that. He’s here for Morgan. He shoots at Morgan, and Morgan says, they had a deal. Alicia goes sprinting after Senator Vasquez, who’s started wandering, and Morgan follows. He says, they’ll kill her, and she says, they’ll kill the senator. He says they’ll find another way to Padre. He’s not letting her die for something that’s already dead. He can’t lose her. She says, he can do it without her, but he says he’s not talking about her; he’s talking about everyone. They get on either side of the senator, and run with him in between them to the edge of a cliff. Morgan says, this is going to get them killed, and Victor rides up. He says, move again, and he will shoot. Alicia pushes the senator off the cliff, and into the water below, and Victor says, Alicia. Sorry. He didn’t know she was with Morgan. She looks at the water, and he tells her, don’t do it, but she jumps in after the senator. Victor says he sees Morgan found her, and Morgan says, he did. Victor was right; she didn’t want to see him. Morgan jumps in, and Victor shoots at him in vain. Morgan finds Alicia with Senator Vasquez, and Victor asks what he’s men are looking at. Get down there. His men take off after Alicia, Morgan, and their dead precious cargo.

Alicia and Morgan sit on the shore, and Morgan asks what they’re doing here. She says she knows what she’s doing here; she’s not sure what he is. Did he really try to kill Victor? Morgan says, Victor tried to kill him. Now he’s trying to keep her alive. She says she didn’t ask him to, and he says, then what is he doing here? Why did she send Dwight and Sherry to look for him? She asks what he meant when he said he couldn’t do this anymore, and he says, he needs to stop doing what they’re doing; wishing a world into existence that doesn’t want to be. He needs someone to step in and help him. She asks, what makes him think she can? and he asks if she thinks they can do worse. She says, sorry, and he asks, why? She tells him, help her find Padre, but he says, they don’t know if it exists. She says, it does, and he asks, where is it? All he’s seen is this guy who seems to have been dead for a long time, that she’s risking her life to save. Alicia says, they’re not totally gone. There’s still an echo of who they once were. He says, no, but she says, there has to be. Morgan says he thought that back then, and his son died because of it. He’s going to kill the senator. He lifts an ax, saying, it’s not worth the risk, unless she tells him why. She says, it’s their only chance to find someplace safe, and they hear, drop your weapons.

In the past, Will leads Alicia to a room with cement tunnels in it, and a lot of rats running  around. He explains about the drainage system, but she’s hesitant, saying, it’s not going work. He says, the tunnels branch out. If they don’t get past the rats, they’re not going anywhere. She knocks the senator down, and rips him open. She tells Will to cover his nose and mouth; it could make him sick. She puts guts on herself, and Will tells the senator, he’s going to find his family, and grabs an intestine. Alicia tells him that she’s sorry for not remembering. She’s spent so much time out there, she forgets there are people still alive. He says, maybe that’s why he’s there. To help her remember how it used to be.

Senator Vasquez crawls into a tunnel, and Alicia tells Will, they’ll get out, and find his people, and stop it. They’ll find Padre. She crawls in behind the senator, and follows him, then Will follows her. The tunnel starts to crumble, and everything goes black. Will calls to Alicia.

In the present, Victor rides up on horseback, as his man is asking Morgan to tell him why they’re fighting over a skinbag. Victor says, get his friends up; they didn’t have to run. Morgan says, Victor gave his word, but Victor says, that was in the tower. Out here, words are just words, which means nothing Morgan says can change his mind. He asks who the zombie is, and Alicia says, no one. He says, why is it on a leash? Who was he? Victor unsheathes his sword, and she tells him, don’t make it worse than it is already. She know what he’s done, and what he’s built. He says, then she at least knows it’s worked better than anything so far. She says, she knows what it cost him, but he says he doesn’t think so. He thought he could do it alone, but now he’s starting to realize that he needs someone, and she’s the only person he can trust. She asks if he’s sure about that? She doesn’t need his tower or what he’s offering. He says, what does she need, Padre? It’s a myth. Many ended up on his doorstep looking for it; something someone made up. Don’t make the same mistake. She says she’s not settling for what he has, or how he got it, and he asks if she’s sure about that. She says she is, and Victor tells one of his men to kill the senator. She’ll come if she has no choice. Better yet, kill Morgan, then kill it. Alicia says, no, as Victor’s man shoves Morgan toward the senator. Alicia gets in between them, and the senator bites her arm. Victor tells his men, get back… Her arm… She says, she’s fine, and Victor says, it’s not the way he wanted… She says, leave now, and Victor, tells his men to go. He hesitates, then follows.

In the past, Alicia coughs, lying among the rubble in the tunnel. She hears the zombie senator, but realizes she’s trapped. She calls to Will, who says, he’s here. Hang on; he’s going to get her out. She says she doesn’t think there’s much time; the senator is in here. She shines the flashlight around, and says, he’s turned around and coming back. She tries stacking cement pieces to block the opening, but yells to Will that she doesn’t know if it will hold. She thinks she’s got it, and tells him to see if he can get through. He says he can clear the rest. Hang in there a little longer. She thanks him, and says, she couldn’t do without him. Senator Vasquez busts through the makeshift wall, and she hits him with a chunk of cement. He bites her arm, and she kicks him back. Will asks if she’s okay. He asks again, and she says, he bit her. He asks what that means, and she says, it means it’s over. He says, no, there has to be a way to stop it, and she says, there’s nothing here for her to save anyway. He says she doesn’t know that. The people down there need her. She says he thinks he needs her, but she couldn’t stop Teddy. She can’t help anybody. She looks at her gross arm, and says, it’s spreading. He says, there’s got to be a way to stop it. She doesn’t have to rebuild it the way Teddy wanted her to. She can rebuild it the way she wants to. She needs to survive. It’s a world he wants to be a part of . She says she doesn’t know if she’ll be here long, and tells him not to say something he doesn’t mean just because she’s dying. He says she won’t be dying because she’s going to survive. She looks at her arm again, and it doesn’t look good.  

In the present, Morgan tells Alicia that he’s going to keep asking until she lets him look. She got bit; she can’t ignore it. There still might be something they can do. She shows him that she has a mechanical arm, and says, she told him that she was fine. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, don’t worry about it. He asks how it happened. Is that why she’s following the senator? It’s okay, she can tell him when she’s ready. She stands, and says she still needs the walker.

In the past, Alicia is about to cut her arm, and tells Will to promise her. If it’s been too long, promise not to let her kill anyone. She has a fever, and if it looks like she’s going to turn, kill her first; promise. He says, that’s not going to happen, and she says, promise her that. He promises, and she looks at her arm again, and closes her eyes. She cuts through it, mid forearm, and passes out

Alicia sleeps. She opens her eyes to see her arm stump dripping, and hooked up to tubes. She calls to Will, who’s sleeping in a chair nearby. He comes to her bedside, and she says, thank God. What happened? Is everyone okay? He says, one of her friends tried to stop the signal; Victor got in the way. She asks how long she’s been out, and he says she passed out after her arm almost bled out. He brought her here, but now her fever’s broken. She asks, what fever? and he says, she ran a pretty bad fever. She says she didn’t get to it in time, and he says she amputated her own arm. The infection could be anything; sepsis, tetanus… She says, or the bite, but he says, her fever broke. She says she could have killed everyone. He promised; he said he’d kill her. He says, like it or not, these people are her responsibility. She says she couldn’t save everyone up there. She’s not making the same mistake again. He says, she’s here now, and still can. He can help her. She says, no, he can’t.

In the present, Morgan and Alicia continue to follow the senator. Morgan says she can tell him when she’s ready, and Alicia says, they can’t let him out of their sight. She sees a search light, and says, this has to be it, but Morgan says, no. That’s not Padre.   

We see Victor’s zombie parking lot, and Alicia and Morgan sit on the scaffolding under the callbox. Alicia says she was supposed to lead them to a place where everyone could be safe, and Morgan says, it’s not in there. He can take her back to the sub. She’ll be safe there. She says, he won’t, and he asks her to tell him what’s really going on. Does she want to tell him? She says she didn’t amputate arm in time. The infection is still inside of her; her body’s trying to fight it, but it’s only a matter of time before she loses. He tells her to have June look at it. June can give her antibiotics… She says she tried all that. That’s why she can’t help him. She can’t be the person he needs her to be. She cries, and says she doesn’t know how much longer she has left. She thought she could find Padre. He says they’ll find someplace else, but she says, the longer she looks, the more chance she has of hurting people. That’s why she needs him. A zombie toddles up, and he tells her to stay.

Morgan whacks a bunch of zombies, and says, the light is drawing them. There’s going to be more if they stay here. Victor rides up, and I say, ugh, out loud. He says, sorry, and Alicia says, for once, it’s not his fault. He asks. what happened to her arm? and she says, it doesn’t matter. He asks where her walker is, and she says, in his moat. He says he must have underestimated her. Her walker led her to where she’s supposed to be. Doesn’t she see? She belongs there. She asks, if she brings her people, will he take care of them? Morgan says she can’t trust Victor, and Victor says she’s not asking Morgan’s opinion. Alicia says, what if she’s not here? and Victor says, but she will be. She says, promise her, and he says he doesn’t understand; is she still sick? She says, promise her, and he says he promises. Alicia looks at Morgan, then sees a zombie crawling out from behind a waste can. She realizes it’s Will, and Morgan says he’ll take care of him, but she says, no, and walks toward him.

In the past, Alicia wakes up, and calls to Will. She says she thinks she knows what they need to do. She sees a note, and reads it. He says, sorry he couldn’t keep his promise to her. He said he’d help her remember how the world worked, but now he wonders if that’s what she really needs. if he stays, he’ll remind her of a way of life that no longer exists. She needs to build something better. Don’t worry about him; he’ll figure it out. Maybe one day he’ll get to see the world she lives in

In the present, Alicia stabs zombie Will in the head, and asks if Victor knows where he came from. Did he know she knew him? Why would Victor kill him? Victor says, because he knew it would hurt her. He wanted to keep her away, so he could build the tower the way it needed to be built. She asks why killing Will would help him do that, and he says, because Will told him that he loved her. She asks Morgan how long they can hold out on the sub, and Morgan says, a week; two weeks tops. She says, that’s long enough, and tells Victor, he’s taken so much from her. Now she’s going to take something from him. He says he doesn’t want to do this with her, but she says, it’s too late for that. She’s taking the one thing that matters to him the most. She’s taking that tower. He says he’ll protect it if he must, and she says, then they’re going to war.

Next time – on April 17, 2022 – Alicia and Victor go to war.

🗣 Talking Dead had a sneak peek of The Walking Dead – back February 20, 2022. Judith and Grace fight zombies in the flooded basement, and Judith loses her weapon in the water.

⚰️ Trailer 4U…

Another peek inside the upcoming Dead.

https://www.insider.com/the-walking-dead-season-11-returns-february-2022

The Walking Dead: World Beyond

Elton showed how Iris, Hope, and Silas how to sneak out. They’d decided all four of them were trekking 1100 miles. They agreed to have each other’s backs no matter what, and Elton, said, to the end whatever it turned out to be for them. He thought they should engage with the dead only as a last resort, but there was a lot of last resort engaging as they walked through the woods. Elton said, all things considered, it was still safer.

Jadis was over-confident, and gave orders to block for an 8 mile radius. Huck made it back to Dennis, who was still alive, and Dennis suggested they have an actual life together. Huck said it was a plan after they blew sh*t up. They had get the word out to the right people, and Dennis said, if anyone could do it, it was them.

Felix found Leo, but then Lieutenant Newton – I finally get his name on the final show – found the both of them. The kids got back to Huck and Dennis, and Dennis told Silas that what he’d done meant a lot. Huck told them to go meet Leo and the others. They’d be about 3 miles out when the place blew up. Hope wanted Huck to come, but Huck said the CRM didn’t know what the military had been doing outside their walls, but she was going to see to it they did. She said she was proud of Hope. Silas decided to stay, saying, Dennis and Huck would need someone to help get them there, and they had to get there.

Jadis gave the order to get her helicopter ready. She was going to find out where the gas had been moved. Elton told Silas that they’d found each other twice, and they would again. Will joined Felix, saying, he’d doubled back when he heard the distress call. Felix lured Newton away from the others, and Newton chased him through the woods. Felix ended up between zombies behind a fence, and Newton. In the meantime, back at the truck, Will tried to surprise the guard shooting at Leo, but his gun jammed, so they ended up fist fighting. Will won. Newton told Felix that people like him were worse than the dead. They were helping the dead win. He suggested they fight mano a mano. Felix said he’d kill Newton if he had the chance, and now he had it. He talked a bunch of smack about Felix and his parents, and in a surprise move, Felix opened the gate, letting the dead loose.

Huck said she had to find another way to set up the explosives, and asked about the emergency weapons cache. Silas offered to go with Dennis, and Huck said she’d stay there. She told Dennis that they’d take what they got, and make it work. Newton killed most of the zombies, and Felix did a two-for-one move with double pokey stick. He and Newton dueled with their pokey sticks, while the next bath of zombies got closer. They did a whole swordfight thing, with lots of twirling, but at the end, Felix stabbed Newton, basically disemboweling him. The zombies descended on Newton, and I thought it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

After Jadis landed, she told the guards to secure the containers, and went to the warehouse. Huck was waiting, and knocked Jadis’s gun out of her hand. They fought with some big pipes they grabbed, since the warehouse was like a poor man’s Home Depot. Jadis asked what Huck got for betraying the CRM, and Huck said they were supposed to fight for humanity, but there was nothing humane about what they’d done. Jadis said Huck couldn’t appreciate what they had or what they did, but her mother understood. Huck said her mother had lost her way, but it was always who Jadis was. Jadis said, people were a resource. She’d had someone special, who was an A, but she told the CRM that they were a B, so he woudn’t end up with Huck’s mother. She’d traded him to get into the city, and now she was going to do what Huck couldn’t.

Dennis dug around in an old, locked refrigerator, looking for a timed detonator, among other weapons. Huck told Jadis that the CRM had the blood of a hundred thousand people on their hands, but Jadis said, it was no more than Huck did. What had she thought the intel she brought back was used for? They knew where to hit thanks to Huck. They fought some more, using zombie pokey sticks, and Jadis stabbed Huck. Jadis said it didn’t have to be this way, and Huck fell to the floor. Jadis asked if Huck wanted her to finish her off, or did she want to die alone. Huck told this long story about her father’s gold watch, and said to tell her mother that it wouldn’t bring them back together this time. Jadis saw Huck’s wrist, where her watch was noticeably absent, and a lightbulb came on. She asked how much time she had, but Huck wasn’t telling, and Jadis ran out, telling the guards that they were leaving.  

The zombies just kept coming at Hope, Iris, and Elton, until Indira showed up with a machine gun on the top of a truck. She yelled for the kids to duck, and mowed all the zombies down. Huck bled out on the floor, thought about her watch, and smiled. Then everything blew up. Dennis saw the green mushroom cloud in the air, and knew he wasn’t going to be having a life with Huck.

The kids ran to the truck, and for some stupid reason (probably just because it’s the last episode), Elton and Hope paused for a hug, causing Elton to get bit by a random zombie. Silas told Dennis that Huck could still be coming, but Dennis said he didn’t think that was going to be happening. Dennis said he could still get Dennis to the Civic Republic, but Dennis said he wasn’t going to make it; he never was. He told Silas to take the truck and find his friends, but Silas said he didn’t want to give up their second chance. They heard a truck, and Dennis said he was dead one way or another. He wanted Silas to say he was a hostage who got the upper hand on his captor, and make the CRM see him as a hero. He handed Silas his gun, but Silas refused. Dennis said Silas wanted a second chance, and it was the only way. He hadn’t deserved what Huck did, or this. He deserved to have a life, and needed to convince the CRM that he was one of them. They were told to come out with their hands on their head, and Silas told Dennis that he’d find out what the CRM had done. Dennis told him, just do it, and Silas cried, saying he was so sorry. Then he did it.   

Everyone met at the rendezvous. Elton had lost a lot of blood, and was secured just in case. Hope said he’d saved her life, and Will gave Indira her medicine that he’d found in Elton’s bag. Iris decided to go with Indira’s people to warn Portland, but told Hope not to leave. The place wasn’t permanent, but it was safe. Cornell was close by, and she’d have the equipment she’d need to continue her research. Iris knew she was supposed to go with Indira, and Hope said it wasn’t about them, but the future. Will suggested he and Felix go too, but Iris said too much needed to be protected there, and Felix agreed.

Jadis met with Silas in her office, and said she bet Silas was wondering why she’d asked him there. She heard what he did, and it must have been an ordeal with Huck’s treasonous husband. She told him that his friends were part of the mutiny, but he said he didn’t want to be a part of it, and they weren’t his friends. Jadis said she knew Dennis had put him up to it, but he went through with it. He’d killed his father, and his mother had abandoned him for it. It took strength. She’d heard he was interested in the military. He said he thought he’d make a good soldier, but she said she thought he’d make a great one. She was taking him on as a special project. She saw him for who he really was, even if he didn’t yet. He would, and she couldn’t wait.    

Moving on, Jadis met with Elizabeth on a bench outside. Jadis said she hadn’t found the scientists yet, but she would. Elizabeth said she’d seen herself as an ancestor to a future world indebted to her for her sacrifice. So she’d done monstrous things in order for civilization to reign again, and others could ascend,  but what if it just wasn’t possible? What if it never was? Jadis said survivors didn’t break. Instead of making the weak strong, they waited for the strong to become weak. She’d seen the strongest person she knew become vulnerable, and used it. She was doing it now. Elizabeth was to be remanded to the health and welfare complex until she could be tried for treason. If she was looking for someone to blame, blame her daughter. Huck was a traitor, and Elizabeth should have seen it. She allowed the Bennetts to live there, and had allowed the Perimeter to be a threat. Elizabeth said she was the one who brought Jadis in for a security audit, and Jadis said she’s been brought into a world of sh*t, and Elizabeth left when it got out of control. She’d been brought in to take the fall, but as Elizabeth got worse, she looked better. Jadis didn’t have friends, or a child, but she had her ambition. Elizabeth said Bill would have her head, and Jadis asked who Elizabeth thought signed the arrest warrant. They were the last light of the world. The guards took Elizabeth away.

Iris said her goodbyes, and Hope said she’d been thinking back to how they were going to save the world together. They still would, even though they weren’t together. Iris said it didn’t change them; it had showed them who they were. They hugged, there were tears and I love yous, then they gave each other the finger, which I didn’t quite get. As Iris was about to leave, Elton woke up.

To wrap it all up, we heard Elton in a voiceover, saying, there was a time he’d thought they were all going to die, that he believed his was the last generation. We saw scientists working, and he said, for a while, he thought they were the beginning, but that ignored everything and everyone who came before. He knew for sure they were a lot tougher and harder than he thought. We saw Silas as a soldier, and Elizabeth in prison, and Elton said, most things left their mark on all of them, in a way he never expected. We saw Will and Felix holding hands, and Elton said, there was still a lot of good, a lot that was beautiful, and a lot to give them hope. Maybe there was no beginning or end. Maybe it just is. It was whatever they made it. There was no perfect model or predicting if it was the last day or they’d last forever. Maybe all they got to know was now. It would get them there in small steps, and keep them growing and evolving. Those moments put together were life, and that was everything.

We saw Iris, Hope, Elton, and Silas at the beginning, and Elton saying, they’d see who they really were. Elton opened the door.

But wait, there was more.

A woman hooked up a laptop in a decrepit lab. She copied some files, then brought up Dr. Jenner (from TWD) on the screen, talking about getting fresh samples. There were too many variables, and they couldn’t get an accurate biological picture. But in brighter news, the latest data on jumpstarting the circulatory system to cause confusion was promising. A man came in with a gun, and spoke in French, asking if she was one of those doctors. She said she was, and he asked if she’d been in hiding. She said, yes, and he asked if she was on the Primrose team. She said, no, Violet. She told him that Primrose wasn’t there when it happened. When they did what they did, they were at a conference. She’d hoped that somehow they came back; she was tired of running. She hoped they might end this after all this time. The man said, they should be dead, and if they’re not, they wouldn’t jail them like the others; they’d kill them. End this? They’d started this. Then, they made it worse. He shot her, and we saw Dr. Jenner say that he had faith the day would come when they’d beat this thing. The woman sat up, now a zombie, went to the door, and started to bang on it. We saw the sign that said La Biomedicine.

La Fin.

🌬 Blowing Out Like the Wind…

Join me tomorrow for some soap and to see what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not making the same mistakes twice, and stay being content in just knowing now.

