Tag Archives: Talking Dead

Mar23

March 22, 2020 – Michonne Returns Only To Leave, a Quote Extracted, an Exit, Talking Contained, Westworld Reviewed, Soap News, Denise Shares & Not Once

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Michonne walks through the woods with two chained, armless, mouthless zombie buddies. She whacks a non-buddy and picks up some bullets from the ground. She sees Andrea running through the woods, with some zombies following her. Andrea hits one in the head with a rock, and stabs another, but she falls. She tries to scramble away from a third, as Michonne watches and does nothing, then turns away.

Michonne unlocks the chains binding Virgil to the boat. He says she could have done that five hours ago, but she asks why would she? They walk through the trees to a field, and she says she needs to get back. Virgil picks some flower blossoms, and says he can’t show up empty handed. His wife wouldn’t like it. He explains that he’s picking herbs. They’re good for everything; pain, nerves, and sleep. Michonne asks where the munition depot is, and he says, the old lab has structural damage. It’s best to stay away. They walk to a building where a sign says restricted area. Virgil tells her that his little boy seems to think a sailor left buried treasure in one of the grain silos. It’s hard to keep him from going inside. He’s just like his mom; when he decides to do something, there’s nothing you can do to stop him. Michonne whips around with her katana, and tells him, stop the bullsh*t. Where the hell is his family? He says he told her that he was coming home to his family, and he meant it.

Virgil stops in front of three open graves. He says he promised his wife when they got married, he’d bring her flowers every day. Michonne says he waited until now to tell her? and he says, the words don’t come easy, and neither does trust. He promised to help her, and he will. The island isn’t clear. It was until the others came and brought violence. The sickness came with it, and killed his family. He never got good at doing what she does. She’s good with a sword. She wonders what he’s asking, and he says his family is still in there; his wife and his babies. That’s why he asked her to come. He needed her to come.

They approach a building, where a zombie waits just inside the door. Michonne busts in, kills the zombie, and walks forward. Virgil closes the door behind them. A zombie is stuck inside a hallway that’s been partially blocked by a refrigerator. Michonne pierces it’s head, and kills it. Virgil drags it out of the way, as Michonne opens the next door. On his way back, Virgil knocks over some stacked furniture, and blocks the passage. He says, sorry, which hardly seems adequate. A small crowd of zombies is gathered in a room further on. The door is locked, and Michonne tells Virgil, stay close, and thunders in, rushing the zombies, holding a cot in front of her. There are about ten to fifteen of them, and she gives Virgil the cot, telling him to get behind it. She stabs and slashes, slicing off the tops of two zombies’ heads. Virgil is pushed back, and blocks himself in. Wow. Michonne is fast. The zombies all down, Virgil thanks her.

She opens the door to yet one more room. Zombies hang from ceiling, still moving. Virgil looks around, and sees a woman’s shoe. He picks it up, and gently puts it back on a zombie’s foot. This is depressing, and I wonder where Negan is when I need him.

As they walk past some chairs and stacks of books, Virgil says he wanted give them something his daughter loved to take with them, and she loved that book. Michonne says she knows how hard it is, but she’s sorry. She’s got to get back. He says he had a hard time, and his wife talked him through it. Without her, he doesn’t know who he is. She says, it’s not too late to find out. He thanks her again, and she tells him to show her what she came for, so she can go. He says, it’s late. The tide is low, and he’s not sure the boat will go through the channel. He suggests she stay night, and not risk it. They’ll need to hole up. She says she kept her end of the bargain; he needs to keep his. He says, it’s getting dark. Some of the buildings aren’t safe. They can do it in the morning. She says, first thing.

Michonne tries her radio, but gets nothing. She walks to another building, and shines her flashlight around. She sees wooden crates, and looks inside them, but none of them have guns. She sees a group of cages with dead rats in them, some just skeletons. She quietly walks through into another room, and hears a voice say, everyone be quiet. Virgil shuts her inside, and tells her, wait until morning; it’s not safe. He trusted her, and now she ruined it. She tells him, open the damn door, but he walks away.

Michonne bangs on the door to no avail. She sits, sword at the ready. A faucet drips, and she says, sh*t. She sees a food tray, and bangs on the door again. She hears someone say, calm down. They’ve been trying to talk to her. She asks how long she’s been in there, and a man’s voice says, a day maybe. We see two men and a woman in the next room. She asks why they didn’t answer when she was calling out, and the man says, Virgil blows up. He gets in a mood. The woman says, when he’s angry, it’s best to be quiet. The man says, don’t bother to try to escape; it’s boobytrapped. Virgil comes there as little as possible; he doesn’t like to see them. They were researchers together. They wrote papers, and had a life there. Michonne says, they knew each other? and he says, they were friends. She asks, what went wrong? and the woman says, stragglers came by boat, and they took them all in. One night, the food supply ran low, and a fight broke out over rations when Virgil was late. A stranger pulled a knife, and was killed. When Virgil came back, he panicked, and locked all the doors. But he didn’t know… Michonne says, what? and the woman says, his wife and kids were inside. He snapped. The man says, he was never the same, and the woman says they’ve been there ever since. The man asks if Michonne is okay, and she says she will be. She’s not staying there long. The man says she can’t kill if she doesn’t have the strength, and suggests she eat. He asks her name. Michonne bites into an apple, and says, Michonne. Virgil looks in, and says he’s glad she ate. She tells him, open the damn door, but he says he can’t do that. She says, why the hell not? and he says she’ll kill him. She says, we reap what we sow, a-hole, and he says he doesn’t want to fight. Michonne feels weird, and starts to hallucinate. Virgil says, Violet has a gift. It can help Michonne the way it helped him. She sees a woman, but then the woman disappears. She asks what Virgil did.

The room spins, and she asks, what did he do? He says, it makes a nice tea. He wants her to see. She’s in pain, like he is. She needs peace, like he does. She realizes he’s drugged her, and Michonne says she doesn’t drug people and toss them in a cell. He needs to hear her. Think about his daughter and son. He tells her that he said that too; no one listened. Everything he did was to protect his family. She laughs, and says she’s sure they’re proud of him now. He says, she’s no angel. She falls onto her side, and he says, picture the sun. She sees Siddiq, and he says she was supposed to protect them. She says she did her best, and he says she let him die. This is how it feels to be her family. She touches him, and sees blood on her hands. When she looks at him again, he’s a zombie. She yells, make it stop! The faucet continues to drip, and she gets up. Virgil tells her, stop fighting it. Suddenly, there are chains around her wrists, and she’s pulled forward.

In the woods, Michonne relives seeing Andrea crawling away from the zombie, and turns away. She goes back to Andrea’s body, and takes Andrea’s knife, wiping the blood off it. She also takes Andrea’s canteen. She goes to the road, where a car is going past. She tries to flag it down, but they keep going. The car slows, and stops. Daryl gets out, gets something from the trunk. Although Michonne yells for help, Daryl ignores her, and says, come on; let’s go. The car takes off, and Michonne runs after it. She goes back into the woods, and kills a zombie. Negan comes toward her, along with a few other people, and says, look what we have here. She takes a swing at him with her sword, but misses, and he knocks her down with Lucille. He says, this chick has cajones. She says she doesn’t want trouble, and he says she shouldn’t take a swing at him then. He picks up her sword, and says he’s not much on saving people on the road, especially those who try to take his head off, but he likes her and her massive lady nuts. Besides, it would be a waste for her to have a nice sword without the strength to use it. A woman tosses her an apple, and he says, the name’s Negan.   

Glenn comes into the room where Michonne is, and suddenly, she’s back at the Sanctuary with Rick and the Alexandrians (good name for a group!), who are shooting the place up. She shoots Glenn and Heath. Negan whistles, and we’re back to when Negan had them all on their knees in the woods, and he’s choosing who he’s going to kill. He points Lucille at each one, saying, eenie, meenie, miney, mo. He stops in front of Daryl, then says, just kidding, a-hole. He was going to do the next part himself, but his right hand gal Michonne is on a wicked-ass tear these days. Who the hell is he to stand in her way? He takes her sword, and holds it in one hand and the Lucille in the other. She chooses Lucille. She says, the Alexandrians didn’t know who they were or where they were from. They didn’t know sh*t about them, but they came in the dead of night and slaughtered them anyway. She faces Rick, and says, like a coward. Remember. They  did this. What happens next – she points the bat – is their fault. Welcome to the new world. She swings. Well, I hate to say it, but point well made.

Michonne is running through the woods, and is shot with an arrow. She drops to her knees, and Daryl walks over and kicks her down. She grabs for her sword, but he steps on her hand. Rick cocks his gun, and shoots.