Sep6

September 5, 2021 – The Reapers Attack, Small Talk, No Notches For Eugene, New Villains, Rosita’s Dream, New World, Fear Again & Don’t

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

Everyone runs. Cole’s throat is slashed, Duncan is stabbed, and both Negan and Gabriel are hit with something. Elijah gets dragged away from the others by a rope, and Maggie is suddenly alone. She feels movement behind her, and flings a sickle she’s found at a Reaper, but it misses him, and sticks in a tree. I’m already thinking, if these people can’t get it together in ten years to gather roots, nuts, and berries, and grow tomatoes, they’re doomed.

Carol comes back to Alexandria with Kelly, and Magna asks if Kelly wants to do a shift together. Kelly says/signs, something came up, and Magna asks if she wants to talk, but Kelly says, there’s nothing to talk about. Aaron and some others raise a new wall made out of metal pieces, and Carol tells Aaron that they’re getting the horses back. He says they’ve been down this road before, and they’re about to fail. Carol says, if they don’t get the horses, they can’t carry more than a sack of grain. She gets a few supplies, and leaves.

Judith, RJ, Gracie, and RJ play cards, and talk about their parents. In other words, this part is boring.   

Maggie walks through a desolate area, and comes to a mall. She walks past a bunch of scattered cars in what used to be the mall parking lot. I love an abandoned mall. She tries a door, and a knife comes flying through the air, sticking in the wall near her. She runs, and tries another door. This one opens, and she closes it behind her. She goes down stairs, and sees some empty bottles, where apparently someone has had a drinking party. She sets a couple of them on the push-bar of the exit door to alert her to intruders. She walks through the mall, and to another set of stairs. We hear zombie noises. She shines her flashlight around, and walks up. A zombie comes out of nowhere, scaring us both, and she sends it bouncing down the stairs. She flicks on a lighter, and we see a Reaper behind her. She sends him flying too. She hears footsteps, and jets.

Gabriel sits in the woods, saying, the Lord is my refuge and my strength. He he pulls an ice pick out of his leg, and sees someone limping away and a mask on the ground. He limps in their direction.

Maggie goes through a space housing a lot of mannequins, which are always good for a scare. Something falls, and she jumps a mile, but keeps walking. Someone comes out from behind a counter, and it’s Alden, but in a hot second, a Reaper pops out and takes him down. The Reaper goes after Maggie with a sickle, and she keeps him at bay while she reaches for an empty bottle nearby. She punches him, getting him off of her, breaks the bottle, and gouges him in the side of the head with it. Negan comes up behind him, and finishes him off. Before dying, the Reaper sets off a grenade, and Negan and Maggie duck for cover. When the smoke clears, Maggie sees Alden sitting on the floor, and goes to ten to him. He has a stomach wound, and she asks if he can walk, He says he won’t know until they try. Negan says she’s not seriously thinking about keeping going. What exactly is the plan? She says, the plan didn’t change; they need that food. They’ll go to the supply drop, and radio the others from there. He says he knows theatrics, and these people just showed them how insane they are. They can’t be on any road the Reapers are using. It’s a sh*t plan. She asks him for a better one that doesn’t starve them, and he says he’s on her side. She says, then help her with Alden. They help Alden up, get on either side of them, and help him outside.

Rosita picks mushrooms or something by a creek, when Carol comes along, and Rosita says she didn’t want stay in the house. Kelly and Magna join them, and they surround a lone horse, each of them swinging a rope. They don’t try very hard, and it trots off. Rosita asks if Carol is okay, and Carol says she’ll be better when this is done. Rosita says she’s having dreams that Abe is trying to tell her something; somewhere they’re supposed to be. But just as she’s about to hear it, he gets shot in the head. She thinks it’s a message for them. Carol asks what he’s trying to say, but Rosita doesn’t know.

Outside the mall, Alden says they’d better get moving, and Maggie and Negan get on either side of him. They hear a woman scream, and head in that direction. Negan says, really? We’re going toward the screaming? Cool. They see Agatha stabbing zombies like a machine, and to prove his worth, Alden stabs one that they pass, but practically falls over. Duncan sits on the ground, and Agatha shakes her head, leaving Maggie with him. Maggie says she’s so sorry, and he asks, why? They were lucky. She says, for a little while, and he asks her to make sure Agatha gets home. Promise. He closes his eyes, and Maggie takes out a knife. She kisses his bald head, and stabs him.

Carol and her group go through the woods, when they see several dead, half-eaten horses by the river. Kelly says, no, and Magna hugs her. Carol says they’ll keep looking for the rest. Stay close to the water. Rosita says, it’s getting late, but Carol keeps walking. Rosita catches up with her, and says they don’t have to right now. They can do it tomorrow. Carol says they needed the horses yesterday. Now. Magna hugs her, and Carol says, let’s go home.

Kelly says they’ll try again next time, and Rosita says, maybe not. They run forward to a field, as a bunch of horses come running through. Kelly says, dope, and Rosita says, there’s a dairy farm. They have a paddock, and they can pen the horses in. The horses run in, and they try to round them up, but they’re about as good at that as they are growing food. Kelly tells them to drop their lassos, and Carol asks, why? Kelly says, just do it, and they put the lassos down. Kelly says, they’re not running. She thinks they’re home. Carol makes a sound like she’s calling a cat, and one of the horses comes to her. They all pet it.

Gabriel recites the 23rd psalm – the Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He finds the unmasked Reaper leaning against a log, and the Reaper says Gabriel moved slower than he thought Gabriel would. He asks if Gabriel is scared, but Gabriel says he’s not. The Reaper says he’s been blessed, and Gabriel says he has a funny definition of blessed. He asks Gabriel to pray for him, and Gabriel says the Reaper tried to kill his friends. The Reaper says, they tried to kill him. Pray for him; even his enemies deserve that much. He thought Gabriel was a man of God. Gabriel says, God isn’t here anymore, and kills the Reaper. (Or as Cheech Marin said in Machete, God has mercy; I do not.)

In the woods, Maggie looks out with binoculars, seeing a load of zombies. Negan says, there are twice many as before. He believes they should rethink the plan. She says, if he wants to go, go, and he says he can help. Her friends trusted him. She was gone a long time. Things change; people change. She says he’s got them fooled, but not her. Stop pretending to be one of them. He walks away, and Alden asks if Maggie is okay. She says she can handle Negan, but he says he’s not talking about Negan. He asks if Hilltop is the place she told Hershel about, and she says, not much surprises her anymore. He says, they’ll build it better than it was. They’ll get it done. At least by the time Adam is old enough to remember. They’ll start when they get back. Maggie says, the good news is, Hershel lives in Alexandria. Small win. Negan finds a decrepit, charred zombie tied to a tree, with a sign that says JUDAS above him. The zombies surround them, and Maggie says, come on. They move faster, killing a few along the way, but Alden falls. Maggie grabs him back up, but the zombies are closer now. Agatha, Negan, and Maggie start slicing and dicing. Even Alden gets in a few licks before he falls again. Agatha gets bit, and Maggie comes flying toward her to pull her away, but the zombies are crowding in. Negan grabs Maggie, and drags her off, as the zombies bring Agatha down. Bye, Agatha.   

Carol and her group bring the horses back to Alexandria, and Rosita says she’s out. They tie the horses up, and Carol keeps walking with hers. Magna catches up with her, and asks if they can talk. Carol says, sure, and Magna says, she knows what Carol is doing, and wants her to stop. She’s giving Kelly false hope. Carol says she doesn’t understand, but Magna thinks she does. She believes Connie is alive because she can’t accept what it means if she’s lost. Carol says, Connie is family, and Magna says she wants her family to heal. Kelly looks up to Carol. She’s sorry for whatever Carol is going through, but she’s asking, begging Carol; whatever she’s telling Kelly, stop. She’s just making it harder. Carol walks away, and brings the horse to a stable where it lies down. She pets it, then cuts its throat – which, thankfully, we don’t see, but I say, WTF? She puts the blood in a huge dish, and  Alden comes in. Alden and I both say, WTF?

The boring group of children is brought a plate of horsemeat. Judith is like, eww, and Hershel tells her, smaller bites are better. She asks if he’s eaten it before, and he says, when he and his mother were on the road, they just ate what they found. It’s better than spiders. Just chew it fast; it’s not that bad. Rosita brings the baby to see the horses, and sees Carol washing up. I’m annoyed. The kids could have waited a hot minute while they rode to get something.  

Magna and Kelly sit looking at the windmill. Carol comes by, and asks if Kelly is ready. Kelly goes with her.

Negan, Maggie, and Alden walk down the road. Negan eats something, and says, goddam sh*t, spitting it out. He asks if they’d like a taste of crap cardboard, and I figure it must be low carb. Negan suggests they go through the woods, but Maggie says the road is faster. Alden says, the woods are safer, and Maggie tells him, they need a break. They go into an old church, and Maggie says, they’ll rest for a while. She tells Negan that she knows what he’s thinking, and the answer is no. She tells Alden that they’re fine, and he says, maybe for now. If these guys are anything like she says, things are going to get worse, and he’s dead weight. They all know. He walked away from Negan because he trusts her to do the right thing. No matter how hard. No matter how much it costs her. She looks at him, and he says, supplies are the only thing that matters. Alexandria needs them to do this. They’re waiting for them. Hershel… Judith… Adam… Maggie says, Adam needs a father, but Alden says, if her plan fails, everything they’ve worked for, what they want for the future, dies with it. Then what happens to Adam? She gets up, and Negan says, the sun is going down. She has to make a decision. Maggie says, it’s easy for him, isn’t it? Being reckless with someone else’s life. He doesn’t get to decide who lives or who dies anymore. It’s his fault. He destroyed everything they built. Negan says she still has to decide, and she looks at Alden. She starts going through her bag, and gives him a canteen. She goes over to Negan, and holds out her hand. He gives her his knife, and she gives it to Alden. Negan moves a pew near the door, and Maggie says Alden better be there when they come back. He says they better come back. They leave, and he pushes the pew against the door, then sits on it.

A lone zombie walks toward Maggie and Negan as they walk through the woods. Negan cracks it in the head with a crowbar. He stands there, the crowbar dripping blood. Maggie walks past him, and he follows. 

Next time, Daryl meets a Reaper in the woods, and once again I’m afraid for Dog.

⚰️ Later, on Talking Dead, Lauren Cohan (Maggie) said that the dripping crowbar was evocative of Lucille dripping blood after Negan killed Glenn and Abraham, but I wouldn’t have even thought of it if she hadn’t said that. In other trivia, the kids were eating beef jerky. Yeah, well, I would hope it wasn’t real horse.

🚇 In Case You Weren’t Sure…

Josh McDermitt confirms Eugene’s status.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-eugene-virgin-josh-mcdermitt-archeron/

🔪 Fear Them…

Explaining the Reapers.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-are-reapers-comics-final-season-11-villains-reapers-pope-explained/

🙇🏻‍♂️ That’s One Theory…

I don’t know if I’d follow this trail of breadcrumbs, but like Maggie, not much surprises me anymore.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-rosita-abraham-dream-explained-season-11-father-gabriel-death-comics/

🌎 Beyond Dead…

October 3rd begins the second, and final, season of The World Beyond. Too bad. I kind of liked it. It will probably end up on another platform, since they’re all trying to entice viewers with extensions of their network shows for a price.

https://showsnob.com/2021/09/03/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-season-2-trailer/

Crossing over.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-season-2-jadis-return-rick-grimes-movie-ties-crossover/

👹 Radioactive…

Fear the Walking Dead returns October 17th.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-season-7-teaser-trailer-punishing-new-world/

🛠 Labor This…

Whether you labor or not, celebrate anyway. Tomorrow’s GH is a rerun, so see you on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay looking out for one another, and stay knowing that things change; people change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF7mP2LASCo
Aug21

August 20, 2021 – Chase Gets Proof, the Legacy Lives On, RHONY’s North Fork, Goodbye For Now, It’s Not Turtle Time, This Week’s Wives, Eboni’s Freshman Year, SyFy’s Dead, First Episode, Just Over Ten Quotes & No End In Sight

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny and Nina walk into the Tan-O, and Nina says, it feels empty. He was so great with helping Phyllis with the arrangements, and holding her hand. She doesn’t know how he did it. He says, she needed it, and that’s what people do. Like how Nina spent the night with her. In times of crisis, people step up. She says, it’s great to see all the friends and family who came out to support Phyllis and remember Lenny, a decorated war veteran and native son of Nixon Falls. The people of this town really loved him. Sonny says, he loved this town and the people in it. That’s all that really matters, right? Loving others, and being loved.

Josslyn tells Carly that she’s going to Kelly’s – moss bowl! 🎍 – and Carly asks, what’s the rush? Josslyn says she wants to hear about the rest of Spencer’s party from Trina. She asks if everything is okay with Carly, and Carly says, it is; why? Josslyn says it was pretty obvious she had somewhere to be last night, and Carly says maybe she just wanted to get Josslyn and Cameron away from that ridiculous island. There was already enough drama, doesn’t she think? Josslyn says, that’s the way Spencer does things, over-the-top, but once Carly realized Tony got them home, she couldn’t leave fast enough. Why was she in such a hurry, and who was she meeting?

Trina walks into Kelly’s, where Cameron is bussing tables. She says, Joss isn’t here yet? and he says, they left the party so late last night, he figured she was sleeping in. What did they miss? Did Spencer’s dad have any more crazy surprises after that knife trick he pulled? Hey, is she okay? Did something worse happen last night? Do they need to reach out to Spencer? She says she wouldn’t worry. Despite what his father did, Spencer is definitely not alone. He asks what she means, and she says, let’s just say Spencer has a bigger support system than any of them realized.

Laura tells Doc, she has a full slate of meetings today. For some reason, that budget is just never finished. She sees a breakfast spread on the table, and tells Doc that he shouldn’t have. He says he didn’t, and Spencer walks in, telling her and Doc, good morning. Esme follows him with French press coffee, and says, bon appétit.

Anna sits at the pool (🍷) sipping a drink, when Martin sits next to her. He asks if she thinks anyone would judge him if he ordered a bloody Mary, and she says she learned long ago that when a lawyer is all smiles, it’s best to be on your guard. He says, no fear; he’s off the clock. Or couldn’t she tell by what he’s wearing? She says he does look comfortable, and he says, as does she. One more thing they have in common. She says, they have something else in common? and he says their mutual friend and sometimes partner – Valentin Cassadine.

Valentin comes downstairs, and checks himself out in the mirror. Brook says he’s in a good mood for a guy who just dribbled toothpaste on himself, and he says, it’s Bailey’s baby formula. She loves it when daddy makes silly faces to get her to finish her bottle. Brook says he’s really in love with that little girl, isn’t he? and he says, who woudn’t be?

Chase looks at a text from Austin that says, counting on you. Remember, they have it coming. He flashes back to finding out Michael and Willow slept together, when the two of them walk in, Michael chattering away about how Wiley got his phone. Michael says, hey, Chase. He didn’t know Chase was there. Chase says, don’t stop what they’re doing on his account, and they look all kinds of guilty.

Sonny says, it’s quiet, and Nina says, Lenny would hate this. He says, Lenny loved his customers. He welcomed strangers, and loved his music. He played that jukebox every morning; his favorite song. She says, and when he thought no one was looking, he’d dance with the broom. Sonny laughs, and she says, but his favorite was dancing with his wife. She can see them over there, dancing their last dance. He says, he used to watch them, and think to himself, he’d love to have that one day. She says he’s right. They were lucky they had love for a very long time. He says, nothing can change that. Not even death.

Carly tells Josslyn, they got back late last night, and then she had a pressing engagement. Josslyn says, with Jason? and Carly says, yes; how did she know? Josslyn says, because they’re engaged, and it’s not unusual for engaged people to want to hang out. She’s going to Kelly’s now… Carly tells her to wait. There’s something she has to tell Josslyn, and it also involves her brother.

Willow – who is starting to totally annoy me – asks if Chase is ready for her to take him out to the yard so he can work on his physical therapy. He says he got up early, and already did his morning routine, and Michael says it sounds like he’s making progress. Chase says he’s getting stronger every day, but then again, he has great motivation. He looks at Willow, and Michael’s phone dings. Michael says his mother wants him to swing by the house. It’s something important. He leaves, and Chase asks if Willow wants to go with him. She asks why she would, and he tells her, Michael said it was important, and he knows how much Michael means to her.

Laura says, it’s very sweet of them to go through all this trouble, and Spencer says, it’s the least they could do after she and Doc took them in last night. Esme says she did her research and found an excellent patisserie with an excellent croissant. Spencer says, Esme is very resourceful. They have no idea. He flashes back to Esme telling him how she set fire to Ava’s car, and Laura says she hopes Esme found the guest room comfortable. Esme says she slept like a baby, but she knows the three of them have some catching up to do, so she’s going to explore the town. She kisses Spencer on the cheek and says, à bientôt, and Doc says, au revoir. Spencer thinks maybe he’ll go with her, but Laura says his friend seems capable of exploring on her own. She’s just curious why Spencer hasn’t mentioned her before.

Anna says she and Valentin have a very long, very complicated history, and Martin says, it’s not all in the past. They recently took a trip to New York together, didn’t they? On the trail of Peter August. One could only hope they were successful. She says they were following a lead, which ultimately didn’t pan out, and he asks if she puts her relationship with Valentin in that same category. She says, what’s that to you, Mr. Grey? and he says, please, call him Martin. Or better yet, call him Marty. All his friends do. Anna asks if he considers her a friend, and he says he hopes they’re moving in that direction. As a matter-of-fact, can he be honest? She says she’s not sure she can stop him, and he says he’s long been fascinated by the mystique of Anna Devane. He’d surely love to get to know her better, and vice versa. She says, Marty, are you hitting on me?

Willow tells Chase, of course (🍷) Michael’s important to her; he’s Wiley’s father. He says, great. That’s what she shares with Michael; Wiley. Valentin and Brook come in, and he tells Brook that he’s just saying his daughter lights up when he comes in the room, but Brook says she doesn’t recognize him; she just has gas. Willow asks if they’ll ever agree on anything, and Valentin says, just that they created a spectacular baby girl. Brook says, sadly, they don’t agree on much else, least of all Austin Gatlin-Holt’s bogus claim to ELQ shares. Valentin says, Austin’s lawsuit may be an inconvenience to the Quartermaine family, but that doesn’t mean it’s without merit. She says, spoken by the guy who’s keeping Austin in play, on the off-chance he wins his case and gets ELQ shares, just so he can potentially be a vote to keep Valentin as CEO. Chase says, not that anyone asked his opinion, but he has a point of view. Brook says, he’s a neutral observer. She, for one, welcomes his input. He says he hates to disappoint her, but he’s far from neutral. It’s true, he’s not a Quartermaine and doesn’t have a vested interest in the outcome, but he sides with the guy who’s being kept in the dark. Brook says they only have Austin’s word to go on that he’s being denied his birthright. The will made by her great-grandfather Edward was very clear. Jimmy Lee Holt was cut out and wouldn’t get a dime. Edward actually didn’t want him anywhere near ELQ. Chase says, what if there was proof Edward changed his mind and wanted the will to include Austin’s father? Valentin says he’s the detective; does he have proof? Brook says, no he doesn’t because there isn’t any. If there was, Austin would have produced it. Valentin says, as it happens, he’s having lunch with Austin. Maybe he’ll produce it then. He leaves, and Chase says he’s sorry if he spoke out of turn, but Brook says she’s not angry at him, especially since he’s speaking from the heart. She hears Bailey cry, and leaves. Chase says he knows Willow has class this morning, and doesn’t have to stick around on his account. She says she’s leaving soon, but hopes he knows Brook is right. He does have a big heart. He asks if that’s why she loves him.

Martin says Anna will have to forgive him. They’re not all as suave and debonair as Valentin. Come to think of it, even his name sounds romantic. Martin tells her that he’s never shied away from the challenges of the fairer sex, and from where he’s sitting, she’s the fairest of them all. Aww! He’s kind of cute. She tells him, says the man who’s had six wives, and he says, be fair. That was Henry XIII; he’s only had three. And they’re all on speaking terms. What does that tell her? She says, that he got a good deal on alimony, and he laughs, saying, she’s disconcertingly perceptive. She says he’s quite charming, and he asks if that means he’s making any headway. She says his interest is duly noted, and he says he’ll take that as a definite maybe.

Laura says, Esme seems like a nice girl. She assumes Spencer met her at school, and he says, yes. At first he thought she was too cool for him, but they hit it off. Doc says maybe she thought he was cool too, and Laura says, of course (🍷) she thought he was cool; he’s her grandson. Spencer says, bless her, but it’s not like she’s the most objective source, and she says he has his father’s charm. Spencer says he hopes that’s all he inherited, and she says his father does love him very much. She hopes he knows that. Spencer says, he has a warped way of showing it. Either he’s pretending he’s dead or pretending to stab Spencer, but either way, Spencer is done. She says, he’s hurt and angry, and with good reason. It was wrong of Nikolas to accuse him of being Ava’s stalker, and even more wrong to stage that attack. She doesn’t know what he was trying to do; make Spencer see the error of his ways… Doc says he admits, he was beginning to wonder if Nikolas was right. Spencer’s dislike for Ava is well known. Spencer says he doesn’t love that Doc thought he was guilty, but appreciates Doc can admit he was wrong. Doc says, it’s not even remotely the same thing, but if Spencer can see his way to forgive him, he wonders if there’s any chance Spencer can do the same for his father. Spencer says he doesn’t mean to be rude, but he has no energy nor the emotional bandwidth to think about his father right now. His top priority is figuring out where he and Esme are going to live. Laura tells him, as she said, Esme seems like a lovely girl, and shows good taste in dating him, but there’s no way he and Esme going to live together.

Trina tells Cameron, last night was weird. Beyond weird, and that was before Esme showed up. He asks, who’s Esme? when Esme walks in, saying, it’s good to see Trina again. She wonders if they can direct her to the Museum of Fine Art, and Trina says, around there, they call it The Chuck, and it’s good to see her too. She introduces Cameron, who says he doesn’t know if Spencer mentioned it, but they’re sort of cousins. They share the same grandmother, but aren’t actually related. Esme says Cameron is exactly the way Spence described him, and Cameron says, he is? She says she and Spence share everything.

Michael enters moss bowl town, and asks what he missed. Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Carly wouldn’t tell her until he got there. Carly says she wanted to tell them both at the same time. Last night she had a wake-up call. Josslyn says, Spencer’s party was a wake-up call? and Carly says, it had nothing to do with the party. She and Jason realized they don’t need or want a long engagement. She wanted them to be them first to know, they’re getting married on September 17th. Josslyn hugs Carly, and says, here’s to the future Mrs. Jason Morgan.

Sonny tells Nina, a memorial wall is a beautiful idea; everything from Lenny’s past life. They’ve brought out a trunk, and Nina says, let’s take a look. Sonny takes out a medal, and says, Lenny was so proud of being a Marine, and serving their country. Nina suggests they leave the medals out so they can put them on the wall. She takes out some postcards, and says, Lenny sent them to Phyllis when he was overseas. Sonny takes out a photo from their wedding, saying, Lenny is in his uniform, and Phyllis has a white dress on. Nina says, they look so young and happy. Sonny concentrates on the photo, and Nina asks him, what’s wrong? He remembers Carly in a white dress with a bouquet, but doesn’t see her face. Nina asks again, what’s wrong? Talk to her. He says, for a second, he thought he’d remembered something; the woman he told her about, with a wedding bouquet. Maybe it’s not a memory, just a vision of his future. Nina asks if the vision was good or bad, and he says, good.

Josslyn says, it’s so exciting, and asks why Michael isn’t jumping up and down like she is. He says, inside, he’s doing backflips, and congratulates Carly, hugging her. Josslyn says she has to tell Cameron and Trina, and jets. Michael says Carly and Jason aren’t giving themselves much time to plan a wedding. What is he saying? She’s not giving herself much time. Jason will just show up and do what she tells him. She says she can get it together by then, especially if she keeps it small. He asks if the point wasn’t to send a message, and if it shouldn’t be a big deal.   

Spencer says he never thought of Laura as a puritan before, and she says she’s not; far from it. But he can’t go from his high school dormitory to moving in with Esme. Doc says, last night, Spencer’s father shook the ground underneath him. It’s only natural that he’d want to spend time with someone he can count on. Spencer says he appreciates their concern and counsel, but he assures them that he and Esme won’t be moving in together. He’d planned on offering her a room at Windymere, but that’s out the window now. He needs to help her find a place in town. Laura asks, for how long? Do her parents know about these plans? And how does he plan to finance this independent lifestyle? Spencer says he has money, but Laura says, his father has money. He took control of Spencer’s trust. He may grant Spencer access, but would Spencer take money from his father with one hand, and push him back with the other?

Anna says she’s not in the market for a romantic entanglement, and Martin says, just for his own verification, if he may be so bold, is it because she’s not interested, or because she’s already romantically entangled? She asks if he approaches every situation in his life like an attorney. She feels like she’s being cross-examined. He says, forgive him, but he feels they all bring their professional life into the personal. For instance, with her training with the WSB, is she always more comfortable with her secrets and deflections, rather than answering a simple heartfelt question? She says, touché. There are people who consider her lack of transparency a deal breaker. He says he’s not one of them. He flatters himself that they were made to dance together. Hell, just for the chance, he’d even let her lead. She laughs, and Valentin watches.

Brook tells Bailey that Valentin loves her so much. He wants to be a good daddy to her. Let’s face it; he’s succeeded. She pushes the stroller through the foyer, and says, what is she going to do when Peter is finally caught and punished, and Maxie gets to bring her home forever. How is she going to explain to Valentin? What’s going to happen to her? Let’s face it, Bailey is all she’s got right now. She leaves with Bailey.   

Chase says his and Willow’s marriage began under dire circumstances. She thought he was going to die – everybody did – but he survived, and then he couldn’t walk… She says she married him because she wanted to, and he says, that’s generous, considering he made her believe he’d cheated on her with Sasha. She says, that’s only because he wanted her to be with Wiley. Once she found out the truth, she could only be grateful. He says he never stopped loving her. Even now, even when… She says, when what? and he says, even when he’s not the man he was. She says he’s still that man. He’s getting better, and he will walk again. She absolutely believes that. Nothing has changed. He says, really? Nothing?

Anna says, next time she’s in the market for an attorney, she’ll give Martin a call. He says, next time he’s in the market for a little cloak and dagger, he’ll return the favor. Who knows? Maybe one day he can bail her out of trouble, and she can turn around and help him get into some. She says, stranger things have happened, and Valentin asks what he’s interrupting. Martin says they’re not sure, but it was getting interesting. Anna says she has to make a call, and asks Martin to save her chair. He tells her that she can count on it. He says, that is one amazing woman; the kind you take home to mother. Valentin says, not his mother, and they sit down. Valentin asks what Martin is doing. He’s not getting ideas about Anna, is he? Martin says, if he was, what would it mean to Valentin?

Spencer says, from now on he’s going to take care of himself, and Laura wonders if he’s going to ask Cameron to put in a good word for him at Kelly’s, so he can join Cameron bussing tables. Spencer says he hopes she’s joking, but she says she’s not. Doc says, there’s nothing wrong with an honest day’s work, but he thinks the point Laura is trying to make is that it’s not healthy walking around with all this unresolved anger toward his father. Spencer asks, what’s been left unresolved? After last night, he wants nothing to do with his father, or his money. He storms out, and Laura says, Doc is the expert. How can she help him when it’s clear he doesn’t want her help? And like his father, Spencer has no idea how badly he needs it.

Esme sits down, and Josslyn runs in, saying, she has the most exciting news. Trina says they have news too, and Cameron says, not what, but who. Trina introduces Josslyn to Esme, who says she’s never met a Josslyn before. At least not how she spells it. Josslyn asks if she knows Esme, and Esme says, Spence has told her all about Josslyn. Everything from her scar from her kidney transplant, to her Australian roots, to her mad volleyball skills. She even knows all about Josslyn’s family’s – quote, unquote – coffee business. Josslyn takes it Esme went to school with Spencer, and Trina says, more than that. Esme is Spence’s girlfriend.

Nina and Sonny look at a picture of them with Lenny and Phyllis on their way to the firehouse dance. Sonny says, it’s sweet, all dressed up, ready to go to the dance; preserved forever. She says, nothing lasts forever, and he asks if she doesn’t believe in the afterlife. Does she think this is all there is? Doesn’t she think Lenny is somewhere looking down on them? She says she doesn’t know, and he says he believes their souls and spirits continue on after they’re gone. She says she’d like to believe that, and he says, he found her, and he’s not going lose her. What they have, what they will have, is going to live on. They start to kiss, and Nina says, sorry. This is wrong.

Carly tells Michael that she doesn’t know what to do. He’s absolutely right. This wedding was supposed to make a huge statement – along with the moss bowl🎍. They’re supposed to prove to the Five Families sliced pepperoni, and the rest of the world, that she and Jason committed, but she’d rather have a small gathering with the people they love the most. He says part of the reason they’re getting married is to keep Josslyn and her little sister safe. They get to dress up and go to a party for two of their favorite people. And it’s not like she and Jason don’t love each other in their own way. Who knows where it could lead? He and Willow got married for Wiley’s sake, and it turned into something real. She says, then Chase got sick and Willow married him. Is there something he wants to tell her?

Willow tells Chase, what’s never going to change is that she wants him to be happy. He says she makes him happy, and she says, does she? He says, she knows she does. Even stuck in this chair, no one makes him feel like he’s on top of the world like she does. She says, that’s a lot of responsibility to put on someone. One slip, and you can go from the top of the world… He says he’s been there; rock bottom. She asks if he means when he Sasha pretended to have an affair and they broke up, and he asks, what else would he be talking about? She says he survived that, and learned to live again, and he asks, what about her? She says she loves her life and has no regrets, but… He says, but what? She can tell him anything. She says she has to go to class. She suggests he do more PT work, kisses him on the cheek, and leaves. He looks at the text from Austin again, and deletes the message.   

Nina says, sorry, and Sonny says he shouldn’t have kissed her. He knows they have a responsibility to Phyllis; she’s counting on them. She thanks him for understanding, and takes his face in her hands. She says he’s found his true self there, hasn’t he? and he says she doesn’t sound surprised. She says she’s not. She’s grateful she’s able to share this time with him, for however long she can. He takes her hand, and says he’s not going anywhere.

Michael says he thought they were talking about Carly’s future marriage; not his past one. He sits near the moss bowl 🎍, soaking up its glory, and she says he’s the one who compared the two. She thinks it’s kind and generous he offered for Chase to stay at the Quartermaine’s while he gets his life back together, but with Willow and Wiley so close? He says, they’ll make it work, and she says, is he sure? At what cost? His phone rings, and it’s Willow. She says she needs to see him. Not at the house; someplace private. He says he’s at his mom’s along with the moss bowl 🎍. She can come there. She says she’s on her way, and dashes out the door. Chase peeks out of the living room.

Josslyn says she takes it Esme is in town for Spencer’s party. How long is she visiting? Esme says it’s funny to hear them refer to him Spencer; no one at school calls him that. Cameron says, and no one in Port Charles calls him Spence. Josslyn says, especially the people who have known him his entire life, and Esme says, cool, and that would include her? Josslyn says, it sure would, and Esme says Spencer has told her so much about all of them. She looks forward to getting to know them personally. Trina says Esme never said how long she was visiting, and Esme says, that depends on Spence. Spencer walks in, and Esme says, come join them. They were just getting acquainted.

Valentin suggests he and Martin agree that Anna is off limits, and Martin says he’s positively neanderthal, marking his territory. Valentin tells Martin, he’s just saying the woman is very complicated, and Martin says he enjoys complications. Valentin says, as much as Martin enjoys his retainer? and Martin says, point taken. Perhaps what Anna needs is someone as complicated as she is. Martin’s phone rings, and he answers. He says, of course (🍷)… He’ll meet them downstairs. Anna comes back, and asks if everything is all right, and Martin says, to be continued. He looks at Valentin and says, perhaps not, and leaves. Anna asks, what happened? and Valentin says he doesn’t know, but it doesn’t look good.

Brook goes into the living room, telling Chase that she didn’t mean to… She sees an empty chair.

Carly looks over the moss bowl 🎍, and tells Michael that he can tell her anything; she won’t judge him. He says he knows that, but he has nothing to say. She tells him, whatever he says, and he says, he’s not suggesting his situations are the same, and he’s not going to lie and say he’s happy with how things are with Willow. He’s just saying Carly and Jason might find their marriage of convenience might bring them closer to a real happy ending. 

Sonny says he should probably go. He promised Phyllis he’d come by the house. Nina says he should go, and she’ll stay there and look for more souvenirs. But tell Phyllis that she’ll drop everything if Phyllis needs her. He says he’s sure she knows that, but he’ll remind her. And don’t forget, grief can be very tricky. He leaves, and she looks at the photo of the four of them. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, sorry; they’re closed. The knock is persistent, and she says, can’t they see the sign on the door? She opens it, saying, sorry, they’re closed, and finds Maxie.

Valentin says Anna and Martin seemed to get along like a house on fire, and she says, he’s very Southern gentleman. Very different than what she’s used to. He says, so are grits and ham, but he doesn’t believe she’s given up on the finer things in life, has she?

Laura says she should go to work, and Doc tells her that he’ll clean up there. There’s a knock at the door, and Laura says she’ll get it. It’s Martin, who says, sister, I fear we are in trouble.

Trina says she has to go to the gallery. She doesn’t want Ava to handle things alone today, especially after the stalker torched her car. Esme says, as an art fan, she looks forward to meeting Trina’s boss. Trina leaves, and Josslyn follows her out. She asks if Trina is okay, and Trina says, why wouldn’t she be? Josslyn says, maybe because Spencer never told them he had a girlfriend. Trina asks what it matters, and Josslyn says, is she kidding? Spencer’s been acting all kinds of interested in her, turning on the charm. And Trina went out of her way to be there for him last night. He should have been honest. Trina says, he’s just a guy. It’s not like she was his girlfriend. She needs to go. Ava is counting on her. Trina leaves, and Cameron comes out. He says, it’s not like they didn’t already know Spencer was a jerk, and Josslyn says, a jerk who might be in way over his head. He asks what she means, and she says, who mentions a kidney transplant five seconds after meeting her? He says, Esme’s a little extra, and she says she guesses that’s what Spence deserves.

Spencer says he thought Esme was sightseeing, and she says she came in for directions and ran into his friends. She wants to get to know the people who are important to him.

Willow throws her arms around Michael, and the moss bowl 🎍 approves. He asks, what’s going on? What happened? She says she can’t do this anymore.

Chase walks shakily back to the living room, holding on to a paper. He calls Austin, and leaves a voicemail saying he found proof that Edward wanted to add his father to the will. Call him back. He goes into the living room to find Brook sitting in his wheelchair. She says she’s glad to see he’s back on his feet. Why doesn’t he tell her what’s really going on?

On Monday, Michael says he’ll wait for Willow as long as it takes, Ned asks what he can give Austin to walk away, Sam says maybe Valentin can help her, Brook wants the truth from Chase, and Nina asks Maxie to leave.

Million Dollar Listing New York

Fredrik finally met KJ in person at the 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 2700 square foot penthouse on East 1st Street that was going for $8.7 million. KJ said he was taller in person. When they’d initially met, he was a robot – i.e. an iPad on a stick. She wanted to put down her bag, and Fredrik pointed out the Mathieu Lehanneur art piece furniture (I finally snagged the name), and told her, just to look was $1000. KJ thought she might have a client for the penthouse. They were Texans looking for something with outdoor space – the penthouse had 1200 square feet of it – in a cool, funky area of NYC, and were willing to go up to $10 million. KJ thought the apartment’s renovation was neutral, but still new and fresh. Fredrik pointed out the onyx walls and floors in the primary bath, and in his interview, he said when he was feeling NYC, he liked KJ more. They discussed the possibility of KJ striking out on her own, and Fredrik said there came a time when you wanted to start doing it your way. He had 50 people in NYC, and in KJ’s interview she said there were 12 people on her team at Hudson Advisory. If she went out on her own, she’d have to start from scratch, but she’d made a goal to stop limiting herself.  

Tyler had the listing for the townhouse at 159 West 87th Street from Evan, Kemba’s bae, and it had been five weeks, but still no offers. The townhouse was entirely restored, with original details, pocket doors, outdoor space, and 8 converted fireplaces. It was so beautiful, it made me want to cry. If I had a spare $6.995 million lying around, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Tyler had posted an old-fashioned musical promoting himself on Instagram that had gotten a lot of attention. Even though they couldn’t have a party, or serve food and drinks (this was earlier in the pandemic), he’d staged the house, and was showing it as much as he could. In his interview, he said he’d staged it simply, so that potential buyers could see the timeless beauty. His team members dressed like characters out of The Great Gatsby, and Tyler said, a bedazzled mask, top hat, and magic stick were how he sold houses. He also impressively produced that magic stick from a hanky.

Steve was at 157 West 57th Street, a luxury, fully furnished rental on Central Park, going for a $69,500 a month. Can you imagine? In Steve’s interview, he said, the apartment sold itself. It was hard to imagine any negative feedback from brokers. Fredrik walked in, and he said, well, almost any. He and Fredrik had FaceTimed during the pandemic, but didn’t see each other anymore, and he was looking forward to meeting. In Fredrik’s interview, he said Steve dressed casually, but he liked the style. Steve was like McQueen, he was Tom Ford, and Ryan was Men’s Warehouse. Steve and Fredrik admired the view of the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings, and Steve asked how L.A. was. Fredrik said he’d dedicated his life to NYC, and knew every stone. It was scary to basically start over at his age. Steve said it wasn’t like Fredrik had abandoned NYC, since he had a team there, and Fredrik said Ryan had been contacting developers directly, saying he’d left. He’d thought they were past that. Steve said he’d had issues with Ryan in the past, but liked him now. Fredrik said it wasn’t personal, but he wanted to call it out for what it was. In his interview, Steve said the apartment he was the broker for had come from Fredrik, who’d taken it over from another broker. It happened all the time. He said, Fredrik had five markets, and he was worried about a couple of developers? But Fredrik said he’d taken the high road for ten years, and it was a pattern. It was time for Ryan to stop. Steve said Ryan wasn’t there to defend himself, and in his opinion, it was petty. In his interview, Fredrik said, with all due respect, he thought Steve didn’t fully understand. He was talking about multiple buildings, and hundreds of millions of dollars. Steve said he wasn’t taking sides, but thought the conversation was for Fredrik and Ryan. He told Fredrik that he expected Ryan to be there at some point.

Steve told Fredrik that he thought the time and energy Fredrik was extending on Ryan wasn’t worth it. At this point, Ryan came in – like this wasn’t planned – and Fredrik said they were just talking about him. In Ryan’s interview, he said he didn’t know Fredrik was town. Fredrik asked if he could speak to Ryan before Steve showed him the apartment, and Ryan was like, what’s happening? He asked how Fredrik had been, and Fredrik said he was missing his kids, so if he seemed emotional… Ryan said he was always emotional. I concur. Fredrik said it had come to his attention that Ryan was going after his developers, in particular Yan from 32 East 1st Street. Ryan said he didn’t pitch the building, but when he’d started his business, they sent the same email to all of the developers, telling them about the new place, and saying he’d love to work with them in the future. He didn’t need to poach Fredrik’s listings. In his interview, Ryan said they’d sent the same email to every developer, saying it had been a pleasure to meet them, and he’d like to work together in the future. Fredrik was the only one who took issue with it. Fredrik asked if Ryan could deny saying he’d left NYC and his team. Ryan said, since Fredrik had moved, the primary reason anyone reached out to him was that they thought they were hiring Fredrik, but he’d moved to L.A. In his interview, Ryan said, if he moved, he wouldn’t be surprised if his projects went to other brokers. It would be the risk he was willing to take. If Fredrik didn’t like what was going on, don’t take it out on him; look in the mirror. Fredrik said he wished Ryan would just tell him the truth. Why was he doing this now? Ryan said if a developer came to him, saying they were interested in interviewing other brokers, he would say yes. Fredrik said he thought they were friends. He’d always said no when the shoe was on the other foot. In Ryan’s interview, he said his first interaction with Fredrik was when he was brand new, and Fredrik was a big broker. He was having lunch with his first sale, his client Bonnie. We flashed back to that in 2016. Ryan invited Fredrik to sit down, and Fredrik blew his own horn to Ryan’s client, and gave her his card, in case she wanted to sell the apartment and not just list it. Ryan said, talk about unethical. He would never do that. Fredrik asked Ryan not to put him down, and Ryan insisted he never had. In Fredrik’s interview, he said Ryan had been doing it for ten years. He asked Steve why he was smiling, and Steve said he was Switzerland. In his interview, Steve wondered when Fredrik ever said no to making money. On the other hand, developers didn’t just end up on an email list by accident. In Fredrik’s interview, he said there hasn’t been a ton of resolution, but he felt better. He’d defended his business and reputation, and maybe Ryan would think twice about going after his developers. In Ryan’s interview, he said, confident is silent, and insecurities are loud. Fredrik thanked Ryan and jetted. Ryan said Steve did it on purpose, but Steve maintained he didn’t realize they had any beef.