Michonne throws up into a bucket. Virgil asks if she feels better. He says she will, and gives her some water. She stabs him with a fork. They struggle, but he takes off, and she follows. The woman in the next room calls to Michonne not to leave them. Michonne runs out of the building, and the people run out behind her. They run to the shore, but the boat is on fire. Well, that sucks.

They run through woods, and Michonne knocks Virgil down. Virgil says he wanted help. He wanted to let them go, but he wanted her to be there, so they wouldn’t kill him. Then he knew she’d kill him too. He’s sorry. One of the men says, sorry doesn’t cut it. Virgil says his wife always did the right thing. When she was gone, he didn’t know what to do. The guy tells Michonne that she has as much reason to kill the a-hole as they do. She says, she does, and he says, do it, or move. She says, look at him. He owes them more than can ever make right. In taking his life, they loose more of themselves. Their mercy gives them something; they get something. The woman asks, what? and she says, peace. They mull this over, and one of the guys slugs Virgil.

Now Virgil is in a locked a room. He sits up, and Michonne says, there’s nothing there. She checked every building, even the ones he said had structural damage. There’s not a goddam thing. He says he never lied about the weapons. He never saw them, but told her that he could show her the spots. She says he’s got to do better, but he says, sorry; he can’t. Sometimes he finds a stray shell; nothing more. She says she’s not going back empty handed. He tells her to take what she wants, and clear his debt with Oceanside. She took the risk. She says she had no choice. She had to find out. There’s no tea, so don’t even ask. She asks what he sees when he’s tripping anyway. He says, Violet with her damn camera pointed at everyone. His babies, and daughter sitting by the fire with that damn book, asking questions about a world she’d never know. Him and his son looking at stars; at heaven. He wanted, hoped, that she would see that too. She says he took her family from her, and she saw hell. He says he’s sorry. The only world he ever wanted, was the one they were in. He doesn’t know how to do without them. She says, he tries, like the rest of them. Now how about if he tries to find her stuff?

They look around, Michonne carrying the flashlight. She sees a pair of boots. She looks them over, and cries. She grabs Virgil, and asks where the hell did he get these?

There’s a large ship right off the shore. Inside, Michonne pushes Virgil into the captain’s quarters, and he says the boots washed up. He doesn’t know where they came from. She looks through the captain’s log, and whatever papers are there. She sees a dead cell phone, and realizes there’s a picture of herself and Judith etched into the glass, along with Rick and some figures. Virgil says, holy sh*t; it’s her and the kid? She says he knew. He came to find them at Oceanside. He asks why he’d do that, and she says, because of this. He says he’s never seen it, and she asks what it’s doing there. He says how would he know? and she says he knew the boat was there. He says, the world ended, boats wash up. She grabs him, and says he knew there were no munitions. He was setting a trap, and laid a trap for him. What did Virgil do to him? Virgil asks who she’s talking about, and she presses her sword lengthwise against his throat. She slowly releases him, and looks at the phone. He says he doesn’t know what she thinks he has, or who she’s looking for, but maybe it wasn’t an accident that they met. If the others help, he thinks he can get the engine working again. If the person was on this boat, maybe she can find him again.

Next to the road, Michonne caresses Rick’s boots. Virgil pulls a wagon, and the three people take their stuff from it. She says, it’s going to take some time, and Virgil says they’re out of time. She says they’re willing to let him come. There’s only one boat left. Either he leaves now, or doesn’t leave. He says, after everything, he can’t believe they’d want him to come, and she says, sometimes the most injured are the most forgiving. They’re good people. They’re giving him a chance; a way off the island. He says he promised her flowers every day.

The boat moves off. Michonne looks at Virgil, standing on shore.

Michonne cries as she looks at the phone. She takes out her radio, and says, Jojo, are you there? It’s Danto. Anyone? There’s dead air for a moment, and then crackling. Judith says she’s there. She’s been trying to get Michonne. Michonne says she’s sorry; she’s here now. Judith asks if she’s still with Virgil, and Michonne says, no, but she found three people she’s bringing back. She missed Judith and her brother so much. RJ says, mama? and she says, hey baby, and tells him to talk in code for safety. She asks how he is, and says she loves her little brave man. She asks Judith how she’s doing, and Judith guesses okay; better now. Michonne asks, how’s home? Anything with the Whisperers? Judith says they got them. Alpha can’t hurt them anymore. Michonne cries, and says she found something. It’s something really important to all of them. Judith asks, what does she mean? and Michonne says she found something that belonged to the brave man. It points to where he might have been recently. She doesn’t know what it means, or if means anything at all. Judith asks if he’s alive, but Michonne doesn’t know. Judith says if Michonne thinks he’s alive, she’s got to find him. Michonne says, not now. Judith and her brother need her with everything that’s going on in Alexandria. Judith says Michonne has to go. She has to. They’re okay. What if he needs her more? What if he’s trying come home and no one will help? Michonne says, if she goes, and Judith interrupts, saying, when she goes. Michonne says when she goes and finds the brave man… One of the men says, they’re at the coast, and Michonne says she has to go. Judith says, she knows. Listen to Uncle Daryl. Michonne says she’s going to try. She’s heading north. She’ll call every morning for as long as she can. Judith says she’ll take the walkie with her everywhere. Michonne says she loves Judith and her brother so much. Judith says they love her too. Go get him. Over and out. Michonne heaves a huge sigh.

Michonne cuts the arms and mouths off two zombies, and ties them to her. She walks through the woods, and sees a man and woman, stumbling through an overgrown field. They ask if she can help; they’ll leave without them. She asks, who? and looks out over the cliff, seeing a crowd of people forming a square. The woman says, please. They won’t wait.

Michonne remembers how Rick let her into the prison. The man asks who she is, and she swipes her sword across the necks of her zombie buddies, slicing their heads off. The couple is afraid as she comes toward them, but she holds out her hand, saying, come on, and helps them up.

The camera pans out to show several blocks of people in formation in the distance.

Next time, Alpha’s head on a pike, Negan tells Carol to hold up her end of the bargain, carol says she’s not coming back, Eugene is willing to be the fool, and Beta gathers the Whisperers.

⭐️ Best quote of the night: Sometimes the most injured are the most forgiving.

👋🏾 Exit Stage Left…

Scott Gimple explains.

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2020/03/23/the-walking-dead-michonne-exit-movies-explained/

What’s next.

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2020/03/22/the-walking-dead-whats-next-for-michonne-rick-grimes-movies-scott-gimple/

⚰️ A Very Special Episode…

You can’t keep a good Talking Dead down.

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2020/03/20/coronavirus-talking-dead-special-video-chat-edition-surprise-cast-member/

🐎 Den of Geek Tells All…

Reviews of Westworld’s first two episodes.

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/westworld-season-3-episode-1-review-parce-domine/

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/westworld-season-3-episode-2-review-the-winter-line/

🧼 A Little Bit Of Soap…

Daytime Emmys canceled.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/daytime-emmys-ceremony-canceled/

The shut down.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/all-soaps-shutdown-due-to-coronavirus/

Poor Nelle.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/ghs-chloe-lanier-falls-ill/

🍾 Crossing Over…

Denise Richards gives a peek at RHOBH.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/bbs-richards-shares-trailer-for-the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/

🥱 I Don’t Know How It Happened…

Once again, I find it’s so late, it’s early, so I leave you with this.

TPTWD

Nov25

November 24, 2019 – The Horde Is Discovered, Talk Tidbits, It’s Real, Saul Returns, Some 90 Updates & James Sings Ray

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Dante flashes back to being with Alpha. She says she doesn’t care about his past; they all have a past. None of it matters now. He did well, but she needs something more; eyes inside the walls. He’s the kind of man she trusts. Practical, loyal, and smart. The kind of man her daughter should get to know. He asks where he should start, and she says, find some strangers and join them. We see him walking in the woods with the Whisperers. He moves ahead, takes off his mask, and for help. He acts like he’s fighting them off, and a group of people runs to his aid. We hear Alpha say, go to the gate. They won’t turn you away. We see him arrive at Alexandria with the people he’s hooked up with, and Siddiq examining him. Alpha’s voiceover tells him to make them think he’s one of them. We see him leave a message in a small box and hide it in a tree. Alpha says, exploit their weaknesses until they crumble. We see him messing with the water filtration system, and killing Cheryl. Alpha says, do all this, and they’ll welcome him home when they fall. He has a special place in her heart. She puts her palm on his chest.