On the Upper East Side, Tyler met Kemba at the townhouse. He said, at the end, he’d be able to walk away from whatever decision was made, but she’d have to live with it for a while. In his interview, he told us, a flapper party and a musical brought the boys to the yard. He finally had good news. Evan joined them, and Tyler said he knew Evan’s mom Linda was emotional about the property, and Evan confirmed that she was both financially and emotionally invested. They called Linda, and Tyler reminded her that the NYC market was challenging, but they’d gotten what he considered a very good offer. It was all cash, and the buyer wanted to use the home like they did. They had children and grandchildren, and wanted to use it as the family gathering home. The legacy would live on. He told her it was non-contingent at $6.65 million. He asked if he heard a sigh of happiness, but Linda said, not quite, but let’s talk. She thought the offer was somewhat low, and Tyler said, as a broker, he thought a client should counter every offer, because you didn’t know where the negotiation might land. Linda didn’t want to take less than $6.85  million; they’d put a lot of money and effort into the house. Tyler said, and it showed. He called broker Michael, and said the seller wanted to pursue the deal, and was countering at $6.85 million. It was a turnkey property, and everything else in the neighborhood under $7 million required a lot of work. Michael said he wanted to be honest, and his clients were looking at other properties. There were larger houses in the area, and with the market being in the position it was, he thought there had to be something to push his clients over the edge. Tyler said he didn’t like to go back and forth too many times with an emotional seller, or the deal might be over. Michael hinted that his clients had loved the fixtures. Tyler went back to Evan, with Linda on the phone, and asked how much the fixtures had cost. Evan thought it had been upward of $30K all together, and Tyler said the offer was $6.7 including the fixtures. He thought it would be a huge win, and the people would take great care of the home. Linda asked Evan what he thought, and he said, considering the market, he thought it was a solid offer, and they should take it. Linda said he was the professional, so she’d take his advice. Tyler called Michael back, telling him, $6.7 million, all cash, and it included the handmade light fixtures. In Tyler’s interview, he said light fixtures in NYC were a hot topic. Anything fastened to the walls was excluded, and a broker needed to have a conversation about it in every sale. He had to hope it was enough. Michael’s clients accepted the deal, and Tyler would be getting a $201K commission. He said he was proud, and Linda said she was shedding a tear, but she was pleased. In his interview, Tyler said he really liked Evan, and was happy for Kemba. She deserved someone special, and it was a special family.

KJ met Jacopo, the representative for Giovanni who was selling his Tribeca loft, and had given KJ two weeks to do it. It was listed at $10 million, but if she could get $30K in rent, he’d take it. KJ went to Jacopo’s showroom. He represented several high-end Italian brands, so I couldn’t blame her for cruising the clothing racks before she talked business. She said the offer was from an Italian client for renting at $23k month. She knew it was a far cry from $30K, but rentals were dicey at that price point, considering the market. She thought they should counter at $27.5K, and Jacopo gave her the go ahead. She called broker Alexandra, who said in Italy, people read articles about the NYC real estate market, and the concessions offered. She thought her client wouldn’t be comfortable at any more than $25K a month. In KJ’s interview, she said Giovanni could be stubborn when it came to price, but no vacancy was important in the market. She told Alexandra that they’d need significant liability insurance, and a character reference from someone in Italy, and Alexandra said her client would do whatever was necessary. In her interview, KJ said, losing $5000 a month was better than losing $25K if the loft was empty. She hoped Giovanni saw it the same way. Jacopo said Giovanni had the last word, and she presented the offer on a video chat with him. He said she’d been given a difficult task, and they’d asked a lot from her, although the offer was low. She said it would be a low-use apartment; a pied-a-terre, since the client lived in Italy. And the rental market in Tribeca was soft. If he waited, there was a chance he’d see no activity for two or three months. Giovanni told her, vet the profile, but he was inclined to accept the proposal. They had a deal. KJ’s commission was $108k, and in her interview, she said she would take her commission in the form of beautiful Italian cashmere. She asked Jacopo if she got a present, and he gifted her with a pretty nice coat.

Next time, Manhattan high end design comes to Brooklyn, an ice hockey game, and Ryan says he and Fredrik will never be best friends; they’re competitors.

🗽 Travel RHONY Style…

Not quite the Hamptons, but close enough. I actually wouldn’t mind checking some of these places out. I like an oyster or twelve myself.

https://www.purewow.com/travel/real-housewives-of-new-york-travel-guide-north-fork?amphtml=true

🐎 Not Quite Canceled…

Bravo’s not exactly breaking up with RHOD, but they’re taking a break.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1299219/the-real-housewives-of-dallas-is-not-returning-to-bravo-in-2022

https://heavy.com/entertainment/real-housewives/rhod-season-6-canceled-not-returning/

🍞 Shabbat Debacle…

The sh*t show that is Ramona.

https://pagesix.com/2021/08/18/ramona-singer-called-out-by-eboni-and-luann-after-dinner/

https://pagesix.com/2021/08/11/eboni-k-williams-horrified-by-ramona-singer-at-black-shabbat/

🎢 The Week In Wives…

A stroll down this week’s Wives Memory Lane.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-the-week-in-wives-aug-20-2021/

🍲 Great Addition…

Eboni is the pepper that spices the stew that is RHONY. I love her willingness to teach others, as well as learn herself.

https://www.etonline.com/eboni-k-williams-on-the-toll-of-her-rhony-freshman-run-and-those-reunion-rumors-exclusive-170549

⚰️ New Dead…

This isn’t super new news, but I hadn’t heard about it before. Day of the Dead was the third in the Night of the Living Dead trilogy by George Romero, but it’s not shown very often. This looks really promising, very old school zombie stuff, but I’ve learned not to get too attached to anything on the SyFy channel. Being Human… Channel Zero… Z Nation… <sob!> I will never forgive them for that one.

https://comicbook.com/horror/news/day-of-the-dead-tv-show-syfy-poster-release-date/

https://comicbook.com/horror/news/syfy-day-of-the-dead-tv-show-trailer-watch-online/

⌛️ Coming This Sunday…

Episode 1 of Season 11 of The Walking Dead premieres Sunday, August 22nd at 9 pm on AMC. Followed by Talking Dead, which I nerdily like even better. In this trailer, everyone looks very glamorous and has fabulous cheekbones.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-final-season-11-teaser-cure-zombie-apocalypse-virus-commonwealth-mercer/

📚 Quotes of the Week

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real… it is possible… it’s yours. – Ayn Rand

Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. – Leonardo da Vinci

As usual with women who want to find out things, she told more than she found out. – Addison DeWitt (George Sanders), All About Eve

You don’t even have the balls to be your own psycho. – Holland Price (Brad Loree), Mr. Hush

Our lives are the only meaningful expression of what we believe and in Whom we believe. And the only real wealth, for any of us, lies in our faith. – Gordon B. Hinckley

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. – Philippians 2:3 (NIV 1984)

If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think. – T. Harv Eker, American Author and Spiritual Teacher (And for those of you who are egoists, you’re worse than you think.)

We got a whole lot of money, but we still pay rent, cuz you can’t buy a house in heaven. – Lady Gaga, You & I

You don’t know what can happen tomorrow. Life is like a novel, isn’t it? It’s filled with suspense. You never know what’s going to happen until you turn the page. – Sidney Sheldon (Unless it’s a Sydney Sheldon novel.)

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. – Søren Kierkegaard

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

🤸 Freedom For Me…

I got my second round of vaccine, and it smells like freedom. The weekend, or the tag on the end of another five days, depending on where you’re at, is also here. So no matter where you are at, do something you enjoy. The world might look different these days, but it can still be entertaining. Until we meet for the beginning of the Dead end, stay safe, stay on the sunny side of the street, and stay not letting your lack of transparency be a deal breaker.

⚠️ Waring: Might be offensive words. If you’re a puritan.

Jun14

June 13, 2021 – There’s No Stopping It, Dead Future, Victor Dissected, a Viewer’s Guide, AHS 10, About Those CMTs & Grave

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

When we last left, Teddy had set off the bomb, and Morgan let Teddy jet with Dakota. Morgan told Victor to get lost, and was alone in the control room of the submarine.

Seagulls fly overhead. We see a sign that says, Coastal Access – 3 miles, lying on its side. Rachel tries to take the tire off of her truck, as baby Morgan cries in the backseat, and bloodhound Rufus waits in the truck bed. She gets on a walkie talkie, and asks if anyone can hear her. She needs help. Anybody? She sees the missile go up, and hears Morgan say he’s still going to try and stop what Teddy started. He’s not sure it’s possible. The missile is going to reenter the atmosphere, and has multiple warheads. This could be all the time they have left. Use it. Make it mean something. Give yourself the end you wanted, even if it’s not the one we all imagined. Rachel says, this isn’t the end, and goes back to the tire. The jack falls a little, but she keeps trying, but the jack lets go completely, and the car falls on her leg. A title says: Promise me you’ll find someone. She’s not messing around, and duct tapes her broken leg, bone hanging out and all, to a makeshift splint. She takes out Baby Morgan – who I have to mention has an amazing head of hair – and hobbles down the road, Rufus running ahead. She falls, but the baby is okay, even if crying. She says she’s sorry. They can’t do this. She sees the missile divide, and kisses her baby. She says she just can’t, and takes out a knife. We think she’s going to kill the baby, but instead, she rigs up the backpack to put the baby on her back. She says, this is the end for me, but not for you. She ties a rope around her waist, tying the other end to Rufus, and telling him to find people. She puts a gag in her own mouth, and says she’s sorry. She stabs herself, and keels over, as Baby Morgan cries.

Daniel screws with the radio, and hears Morgan giving his speech about the end. A title says: Dame el Arma. Rollie squeals into the parking lot, and he, Wes, and Riley get out of the car. Rollie says Riley knows where a bunker is where they can ride things out. Funny what you can get out of a true believer when they’re pulled away from their leader. Daniel asks why they should believe Riley. He heard a voice on the radio giving coordinates to a safe place to go. Rollie asks if it was Morgan, and Daniel says, no. It was someone else, but he knows that voice. Rollie says he remembers the last time they took Daniel’s word for something, and Luci says they have no time for this. Is Daniel sure about what he’s telling them? He’s a little iffy, so she says they’ll go with what Riley said. It’s their only choice. They all get in the truck, and drive over some zombies loitering in the road. Sarah gets on the radio, and says, if Wen can hear her, stay where he is. Daniel asks Riley, why not remain silent, and die for his cause? Why would he tell them about a safe place when they’re so close to the end? The truck suddenly fishtails, and Rollie says, the brakes went out. Sarah asks Jacob if he’s fixed brakes before, and they get out. Rollie says, all hands on deck; they have company. A cluster of zombies approaches, and Jacob helps to keep the zombies at bay, while Sarah works to patch a hole in the accumulator. She tells Jacob that they may not make their way to the bunker, but he says they will. She asks, what comes next? and he says she and Wen will be together, one way or another. She does some welding.

Daniel asks Riley, if he’s all about destruction, why help them survive? Riley says he wants to see their faces when it all turns to ash. They said Teddy and his group were all insane, but it’s just the beginning. Sarah says, it worked, and Riley tells Daniel, the next will rise, or some kind of nonsense lik that. Sarah says it’s a patch job, but should get them there in one piece, and Rollie says they’ll make it out of this thing yet. Daniel talks to Luci in Spanish, asking her to give him the gun, and he shoots Rollie. Daniel says, he was one of them. That’s how Teddy found out they were at the sub. That’s why they were prepared. Riley is shot from behind, and we see Charlie holding the literal smoking gun. He’s not dead, and Luci asks Riley if it’s true. He tells her, they lost their faith and turned on each other behind the wall. Daniel has himself to thank. Otherwise they would have never been found out. Nobody is going anywhere. Warheads start to come down, and Daniel says, the coordinates. They can still make it. Luci says he knew truth about Riley. They’re putting their faith in him. They read out the coordinates.  

Dwight and Shari ride up the road, and stop. Dwight says, there’s no school there. Shari wonders if they took a wrong turn, and Dwight says, they’ll go back. There’s got to be something nearby. They gallop away, and they hear Morgan on the radio, saying, give yourself the end you wanted, even if it’s not the one we all imagined. They see a cabin, and Shari says, maybe there’s beer and pretzels in there. He asks if she’s serious, and she says, it’s the one thing they said they’d do when they found each other, and they haven’t done it yet. If this is the end, it’s how she wants to go out; just them. A title says: Enjoy the view, a-hole. They go to the cabin, and Dwight says, maybe it’s not just them. They go inside, and Dwight checks the kitchen, while Shari looks at a photo of a couple with a baby. She goes out to the backyard, and Dwight joins her. He says he couldn’t find pretzels, but he found these bad boys, handing her a beer. He says, they’re warm, but they’ll do the trick. They drink, and Shari wonders why they didn’t do this sooner. They  found each other, after everything. That doesn’t just happen, but she couldn’t get past the past. She wasted so much time being pissed off; trying to fight the bad guys, but the bad guys always win. They’ve seen that every time, and nothing she did was going to change that. She cries, and says, all it did was cost her time with him. He takes her beer, and puts it with his on the porch, and holds her. He says, everything she did, everything she’s done, she has nothing to be sorry for. He kisses her, and says they still have this life, even if it’s just for now. The woman and man from the photo come out, the man holding a gun, and Dwight says, they don’t want any trouble. They thought the cabin was empty. Shari says, they’ll get out if they know a place where they can hole up. The man says they had a place, but they took it. Dwight asks what he’s talking about, and the man says, a storm cellar. They were about to go down, when two jackasses showed up, and forced them up. Dwight asks who they were, and the woman says, they didn’t introduce themselves. They just ranted about, the end is the beginning. A little girl comes out, and we assume she’s the baby from the photo. The woman says, just give them their house back, and Dwight asks where the cellar is. He’ll get it back for them. The woman asks, how? and Dwight asks if they have any rope.  

Dwight ties one end of a rope to the horse, and the other to the cellar door handle. He slaps the horse’s flank to get it moving, and it runs, pulling the door off. Two guys come out shooting. Shari shoots one, killing him, and shoots the other, who falls, but gets up and runs. Dwight shoots him in the back, and he crawls. They all run over to him, and Dwight turns him over. The guy says, do it, and Dwight says he looks scared. A zombie is heading their way, and the guy says, please, but Dwight says, no. He doesn’t think so. He’s going to do for the guy what the guy tried to do for the family there. Give him a front row seat to the sh*t show they brought on them. Someone shoots the zombie, and Shari shoots the guy in the knee, calling him an a-hole. As they walk to the cellar, Dwight tells Shari, maybe they’re both right, and the bad guys don’t always win. They go to the cellar door, and see the missile divide. They rush inside.   

Driving with Dakota, Teddy hears Morgan on the radio, saying he’s still going to try and stop what Teddy started, but he’s not sure it’s possible. Dakota snaps the radio off, startling Teddy. She says she’s sorry she saved Morgan. She’s the only reason Morgan is alive. If he’d died at the gulch, there would have been no one stopping the missiles. Teddy says he’s glad it went the way it did. Otherwise, he never would have met her. Dakota asks if he means it, and he says she gets him. All those others, hanging on his every word, doing what he tells them, not a single one understood what he was doing the way she does.

A title says: You have nothing to be sorry about. Teddy and Dakota stand at a viewing station, and look out. He says, it’s almost time. Look at it. Here they are with a front row seat. Dakota says Teddy told her that she got him. He was the first person who didn’t look at her like she had something wrong with her, and try to make her change. He takes her hand, and says, imagine if they’d found each other sooner. John comes up behind them, and tells Teddy, step away from the girl. Teddy asks if John is spending his last moments before he turns to mulch, putting him down. John says he’s there for Dakota. He’s not fixing to hurt her; he just wants to say something. Dakota says, he’ll try to make her change her mind, and John says, she can still make her life mean something. She just has to believe people are better than she thinks they are. She says that’s how John Jr. ended up with a bullet in him, and John says, even though he walked out on his son, John Jr. still found it in himself to forgive him years later. She asks what he’s going to do with her, and he says, forgive her for killing John; for taking her son’s life. Teddy tells Dakota not to listen to him. She has nothing to be sorry about. She asks if he means that, and he says he does. John puts his gun down, and Teddy raises his, but it’s shot out of his hand. June walks up, saying, John didn’t come alone, and John says she’s a better shot than he is. Dakota asks why they’re there, and June says she forgives Dakota too. It’s not too late, even if Dakota believes it is. As long as you’re alive, it’s not too late. Dakota asks, if June believes that, why did she kill Virginia? and June says, when she lost John, she lost what she believed, but she found it again. So can Dakota. John steps on something hard, and says, what the hell is under there? He brushes aside the grass, and sees a camouflaged trap door. It opens to a ladder going down into a tunnel. He says he thought Teddy was the end. It looks like he plans on sticking around. His talk about the beginning was just hot air to get his lambs to march to slaughter. June says John isn’t lying to Dakota. Teddy is here to do what he believes. Dakota asks, what the hell is this? and Teddy tells her they’re going to shoot off the rest of the missiles. When he dust clears, he can finish what he started. Dakota says, he didn’t mean it about her understanding him, but Teddy insists he did. She says, then why didn’t he tell her? He says he couldn’t risk anyone else finding out. He wanted it to be about her and him. Why else would he bring her? John says, he needs two people to launch a missile; only one can’t turn both keys. He doesn’t care about Dakota. He just needs her. Dakota says, he’s her family, and doesn’t want her to be something she’s not. Teddy says, John abandoned his son, and June tells Dakota that she has a chance to survive; it’s a sign there are second chances. They see the missile divide, and John says, it’s starting soon. Dakota can die being who she is, or go with them. She says, and pretend to be someone she’s not. He says, it’s her choice. She points the gun, but seems unsure, and points it at Teddy.

Riding down the road on a horse, Victor hears Morgan over the radio, saying the missile is going to reenter the atmosphere, and it has multiple warheads. A title says: Which man are you? He goes into a building fighting his way through zombies inside. He tries a door, but it’s locked. A zombie gets him up close and personal, but he stabs it in the head, and runs into a stairwell. He goes up to an empty floor, and asks if anybody is there. He sees dead people, but not like that kid in Sixth Sense. They lie all over on the floor. He looks out to the parking lot, and at the crowd of zombies wandering around. He yells at the top of his lungs, and sits on the floor. He hears something in the distance, and follows the sound. He opens a door and hears a recording of a man singing the blues. He walks into a humongous room where a lot of art is being stored. He hears a gun click behind him, and a man asks how he got past the dead he let in. Hand over his gun, and start talking. Victor turns around, and says, he didn’t see it? and the man says, it was hard to miss. Is it hitting there? Victor says, it’s hitting everywhere. The man asks how Victor knows, and Victor says, he was there. Unless the man has someplace to shelter, there’s nothing more he can do. The man says he guesses that’s the ballgame, puts his gun down, and asks if Victor likes bourbon. It’s from a distillery in Texas. It used to be in Texas anyway. He asks Victor to turn the record over. He says, it’s “Lemon Blind” Jefferson. He mostly played around Dallas in 1926 to ’29. Victor says he knows his history, and the man says he hopes so. He’s a historian, or he used to be. He was a teacher before the world did what it did. Victor puts the needle on the record, and asks if that’s where all of this came from. The man says, it came after. From museums, city halls… The flag is from the Alamo. He figured somebody should try to preserve history. Victor sees a medal around the man’s neck, and asks if he’s a religious man. He says, no; his wife was. She said it would protect him. So much for that. (I dunno about that; he’s still alive.) Victor says he gave one just like it to someone, a dear friend. The man asks what Victor was trying to protect them from, and Victor says, it’s complicated. The man says, now’s not the time to be cryptic, and asks Victor, who is he? What is he doing up there? What happened out there? Victor says they were trying to build a future, while the ones they were up against were trying to end it. He was trying to stop it. He should have stopped it. The man asks why he didn’t, and Victor says, it came down to two men. They had to give their lives to save everyone, and when push came to shove, one couldn’t. The man asks, why not? and Victor says, he wanted to survive. He wanted the tales of glory for himself, and consigned everyone to be destroyed trying to circumvent death. The man asks, which one was he? and Victor says, he was the one who ready to die. The man asks why he’s there. Why isn’t he with the rest of them? Victor says, something led him there, This must be the ending he deserved, or thought he did. They hear the warheads, and see one coming down in the distance. The man says he wishes they’d met sooner, and introduces himself as Howard. Victor says, he’s Morgan. Morgan Jones.   