In the present, Dante checks for Siddiq’s pulse, and closes Siddiq’s eyes. Rosita comes by, and asks if Siddiq is awake. She saw the light on. They make small talk in Spanish, and she asks, what’s happening? Dante jokes that he and Siddiq have a hot romance going on. Really, they were just hanging, and Siddiq got called out. Something about Andy and Donna’s kid throwing up. She just missed him. He asks if he can help with anything, and Siddiq opens his eyes. Coco cries, and Rosita sees that Dante has a knife. She puts Coco in the tub without taking her eyes off of him. She tries to go past Dante, into the room where Siddiq is, and  they struggle. Dante gets her down, and Siddiq comes out and walks toward the crying baby. Dante tries to strangle Rosita, but she stabs him in the leg. She jumps up, pikes Siddiq in the head, then beats the crap out of Dante. She picks up Coco, and tries to process Siddiq turning into a zombie.

Gamma meets Aaron, and he asks if she’s all right. She asks if the baby is still alive. He asks if she means the baby they rescued from Hilltop, and she says, yes; he’s her nephew. Did they name him? Her sister couldn’t do it. He says, the family who adopted him named him Adam. She asks if she can see him, and Aaron says, they left him to die. Why should he agree to that? She says they can trade. She has information for him. He asks, what information? If he sees it’s true, then they’ll talk, but he’s not promising anything. She says she’s not talking unless she can see him. He’s the only family she has left. He tells her to take off her mask. She does, and says, before all this, her name was Mary. He asks what she wants to tell him.

Daryl slugs Dante, and says he hopes it hurts. Dante says, it doesn’t matter. None of it matters. Seeing humans devour each other showed him it was ridiculous to attach yourself to anyone. The truth will set you free. Gabriel asks if that’s what he’s doing to Rosita. Setting her free. Why did he put Siddiq through all that torture just to kill him? Dante says he liked Siddiq. He wasn’t part of the plan, but he found out who Dante was. Carol asks what the plan is, and he says to increase their paranoia so they make bad decisions. People in places like this grumble, and he’ll enjoy seeing them rip each other apart making a decision about him, like they did with Negan. Gabriel asks if he wants his public reckoning, and Dante says that’s what they’re good at. Gabriel says Rosita helped him, but Dante says they got something from him too. They needed a doctor. Places like Alexandria are a cruel promise. People aren’t really kind, but he didn’t put Siddiq’s head on a spike. The Whisperers are selfish and brutal, but they’ve taught him what people are. Gabriel punches him in the face. Aaron walks in, and says Dante has been there for four months. How did they not know? Daryl says, none of them did, and Aaron says, they ate together, they talked about militia, he treated Gracie. Carol tells him not to do this to himself, and Daryl seconds that. Aaron says, the Whisperer he’s talking to, Mary, told him where Alpha is keeping the herd. Carol says they’ll leave after the funeral, and Daryl asks if they’re trusting a Whisperer now. Lydia is still gone, and it’s probably an ambush. Aaron says the baby the Whisperers left to die was apparently Mary’s nephew. He doesn’t think she’s lying. Daryl says they already sent a group to Hilltop, who’s ready to meet them there. On the side, he tells Carol that she should have said something to him about seeing Lydia. Her disappearing again is on Carol. She says they can push on the Whisperers’ wounds too. She doesn’t think Lydia wants to be found. Daryl asks if she’s talking about Lydia or herself.

Michonne, Judith, and Luke ride in a literally horse-powered car, while Scott checks the path ahead. He tells them he’s found fresh tracks, but it could just be a scout. Michonne says if there’s just one set, she likes their chances, but they have to be as quiet as possible. Luke says he knows that was meant for him. He tells Judith that he likes to whistle his favorite music by Rachmaninoff. The only time he gets to hear it is in his head these days. He asks Judith what she’s writing, and she tells him that she’s compiling a history of their people. He says if she’s writing personal histories, she should read more. There’s a library close by in Waterford, and she can pick up some inspiration. Michonne says they don’t have the time, but they stop there anyway.

Michonne picks up a Russian/English dictionary for Eugene, and Luke says, since they’re there, he’s going to check out the music section. Scott says he’ll look around, and see what’s worth taking. Michonne picks up a book, saying she’s always wanted to read it. Judith asks if they could read it together. Rosita calls Michonne on the radio, and Michonne asks, what’s happening?

Luke whistles as he looks through the books, and gets all happy when he sees some music by Rachmaninoff. He flips through it, and laughs, but a zombie is on the other side of the shelf, and grabs him. Another comes out from behind him, and he yells for help. A guy comes out of nowhere, and pikes the zombie. Luke asks what his name is, but he jets. Luke says, thank you, and stabs the other zombie in the head.

Michonne asks, what happened? and Luke says a guy came out of nowhere and saved his life. Then he ran off. Maybe they can still catch him. Scott goes back out, and Michonne loads her bag with books. Luke is like, what the hell? He tells Michonne he’s sorry, and asks if everything is all right. She says, Siddiq is dead, so everything is not all right.

Uh-oh. They announced a surprise cast member on Talking Dead. This usually means a dead character on Walking Dead.

Gabriel officiates at Siddiq’s funeral. He says a scholar who understood the importance of it, wrote, let me live if life is better, or take my life if that is better. He knew the world defied logic and justice, which is why he posed the sentiment. Gabriel tosses dirt on the grave, and says, you were taken from it, and are now brought back to it, and from it, will be raised a second time. Everyone is bummed. Rosita sits on the ground near Siddiq’s newly dug grave. Ezekiel has come to pay his respects, and Carol goes over to him. She says it’s good to see him, and he says, her too. He can’t believe Siddiq is gone. He was one of those people Ezekiel thought would live forever. There are too many things changing. She asks how long he’s staying, and he says, a day or two. She wishes they more time, and Ezekiel says he heard about them looking for the zombie hoard, and asks if they need help. She says, no, and asks if everything is okay. He tells her, good luck.

Outside the gate, Rosita sees some zombies, and takes out brass knuckles with spikes on them. She thinks of Siddiq and Coco, and stabs them, but the last one gets the better of her. Eugene runs over, and knocks it down. She tells him, thanks, but he says, no expression of gratitude is required. It was lucky he was crossing through. He gives her his deepest condolences about Siddiq’s passing. It was a tragedy, and he wishes there was more he could offer. He tells her, travel safe, and then realizes he’s the one who’s going to be traveling.

Gabriel watches the initial interview he did with Dante. He asks what Dante was before, and Dante says, a father just trying to get by. Gabriel asks how long he knew the people he came in with, and he says he lost track of time. They saved his life. Gabriel asks the standard, how many people has he killed? and he says, only one; the man who tried to hurt is son, but the walkers got Jimmy in the end anyway. Gabriel snaps the video camera shut. Rosita comes in. He sees she’s a mess, and asks, what happened?  She says she was helping Eugene with the walkers at the gate. She asks if Coco is sleeping, and Gabriel says she fell fast asleep. She tells him, the truth is that she wasn’t helping Eugene; he was helping her, but she should be able to handle the walkers. Gabriel says, it’s been a rough day. She says, it’s not that. She could die She used to think, if it happened, it happened, but now it would make Coco an orphan. She can’t die. She’s afraid, and the feeling isn’t going away. Gabriel says, feelings are not the future, and she says that sounds like a quote. She could freeze again, and won’t have Eugene to save her. Gabriel says he has to meet with the council. They need to figure out how this happened. They need to find Lydia, and find out why she didn’t know Dante. She says he’s not hearing her, and he tells her that he’s saying the feeling will pass. She says, maybe Dante was right about them. They’re not as strong as they think they are.

Aaron quizzes Gracie on state capitals, and she asks him about his travels. He says he once went hiking with a man he loved in California, and they went to Oakland. While they were hiking, the found some ruins that they explored. They listened to the sound of the waves crashing, and imagined what the people were like who were now lost to time. They had their own laws, beliefs, and hopes for the future. He was one of the first ones there when Alexandria started. When they thought they knew what it was going to be. He’s been thinking more and more about that village. Gracie asks, what happened to those people? but he says he doesn’t know.

Michonne and her group arrive at Oceanside. She tells them that Dante showed up before the fire, and whatever process they’ve been using to vet their newest people, they have to do it again. A few of the women drag a guy in, and Rachel asks how he got in there. Michonne asks who he is, and Jules says they caught him trying to steal a sail, and he was probably going to steal a boat. He struggles to get away, and Michonne takes out her sword. She says she’s not asking him again, and he says just trying to get home; to get back to his family. Luke says this is the guy who saved his life. Jules says he was also sneaking around, messing with their security, and Rachel says, they’ve hung men for less. Michonne says, he might be a Whisperer. Luke says he was taking books, and had pictures of his family. Does he look like a Whisperer? Michonne says she doesn’t know what they look like anymore. He tells them to let him go, and Michonne says, answer her question. Who are his people? They hear some zombies coming, and Michonne tells them to hold him, and slices the top off of a zombie’s head. She pikes a couple of them, but then looks panicked at seeing how many are appearing.