Grace watches the missile, and hears Morgan on the radio, telling everyone to make it mean something, and give themselves the end they want. She throws the radio, and rages a little. A title says: I can hear her. She looks into the submarine, and says she knows the ending she wants. She goes down the ladder. Morgan is cursing his life at the controls, when she comes in. He tells her that he said he’d keep trying. He’s got to make it happen. She says he can’t make stop, but he says, it’s not over. She says, they don’t know where the missiles hit, but it’s close enough. Even if they survive, with the radiation and fallout, the won’t want to live in this world. She’s seen what it does. It will be worse than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dying from radiation is extremely long and painful, and there will be no escaping it. He takes her hand, and she says she’s not watching it happen again; not to someone else she loves. That’s the problem with her. Don’t tell her it’s not too late. Morgan kisses her, and tells he that he loves her. She says she knows, and puts her gun on the desk. She says, please don’t make her watch it again, and he says, he thought he’d die in the gulch, but there was a reason he kept breathing. It was her. He wanted to take care of her, to build something for Athena. She says, it’s not going to happen. She’s sorry, but neither one of them were meant to be there. He says he’s sorry; he truly is. He’s sorry for them, and for what could have been. He actually let himself believe he could have a family again, be a husband… be a father. She says he can be, just not there. When Athena was born Grace wished so long to hear her cry, but it never came. She needs to hear her baby cry. They hear something outside, and Grace says, it’s the warheads separating. He picks up the gun, and says he’s sorry it has to end this way, but she says, it’s for the best. They hug, and put their foreheads together. He puts the gun against the back of his own head. We hear a baby cry, and Grace says, I can hear her. Morgan says, he can too, and they realize it’s a real baby, not Athena in their heads.  

Outside, Rufus barks. He’s leading Rachel, who’s now a zombie. Morgan says, Rachel, and Grace grabs the dog. Morgan hesitates for a moment, but then stabs Rachel through the head with his pokey stick. He catches her as she falls, and takes Baby Morgan out of her backpack. I have literally never seen a head of hair like this on a baby this young; it’s amazing. Morgan laughs, and Grace hugs the dog. He says, it feels like a gift from Athena.

Wes and Sarah get out of the truck, followed by the others. Wes asks if Daniel is sure he had the right coordinates. Charlie says, there’s nobody here, and Daniel says he’s sorry. Sarah says, maybe Wen will be okay, and Riley says, he told them, there’s no escaping. Daniel grabs him, pulls him out of the truck, and throws him on the ground. He’s either knocked out or dead, and Wes goes through his pockets. Charlie looks up, and is the first to see the helicopter headed their way. Sarah says, sh*t in a sandbox, and Luci says, Daniel was right; she knew it. The helicopter lands, and they run to it. Sarah wonders who the hell it is, and the person on the passenger side says she’s glad they got the coordinates. Don’t ask the pilot any questions. The less they know, the better. She’s wearing a facemask, but we assume it’s Al. I also assume the pilot is Isabelle.

Dakota aims her gun at John again, and June says, please, but Dakota says she doesn’t have to change for anyone.  John asks if he ever told June about the St. Louis Barnraiser, and she nods. He shoots in the air, and Dakota shoots at him, getting him in the arm, as June shoots the gun out of her hand. June and John go down into the tunnel, leaving Dakota and Teddy behind. Dakota asks if Teddy ever really gave a sh*t, or did he just need her to turn the key? He doesn’t say anything, and she shoots him, saying, that’s what she thought. She shoots him again in the head, and tells him, he said she should never change, and she’s not. Now, he never gets to see his ending.

Victor and Howard go to the window, and watch the warheads come down.

Dakota looks out, everything goes white. She’s been burned to a crisp, and I laugh.   

John and June duck, and everything blows apart.

Dwight, Shari, and the family huddle together in the root cellar. They hear the door banging, but it suddenly stops.

Luci says, if they stick together, they’ll be fine. The helicopter takes off, and we see Wes has painted, This Isn’t The End on the road; the word End on Riley’s back. Riley gets up and walks away, as a mushroom cloud rises in the distance.   

Everything is blowing up everywhere. Grace sees a dust cloud coming , and Morgan says, go! They run, Morgan holding the baby, and Rufus gets in a truck. As usual, the dog is my main concern. Morgan and Grace go under a car with Baby Morgan, and it looks like that move The Day After.   

Victor grits his teeth and closes his eyes, but then it’s over. He and Howard they see mushroom cloud. Victor laughs, and Howard asks why he’s laughing. Victor says, because he’s alive. After everything he did, he’s still there. Howard says, everything he did? and Victor says he’s not the man he told Howard he was. He’s the other one. He’s not Morgan Jones; he’s Victor Strand. He’s a man who’s thrown other men to the wolves when it was necessary. He’s not afraid to the cut the cord when he’s had to. He’s a hustler and a backroom dealer, and he’s cheated if the opportunity presented itself. Howard asks, why? and Victor says, survival. He’s done it all his life. Despite the critics, he’s still there. He came from nothing, but he knows how to survive. He’s had to rebuild himself from the ground up, over and over again. They have a great future behind them. They can take that future and rebuild, with art, and books, and music, and good bourbon. It feels like the dawning of a new day to him. They look at the cloud, and Victor asks, how about Howard?  

Grace coughs, and she and Morgan come out with the baby. They see a zombie going by, the back of him smoking (dubbed Backdraft Zombie by Talking Dead). Morgan waits for it to approach, and stabs it in the throat. They hear some popping sounds, and Morgan looks at Grace, and then Baby Morgan.

No preview, since this was the finale.

⚰️ So I’m thinking about this episode as I’m editing and listening to Talking Dead, where they’re talking about FWD having a new reality for its characters due to the bombings. And I thought, but wait, doesn’t this mean they’ll have to do the same for Walking Dead, and whatever other shows are connected to it in the same timeline or after?

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-season-6-finale-explosive-ending-impacts-walking-dead-universe-crm-helicopter/

💣 Victor’s Villainy…

I never thought of villains as necessarily being queer, but hey, why not?

https://ew.com/tv/colman-domingo-fear-the-walking-dead-zola-pride/

🧛🏼 Speaking Of Queer…

A wonderful list of horror films. This article also contains one of my favorite horror film titles of all time, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-Rama. I’ve never actually seen it, but I have seen Tammy and the T-Rex, also on the list. It was… interesting.

Queer Fear: A Viewer’s Guide to Shudder’s 2021 Queer Horror Collection

📽 It’s Coming…

The latest on American Horror Story.

https://www.ihorror.com/american-horror-story-announces-official-season-10-title/
‘American Horror Story’s’ New Season and Its Spin-Off Gets Premiere Dates

🐎 Country Wins…

Everything you ever wanted to know about this year’s CMT Awards, including the fashions of course.

https://www.cmt.com/cmt-music-awards

⛸ Skating…

Finally, my dog saw the vet, after screaming, crying, and stamping my feet to get an appointment that wasn’t three weeks from now. Slight exaggeration, but I was persistent. His health issues were dealt with, so hopefully, I’m back on track now. Until we meet for soap and a sail, stay safe, stay resilient, and stay being a survivor, but without throwing anyone to the wolves like Victor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX3mxjtpyBc
May17

May 16, 2021 – June Meets a Surprising Stranger, Connections, New John In Town, Speculation, Something Silly & Zombie Music

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

A zombie steps on a birds nest, then gets impaled on a spike because zombies aren’t too bright, and that’s what you get for stepping on a bird’s nest. Outside the gates of Morgan’s town, June walks up to Morgan. She asks, how’s she doing? and he says, she’s holed up. She won’t see anybody, him included. The baby might be alive if they hadn’t had to come to her. She says, it wouldn’t have made a difference, but he says, don’t say it. Grace has already gone there, saying the only reason the she’s alive is because the baby absorbed the bad sh*t in her body. June says she has to make sure Grace is okay, but he says there’s nothing she can say or do to make any of it okay. She tells him that she’s the closest thing they have to a doctor, and has to examine Grace, but he says he’s not letting her come in. June says, Grace needs see her, and he says, Grace does, or she does? She couldn’t do the one thing John wanted. She couldn’t stay, so why is she there when she’s not needed? Tell him again how she’s there for Grace and not herself. She turns around, and marches out.

A zombie crawls through a field, and June stabs it in the head. We see The End is The Beginning painted in huge letters on the road. June puts an X on a map, and puts it back in her pouch. She takes out John’s letter, and almost opens it, then puts it back. She checks gas cans in truck beds, but they’re empty. She hears something, and turns, drawing her gun, but it’s Dwight, who says, easy there. He tried to radio, but there was no answer. She asks what he’s doing there, and he says he could ask her the same question. He thought she had a hospital to build. She says, they can manage. She’s doing her part to figure out what they’re up against. He asks if it has something to do with what Morgan said to her, and she says, he heard it? but Dwight says, the man is hurting; he didn’t mean it. June says Dwight didn’t have to follow her to babysit her, and Dwight says, she’s the only reason he and Shari are still breathing. He couldn’t stand the idea of her out there all alone. She says, Morgan was right. She did the one thing John didn’t want her to. He didn’t want her to cut her hair, and she did. Dwight says, John was worried, and she says, John asked her to leave with him before they even got there. Dwight tells her not to do this to herself, but she says she should have just listened to John. He’d still be here. Instead he went with Ginny, and it didn’t make much difference in the end. He says, they’ve got company. She sees Shari, and says, you two…? but he shakes his head, and says she asked to come when she saw him leaving. June asks, why? and he says he’s not sure. Shari hasn’t said much. Shari says, don’t let her interrupt, and checks the gas cans in a truck bed. Dwight says, horses don’t take unleaded, and June says, there’s nothing there. They probably took the gas when they painted the messages. Dwight asks where June is going, and she says, Jimmy is on the run, and if anyone knows what they’re up against, it’s him. She asks if Dwight brought more company, and someone shoots at them. They duck down, seeing a man up on the hell. Shari says she’s going to take him out, but June says, they need him alive. He might have information. She kicks the mirror off the car she and Dwight are behind. She looks into it, and the guy shoots the mirror. Shari shoots back, and June repeats that they need him alive. Zombies are coming down the road, and June tells Dwight to cover her. He tells her, be careful, and shoots the zombies. June goes up the hill.  

June sees a trailer, and slinks around it. She tries the door, but it’s locked. She covers her gun with a blanket, and smashes the window, pulling herself up and into the trailer. She pulls out a flashlight, and looks around. She sees a bulletin board with a map and Polaroids of places where The End Is The Beginning has been written. She hears a gun cock, and turns around, seeing Keith Carradine. He asks why she’s there. Is she one of them? She says, who? and he says, the folks painting the slogans. She says she might be on the same team as he is, and he says, if that’s true, her and her pals need to kick rocks. He knows what they’re capable of, and trust him, she wants no part of it. She asks what knows, and he says, the trail ran cold. If they think he’s going to catch them, and he’s getting too close, they’ll have to move up the plan. She asks, what plan? and he says he’s going to get to the bottom of it. She asks if they shouldn’t share information. She and her friends have been searching for days. He says he’s been searching a lot longer, and she says, let her help. He asks how she can help, and she says she didn’t realize the tags went that far south. He missed one; at the orchard. He says if she wants to help, and says they’re on the same side, prove it. Bring him to the orchard so he can see what he hasn’t. If she’s lying, and wasting his time, and it’s not them, he’ll put a bullet into her. She says she’s not leaving her friends, but he tells her, drive.

Keith Carradine keeps his gun on June, and she says, it’s not necessary. She wants them as bad as he does. He  tells her, keep your eyes on the road, sweetheart, but she tells him not to call her that. He asks what he should call her, and she says, anything else. He says he didn’t ask her to gum up his investigation. She’s burning his time and resources. So with all due respect, sweetheart, shut up and drive. She jerks the RV all over, and he falls. She takes out her gun, and he sees the handle. He asks where she got the gun, and she asks why she should tell him. He says, because they belong to him. The JD on the handle, that’s him. He’s John Dorie. (But he is really Keith Carradine.)

Shari and Dwight ride, and Shari stops to pick up an empty gas container. She throws it into the woods, and Dwight says he wants to find June as bad as she does, but if they keep running the horses like this, she’s going to kill them. Even if the container was full, they’d only get six miles out of it. She says she just wants to find June, and be done with. She asks why he’s really there. Is he playing detective, or did Morgan tell him to keep an eye on June? He says, neither. When he was out looking for Shari, things got desperate. The trail got cold, and he was tired hungry and thinking about ending it. Not just the search; everything. The only reason he’s there is because John and June changed everything. She asks, how? and he says he doesn’t know. Seeing two people together, two people separated like them, made it seem possible. He thought maybe he and Shari could find each other again. Does she want to tell him why she’s there? She says, there’s no time, and gets back on her horse. She rides off, and he follows.

June looks at the gun, and says, the way John talked, the times he did, she thought he was dead. John Sr. says, as far as his son was concerned, he was. She asks when he last saw his son, and he says, he doesn’t know. He couldn’t been more than twelve. She says, he should know, John was good at sharpshooting, and he says, if his son was a good shot, it had nothing to do with him. She asks if he doesn’t have any questions, and he says, about what? She says, where his son is, or what he’s been up to for the past 40 years? He says he already knows the answer. Why else would she be there with that look on her face, and a gun on her hip? And she’s wearing two wedding rings. He was cop; he notices things. She says, so was his son, and John Sr. says, he became a cop? He thought his son would learn better from his old man. She says, oh no, and looks outside. She tells him that she lost her jacket, and needs to go back. He says she can have one of his, but she says she has to go back. He says he’s not wasting time on a jacket, but she says, it’s not the jacket. There’s a letter in the pocket. He asks what’s in it that’s so important? but she says, she doesn’t know; she hasn’t read it. He says, it must not be that important then. She’s welcome to go back, but the RV is only going in one direction; that’s forward. She gets in the driver’s seat, and starts it up, but it makes a weird sound. He says, kill it, and they listen. He says, sh*t; they have a stowaway. He looks underneath, and there’s a zombie stuck in the undercarriage. He crawls underneath and says, goddammit. She probably ran it over during her little maneuver. She asks if he has something to pull it out,  and he says he does. He tells her to rev the engine a tiny bit; look for his signal. Nice and easy. She starts the van up, and he says, whoa! Cut the engine. The zombie is shredded, but still making zombie noises. She says, anything? and he says, that ain’t just blood, it’s transmission fluid. She probably nicked the line when she hit it. She asks if he can fix it, but he says, this thing is toast, thanks to her.

Dwight and Shari gallop along. Shari goes way ahead, but when Dwight catches up, he finds her on the ground, next to her horse, who’s also down. He says he told her to slow down. The horse’s heart is giving out. She shoots the horse, and says, let’s go. He asks, what’s going on? This isn’t about those cult a-holes. Why are they chasing gas cans? She says she’s going back home to Virginia. She needs to take out the person who’s really to blame for all of this. he says, Negan? and she says she’s going to find him, and put a bullet in his head. That’s why she asked him to come with her. She wanted to find the right way to say goodbye. He says he gets it. Lord knows, he’s done things he’s not proud of. He hopes they find June, and hopes they get out of there. She tells him that he said that before. Does he mean it this time? He says he does, but they’re going at his speed. He’s not running the horse into the ground. She says, all right, and they walk as he leads the horse.

Shari rides behind Dwight, and they see June’s jacket hanging from a tree branch. Dwight takes it off. 

June looks at a newspaper article on the bulletin board about Teddy getting life in prison, and John says, he has them all up there a certain way; don’t go messing them up. Ha-ha! He sounds like me if someone touches something on my desk. She asks if this is him? and he says it’s when he arrested Teddy Mannix, the psycho killing preacher mortician, and put him away for life. He was supposed to be anyway. She asks what he means, and he says, The End Is The Beginning. He spouted the same thing back in the 70s. She says, Teddy is the person responsible for all this? and he says he should have killed Teddy when he had the chance. He guesses it’s not too late. She asks if John is sure it’s him, and he says, when he was foraging, he spotted The End Is The Beginning, and it was like a punch in the gut, seeing it after all this time. He went to the prison hoping to find a rotting corpse, but Teddy’s cell door was open and he was nowhere to be found. His life’s work wasn’t good enough for that SOB. When he put Teddy away, he wasn’t exactly clean. He did the wrong thing for the right reasons. She says, he framed Teddy? Did anyone find out? He says, people looked at him like he was a hero. He couldn’t sleep, and started drinking. His life was a lie. He was angry all the time. It was hard for John Jr. too. He thought the best thing was for him to get as far away from his family as possible. They thought he abandoned them, but they didn’t understand. She asks him to explain how, after 40 years, he checked on the man who ruined his life, but not his son? He says it was best thing did for John Jr., not showing up at the cabin. She says he may not have wanted to go before, but they can go now. It’s a lead to Teddy. He says he’s not going, and she says, it’s the best lead they’ve got. He says he has better leads; the orchard, Teddy’s childhood home. She says, Hill will be at the cabin, and he might have information. He has no time to take a short detour? He says, it’s where he left his boy 40 years ago. He won’t go back. She says she met and lost her husband at that cabin. The table has medical supplies on it, but she didn’t get the chance to save him. She’s finding Hill. What he knows will save a lot of lives, and he has something of hers. John asks, what’s that? and she says, John’s other pistol. He says, the guns. They do belong together.

John stabs a zombie in the head, and tells June, that’s Teddy’s doing. She asks how he knows, and he says, embalming fluid. Same as the first time, back when they dead stayed dead. They keep walking, and she asks what Teddy wants. John says, the same thing he’s always wanted; destruction. Teddy is spouting the same circle of life mumbo jumbo as he did before she was born. She asks, why embalming fluid? and he says, it’s how he keeps out the young horde. Preservation prevents folks from moving on to the next world. Teddy is crazy as a pet snake, but he could sell ice to Eskimos. His followers are armed and highly motivated. She says, they’re not the only ones, and he says, he doesn’t doubt it. June sees his hand is bandaged, and tells him that she’s nurse. She could take a look. He says, there’s a bait shop nearby, and she says, Bill’s. He says, she knows it. Were she and John married before or after? She says, after. John used a candy wrapper. He laughs, and she says, it was the best he could do at the time. He says he proposed to John’s mom the same way, but it was a Juicy Fruit wrapper. He was still at the Academy, and didn’t have a dime to his name.

Shari and Dwight look at John’s bulletin board, and tells Dwight, it looks like he’d been hunting for a lifetime before world fell apart. She can’t believe he’s John’s father. What are the odds? Dwight says, he never thought shooting at  June and John would lead him to her, but here they are. She says, June left a note; Hill is at John’s cabin. He’s a Ranger, and she bets he has a truck. Dwight says, there’s a good chance there’s gas in it too, and she tells him to point her in the right direction.   

John Sr. and June walk into a general store, and John says, the place has changed since he was last there. They used to eat ice cream on a bench outside. John Jr. has a sweet tooth… had. She looks on the shelves for supplies, and he sees the movie rental list. He says, John always loved movies. He warned his son that he’d wind up with square eyes. He watched Bullitt over and over. He puts the list back, and unwraps his hand. June sterilizes his wound, and asks him to tell her about the guns. She knows they were in his family for generations. He says, six. The first John Dorie brought them on the trail out west. The second JD shot Dead Eye Driscoll from Blackwater. Got his picture in the paper. His son was a good shot too? June says he taught her, and worked at Humbug’s Gulch on the weekends as a trick shooter. That’s where they were married; all their friends were there. He says, it sounds a nice affair, and tells her that his son wrote his initials on a wall in the back room. He wonders if they’re still there, and they walk to the back. June goes in first, and he closes the door, putting a bar across the handles. I had the feeling he was going to lock her in there. She asks what he’s doing, and he says, she and Junior shared a life. She’s not blood, but she’s the closest thing he’s got to family. She says, so he’s doing to her like he did to John? and he says, that’s not what this is. She says he think he’s protecting her, but he’s just punishing himself. He doesn’t think he deserves this. He says she’s the one carrying a letter she hasn’t opened. She can come at him all she wants. We all got ways of protecting ourselves. She says, she knows he thinks he’s doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, but they need to work together. He doesn’t hear her because he’s already gone.

At Bill’s, Shari checks out an old truck, and gets it started on a second try, but it dies. Dwight says, she got the engine to turn over, and she says, barely. She wonders if it’s the same truck her grandpa had, but Dwight says, her grandpa had a ’69; this is older. She asks if he remembers when they got the truck stuck in the mud on their way to the bonfire; and he says, they gave up, and drank beer in the car until they passed out. Is she sure this is what she wants to do? She does it, then what? . She comes back? Shari says, that’s the plan. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen. Is she really ready to say goodbye? She listens, and asks, what’s that?