Gabriel goes to the cell where Dante is being kept. He asks if Dante even had a son, and Dante asks why it matters. Gabriel guesses it doesn’t, but it’s one of the things he liked about Dante. Dante says, that his son was killed? and Gabriel says, that he had a family. He supposes Dante would like it if he didn’t trust anyone again. Dante says, that was the idea. Gabriel opens the cell and goes in, leaving the door open. He asks if that’s why he was there. He says he was there to show them to look around look. Look at what people did to the world. Gabriel thinks people can be good, and deserve a second chance. Gabriel says he loved Siddiq like a brother. His family will never be the same. His daughter won’t know him. Maybe Rosita will blame Gabriel, and maybe she’s right. He didn’t protect them enough. He hasn’t always been brave. Dante asks if Gabriel thinks people deserve a second chance. Gabriel says he doesn’t know, but sometimes they get one anyway. He stabs Dante, and Dante pushes Gabriel up against the wall. Gabriel just keeps stabbing him, and yelling with every stab. I say, better stab his effing head, and Gabriel does, then stands there and cries. Apparently, no public reckoning for Dante.

At Oceanside, while they’re fighting the zombies, the guy tries to get away. A zombie comes after him, and knocks him down. Judith tells him, don’t move, and kills it. She calls to Michonne, and Michonne says, good girl.

Rosita walks around the house with Coco, saying reassuring words, probably more for herself than the baby. She looks outside, and sees Gabriel coming toward the house.

On his bike, Daryl leads Aaron and Carol, who are on horses. He parks, and they meet Jerry, Connie, Kelly, and Magna. Jerry asks how Rosita is, and Carol says, as you’d expect. Daryl thanks Connie for helping, and she writes, anything for us.

It’s starting to get dark out when they cross the border where the head stakes are. Daryl crosses last, and follows Carol. Carol takes out a sword, and snaps an animal trap. She says if they’re laying traps, it means they’re closer. Daryl tells her, stop this sh*t. She wants Alpha dead so bad, she doesn’t care  what happens to her. Carol says, not true, and he says she never came off the boat. It’s like talking to a goddam ghost. He’s the one she should talk to. Carol says she doesn’t know how, and Daryl says, try. He hugs her, and says, she’s not worth it. She’s a dead woman anyway. They have a future. Don’t let her take that too. He asks if she’s good, and she says yeah. He tells her that he’ll lead, and snaps another trap. A zombie comes along, and Carol kills it, barely breaking her stride.

Gabriel watches Dante’s body burn. Rosita joins him, and puts her head on his shoulder.

Unnamed guy wakes up with his wrists bound. Judith is sitting near him, reading, and he tells her, don’t go through his stuff. The book belongs to his daughter. Judith says it fell out, and she picked it up. It clearly belongs to the library. He says it’s for his daughter; put it back. She continues to read, and he tries lunging for the book. She changes position to be more out of reach, and tells him, be careful. He’s going to rip his stitches. Michonne joins them, and asks if he’s comfortable? He inches back to his original spot, and Michonne asks Judith to give them a minute. When she’s gone, Michonne ask what he’s really doing there. He says her daughter is a demon with a sword, and she says, like mother, like daughter. Only her swords won’t leave anything to heal. Answer her damn question. He says he didn’t mean it in a bad way. No way could they make it this long without being comfortable with violence. She asks how long he’s been watching Oceanside, but he says he wasn’t watching. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody. He left home for supplies, and now he’s trying to get back. She asks if him helping her friend was part of the play, but he says, there’s no play. He just did it. What if he needed help? The same thing might happen to him. He’s glad he did it. Mercy’s in short supply these days. He doesn’t expect it, and maybe he doesn’t deserve it. He asks if something is wrong, and Michonne says he reminded her of something a friend of hers used to say; my mercy prevails over my wrath. She looks off into the distance, and brushes a tear away. She asks him to just tell her where home is, but he says he can’t tell her where he lives. His family is there. She asks if that’s how he’s getting back to them or keeping them safe. They don’t know where he is, or even if he’s coming back. She tells him, don’t put them through that. He says he lives on Bloodsworth Island, south of Tangiers. It’s hard to find. He didn’t mean to break in and cause chaos, but he needed a boat. She says good intentions or not, he owes Oceanside for the damage. He’s not going anywhere until she figures it out. He says they have enemies to fight. Maybe they can help each other. She asks what he means.

Michonne goes to Judith, and Judith asks what he told her. Michonne says he lives on an island two days from there. It’s an old Naval base, and there could be enough weapons for them to destroy the horde. He’s going to let her have them, but she has to find a way to bring them back. Judith asks, what’s wrong? and Michonne says it has to be just her taking that risk. If anything happens, they shouldn’t be  together. She has to find out if he’s telling the truth. Is that okay? She holds Judith close.

Daryl’s group walks deeper into the woods. They see an empty clearing from the top of a cliff, and Daryl says, dammit, and Aaron says, that doesn’t mean she lied. They put traps around. The herd could have been there. They had an obligation to check it out. Daryl says they have time to find Lydia; let’s go. Aaron tells Carol that he knows it looks bad, but he wasn’t wrong about this. Carol looks out to the clearing.

Michonne tells nameless-so-far guy that whatever weapons are on his island will pay his debt. She’ll take him home, and bring them back. He says, it can’t be that simple, and she says, or thank you, you’re welcome. It’s up to him. He asks if he can have his stuff back, and she gives him his backpack. He holds out his hand, and says, he’s Virgil.

Michonne tells Luke, tell everyone back home that she’s only a couple days behind, and to radio if they need help. Keep her posted. Luke says, don’t worry. Judith will be looking after them. Michonne tells him, keep her safe, and tells Judith, it doesn’t have to be emergency to check in. Do it every day. She gives Judith a radio, and hugs her. She says she’ll see Judith soon. Be good for Uncle Daryl.

Michonne and Virgil sail out to sea.

Daryl’s group walks through the woods. Daryl suggests taking the river downstream. Carol loiters off to the side, and says she’ll meet them in a few minutes, but Daryl says they all stay together. Carol looks at the clearing, and sees Alpha staring at her. She takes off after Alpha, who runs, and the group all run after Carol. Alpha goes deeper into the woods, and the group continues to follow. Alpha runs into a cave, and some zombies appear. Daryl tells the group to get Carol’s ass out of there. He pikes the zombies, and walks toward the cave. It’s pitch black inside, and he walk holding knives out ahead of him. He quietly calls to Carol, then tumbles down into a hole. The others are there. It’s a ledge, and zombies reach up from beneath them. They’ve found the horde.

On February 23rd, 2020 – Gamma tells whoever’s left at Alexandria that their friends are in trouble, trapped in the cave where Alpha placed the horde; Alpha sets the cave on fire; Gamma is brought into Alexandria, and tries to see Coco;  Negan tells Alpha the spy she’s looking for is in her camp; Daryl can’t turn his back on Carol; and Daryl tells Carol they’re not fighting for revenge; they’re fighting for their future.

Good cliffhanger.

👹 On Talking Dead, my prediction was correct, and Dante (Juan Javier Cardenas) was the surprise guest. Chris Hardwick mentioned that the book Judith was reading was The World Before, which was also the title of the episode. We also found out that the cave set had once been used for the Sanctuary, and that a spin-off show, The World Beyond, is slated for 2020. You can read about it here:

https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-third-walking-dead-show-officially-has-a-title-and-1840024524

⚓ The Real Island…

Another thing we learned on Taking Dead was that Bloodsworth Island, and its old Naval base, is a real place in Chesapeake Bay.

Bloodsworth Island

☎ Better Call Saul will be back on February 23rd, 2020.

💍 In 90 News…

The Good.

https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2019/11/90-day-fiance-star-jorge-nava-loses-125-pounds-in-prison/

The Bad.

https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2019/11/90-day-fiance-star-larissa-dos-santos-lima-and-beau-bury-hatchet/

And the awkward.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1096281/how-awkward-can-this-90-day-fiance-dinner-get-for-michael-and-juliana-see-for-yourself

🍗 Coming This Week…

A bounty of delicious foods. This song is originally by Ray Charles, but this was the only version they had where you don’t have to stare at an album cover through the whole thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nov18

November 17, 2019 – Two Truths Too Late For Siddiq, Some Talk, Seasonal Break, I Knew It, Quotes For a Birthday & Sashay Into Monday

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Siddiq flashes back to Alpha. He wakes  and sees Cheryl, lying in bed, shaking. He gives her some water and tucks the covers more tightly around her. He goes out to get more water, and tends to more sick people. The infirmary is full. A song plays – We Don’t Know Why. He drifts back to sleep.

Siddiq opens his eyes. A hand comes out from the couch, and covers his mouth.