John Sr. enters the cabin, and looks around, no doubt flooded with memories. He sits down, but hears something, and he cocks his gun. He goes out back, and hears a zombie. He puts the gun in his waistband, and stabs it in the head. A man comes up behind him with a gun and says, you picked the wrong cabin to rob, old timer. He gets distracted by another zombie, and John Sr. knocks him back against a tree, takes his gun, and shoots the zombie. He keeps the guy pinned against the tree, and says, this is his son’s cabin; that makes him a trespasser. The guy says he’s John’s old man, and that’s John’s gun, and John Sr. says, tell him all he knows about Theodore Maddox, or he’ll blow the guy’s head off. The guy asks who the hell Theodore is, and John Sr. says, he’s the one behind the spray paint. The guy asks what the hell it matters to John Sr., but John Sr. says that’s his business. The guy says, all he knows is, whatever they have planned, it’s big. John Sr. asks, how big? but the guy doesn’t know. He could never get anyone to talk. All he knows is, they want to kill everybody. John Sr. says, he’ll give the guy five minutes. Get his sh*t, and get the hell out of there. The guy says he lives there now. The previous occupant moved out permanently, in case you didn’t hear. He tries to get John Sr.’s gun, and they struggle. They both fall to the ground, and John Sr. knocks the guy out with a punch. He sees his son’s grave marker, a cross that says John Dorie, and gets distracted. The guy shoots him in the back, but then someone shoots the guy from behind. John touches the marker, and June runs to him, telling Dwight and Shari to help get him inside.

John opens his eyes, gets out of bed, and walks outside. He sees June with Shari and Dwight, and hears June thanking them for her jacket. John sits in the old truck, and June says he shouldn’t be out of bed. She just took a bullet out of him, and he lost a lot of blood. He says, they meant to fix the old girl up together. It was going to be his son’s first car. He didn’t run because he didn’t care. He did it because he does care. Just like he did with June at Bill’s. She says she knows, and he says, she was right. He was punishing himself, and also punishing his wife and boy. He did come back that summer. He went to Bill’s to fill up the tank, and saw John Jr. there. He looked so content eating his ice cream. He looked so happy. John had this light about him… Of course she knows. He was afraid he’d snuff it out, like the Teddy case did him. He decided to leave John Jr. there. His son would be better off without him. He went back, put the pistols on the porch, and never looked back. He never even said goodbye. June says, it’s not too late, and takes out the letter.

They stand at John’s grave, and June says, it was right there when she first met him. She was broken, and he sewed her back up with fishing line, butterscotch brittle, light, and love. She opens the letter. June. This is the hardest decision of my life and I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me for making it. For leaving you behind to save an innocent person’s life. Knowing I may not see you again, I believe you’ll forgive me one day, the same way I forgave… my dad for leaving. It took me a few years to see it from his shoes, but I forgave him. He was a good man, and in his own way, he did what he did because he loved me. Like I’m doing what I’m doing because I love you. No matter what happens, sure as the sun sets, I’ll never stop trying to get back to you. Back to those early days in the cabin – she starts to cry – and the pretty lady who washed up on my shore, and my life was forever changed. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. You rekindled the light in me, and brought me back to people. In believing in goodness, and doing good for what’s worth fighting for, like I fought for you. If I die, I will die knowing life was worth living because of a nurse by the name of June. You’re the light guiding my way. I love you, Junebug. She cries, I cry, and everyone looks sad. John Sr. puts his hand on June’s shoulder.

Dwight tells Shari, whoever did the work on the truck, did a good job. She should make it as far as Louisiana. She looks at the article about Teddy, and he asks, what is it? She says she’s not ready for this to be goodbye, and he asks what she means. She says, the man John Sr. has been chasing, he’s been chasing for how many years? He’s missed out on his entire life. She can’t let that happen to them. She’s been using Negan as an excuse for why they can’t be together. Dwight was able to change, and get back to who he once was. She thinks that’s what she’s afraid of; she won’t be able to do that. He says, he’s changed, but he’s not the same person he used to be, and she doesn’t have to be that either. She says she won’t be that for a while, and he says she’s probably right. They were young… Why don’t they just start over? He’s willing to give it a shot if she is. She says, yeah, and they hug.   

June and John Sr. load up the truck. June takes off the rings, and gives them to Dwight. She thanks him for letting her borrow them. He says she doesn’t have to, but she says she wants to, and John would too. She’s giving them back to their rightful owners. He takes them, and puts around his neck. June takes a last look at the cabin, and she and John Sr. get in the truck. Dwight and Shari get on Dwight’s horse, and ride off.

June brings John Sr. to Morgan, who apparently lives his life standing at the entrance of his town. She says, there’s someone she’d like him to meet. This is John Dorie, John’s father. Morgan shakes John Sr.’s hand, and says, pleased to meet him. Morgan asks June, how? and she says, long story. Morgan says John Sr.’s son saved his life in more ways than one, and John Sr. says, his wife just did the same for him. He thinks he’ll stay a while, and Morgan says he’ll be a welcome addition. June says, John Sr. is looking for the man who attacked Morgan and Grace. He knows everything about him. They can help each other. Morgan says, it looks like they already are. June takes Morgan aside, and says she knows she can’t change what she did… He says she doesn’t have to say it, but she says, it’s what John wanted. Now she has a chance to do the same there. Morgan says, he might have been wrong when he told her there was nothing she could do or say to make things better. June asks if she can please check on Grace, and John Sr. says they can put their heads together, and man up against Teddy. He knows Teddy, bow to stern. If he’s doing now what he wanted to do before, he’s not going to stop until they’re all dead. Morgan says, let’s get to work, and they go inside.

Next time, Alicia and Teddy go on a road trip, Teddy needs assurances before he takes the first steps, Alicia is surprised to see someone, and a zombie attacks Teddy.

🍳 Hunt For the Eggs…

On Talking Dead, Keith Carradine marveled at all the nerdy things hidden in tonight’s FTWD.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-jd-keith-carradine-aisha-tyler-john-dorie-deadwood/

🐎 Another Day, Another John…

Surprise! It’s John Dorie.

https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2567496/fear-the-walking-dead-keith-carradine-surprise-role-john-dorie-history-with-cult-leader-teddy-garret-dillahunt

⚰️ Quite a Stretch…

Perhaps it’s wishful thinking, since we pretty much saw her get eaten, but who knows?

The Return-Of-Madison Speculation Heats Up Again For ‘Fear The Walking Dead’

👠 A Real Doll…

Trixie is getting around. First Overserved, now this.

https://ew.com/tv/trixie-mattel-crank-yankers-clip/

🧍🏽‍♀️ Toddling Off…

The Shahs of Sunset are back, but choices had to be made. I’ll have to catch up On Demand or on rerun. Until we meet On Deck tomorrow, stay safe, stay respecting others’ personal space, and stay not being so fast to judge a guy in an RV who’s shooting at you. It could be Keith Carradine.

Apr12

April 11, 2021 – John Looks For Meaning, a Dead Morsel, Joining the Fear, Dead Info, Anniversary Of Thrones & Gloomy

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

John cleans his gun while he watches Meet John Doe. He loads the chambers with bullets. He messes around with some Scrabble letters, and sees a zombie outside. He shoots it through the open door from where he’s sitting, and takes a slug of whiskey. He spells out goodbye June, and puts the barrel under his chin. He shoots another zombie, and takes another drink. He repositions the gun, and says he’s sorry. Yet another zombie toddles along the shoreline, and he shoots it. He puts his head down on the table, and bangs the table with his fist, scattering the letters.

John paddles a canoe under a bridge where a bunch of zombies are contained by blockades. They look down at him like they’re watching a parade. He takes a look at the blockades, then walks to a boarded up gas station. He sees a few zombies bouncing against the side of the building, and shoots them. He looks inside, then opens the door. He says, I don’t want no trouble, but it’s trouble you want, I got some for you. Cowboy talk. He quietly walks through the mini-mart. It seems empty, but he sees some blood on the floor near the restroom. Dakota comes out, and he asks what the hell she’s doing there. She says, running from her sister; him? He guesses he could say the same thing, and asks if she passed the crowd on the bridge. She pushes open the restroom door, and John sees Morgan sitting on floor. He says, hey, John, and Dakota asks how John found them. He says the path to the bridge kept washing up to his cabin. The river has a way of bringing people back to life. He tells Morgan that he looks better, and Dakota says she put up the barricades, and patched Morgan up as good as she could. She heard shots, and didn’t think they’d make it. John says, neither did he, and she asks how he survived. He says he had help. He doesn’t know who, but when he came to, he was patched up and they’d moved on. Somebody else helped him later, and now he has to add Dakota to the list. Dakota says, it wasn’t hard. Somebody stocked the shelves with everything they needed. (Trivia: It was June a long time ago.) Morgan says, it’s good to see John, and John says, he feels like he’s looking at a ghost. Morgan says, Virginia sent the Rangers after them, and they ran. He, Alicia, and Charlie got separated by the herd. He should get back on the road. John says Morgan’s not going anywhere, not like that. Where is he going? Dakota says, Morgan has a place he’s rebuilding, and they hear something at the front of the store.

Dakota moves toward the front, taking Morgan’s battleax pokey weapon. John pulls her back again, and Ranger Marcus walks in. He says, anybody home? but they stay quiet. Marcus walks toward the back, grabbing a candy out of a dish as he walks past. He looks at the old VHS tapes, and looks at a chart on the wall. He sees John’s name, and gets on his radio, asking Hill, does he copy? He’s not going to believe this. He thinks Ranger Dorie has been there. He tells Hill, stand by. He’s coming for higher ground. John motions Dakota to go further back, and Marcus leaves.  

John tells Morgan, he’s gone, and Morgan gets up. Dakota says John should have shot him, but John says he didn’t need to. Morgan says, he’d be like the men they’ve tried hard not be, and John suggests they get out of there. They’ll be safer in his cabin.

John gives Dakota and Morgan dinner, and Dakota asks how John learned to cook. John says he spent summers there when he was a kid. When in Rome… He tries to replace the door with a new one, but it doesn’t fit right. Morgan says, the place they’re going is in a dry river bed. There’s water nearby, and plenty of fish. They need someone who knows how to cook. John says June cooks better than he does, and Morgan asks, how long has John been there? John says, a couple of weeks, and Morgan asks, where’s June? Why isn’t she with him? John says, it’s not worth talking about, and asks where the place is that Morgan settled. Morgan says, it’s 40 miles north, and John says, that’s a ways to go on foot, but he has enough gas in the truck to get them there. Morgan says he was hoping John would come. They could use somebody with his skills. John says, what might those be? and Morgan says, the plan keeps shifting. They can’t make clean trade with Virginia, but she’s going to want her sister back. Dakota asks if he wants to use her as bait, but Morgan tells her not to worry; he’s not going to let Virginia get to her. This means a fight. John says, it’s going to be difficult… Oh, that’s why Morgan needs him. Morgan says, it will be different this time. They’ll be fighting on their own turf, and on their own terms, for their family. Dakota holds up a piece of something, and asks what it is. John says, nothing, and she says, it looks like blood. He says, it’s part of a knife handle, and she asks, what knife? He says, the one that killed Cameron, and Morgan says, the Ranger that Janice was with? John says he thought if he could find the rest, it might lead to who killed Cameron, but he couldn’t find it. Dakota asks why he still has it, and Morgan says John is doing it again. John says, what? and Morgan says, what John told him that he did before, when he was a cop. He hid himself away. John says, the world is different this time, and Morgan asks, why is that? Ginny’s voice comes over the radio, asking if Morgan is there, and John says, don’t answer. Grace says, it’s me, and Morgan says he’s there. Ginny says she thought that would do the trick, and he says he wants to talk to Grace. He asks if Grace and the baby are okay, and Grace says, she’s okay; so is the baby. We see Ginny has a gun on her, and Grace says, it’s been about seven months. She thought he was dead; they all did. Ginny takes the radio back, and asks if he heard that. Grace is fine. Morgan tells her, call the Rangers off. She’ll get everyone killed, including her sister. She says the Rangers are going to find him, but in the meantime, she wants to know her sister is safe. If anything happens to her, it’s not just Grace and the kid; it will be the whole damn coop. We see Sarah, Luci, and June in some kind of jail, and Ginny says, they’ll talk soon. Morgan tells John and Dakota, they need to get out of there. Get to Virginia before she does something. June washed up the last time John holed himself away; now they did. If that’s not the universe telling John to come back, Morgan doesn’t know what is. John says he doesn’t care to kill anyone, and Morgan says, call him a ghost, and he is, but he’s only there to free Grace. He wants to give this baby a chance in the next world, where life might be precious. He thinks they can do it. It won’t be the way they want it, but they can end it. John says, it ain’t right; it just ain’t. He’s sorry. He can’t do it, but he’ll help them cross the bridge. It’s the only way. Morgan tells Dakota, they’ve got to pack up.

They load truck, and Dakota asks if John has enough ammunition to kill all the chompers. He says her guess is as good as his; there’s only one way to find out. Someone shoots at them, and Morgan slides under the car, while John and Dakota fling themselves into it. Morgan comes back out, and sees it’s Marcus on a horse. Before Morgan realizes it, he’s lassoed and being drug through the woods, bouncing behind the horse and rider. John tells Dakota to turn the car around, and shoots at Marcus. She tries to start the car, but says she thinks a bullet hit the engine. John shoots again, and Marcus falls from his horse. John and Dakota run to Morgan, and John asks if Morgan is all right, then checks on Marcus. Marcus looks dead already, and John shoots him in the head. No zombification for you.

John buries Marcus, and Morgan says he’s sorry. John says, what for? Morgan is the one who got dragged through the woods by his neck. He’s racking up a lot of miles, and almost got killed. Morgan says, but he didn’t; John stopped it. John says she should have taken a shot at Marcus earlier. Morgan says, but he didn’t. John has to know why Morgan needs him. He needs John to keep them from becoming like Ginny. John says, that’s not the only reason, and Dakota says, they’re going to need another car. John says he saw another vehicle by Bill’s, but Morgan says, not with the Rangers looking. There might be more when Marcus doesn’t check in. He points, and says, what about that one? and John says, it’s been collecting rust since he was a kid. Morgan uncovers an old truck, and Dakota asks where it came from. John says, it belonged to his dad. They were going to fix it up together. Morgan says he’s spent time in one garage or another making cars in worse shape than this run again. It needs a battery and a distributor cap, but he thinks he can get it running. John says, it’s not too late, and Dakota asks what he means. He says, it’s something his daddy used to say. It’s not too late to learn something, to do the right thing, to fix a mistake, and apparently, it’s not too late to get an old Chevy truck running. Morgan says he saw some cars one cabin over. It’s less likely the Rangers will be there. Morgan tells John to take Dakota, but John says he can handle it. Morgan says he’s not sure if he can. If Virginia comes looking for Dakota, and brings more Rangers, he might just get everyone else in trouble.

Dakota sits on the roof of the truck, while John fiddles with the engine. She asks if John got his tools from the warehouse, but John says they belonged to his pop, who sent them to him the summer they were supposed to fix the Chevy. Dakota asks why his dad didn’t bring them, and John says, he never showed up. He moved to a cabin of his own up north, away from everybody. John got the occasional birthday and Christmas card, and a phone call once in a blue moon, but John never saw him again. He asks her to hold the battery, and she asks why John’s father left. Did he kill someone like John did? John says, no. He did the wrong thing but for the right reasons. She says it seems like his dad was punishing self, and John says, may be. She says, just like him. Morgan is right, isn’t he? That’s why John is there. John tells her, come on. He’s got to get one more thing. He calls her a know-it-all, and she says, what happened with Janice… He doesn’t have to feel bad about how life is now. People kill; people die. He says, it should mean something, and she asks, why? He says, if it doesn’t mean something when you die, it didn’t mean much when you were alive, and she says, so? He says he’s glad Morgan is taking her to that place. She’s starting to sound an awful lot like her sister. They get to a big shed, and John knocks on the door. When he doesn’t hear anything, he opens it. She says there’s nothing in there they need for the truck, and John says, who told her that he needed something for the truck? She asks why he needs a door if he’s coming with them, and Morgan appears. He says, John isn’t coming; is he right? He shows John the Scrabble letters, and says he found these. There are only so many words they spell out. John says they weren’t meant for Morgan, and Morgan says he knows they were meant for June. John says he was going to tell Morgan after they cleared the bridge. He’s going to keep his word, and get them across, but then he’s coming back. Morgan says, because of what he had to do to Marcus? but John says he doesn’t know why he didn’t kill Marcus before. He doesn’t know why he’s not meant to live in this world. If he’d only kept his nose out of it, Cameron would still be alive, and so would Janice. Morgan says, it will be okay. John went looking for a door to shut himself away, and found them. Does that tell him anything? Like the man who walked halfway around the world and found himself at John’s campfire. Morgan found John, and everyone he thinks of as family. He found Grace, and that wouldn’t have happened if John hadn’t insisted he sleep in the truck bed that night. John gave him a family, and has to help him get back. John says he will, the best way he knows how. He’s going to get them across the bridge, and stay out of their way. Morgan says there’s no door that’s going to keep them away, not him or June, and John says, it’s not a door to keep people out. It’s to keep the past from getting at him before he does what he needs to do. He just wants it to be over.

John sits with his gun, and Morgan comes in. He says he got the truck running, and John says, that’s good. Morgan sits, and says, it wasn’t that long ago, he was in a place like John is now. John says, when he works himself up to it, the past washes up, and steals his nerve. Morgan says it’s not John’s time; it’s not how should go out. That night at the gulch, whoever saved him, left him that. He shows John a note that says he still has things left to do. He says, it wouldn’t mean anything unless it was all of them. If he’s going to get everyone there, he had to make a change, or he’d lose all of them. John knows he’s not his dad. He doesn’t have to make the same mistakes his dad made, but he can come with them. Morgan found his way to keep going, and thinks John will find his. John says, don’t count on it, and shoots a zombie through the open door. He says they better get up there, and he and Morgan start to go outside. John sees the discarded doors, and says they might need the doors after all.

At the bridge, we see the front of the truck is rigged with the doors to keep the zombies at bat. John says, they could get tangled in the wheels, and asks if Dakota can get it across. She says her daddy let her drive in the church parking lot on Sunday afternoons, and he says he’ll talk her through it. He leaves her a gun in case the zombies get lucky. John goes to the truck bed, and Morgan unties the blockade. John says, ready, and Morgan opens it. John shoots the zombies as they come through, and Morgan runs back to the truck bed. John says, now, and Dakota starts the truck. She drives to the blockade, pushing it down. Zombies clamor at the car windows, as John hits them back with the butt of the gun. He and Morgan get as many as possible, and John tells Dakota keep going. She continues on, and Morgan gives a zombie a nice spike though the mouth. The doors help shovel them back, and John tells Dakota, pretend it’s one of those Sunday drives. Morgan pushes them back, and the truck stalls. Dakota asks, what’s going on? and we see a zombie wedged under a back wheel. John tells her to put it in first, and clear it. Now the zombie’s arm is getting ground into the wheel well, and John shoots it. The rest of the zombie follows its arm, and is now wedged above the tire. I say, oh, fu…dge.  

Dakota asks what’s wrong with the engine, and Morgan says, it’s the alternator. He’ll go. John says, Morgan is in no shape, and moves to the front of the truck, while Morgan whacks stray zombies away. John gets between the doors and fencing attached to the front, and opens the hood. He says he’ll tell Dakota when. We can see Morgan is in pain, but he still fends off the zombies. One gets near John, and pins him half into the engine. Dakota grabs the gun, and tells John to move. She shoots the zombie through the windshield, and John pushes it onto the ground. He jumpstarts the engine, and tells Dakota, now. The truck starts, and John closes the hood, jumping on top of it. He shoots whatever zombies get through, but one pulls at him, and he smashes it with the gun butt. There are two clingers on the car, and Dakota tells Morgan to get down. She takes off, telling John to hang on, and hits the side of the bridge, knocking the zombies into the river, John kicking the last one off. Brilliant scene. Morgan stabs a few stragglers in their wormy little heads. Success!