Daryl goes to the jail cell, and tells Lydia, get out. Carol puts her captured Whisperer in the cell. Outside, Carol asks if Lydia knows him. Lydia says, he’s one of the guardians. Carol asks if he would know where her mother’s horde is, and Lydia says, probably. Gabriel tells Carol that she put them at risk, but she says they have to find the horde before it’s at the gate. He says, so she put them at risk? Daryl says, it doesn’t matter. They have to find them. Gabriel says he’s sticking around, and Siddiq is going to treat the guy’s wound first. Carol says he can bleed until he answers some questions, but Gabriel thinks the council would agree with him. Carol tells Lydia to stay with her, and brings her to the house. Carol thanks Daryl for backing her up. He says they aren’t going to give up easy.

Daryl takes his shirt off, making women everywhere happy, and whistles for Dog. Never mind shirtless Daryl, I have anxiety every time Dog is on the screen. We see whip marks on Daryl’s back. He sits on the couch, and pets Dog. My anxiety heightens. He looks at the double-capper acorn Carol gave him.

Carol gives Lydia back her pokey stick, saying it’s still hers. She hands Lydia some salve for her bruises, and Lydia says she’s had worse. Carol asks what else Lydia knows about the prisoner, and Lydia says he’s one of the ones who watch the horde. She tells Carol that they were given no choice. She knows Carol hates them, but Lydia knows them too. Carol says a line was drawn, and Lydia has to choose which side she’s on. Lydia says her mom twists people to get them to do what she wants; to make them think it’s what they want. People obey because they think they have no other choice, but if they let him see what they have there, that a place like this can survive, an idea like that is dangerous. It would spread, and there’s nothing her mom could do to stop it.

Siddiq and Dante go into the Whisperer’s cell. Dante tells him, don’t try anything. They check him out, and Siddiq says his wound needs stitches. The guy says he knows them, and Siddiq freezes a little. Gabriel says Dante can take it from there, and Dante tells Siddiq, outside. Now. Siddiq leaves.

Siddiq pauses at the top of the stairs. He flashes back to Alpha cutting someone’s head off.

Gamma watches Aaron at the bridge. He eats a piece of bread, and she says he has bread every day. he says, made fresh this morning. He has some extra, but she says, no. She asks how people make so much, and he says, flour. She says, every day? A lot of people must be doing that. He says, as many as needed. She sees a child’s drawing sticking out of his backpack, and he says his daughter made it. She says, he has children, and he says, just one. That’s about all he can handle. She says, there are more? and he tells her, there are. He asks if she has children, but she says, children hold you back. They make you weak. He asks if she has a family, a brother or sister, but she says she’s an only child.

Carol goes to the Whisperer’s cell, and sets down a tray covered with a towel. We all assume it must be surgical instruments. Gabriel and Dante watch as she sits. She says, let’s get started, and uncovers the tray. It has bread and some pots of jam on it. She asks, what’s it going to be? Honey or jam? Strawberry or apple? He leans forward, and says, all of it. She says, not a problem; they have plenty there. She slathers it on the bread, and says for lunch she was thinking salted fish. She likes to wrap it up in fresh lettuce. He asks what she wants, and she says, right now, they’re just going to talk. He says, pass, and she says, okay. She gives him the bread, and says, then eat. He takes a small bite, then devours it. She says, good? and he spits it at her, saying, no.

Siddiq feels Rosita’s forehead. She asks if he’s okay, and he says, yeah. Is she okay? She says, yeah; nice and pasty. He says if it weren’t for Gabriel, he’d be making his move. She says don’t let that stop him. There isn’t a jealous bone in Gabriel’s body. He tells her, scoot over, and gets in the bed next to her, putting his arm around her. She says she’s been thinking about Eugene, and he laughs. He says, sorry. Her other other man. She says they set a date to talk, and she missed it. She doesn’t want Eugene to think she was ditching him. Siddiq says, he’ll be fine. He bounces back; not everybody does. He tells her that he checked out Eugene’s baby tips, and his poop chart is on point. He’s a bonafide sh*tologist. He says, they have a kid together, and Rosita says, yes; they do. She never thought she’d be a mommy in this world. He says he tries not to think about it. It freaks him out. He wants to do right; be a good dad. She says it freaks her out that he’s a dad. Coco is lucky to have him. They both are. She coughs, and he gives her some water. She asks again if he’s okay, and he says, yeah. He has a lot of patients to see, and miles to go before he sleeps. He tucks her in, and kisses her forehead.

Standing over the Whisperer, Carol asks, where’s the horde? She presses her fingers into his wound, and he says she has animal in her. If she was out there, he would take her like a bitch in heat. Daryl and Gabriel watch as she puts on a ring, and punches the Whisperer in the face, again and again. Daryl says, that’s enough, and the Whisperer says, they’re all weak. Daryl takes out a knife like the one Paul Hogan carried in Crocodile Dundee. (What happened to him anyway? And what about Pauly Shore?) Daryl says he’ll start with the fingers first; then both of his ears. After that, he’ll take all the guy’s teeth. The Whisperer says they lie to themselves, and to each other. They fight for what? Sandwiches. Daryl pins his hand down, and the Whisperer says, they ignore the truth when it’s staring them in the face. He’ll never betray Alpha. She rescued him. She protects him, and loves him. She loves them all. She sacrificed her own daughter for them. Carol says, she killed Lydia? and he says, she did. He’s willing to give his life for her. Carol and Daryl look at each other.

Outside, Daryl tells Carol, stop. She’s not getting Lydia mixed up in this mess. Carol says the guy swallowed every ounce of Alpha’s bullsh*t. Once he gets that she’s not his great leader, he’ll be itching to talk. Daryl says, Lydia has been through enough, but Carol says, let Lydia make up her own mind. That’s the only way they’ll know it.

Siddiq checks Cheryl’s temperature, and she says, not good? He says, better than last time, and she asks him if he knows how she can tell if a man is lying – his lips are moving. He says she’ll get through this. He’ll make sure of it. She tells him, sit down, and he does. She says he looks worse than she does. Rest. He says he can’t, and she says, for her. She’s made her peace, but the others need him to have his head on straight. He closes his eyes.

Aaron tells Gamma, go ahead, and hands her the drawing. She looks at it, and he says his daughter likes to stay out with her friends. What about her? Gamma says, she’d find every excuse to stay out. As kids, they used to take the long way home, around the lake. He says, brother or sister? He apologizes, saying, he had a brother, a couple of years younger. He loved cars, but he loved people more. They loved him too. He still thinks about his brother every day. He knows what it’s like to lose someone you love. It helps to talk about it. What she’s doing, the questions, digging for intel; he supposes he should do the same, but what’s the point? Maybe they could just talk about nothing worth reporting. He can go on about his brother, or maybe him. She walks quickly away, and back into the forest.

In the cell, the Whisperer chants in his head – we walk in darkness; we are free. Dante and Siddiq come in, and Siddiq says, he’s burning up. Dante asks, what’s the problem? and  the Whisperer says, how the hell should he know? Just make it stop. Dante says, there’s no sign of infection. It doesn’t make sense. The Whisperer suddenly has a seizure, and dies, just as Carol is coming in with Lydia. Daryl is like, no, and they go back out. Siddiq looks at something in a jar, and asks if Dante gave this to him. Dante says, for pain and inflammation, and Siddiq says, it killed him. Dante says, how? It’s yarrow. Siddiq says, it’s hemlock (which does look frighteningly the same); he didn’t know though… Dante looks at Siddiq, who says, what? Dante says he never thought hemlock would be in the bag because Siddiq packed it.

In the woods, Gamma takes an unmasked breather, then puts her mask back on. A zombie toddles toward her, and lunges at her. She pushes it away, but it won’t quit, so she cracks its head against a tree, where it gets a branch through the brain. Alpha walks up, and says it was a guardian for the horde. Alpha stands in front of Gamma, and says, the man with the metal arm… Gamma says, Aaron. He has a daughter. Alpha asks, is that all she learned? Did she ask after her sister’s child? Gamma says, there’s nothing to ask. Alpha says, he’s one of them, and will slaughter their kind. He’ll use her sister against her. She tells Gamma to remove her mask. Gamma does as she’s asked, and rolls up her sleeve, holding her arm out, palm up. Alpha whips Gamma’s arm, and says, she’s always being tested. She must remain strong. Alpha believes in her. Gamma rolls her sleeve back down, and Alpha says, tell her, this Aaron; he tempts her. He’s a liar. Do not be seduced. Gamma nods.

Gabriel tells Daryl, if the people find out, they’ll panic. If Alpha finds out… Daryl says, she won’t. He’ll clean up the mess. Gabriel says he’ll help, but Daryl says it’s not his mess to clean up.

Carol asks if Lydia still wants to help, and Lydia says she does.

Siddiq goes to Cheryl’s room, but she’s not there. He goes outside, and sees Dante burying a body, while Cheryl’s body lies wrapped in her quilt. Dante says he was going to find Siddiq, but… Siddiq walks through the house, and flashes back to being with the Whisperers. He starts to get dizzy, and remembers Enid backing away, holding a knife. He runs outside, and jumps into the water. He remembers Alpha smiling, and raising something. He sees a pool of blood. Alpha looks at him, and he cries out. He’s floating face down, and someone else jumps in as he’s sinking. It’s Rosita, who brings him back to the surface. She says she heard what happened. He says he doesn’t want to talk about it. He tells her to go home; she should be in bed. She says, no, and he says he has nothing to say. The Whisperer died because of him… She says she wants the real sh*t; what’s been eating him up for weeks. He says, it’s like he’s still there all the time. He never left. It’s just pieces jumbled together like a puzzle; screams, blood. He can’t stop it, and people are dying. Cheryl… Rosita says, Cheryl was sick, and he was doing everything he could. He’s not alone. He says why it bothers him so much is Enid. She’s there, and he thinks about how much he misses her. He gets to remember how he failed her. Rosita says, no. it’s not his fault. This is what that skin bitch did. It isn’t on him. He says, she wasn’t there. Enid, the people who he loved, died in front of him. Now he gets to watch it over and over, and he did nothing. He didn’t move; he didn’t help. He just watched. Because of him more people… He says, he’s not smart enough. Rosita tells Siddiq that he has to pull through. He has to fight it; for Coco, her, and everyone else who loves him. He can and he will, because he’s not alone, and he’s the smartest person she knows – except for her, of course. He laughs, and says he still can’t figure out why she’s sick. The patients didn’t live together or work together. They don’t even eat the same things. There isn’t a common denominator. Not one he can… He looks at the water, and she says, what? He tells her, go home.

Siddiq looks at the water pump system; drinkable and undrinkable. He pushes a lever down, then back up. He swipes everything off of a nearby table, and destroys it.

It’s nighttime, and Aaron goes to the bridge. Gamma holds out the drawing, and he says it’s hers now. She says she doesn’t want anything from him. Take it or she’ll burn it. He takes it, and she grabs him, putting him in a headlock. She says she has questions, and she wants answers. Got it? He tells her, don’t do this. It’s not her. She says he has no idea who she is. How many people do they have? Carol comes out, bow drawn, and says, let him go. Lydia comes out behind her, and Gamma is like, whaaat? She says, no! and backs away, then runs. Carol says Lydia’s mother told people she’d killed Lydia. Lydia says, Carol told her that she wanted her help. Carol says she did, and Lydia says, Carol used her. Carol says, sorry, and Lydia says Carol is just like her, meaning Alpha. Aaron shakes his head, and Lydia says they wanted her to choose sides. She chooses her own. Aaron says Lydia can’t go; it’s too dangerous. Lydia tells him that he can’t stop her. Carol moves to Lydia, who punches Carol and runs. Aaron tells Carol, wait. They might be watching.

Lydia goes through the woods.

Gamma, sans mask, sits in the woods, crying.

Dante knocks at Siddiq’s door. He says he knows it’s late… Siddiq says, leave him alone, but Dante says he just wants to chat for a second. He’ll go, but not before saying he’s sorry. With Eugene gone, he hasn’t pulled his weight. Siddiq tells him, stop. It’s his fault, not Dante’s. Dante knows Siddiq wants to blame himself. For a second, it makes everything make sense, but he’s sorry. That’s not how this works. This place is special; he got that right away. It works because it’s a village. It takes everyone to grow, fight, raise rug rats, and heal people. Everyone carries equal weight, so when something happens, it’s all their fault; every one of them. Siddiq is suffering, and he’s there to help. Siddiq says Dante doesn’t know him, and turns to the window, but Dante says, sure he does. Siddiq is his friend. It’s going to be okay. He pats Siddiq’s shoulder, and Siddiq says, yeah. Siddiq flashes back to Alpha telling him, look, as she chops heads off. He sees pools of blood, and calls out to Enid. A Whisperer holds him from behind, forcing his eyes open. He screams, and the Whisperer’s face turns into the face of Dante’s reflection in the window. He tries to go past Dante, but Dante tackles him. They fight, but Dante gets Siddiq in a headlock. Dante says he didn’t want to; not like this. Siddiq struggles, but Dante tightens his arm against Siddiq’s throat. Siddiq goes limp, and falls to the ground.

Now we all go, whaaat?

Next time – the mid-season finale – Ezekiel says, none of it matters, knowing sets you free, accept the future; Daryl asks if Carol is trusting a Whisperer now; Carol says she’s doing nothing; Judith and Michonne capture a stranger; and there’s a battle in the woods.

🔊 On Talking Dead, Chandler Riggs said he was also surprised that Dante had been a Whisperer. Like me, he thought Dante was off, but not that off. I just figured he was some kind of creeper. Also, the cellblock Whisperer didn’t really spit at Carol. Michael Cudlitz, who directed the episode, threw a handful of food at her face. I thought it seemed like an awful lot of food for a spit.

💀 Who Thought This Up…?

I’m still resenting this whole mid-season finale business.

https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2019/11/18/the-walking-dead-midseason-finale-preview-season-10-michonne-return/

📺 I Could Have Told Him…

From the first episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County, I said this was the future of television.

https://pagesix.com/2019/11/15/andy-cohen-never-could-have-imagined-bravos-success/

🎂 They Say It’s Your Birthday…

In honor of his 58th, some quotes from the dragmaster himself.

https://www.eonline.com/shows/peoples_choice_awards/news/1092988/the-most-inspiring-rupaul-quotes-in-honor-of-the-icon-s-birthday

👠 You Go, Girlfriend…

Strut your stuff, even if it is Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct28

October 27, 2019 – Negan Comes To the Rescue (Again), Halloween Talk, Old Soap, Puh-leeze & Theme From the Past

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Judith and Michonne are having dinner. Judith giggles, and puts a napkin on her head. Daryl brings a tray upstairs, and leaves it outside a bedroom door. I’m guessing for Carol

Siddiq sees Lydia, who’s on wall patrol, and she smiles at him. Carol puts fresh bandages her arm. Magna and Yumiko make love. Magna watches Yumiko sleep, and gets up.

Ezekiel sleeps and wakes suddenly. He hears whispering outside and looks out the window. He jets outside, and hears gunfire. By now, lots of people are up, wondering what’s going on, and there’s yelling in the distance.

Aaron is concerned the gate isn’t going to hold, and Earl agrees. A tree has fallen, and compromised the wall. Connie signs to Kelly, the tree? wondering if the Whisperers are to blame, but Kelly signs she doesn’t know. Luke asks if Connie thinks it’s them, and Earl says, of course it was. They’re already at war; they just didn’t know it. Jerry carries his wife in, and says there were nine injured. The bridge collapsed, and they were under it. Ezekiel tells Jerry that he’s fine, and not to worry. The others need help. Magna suggests they empty some trailers to deal with the injured, and Yumiko recommends using mattresses for stretchers.

In the daylight, and Aaron is training the young people. One of them fumbles, and he says they’re dead. They were looking at the ground. They have to get back on the training track. Head to hands always. If you lose focus, you get killed. Alden says the Whisperers took their friends, their land, and must be stopped again. Margo asks Lydia – who’s been minding her own business – if she thinks mommy will take her in, and Lydia tells her, get the hell out of here. Aaron tells them run it again.

On their way to help at Hilltop, Michonne rides her horse next to a carriage carrying Judith and several others. Judith notices Michonne looks worried. Michonne tells Judith not to worry. It’s her job, and she’s good at it. Judith suggests she can be a fresh set of eyes or friendly ears. Michonne tells her, Alpha said she’d release the horde if they crossed the border, but Carol took a shot at her, and she took more land. Judith says, maybe the rules are changing, but Michonne says, you can’t negotiate with a bully, or there’s no end to how much they’ll try to take. Some bullies, you can live with, but some you’ve got to fight. Judith wonders if they can live with the skins, but Michonne says they can’t take them at their word, and have to measure them by their actions. And their actions are unexpected… Judith says the fastest way to get RJ to sleep is to let him run around until he’s tired. Maybe the Whisperers want them to keep fighting so they get tired, and they have the advantage. Michonne says, not bad, and Judith says, eventually RJ had to be good for something. She asks if she’s right. Michonne looks at her, and says she’s thinking. She frowns, and stops the horses. She looks through the binoculars, and sees Ezekiel, riding down another path. Judith wonders why he’s out there, but Michonne doesn’t know. She tells the others, keep riding to Hilltop. She’ll be right behind. She goes to toward where she saw Ezekiel.