They look back at the zombie carnage on the bridge, and John says, that is ugly mustard. Morgan says, yes it is, and they sit for a moment. Morgan gets out of the truck bed, and comes around the front. He tells John, when he was working on the truck, he found something. He hands John a photo of a little boy with a grown man, and Morgan says, that’s John isn’t it? And his dad. John says, his dad was more in his life than he cares to admit. He wonders why his father didn’t come by that summer, but thinks he’s starting to get it. He’s not coming. Morgan says, then John is stuck making the same mistakes as before; the same mistakes his father made. It’s like a loop. Morgan takes out the radio, and John asks what he’s doing. Morgan asks if Virginia can read him, and Virginia asks, what’s the plan? Is he ready to talk? He says he is, but not like this. He wants to meet in person. There’s a general store called Bill’s… John tries to grab the radio, telling Morgan, stop it. Morgan says, there’s a cabin John told them about, and Ginny says, she’s been there; John has terrible taste in movies. Morgan says he’ll wait there for her. He tells John, now he can’t go back, and John says Morgan had no right to do that. It’s not his choice to make. Morgan says it wasn’t his choice to have John chase him down the road when he had a busted leg, but John did it all the same. He’s alive now because John did. John can hit him if he likes, but he’ll be damned if he’s going to stand by and let his best friend kill himself.  

Morgan says he’s going to try and get a signal; hear where Virginia is. He doesn’t want to cross paths with her on his way out. John continues to work on the engine in silence, and Dakota says he’ll have to talk to Morgan eventually. John says, the clip that was holding the wire fell off. That’s why it stalled. He wants to fix it before they get back on the road. He tells her, it’s a little red clip, and they both start looking. She picks up his hat, hands it to him, and thanks him. He asks why she’s thanking him, and she says, for letting her drive, and trusting her with a gun. She doesn’t feel like she needs to be behind locked behind walls all the time. She casually kills a zombie, and says he should come, but he says, it’s not a good idea. She says she thinks it would be; she likes being around him. He can’t go back to the cabin. He says, sure he can, but she says her sister will be there. He says if Morgan leads her to the place he’s working on, it could get messy real quick. He can be waiting for Ginny, and end this. Dakota says he can’t do alone, but he says Ginny won’t be expecting it. Dakota says, she would; she is. She’ll have Rangers with her. Even if John kills her, the Rangers will kill him. He says, then his death will mean something. He finishes the zombies off who aren’t quite undead dead, and says, as it should. Dakota sees the red clip on the ground, and says she found it. She picks it up, and a zombie grabs her ankle, causing her to fall. She stabs it with a knife she has handy, and tells John, it’s okay; she’s got it. He sees the knife, and asks, what is it? What is she hiding? He walks over, and pulls the knife out of the zombie, and asks where she got it. She shakes her head, and says she found it, but he says, don’t lie to him. Oh my God. She killed Cameron; Virginia was covering for her. Dakota says she didn’t know Ginny was going to kill Janice, and John asks why she pushed him to investigate. She says she knew Ginny wouldn’t let it get back to her, and if it seemed like Ginny was hiding something, people would start to doubt her. John asks why she killed Cameron, and she says he figured out how she was sneaking in and out, and he told Ginny. He took away the one way she had to get out of Lawrence. John says, and she thought he deserved to die for that? She says, it’s no different than what everyone else is doing to get what they want. It’s what her sister does; it’s what the Rangers do. He understands. John says he doesn’t understand, but she says, it’s how things are. She can’t. She turns the gun on him, and says he ruined this for her. He says he’s not going to tell anyone. He’s not going to hurt her. He puts his gun in his waistband, and she says he’s lying. He says he knows she’s been through a lot. He gets why she wouldn’t believe him, but give him a chance to show her they can get past this. He can help her. Morgan said he needed a reason to live, to keep going. Maybe it’s her. Put the gun down; she doesn’t want shoot him. She doesn’t want to do that to herself. She doesn’t want to live with that. It’s not what he wants for her.

To the surprise of all of us, she shoots him, and he staggers back. She says, she’s sorry. It doesn’t always have to be something. She pushes him off the bridge. What a fu…dge.

He’s going to live somehow, right? Right? And am I wrong that this was totally out of character for what we know about Dakota? A hot minute ago, she was telling John that he needed to make up with Morgan, and she liked being around him.

John hits the water, and we see blood run from him. He floats to the bottom, and there’s a song part. I feel cheated. He sees the photo on the floor of the river. and picks it up. He looks at the sun above the water, and swims up. He pulls himself onto a door floating in the water, and says, not today. He floats down the river.

When Morgan comes back, Dakota turns the gun on him. He asks what she did, and she says she didn’t want to do it; she had to do it. He asks where John is, and she starts to cry, because she’s an a-hole. He asks her again, and she says, John is floating down the river with a bullet in his chest. Morgan sees the knife in Dakota’s hand, and says, it’s her knife. She killed the Ranger. She says he’s going to take her to the place he’s building, and let her be a part of it, like he was before. He grabs her, and puts his battleax pokey weapon up to her throat. She says he’s not going to hurt her, but he tells her not to be so sure. She says she’s the reason he’s alive. She saved him at the gulch. He says, that’s not what happened. She says, Virginia left him to die, and he dragged himself to the church. The dead followed him, and were on top of him, about to eat him, but she was there. She killed them. He says, that’s not possible, and she says she followed Ginny and the Rangers to the gulch. That’s a good thing, right? She fixed him up, and stopped the bleeding. She gave him antibiotics and painkillers. He says, no more lies, and she says he doesn’t know her, but she heard his message. He needed to do this thing. He still has things left to do. She wrote the note and left it for him, and she was right. She’s seen it. He has to. She had to do it. He says, now what? and she says, he has to kill her sister to have the silly paradise he has to build. He’s grieving because he’s the only person left who can end her. He says, that’s not what he’s about, and she says, it is. It’s the  only reason he’s still there.

Ginny gets to the cabin, and says they cleaned the place out. Where the hell are they? She asks June, where? but June says she doesn’t know. A Ranger asks if she’s sure she doesn’t know their whereabouts, when Morgan radios Ginny. She tells him that he’s late, and he says, John has been hurt, and needs help. Her sister did it. June asks where John is, and Ginny asks where her sister is. Morgan says, John is coming down the river. Help him if Morgan can’t find him first. He’s trying to get to him. Please help. Then they can talk. Ginny tells her Rangers, find Ranger Dorie.

Alicia is walking with Charlie and Dwight, and says, this is it. Morgan comes over the radio, and tells Dwight, get the damn wall ready. They might be bringing the fight with Virginia to their own doorstep. He needs to get Shari. They’ll need all the firepower they can get.

June tells Virginia, send more Rangers, and Ginny say she already has. June says, if Virginia wants her to help, she needs to know what happened. Morgan comes on the radio, and June grabs it. She asks, what’s going on? June looks out the door, and Ginny grabs it back. John has washed up on shore, and June runs out, calling to him. She stumbles, and falls to the ground just as she gets to him. He pulls himself along, and we realize his eyes are milky. He reaches for her, and puts his hand on hers. She stays there a moment, then stabs him in the head with a knife. I guess that’s love?

This season, Virginia says, bad things are about to happen, Daniel says it’s not safe, we meet a new group, John Glover joins the cast, and says Alicia doesn’t know what he’s setting out to do. He looks kind of like a mad professor.

👌🏻 Interesting tidbit. Jenna Elfman was on Talking Dead tonight, and said because of the pandemic, they had to sit on this episode for a year and half before it was actually filmed.

📰 Latest Additions…

New blood will be coming to FTWD this season.

https://www.cbr.com/fear-walking-dead-john-glover-keith-carradine-nick-stahl-cast-season-6/

⚰️ Dead News…

What’s to come in season 11.

The Walking Dead Season 11: The Commonwealth, Reapers, and What Else to Expect

What came last week with Here’s Negan.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-season-10-finale-recap-heres-negan-origin-backstory-1022/

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/negans-last-name-revealed-on-the-walking-dead-heres-negan-smith-robert-kirkman/

🐉 Celebrating the Game…

HBO has plans.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/game-of-thrones-iron-anniversary-hbo-celebration/

🎉 After the Party’s Over…

Whether you called it a weekend, or just another two days on the calendar, I hope you changed it up a little. Until it’s time to sail away, stay safe, stay keeping it simple, and stay making sure it all means something.

Mar15

March 14, 2021 – Gabriel and Aaron Follow Maggie’s Map, Fun With the Dead, Nervous Norman & Spell

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

We hear Gabriel in a voiceover saying, the Whisperers took their toll, and they saw darkness, but they kept the faith. The righteous enter and are safe. They had moments of despair, but a miracle happened, and by the grace of their friends, they were saved. But they still have more work to do to rebuild their community, provide for their families, and save their souls.

Gabriel and Aaron are surrounded by zombies in a clearing. They hack away, covering the surrounding wildflowers in blood. They walk through the woods and come across some ruins. Gabriel looks at his map of possible food sources. I guess not this one anymore. Aaron sees several burned bodies that are nothing but charred bones now, and asks, what happened here? Gabriel says they’ll never know, and they keep walking. The see a decrepit zombie sitting up against a tree, and it pulls away, part of it staying on the tree. It doesn’t get far, since Gabriel slices it through the top of the head. Gabriel sets a timer, and throws it into a field area. When it goes off, a bunch of zombies rise out of the grass, and head off to who knows where. Gabriel looks at Aaron, and they follow at a distance.    

Near a road, they see more skeletons, and a line of cars. Aaron looks at a zombie in a van, and Gabriel opens another car. Aaron asks what he’s doing, and he says, he’s searching; there could be something there. Aaron slides open the van he’s been looking in, and they go through all the cars. Gabriel opens a trunk, and finds some cans of food, but he turns it over to see what looks like a bullet hole in it. He tells Aaron, two more.   

They try to smash into an old, boarded up casino, and zombie arms pop out. Gabriel hacks off an arm. Aaron motions for him to remove a board, and when the zombie emerges, Aaron stabs it in the head. They each take an arm to pull it out, but the skin comes off, and they fall back with skin arms in their hands. When they realize what happened, they quickly rid themselves of the skin arms, and I laugh my head off. Aaron sees a shopping cart hanging off the roof, and Gabriel climbs up. He sees a near-skeleton lying down, and another with a little more flesh on it, tied to post, moving around a little. He sees a skeletal couple lying on mattress. Aaron asks if he sees anything, and Gabriel looks at the couple and says, just a ladder. The camera pans out, and we see SAVE US written on the roof.

Zombie arms reach for Aaron, and he hears Gabriel hacking away inside. Gabriel opens the door, and comes out. Aaron says, anything? and Gabriel shakes his head. He sheaths his machete, and looks at his map again. He says, one more, and Aaron says they’ve been at this two weeks, and what do they have to show for it? He can’t. Gabriel says they have to see this through. Aaron says they can go back to the hunting ground, but Gabriel says, it’s spent; there’s nothing there. Aaron says, so is every other place on Maggie’s goddam map. He misses his daughter, and he knows Gabriel misses his too. Gabriel says, one more, and starts to walk. Aaron follows.

They walk through some mud, and Gabriel slips, tripped up by a hidden zombie. It rises, covered with mud, but Gabriel holds his machete point up, and Aaron pushes the zombie onto it. Aaron laughs, and Gabriel says, a little help? Aaron helps get the zombie off of Gabriel, and helps him up. The map is officially screwed, covered in mud like Gabriel. Gabriel says there was a water tower by their last location. They just need to head north until they see it. Aaron says he’s not doing this without a map, and Gabriel says, it’s only an hour. Aaron says he doesn’t care, it begins to rain, and Gabriel says, fine. They’ll follow their tracks back. It starts to pour.

They come out of the woods, and Aaron asks, is this on the map? We see a warehouse, and Gabriel says, no. 

They shine flashlights around inside the warehouse. Aaron bangs on something, but there’s no response. Gabriel closes the door, and they split up. Gabriel finds a pile of Bibles, and picks one up, finding a bunch of pages torn out. Aaron hears something from behind a door, and says hello? Gabriel looks in a file cabinet. Aaron says, hello? again. He says his name is Aaron. He’s a friend. Please don’t be afraid. Hello? He opens the door, and Gabriel hears yelling, and takes off. He runs to where Aaron is, and finds Aaron standing over a wild boar. He says, it came at him, and Gabriel smiles. I say, food! Aaron says, what? and Gabriel says, nothing. That was quite the scream. Aaron says, these things are vicious, and Gabriel says, clearly… hence the scream. Gabriel starts to laugh, and says, sorry, but doubles over. Aaron says, all right. Let it all out. Is he through? Gabriel shakes his head, and keeps laughing, saying, oh Lord! Aaron smiles, and Gabriel says, know what he feels like? Aaron says, what? and Gabriel says, dinner. And drink. He holds up a bottle of whiskey.

Aaron shows Gabriel a toy, and says, remember these? Gabriel says he remembers news footage of people trampling each other at toy stores to get them. Aaron says, Grace will go nuts. They sit to eat, and Gabriel pours them each a tiny bit of whiskey. Aaron says, that’s it? That’s all they get? Why? It’s just whiskey. Gabriel says, no; it’s not just whiskey. It’s perfection. It’s rare. This bottle is easily over $2000. Aaron says, the fact people would pay that much to get drunk was a huge part of what was wrong with the world. Gabriel says, it’s not to get drunk. Smell it. Aaron does, and Gabriel asks what he’s getting. What does it remind him of? Aaron says, maple syrup… vanilla… breakfast as kid. Gabriel says, take a sip. Let it sit. Pay attention to the finish, and how the flavor evolves. Aaron says, wow, and Gabriel says, exactly. Now eat, and the meat will taste even better. Aaron says, look, he gets that it’s rare and all, but they had a rough day. He holds out his cup, and Gabriel pours some more, but Aaron continues to hold it out.  

They play poker for bottlecaps, and Aaron says he’s out. Gabriel says, he has the whiskey. Aaron considers putting his cup in the pot, but folds. Gabriel says, many thanks, but Aaron wants to see the cards. Gabriel shows him what I assume is a really poor hand, and Aaron rolls his eyes.

Aaron asks Gabriel what God would think about him gambling, and Gabriel says, He’d probably okay it. Aaron says, a card shark priest. Did he get training in whiskey class at the seminary? Gabriel says, Reverend George was his mentor. He was a good friend, and a great teacher. His first class was at a boy’s funeral; Tony Franklin. He died of cancer. He was in his freshman year of college and he died. Everyone in town came, and Reverend George performed the service. He spoke, and said all the right things without trying; it didn’t look like he was anyway. They got in the car to go to the wake, and he just took off. He floored it the whole way, saying they had to get there before the others. He was running stop signs, saying a prayer each time, and Gabriel had his eyes closed the whole way. They got there and the Reverend headed for the liquor cabinet. He asked what the Reverend was doing, and was told to shut up. The Reverend snatched off Gabriel’s collar, pulled off his own, and started pouring. The boy’s father walked in, and the Reverend walked over to him with two drinks in hand, and just started talking. He talked to everyone; put them at ease, smiling and laughing. He told Gabriel, just be with them in the moment. Speak from the heart, and don’t worry what you think they want to hear. He tried, but he’s not as good as Reverend George. Later, the Reverend told him, real ministering isn’t preaching from a pulpit. It’s talking to people one on one, on their own terms, relating to them. He smiles, and says, that’s how he knows about whiskey. That’s how he knows about a lot of things. Aaron says Gabriel needs to start preaching again. He’ll be mad if Gabriel doesn’t. When he was out there, finding people to bring to Alexandria, it felt right. Helping people was right. They haven’t done that in a long time, and they’ve got to get back to it. Gabriel says he doesn’t want to preach anymore, and Aaron asks, why? Gabriel says, does Aaron really think things will go back the way they were? Aaron says he does, and Gabriel says, they won’t. The world isn’t built for the way they used to be. Aaron says Gabriel’s head is full of Whisperers, who and what they were, and it’s not most people. Gabriel says, evil people are not the exception to the rule; they are the rule. Aaron says he’s getting sober. After the next round, he’s going to climb up on the roof and jump off head first. Gabriel says he wants to perform last rights, and Aaron says, they’re back to him again.  

Gabriel snores, and an obviously hung over and/or still drunk Aaron gets up. Gabriel asks where he’s going, and Aaron says, to piss. Gabriel goes back to sleep.

Light comes in through a dirty window, and Gabriel wakes up. He doesn’t see Aaron, and walks around the warehouse, his machete drawn. He sees a man by the entrance, and the man asks what he was cooking. Gabriel says, boar, and the man asks, how was it? Gabriel says, it was good, and the man walks into the light. He removes his hood, and we see his face is scarred. He says he’d like a bite.

The man eats, and Gabriel introduces himself, asking the man’s name. The man says Gabriel came there with a friend, and Gabriel asks if he’s seen Aaron, but the man says nothing. Gabriel asks what he wants, and the man says it seems like Gabriel is the one who wants something. They broke into his place, ate his boar, and drank his whiskey. Gabriel says it didn’t look like anyone lived there, and he asks if Gabriel thinks the boar got in there by itself. Gabriel says they were looking for food. They didn’t mean any harm. The man takes out Aaron’s metal spiked ball hand, and tosses it on the table, saying, does this say no harm to you? Gabriel says they’re part of a larger group, more than twenty armed fighters. They’ll be coming if he and Aaron don’t get back. The man wonders if they’re joining the card game. He sits back, his automatic rifle in his lap, and asks if Gabriel thinks it’s loaded. Gabriel says, there aren’t a lot of bullets left, and the man lets a load of shots fly. He asks Gabriel if he thinks he made it. Gabriel doesn’t understand, and the man says his friend is in there, pointing to the wall he shot at. He gets up, tells Gabriel, easy, and opens the door. He says, still breathing… he thinks. Gabriel says he wants to see Aaron, and the man asks why he’s still wearing his collar. Gabriel says, probably for the same reason the man keeps the Bibles. Because the Word of God still matters. It’s a light in an otherwise dark world; a reminder that light is still in them… love, mercy, forgiveness. The man says, toilet paper, and Gabriel says, what? The man says, the Bible. He like the bent pages. Gabriel suggests that he read it instead of wiping his ass with it, and the man says he read it, cover to cover. That’s why he wipes his ass with it. He says, it must be hard preaching about something Gabriel doesn’t believe in, and Gabriel says he does believe. The man says, evil people aren’t the exception to the rule, and Gabriel says he was drunk. The man says, drunk is honest. There’s nothing left but thieves and murderers. Gabriel says, there’s still goodness, but you have to look for it, and he man asks who Gabriel is trying to convince, him or himself? He’s so close. Gabriel says, close to what? and the man gets up, keeping the gun on Gabriel. He kicks he door open, and drags Aaron out, tied to a chair and gagged. He puts Aaron at the table, and takes the gag off. He unties one of Aaron’s wrists, and knocks all the bullets out of a handgun. He puts one back in, and says, one round. One in six chances. He spins it, and shuts it, and says they’ve got a choice. Each time, they can aim it at themselves, or the man sitting across from them. The winner goes home.

Gabriel says, they’re not doing this, and the man says, then they both die. Aaron asks how they know he won’t kill them both anyway? and the man says, they don’t. Aaron says, they’ll make it right. They’ll get him a new boar. The man says, it’s not about the boar, and Gabriel asks what it is about. The man says, enlightenment. Go ahead. Gabriel looks at Aaron, and picks up the gun. He puts it to his own head, and pulls the trigger, but it just clicks. Aaron looks freaked out, and the man slides the gun over to him, saying, now you. Aaron follows Gabriel’s example, and asks why the man is doing this. The man asks what happened to Aaron’s arm, and Aaron says, it was crushed in a construction accident. The man asks who blinded Gabriel, and Gabriel says, no one. It was an infection. He wanted to hear someone plucked out Gabriel’s eye or chopped off Aaron’s arm? Why? To prove how evil man is? Does the man think he or Aaron will shoot each other? The man tells Gabriel, pick it up now, and Gabriel repeats what he did the first time, and the gun only clicks. Aaron takes the gun and cocks it, and the man asks if Aaron heard that. It makes a different sound when the chamber loads. It’s his choice to make.

Aaron says, they’re not thieves or murderers. They don’t kill each other; they protect each other like family. The man asks if family is supposed to mean something. He knows about family. When he was with his brother and his brother’s family on the road, he saved their lives more times than he could count. One day, he woke up to find his brother stealing the last of his food. His brother just stared at him, then came at him with a knife. Aaron asks, what happened? and the man says he handled it. He didn’t blame his brother, because his brother gave him something valuable that day. Gabriel says, his brother didn’t give him anything. He’s just trying to make sense of what happened. He walled himself off, believing everyone left out there was evil. It was easier to accept than the truth – that he meant less to his brother than a scrap of food. Aaron says, Gabriel… but Gabriel says the man needs to hear it. He knows about looking for meaning. Most times, there is no answer, no grand design, no enlightenment. The man’s brother ripped up his face, and he’s so hate filled, he can’t see. So he murders good people for what? To prove what? The man tells Aaron, pull the trigger. Him or you? Who’s it gonna be?