Michonne sees Ezekiel’s horse, minus Ezekiel, trotting in the opposite direction. She looks around, and finds Ezekiel on the edge of a cliff (perhaps where the bridge was?). She calls his name, and he says she should go. She asks him to step away from the edge. Can he? He shakes his head, and she says she’s not going anywhere. He breathes heavily, and hugs her. She tells him, it’s okay, and he kisses her. She kisses back for a moment, then backs away a little. He apologizes, but I’m thinking she liked it.

Negan finds Lydia sitting in between clotheslines that have sheets on them so she can’t be seen. He asks if she’s looking for a job, but she says she’s there to clear her head. He tells her, keep it up, and there are going to be socks with her name on them. She tells him that they started with her again today. He says she’s obviously having a day. What happened? She says she was rolling with it. She did it his way. She didn’t run away and hide. He’d said to kill them with kindness, and she did. He says they just want a reaction; don’t give it to them. Screw ‘em. Daryl sees her, and says, let’s go. She says she’s good, but he says, now. Negan tells him, she’s just trying to fit in, but Daryl says it will never happen if she hangs out with him.

Daryl catches up to Lydia, who says she and Negan were just talking. He says Negan ain’t her friend, but she says, Negan gets her. He tells her, stay away. As they get to Daryl’s place, they find Silence the Whisperers is written on the front door in big yellow letters.

Michonne and Ezekiel sit down, and Ezekiel says, maybe in another universe. He lost his kingdom. He had reign, and what did he do with it? He failed. Ben, Shiva, Henry, now Hilltop. He doesn’t know how to talk to Carol anymore. He didn’t know what he was going to do when he came out there. Michonne says she’s been there before. Not there, but – she indicates his heart – there. A long time ago. She was alone and in a dark place. She envied the walkers. Every time she got one, she was going to let it bite her. She’d put her sword down, and kill it with her bare hands. Eventually, she gave up. Ezekiel asks what it felt like, and she says, it feels like a mask – until it doesn’t. Ezekiel says he can only wear one for so long. Michonne says, then you have to start all over, just like that. Somehow it’s harder the second time, especially if you get used to having someone there; that partner in crime, that sounding board. She tears up, and says, now, it’s all on you; just you.

They walk, and Michonne says, for what it’s worth, Ezekiel’s not a half-bad kisser. He says he’s not at the top of his game, and she says she hasn’t kissed anyone under four feet tall in the last six years. She tells him, next time… He says, when he starts to act like an idiot? She asks him to just promise he won’t ride out by himself. He thanks her.

Zombies continue to gravitate to Hilltop. Magna says, there’s more of them, and Luke says, that’s not good. Thanks, Captain Obvious. Earl says he’ll get some timbers to reinforce the gate. Jerry asks how much time they have, and Earl hopes it’s enough. Everyone who’s been zombie fighting runs back in.

At mealtime, Lydia sits with the group who’s been harassing her, and slaps a dead squirrel on the table, cutting it open with a knife. Blood spritzes onto Gage’s face. Alfred says, she’s crazy. What’s wrong with her? Ozzie and Helen died to save her, and she’s making fools of them. Margo says, not here, and Lydia puts her finger to lips and says, shhh… They leave, and Daryl says she wants to live there, right? Lydia says, they deserved it, and Daryl says, he knows, but she can’t do sh*t like that. She says, but they can write what they want on their door? He says he’ll talk to them, and set them straight, but she says she doesn’t want him to fight her fight. They want her to give up, but she’s not going to; she can’t. He says he gets it. She takes her pokey stick, and goes outside. He says, great, no doubt anticipating more problems.

Outside, Lydia sees Margo, and is suddenly surrounded by her, Gage, and Alfred. (Yes. I cheated, and looked up these names. I have no clue who the blip these kids are, although I vaguely remember Gage.) Lydia asks why they hate her, and Margo says they’re friends were killed. Lydia says she wasn’t there, but Gage says, Ozzie was a fair man. In his honor, they’ll give her one last chance. Margo tells her, run now, and they’ll play dumb when anyone asks. Lydia says this is her home; they’re her people. Margo cracks Lydia in the head. Lydia falls, and Alfred grabs her. Lydia says she loved Henry. They know she did. They start beating on her, although Gage doesn’t really seem on board with it. Negan comes out, and starts shoving them away. Gage says they were just trying to scare her. Siddiq comes out, asking, what the hell is going on? During the melee, when Negan pulled Margot off of Lydia, she got slammed up against the wall. Negan realizes she’s dead, and says, sh*t.

Gage yells, Negan killed her, but Lydia says he didn’t do anything. Daryl says, get him out of here. People start to gather, and Siddiq remembers being with the Whisperers. He goes inside, and plunges his face into a bowl of ice water. Dante bandages Lydia. Daryl comes in, and tells Lydia that he’s sorry this happened. She doesn’t say anything, then mumbles something I can’t understand. He asks her to tell him what happened, and she says, Negan saved her life. She leans on Daryl’s shoulder, and he puts his arm around her.

Daryl goes to see Negan, who’s back in his cell. Negan asks how the kid is doing, and Daryl says, she’s banged up, but she’ll be all right. The young people are talking about putting Negan down, now that Rick isn’t around to save him. Negan says if Daryl came  there looking for a confession, keep walking. For the record, it was accident, and for the record, screw her. Goddam a-hole, beating on a kid. The world is better off. But Daryl already knows that, doesn’t he? He says Daryl came there to look him in the eye, but doesn’t know what to do with him. All the times he’s fantasized about Negan’s death, and tried to kill him, now he’s not so sure. Daryl tells Negan, listen to him. They’ve never been in a room, toe to toe, with no one to save him. What does he want to do? Negan says, the people out there are out for blood and guts. Daryl says Negan is no hero, and Negan agrees. He’s a sucker. He started to believe Daryl’s way of life, and moral code. He was given a taste of freedom, and it was yanked away when he did the right thing. He has to admit, it’s pretty messed up. They both know and appreciate messed up sh*t, but who’s the sucker now?

Daryl asks how Carol is feeling, and she says, sore. She heard what happened. Daryl says, a mess, and Carol says, everyone is talking about Negan again like time never moved. He doesn’t think…? Daryl says, he believes Lydia, and Carol says, it’s just a distraction. Alexandria was attacked. He says they don’t know that yet, and Carol says, the real enemy is out there. He says, enough bad is happening inside. If they don’t fix that, it won’t matter. There won’t be anything left. She says they should have gone to New Mexico. He says, yeah, and walks off.

Magna and the others kill zombies outside the Hilltop gate under a huge moon. Kelly uses a slingshot, and Yumiko, a bow and arrow. Luke thinks they should go back in; there’s more coming. Yumiko agrees they should get out, and calls to Magna. Magna says they have to protect the wall. Kelly says they need kelp. Yumiko grabs Kelly, and Magna tells them, go. Connie grabs Magna, and pulls her with them. They go back inside. Even I’m getting exhausted just watching. The wall starts to shake, and zombies bring down the door.

The zombies begin to stream in. I say, sh*t! Ezekiel and Michonne run out, along with Judith. Judith and Michonne fight side by side, Judith with her own, smaller machete. Judith is quite the little fighter, and Michonne stops for a millisecond to admire that. They continue to do some mother/daughter bonding by slaying zombies together.

Daryl radios Michonne, who asks, what’s going on? He tells her what happened to Lydia, saying, Lydia was lured there, and Negan was with her. She was attacked, and she’s in the infirmary. One of their friends is in the grave, but Negan is on the right side. He’s not sure if it makes a difference. Michonne says maybe she should come home. They have to protect Lydia. Daryl says, they’re trying to, but Michonne says, they have to. for all of them. They went to the border, and met Alpha. It was working, until Carol took a shot at her. Alpha could have killed them. Why does he think she didn’t? Daryl says, they’ve got Lydia. Michonne says Alpha wanted her protected, but she’ll definitely hurt them if Lydia gets hurt or runs off. She has to stay In Alexandria to keep the peace between them. Daryl says he’ll make sure. He admits to being a little afraid of the situation there; there’s going to be a council meeting. Michonne wants him to be her proxy, and vote for her. He says, all right, and she says she knows he’ll do the right thing.

After signing off with Daryl, Michonne gets another call on the radio.

At the council meeting, Gabriel suggests maybe Negan has been redeemed; maybe he has changed. But then again, a man like that, who’s done the things he’s done… Aaron says, and killed who he killed. Something inside him is broken. But they have to face the fact that killing Negan over this could undermine the civilized society they’ve built. Siddiq says, the Whisperers are the ones attacking them. Look what’s going on at Hilltop. Gabriel says the council wasn’t made for this; deciding a man’s fate in the dead of night; a group of people carrying pitchforks. Daryl says they’re supposed to make the people’s decisions for them. Michonne told him to vote for her, and he votes no on killing Negan. Aaron says, the vote is tied, and asks what Gabriel says. Gabriel wants to take the night to clear his head, and consider his vote. He suggests the rest of the council do the same.