Aaron starts to point the gun at his own head, and  the man says, what about Gracie. Aaron wants to see her. He knows what he’s got to do. Aaron looks like he’s going to cry, or maybe throw up, and the man says, does he want to see his daughter again or not? Aaron says he does and the man says, then what is he waiting for. Three…  two… one… Aaron starts to put the gun to his own head again, the man says, stop. That’s who people are. Gabriel says, he was wrong. People are capable of more than killing each other. They still love and sacrifice for their brothers. His brother didn’t give him truth; his brother only betrayed him. If he punishes them for his brother’s sins, he’s no better than his brother. He wasn’t always like this; none of them were. But they have to remember who they were, and know who they are. The man says he knows who he is, and Gabriel says he does too. He knows people like the man, good people who’ve been broken by the world. He doesn’t have to be; there’s another way. They have a community of real people, people who were lost and found their way back. He can too. They can help if he lets them. The man says he doesn’t believe Gabriel, but Aaron says, it’s true, and puts the gun down. He says the man should believe Gabriel because that’s who they are. The man thinks about it, sighs, and picks up the gun. He sticks it in his waistband, and cuts Aaron free.

The man says, Mays. His name is Mays. Then, stunning all of us, but mostly Mays, Gabriel takes Aaron’s metal hand, and whacks Mays with it, presumably killing him, and spattering Aaron’s face with his blood. He tells Aaron, it’s okay. They’re good. Aaron says, are they? and Gabriel says they couldn’t take him with them. He killed his brother’s family. Aaron says, let’s just go.    

Wow. I’m so disappointed. Can we not have one episode where everyone plays nice? I want Z Nation back.

Gabriel says Mays heard everything they said. Where was he hiding? Gabriel opens a hatch, and sees a lantern. They walk through the space, which is flanked by steel shelving holding all kinds of supplies. The see a restrained man, who looks like your classic hermit, cowering in the corner. Aaron says, it’s his brother. They see the brother’s wife and child dead on the floor, and Gabriel says they’re not going to hurt him. The brother is obviously scared out of his wits, and Gabriel moves forward. He undoes the restraints, but the brother suddenly has a gun. Aaron tells him, drop it, and Gabriel says they just want to help him. The brother says, help? and Gabriel says, yes; get him out of there. Aaron asks if he wants to come with them, and Gabriel says, just put the gun down. The brother sees his dead family, and in possibly the saddest moment ever, puts the gun to his own head. Gabriel and I both say, no! but he shoots himself, falling next to his wife and child. I almost want to cry.

Gabriel takes the gun, and grabs some cans of food and other supplies. Aaron looks at pictures of Mays, his brother, and his brother’s family in happier times.

Gabriel and Aaron continue to walk. We see a water tower in the distance, and Gabriel says, the water tower. It’s the last place on the map. What does Aaron think? Aaron looks sad, as he has through a lot of this episode, and he nods. He says, one more, and they walk toward the tower.  

Next time, Aaron’s nervous breakdown (just kidding). Princess and the others are captured by stormtroopers, and plan an escape. Ezekiel says they don’t know these people, and they can’t trust what they don’t know.

⚰️ On the flipside, Talking Dead was one of the funniest ever. Seth Gilliam (Gabriel), Ross Marquand (Aaron), Robert Patrick (Mays/Mays’s brother), and writer & co-executive producer Jim Barnes were guests. The lot of them were hysterically funny, with Ross doing a spot-on imitation of Sly Stallone. Robert said Ross had entertained them throughout filming with impressions, and ragged on Seth for being a lousy priest through the entire episode. We also got some nice insight into Robert’s acting technique. He said when playing the brother, he didn’t have much to work with as far as character development went, but tried to incorporate what a rescue dog would have felt like; one that’s been abused, and was afraid of strangers. I thought it was a brilliant choice. Another tidbit we got was that the whiskey brand was named after Duane Jones, who played Ben in the original Night of the Living Dead. This was probably one of the best TD episodes of all time IMO.

🏍 Not So Smooth Daryl…

I’m not sure why he was so nervous. It’s not like there was human contact.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-norman-reedus-daryl-leah-find-me-interview/

🖇 Next…

Time to move on to my other job, and hopefully making up for that lost hour this weekend. Until we meet once again at the Hospital and/or on Deck, stay safe, stay looking forward to spring, and stay on Gabriel’s good side.

Mar30

March 29, 2020 – Alpha Haunts Carol, a Comparison, Dead On Hold, Doing Well, Pink’s Cut, Jill’s Secret, Fiona Fun & Beta’s Song

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Negan sits in his cell in Alexandria. The cell door opens, and he says, as he lives and breathes. It’s Carol, and he says he thought Gabriel was coming down to give him last rights. She asks if he wants forgiveness, but he says he’s done what he’s done, and he’s not getting on his knees. She asks what he wants, and he says, TiVo, a beer, and some rocky road ice cream. What does it matter to her? She says, what if he didn’t have to die? and he says he didn’t know she had a say on the kangaroo council. She says she’s not there for the council, and he says he’s getting that. What he doesn’t get is, why she’s dealing with him instead of lining up the skin queen in her crosshairs? She asks what he thinks this is, and he smiles. He says, damn. Word has it, she’s certainly a badass, but she missed her shot. What happens if he muffs it? It will make things worse for everyone, and despite what people think, he’s not down with that. Carol says they need this done; it will help everyone there. He asks what he gets out of it, and she says he’s been eating whatever sh*t they throw his way, hoping they forget. They won’t. Not unless he does something to make them forget. Bring her Alpha’s head, and that’s what people will remember him for. She’ll make sure of it. He has her word, but do it fast.

Carol puts Alpha’s head on a pike, and steps back to admire her work. Negan says, it’s what she wanted. Alpha’s mouth continues to move, making zombie gurgles, and Negan suggests they get moving. It was their deal; start spreading the news. She asks, what took him so long? and he says, doing her dirty work? He guesses he wanted get out with his head attached. Sh*t like that takes time. He’s held up his end, and he’s asking her to hold up hers. He wants to open a new chapter in the Book of Negan. She says they’re not going back; not yet. He says he can’t go back alone without a noose immediately being tied around his neck, and she says, then wait. She starts to walk, and he asks how long she’s taking. She says he’s free. Now he can do whatever he wants. Wait or don’t; it’s up to him. She says she needs to be alone. Sh*t like that takes time.

Dianne tells Ezekiel that he did good, but he says he got lucky. It doesn’t absolve his failings. Jerry tells him to take it easy on himself, but Ezekiel says, these days mistakes stick easier than trials. He and Jerry hug Magna, and Ezekiel says he’s so sorry. She says she’s okay.

Rosita checks out her wound, and Eugene asks how she feels. She says, all right, and he says they can bring her to see Alex when they find him. She says they don’t have to. He has to go; tell them already. Eugene stands up, and gets everyone’s attention. He says he has something he needs to confess. He’s been communicado on the radio with someone outside of their orbit; a new person. They’ve set up a time to meet. Yumiko asks who it is, and he says, her name is Stephanie. She’s from another community. Jerry asks what it is, and Dianne says, he’s meeting her? Magna says, she could be a spy, and Yumiko asks how long Eugene has been talking to her. Ezekiel says he has some of the same questions, but if Eugene’s instincts are that Stephanie is a new ally, they should hear him out before they jump to conclusions. They’re all on the same side. Eugene says some of them are aware that he relocated to Hilltop to make a metaphorically fresh start. He struggled, burying himself in work and community duties, and the voice in the void became a friend. Some might think he’s foolish, but spare him their derision. After what just happened, he’s willing to be a fool, and believes new good people are worth the risk.

Magna sits outside, and Yumiko joins her. Yumiko says, Magna can and should take her horse and go with them. She’s never wanted to be cooped up. She can go back out on road, and have an adventure. Look forward, not back. Magna says she likes it there. Some routine might be good for her. Someone else can have an adventure and meet new people. It’s okay. Yumiko says she’d be leaving at the worst time, but Magna says, there’s nothing to fix. Go. Yumiko leaves.

Ezekiel gets his horse ready, and Jerry asks if he’s really going. Ezekiel says he is, but Jerry doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Ezekiel says, because he’s sick? Jerry says, because he’ll miss Ezekiel. He can’t stop a man willing to be foolish. Ezekiel says, or a fool willing to believe in future friends. It’s enough for now. He tells Jerry, the Kingdom needs him. Make sure the legacy lives on. Jerry says he’s got it, and they hug.

Alpha’s head moves its mouth as Beta approaches with two Whisperers. One says, he’s the Alpha now, and Beta tells him that Alpha can hear him. Take off his mask (that’s never good), and hear her. He tells the guy to move forward, and asks if he’s listening. What is she saying to him? Beta he pushes him closer, and says, just listen. He pushes the guy’s head near Alpha’s mouth, and she bites his ear, pulling it off. The other guy takes off, as we all would. Beta says, just listen, and I wonder how he’s going to do that with no ear. Beta shoves him aside, and takes down Alpha’s head, cradling it in his arms.

Negan goes to the cabin where Lydia was being held. He sees she’s gone, and says, sh*t. Daryl puts a crossbow in Negan’s face, and asks where Alpha is. Negan says, she’s dead; he killed her. Daryl calls him a liar, but he says he’s not lying. He has something in his pocket; it’s not a weapon. He’s going to do a slow reach. He pulls Alpha’s mask out of his pocket, and shows Daryl. He says the whole reason he threw in with them was to get close enough to slit Alpha’s throat, and silence Alpha. Why else does Daryl think his girlfriend let him out of his cell?

Carol walks through the woods, and hears her name being whispered. She hears it more clearly, and turns to see Alpha. Alpha says she’s always watching.

Beta strolls along with the Whisperer bitten by Alpha, who starts coughing. A zombie comes by, and the guy moves to kill it, but Beta shoves him down. The zombie descends on the guy, and finishes him off. Beta listens to Alpha’s head, that he’s now carrying in a bag. He hears a noise, and moves toward it.

Beta goes inside a hotel, and shoves things aside, even though he doesn’t need to. He puts Alpha’s head down, and picks up a note. He reads, these 2 eyes see 1 truth. He sees a gun on the floor, and looks up at a poster for the band Half Moon. He rips it down, and smashes a nearby guitar.

Alpha tells Carol, she’s lost. So was her boy. She sent him away, and he never came back. He died out there, alone and afraid, just like Sophia. She respects what Carol did. Negan drew the blade, but Carol ended her, like a true Alpha. Carol says, stop it, and Alpha asks if she regrets it. Carol says she doesn’t, and Alpha says people were hurt in the name of vengeance, and now she can’t go back. They don’t accept what she’s done, but maybe they would if she says she’s sorry. Sorry you’re mad; please don’t be mad at me. She tried being on her own before, but they always pull her back. She’s always wanting more; love, motherhood, death. They don’t know what she truly wants. Admit it. What does she want? Say it. A zombie pops out of a tree, and Carol spears it through the throat and into the head. She says she wants to be alone, but Alpha says, that’s not it.

Eugene, Ezekiel, and Yumiko head out on horses. Ezekiel wonders if the new community will be handy, and Yumiko asks what Eugene thinks about that. He says his mother was a pistol, but he remembered something kind she’d done. She used to get him chocolate bunnies at Easter. Biting their heads off made him upset, but he associates it with family.  Yumiko says, please don’t tell her that they’re on this journey for chocolate bunnies. Eugene says he’s on the journey for the future hope of mankind, but candy would be nice. He asks if Ezekiel is okay, and Ezekiel says he’s not the best audience at the moment. They ride past a cage with two zombies in it, and Yumiko wonders if it’s a trap. Eugene doesn’t think that’s the modus operandi, but Ezekiel says, they’re not alone. Who would do this? Yumiko suggests they take the time to investigate in case it’s a warning.

Off by himself, Ezekiel gets off his horse. He sees some wandering zombies, and kills them. He coughs and stumbles, as another one comes closer, but he manages to stab it. He sits on a fallen tree. Yumiko says, all clear, and calls to him. He says he’s coming. All clear here.

Negan, his hands bound behind his back, walks in front of Daryl. He says, this follow-the-leader routine is like déjà vu. It’s the same way it went down with Alpha. He tells Daryl to get pissed at his gal pal for not letting him in on the plan. He’s pissed too. The lone wolf isn’t thinking of the pack. Daryl says the children at Hilltop almost died because of Negan. Although I’m not sure how Daryl came to that conclusion.

Beta looks at a record album, Half Moon Live in Concert. He puts on a turntable, and I try not to think about why the turntable works when there’s no electricity, and any batteries in it would have leaked or gone dead by now. The music draws zombies to the hotel.

Carol goes to the cabin, and Alpha says, this is her plan? and calls Carol brainless. She had no peace on the ocean, thinking about Alpha, and wondering where they’re going to land, and looking for sign. Give it up. If Alpha knows the truth, so does she. Hear her. Carol gets up on a stepladder, and fiddles with something on the ceiling, but the whole thing caves in, and she falls, the ceiling and everything surrounding her falling on top of her. Alpha says, she’s stupid too.

Negan leads Daryl to where Alpha’s head was, and tells Daryl, it was right here, on this spike. They can wait there for Carol. Daryl says take him to Lydia, but Negan asks what he’s talking about. Why would he stash her out there unless it was to keep her safe? He used her as bait to get Alpha alone. What’s wrong? He didn’t do it fast enough? It took a minute; he had to get her trust. He wasn’t going off half-cocked on a suicide mission. Daryl says, it was because Negan liked it. They hear the sound of a gun cocking, and some Whisperers step out of the woods, one of them holding a shotgun. Daryl drops his crossbow, and one of them says, Alpha is dead because of Negan. Kneel to the new Alpha. They kneel, and Negan laughs.

The music plays, while zombies gather. Beta stands above them, on the balcony, his arms outstretched. He smiles, something we’ve never seen, and pulls half of his mask off.

Negan tells Daryl, sorry. He’s savoring the moment. Daryl’s wrists are now tied, while Negan is free, and Negan says he’s taking his sweet-ass time. All right, fellas, down to business. Wait one damn minute. He’s the Alpha, right? He’s a bit confused. If he’s the Alpha, why is someone who’s not the Alpha holding the badass shotgun? The Whisperer holding the gun gives it to Negan, who says, that’s what he’s talking about. It feels good. He’s never had a kid of his own, but if he did, he imagines this is what it’s like holding your baby for the first time. But it turns out his baby can kill people by spitting bullets at them. He wants Daryl to kneel to the Alpha, and the Whisperers try to push Daryl down, but he shrugs them off and kneels. Negan says, it’s starting to get real now, ain’t it? Daryl was right when he said Negan liked it. In fact – he points the gun at Daryl – he likes it a lot. Daryl says Negan should probably shoot him, and Negan says, don’t threaten him with a good time. Negan shoots two Whisperers, and stabs the other in the head. When they’re down, Daryl tells Negan, untie me, a-hole, and Negan laughs.

Ezekiel, Eugen, and Yumiko sit by a fire, when Ezekiel’s horse suddenly whinnies and keels over. I had to look away here – that’s right, I can watch a million people get their heads stomped, but I cannot bear for an animal to be hurt. Ezekiel tells his horse, it’s not going to hurt anymore, and puts the horse out of its misery. Yumiko tells him that she’s sorry, and he says he shouldn’t have come. She asks, why? and he says, if he falls, they have to promise to leave him behind. His horse wasn’t strong enough to make the journey. Maybe he’s not either. He’s okay with that, but not with putting them at risk. Yumiko asks if he wants to turn back because of what might happen, and he says, it’s for the best. She says they don’t know what lies ahead; no one does. She had all these plans for her life, and for what? She’s here to find out what’s possible. None of them can predict or imagine what’s ahead, but she knows who they need with them. A man who built a kingdom.

Carol lies under the rubble, as a zombie pulls itself out of the creek nearby. Alpha says, her mom used to say, everything works out the way it’s supposed to, and Carol tells her, shut up already. The zombie crawls toward what’s left of the cabin, and Alpha says, this way, friend. Is Carol ready for them, and to see how this ends? No one is coming to save her. Not Ezekiel, and certainly not Daryl. Not after what she did to Connie. The zombie, who’s pretty well deteriorated, starts pushing through the slats in the wall. Alpha says, no matter what Carol does, she loses people. If she goes back, Daryl could be next. Carol says she won’t let that happen. She knows what she has to do. Alpha says, it could have been anyone, but they chose her. She gets the job done. Carol struggles, and Alpha tells her, look at the flowers like she’s supposed to. One…two… The zombie pushes through, but Carol pulls herself out, takes out her knife, and stabs it in the head. She collapses, and Alpha is gone.

Ezekiel now rides behind Yumiko. They ride down a highway, seeing a city in the distance.

Negan drinks from a canteen, and passes it to Daryl. They sit side by side, each facing a different way. Negan says, not to be a spinning record, but he doesn’t think Carol is coming back. He’s not bullsh*tting Daryl. Daryl says he knows, and Negan tells him, when he said he liked it, that wasn’t part of the act. Daryl says he knows. Negan says, when Daryl’s people locked him up, he lost everything. He spent seven years staring out that little window. It sucked so bad, even his memories have bars painted on them. When Alpha took him in, he admits he liked it. It was nice, feeling like he mattered again, and being respected, but she took it too far. You don’t kill people who don’t deserve it, and you never kill kids. Daryl asks if that’s supposed to make him like Negan, and Negan says, no. Daryl says, good, and Negan asks, what about his winning personality? Daryl gets up, and starts to walk. Negan asks, what about Carol? and follows.

Carol walks to the gate, and Daryl opens it. She walks in, and neither one of them says anything. Daryl closes the gate.

Eugene, Yumiko, and Ezekiel ride into the city. They go past a store, where a zombie in costume is tied to a rocker. The look into a café, where two zombies sit with martinis. Another sits on a delivery cart. It’s like a weird Disney ride, with zombies in various tableaus. They look around, and find one in a car, handcuffed to the steering wheel, while a police zombie is about to give them a ticket. Ezekiel starts to laugh and point. He laughs so hard, he has to wipe tears from his eyes. They see a pile of bones on the ground, wearing a boa, and a voice says, oh my God! Hi! A woman, also wearing a boa, and dressed sort of like Madonna, circa the late 80s, stands in front of them, holding an automatic weapon. (For those who are familiar with the comics, it’s Princess.)

Beta takes out the note, and says, someday we’ll rise. He takes Alpha’s head out of the bag, and says, thank you. He sees now, like she does. He puts a knife through Alpha’s head, and sits nose to nose with her for a moment. Zombies clamor at the hotel door.

Beta opens the hotel door, and walks out. He walks through the crowd of zombies, and they follow him as he walks down the street.

Next time – the last episode before the finale – Alpha says we walk, Judith and Daryl run from zombies, and Aaron and Alden hide to watch Beta.

🐭 On Talking Dead: Home Edition, comedian Ron Funches thought the zombie tableaus were like the ones at Chuck E. Cheese, but not as frightening. I couldn’t agree more.

⚰️ Postponing Dead…

News about the finale.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2020/03/25/the-walking-dead-forced-to-delay-season-10-finale-due-to-pandemic-shutdown/#3f112691bcc2

👍🏼 They’re Fine…

While I’m by no means downplaying the seriousness of the current world situation, there is good news that most of those who aren’t in a high risk group only experience mild to moderate symptoms.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1131526/game-of-thrones-star-kristofer-hivju-tests-positive-for-coronavirus

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/chloe-lanier-shares-health-update

✂️ Celebrities; They’re Just Like Us…

I’ve never given myself a haircut while drunk, but when I had my first apartment, I did let my next door neighbor cut my hair when we’d been drinking. It wasn’t awful. And it grew out.

https://extratv.com/2020/03/25/p-nk-gave-herself-a-haircut-while-drinking-at-home-see-the-results/?adid=extra_eme_27439_2020-03-26_rightnow4

🗽 You Still Don’t Get Your Apple Back…

That Jill Zarin. Always full of surprises.

https://www.realitytea.com/2020/03/27/ally-shapiro-learned-jill-zarin-used-a-sperm-donor-to-conceive-her-by-snooping-through-jills-emails/

🦛 Something Fun…

While housebound, you can find loads of fun, free things on the internet. Museum and city tours, concerts, Doug the Pug’s workout on Instagram, and Fiona!

https://www.eonline.com/news/1131307/fiona-the-hippo-to-star-in-cincinnati-zoo-s-home-safari-video-series-amid-school-closures

🎼 Helping Ryan Rock…

The Half Moon song Beta listened to tonight was written by Emily Kinney who played Beth many seasons ago.

Stay safe out there.

Beta’s Half Moon Song on ‘The Walking Dead’: Full Video & Lyrics