Michonne wants to head out to Oceanside. Another mask was found. It might be nothing, but just in case it is them. Although they usually move as a pack. Eugene says, one hundred or more, and uses a bunch of big words. Luke simplifies, saying, like a cockroach family. He asks if she thinks they’re planning another attack. Michonne says the first time, it could be a coincidence, and the second, bad luck, but the third? They need to check. Luke says he’s feeling the ocean calling to him like a loon. Yumiko says he means Jules is calling to him, and he pretends not to know what she’s talking about. He’s never heard of her… Oh yeah, the tall one. Michonne says Eugene needs to lead a wagon back to Alexandria, but Eugene says he’s staying put, and uses a lot of words to say that Hilltop wall might need fortification. Michonne says Judith is coming with her. Who else could be her pair of friendly ears?

Magna is annoyed at Yumiko for making the decision for them to come back in when they were fighting the zombies. She says it was her decision, but Yumiko says it was a split second decision. When the sh*t hit the fan, someone had to. She wonders where this is coming from, and Magna says Yumiko isn’t her lawyer anymore.

Gabriel ponders as he walks to Negan’s cell. He goes inside to see Negan.

Gabriel bangs on Daryl’s door. Daryl opens it, and Gabriel says, he’s gone.

Gabriel tells Daryl and Aaron that a set of keys is missing. Aaron wants to know who was on watch. Lydia has come out of the house, and says she did, as she walks past them. Daryl says she didn’t. He kept watch, and she never left. Lydia walks into Negan’s empty cell, and says, it doesn’t matter. This is where they want her. Daryl says, it doesn’t matter what they want, and she says for a long time, she blamed herself for what happened. She kept thinking what if she’d just stayed in the cell where they found her, and never let them take her alive? What if she never went off with Henry, or said anything to her mother? Daryl says she’s not to blame, but she says, her mother was right. The people there put on polite faces, but they’re just masks. When things get bad, or they get scared, they pick a target, and aim to shoot. Her, Negan, anything but him. Daryl says, Negan is different. She didn’t know him. She says he stood up for her when he didn’t have to. She tried to hate him because she wanted to be like Daryl. Daryl says she doesn’t belong in a cage. She says, it’s better there. She feels safe. He closes the door, and it locks.

Ezekiel tells Jerry, he means it; he’s good. Jerry loads up a truck, and everyone gets ready to move out. Luke says goodbye to Connie and Kelly, and hugs Magna. He gets in the truck bed, and blows Yumiko a kiss. Michonne gets the horses going, and they pull the truck. I wonder how many people are making jokes about real horsepower.

Carol looks out from a rooftop. Below, Daryl takes the graffiti off the door. The camera pans around Alexandria, and we see Silence the Whisperers written in several places, including above the main gate. We hear the Whisperers get louder.

Next time, Negan on the road, Kelly is in trouble, and Alpha tells Beta, strategy takes time, but the Whisperers will crush them.

🎃 Both audience members and Chris Hardwick celebrated Halloween tonight by donning Walking Dead cosplay outfits. Chris came as Dale, and I would not have recognized him in a million years. Guest Matt Jones sported a Eugene pigtail, and suggested Negan had found his calling as a child psychologist. He might be right about that. He also thought Banksy might be responsible for the graffiti showing up around Alexandria. Mike Cudlitz (ex-Abe, who also directed tonight’s episode) and Cassady McClincy (Lydia) were also guests. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guest have as good a time as Cassady did. She was just happy to be there, to be on TWD, and not be dead.

👻 Nothing I Didn’t Know…

But tis the season for ghosts and ghouls.

https://www.abc.soapsindepth.com/posts/dark-shadows-the-classic-vampire-soap-opera-141834?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5741&recip_id=5057&list_id=9

😭 R U Kidding Me…?

Seriously, she did like, ten days. She did the crime, and isn’t even doing the time.

https://radaronline.com/videos/felicity-huffman-jail-behind-bars-shattered-wreck-not-eating-living-hell/

🌊 Rolling In the Shadows…

And continuing on with the Halloween theme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct7

October 6, 2019 – Fire In the Sky, a Little Talk, a New Superhero, Shrinking Reality & That Monday Feeling

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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Training Day. A Russian space capsule lands in the water. A zombie gets out, walks to shore, and gets a machete in the head for his trouble. It’s wielded by Judith. On the beach, everyone marches in formation. Daryl watches as Ezekiel and Jerry bang on the side of an old ship stuck on shore. They open the door, a few zombies come out, looking mighty slimy and weak, and they close it again. Aaron leads everyone forward. The first line of defense holds spiked shields. They part and the second line shoots the zombies down with arrows. They march toward the ship. Jerry and Ezekiel open the door again, and let out more. The first line stands firm, and the zombies walk into their spikes. A spear hurtles into a zombie’s head. Another zombie group is let out, more of them than previously. The ranks open, and Michonne, Luke, and Daryl get up close and personal, with Michonne slicing the tops off of zombie heads, and the others using the smashing heads method.

Ezekiel and Jerry are having a hard time keeping the door closed, and finally give up, stepping away from the ship. The door falls, and takes part of the ship’s side with it. Michonne tells everyone, stay in formation. Remember your training. Daryl slices and dices, Judith pikes one, and Magna stabs zombie heads. Yumiko shoots arrows.

Back at camp, fish is prepared. Luke talks to Jules, as they undo a fishing net for rope. He asks if she’s flirting with him. She says she is, and he says, cool. Michonne tells Daryl, it was tiring, but worth the trip. He says they did good. Rick would have been proud. She hopes so. He says they should bring the kids next time. Rick would have loved it.

Judith and some of the kids dump out shells. While going through them, Judith uncovers a face buried in the sand.

Aaron thinks they should put Alexandria on lockdown, just in case. Michonne says, everyone is still on alert. She appreciates his caution, but they don’t need to start a panic. Cyndie says, it washed up on shore, with lots of other stuff. Aaron tells Michonne, the mask signifies they’re still out there. They need to be sure. Michonne suggests they get a group  together. She tells Daryl to make sure Lydia knows not to leave again without saying goodbye.

The group rides into the woods.

Off their horses, Aaron asks what Michonne thinks. She says she thinks a lot of things, and he says maybe they’re the villains of someone else’s story. They’re a threat to their survival. So dangerous, they’re threatened with being wiped out. It makes him wonder sometimes. She doesn’t give a sh*t about the Whisperers or where they stand. He says he’s not talking about the Whisperers.

Michonne says they might not find the answer. Aaron says, the Whisperers cover their tracks. If a mask was found, there’s a reason. He sees some zombies near a trashed car, and rides toward them. She warns him that he’s near a border, but he dismounts, and kicks some zombie ass. One gets the better of him, and another reaches out from under the car, and grabs his ankle. Michonne machetes the first one, and he pikes the ankle biter. She tells him, that was stupid. They agreed not to cross the border. They don’t want to start anything without a reason. If had been the Whisperers, they could have died. It wasn’t them, and they could have died, and for what? Aaron says acting like this isn’t normal. Holding their breath for months isn’t normal. Michonne says they have to keep cool or they win. Aaron says he’s always been the nice guy. The good Samaritan. Eric is dead. Jesus is dead. He’s sick of being nice. Michonne says good and nice never got her anywhere, but smart did. The Whisperers have nuclear weapons; they don’t. It’s not about being nice, but keeping people alive. They’re not going to die over nothing. She hates it too. Aaron says they should go, and Michonne radios the others that they’re circling back.

They ride to where Luke and some of the others have found the remnants of a camp. Magna shows Yumiko a skeleton, and some dead bodies. Aaron wonders if the campers were fighting the walkers. Luke says maybe they’re not connected. They see another body, naked and face down. Michonne says it looks like they’ve been there a while. The keep walking, and Magna shows them a skin. Aaron picks it up on stick, and says, at least one was there at some point. Yumiko wonders, when, and what the hell happened?

They ride to Oceanside, and Michonne tells Aaron, fear can be dangerous. It can drive them apart. They need to squash it before it starts. Aaron says, fear can keep you safe too, but Michonne says, be smart, not afraid. She was thinking about what he said; who they’ve become and who they are. The truth is they are the good guys. She knows who Rick and Carl were… and Eric, and Jesus too. They have to choose to be the good guys, even when it’s hard. The minute they start to question that, they lose sight of it. And when the answer to that question starts to change, they’ll be scarier than any skin mask. Aaron walks away.

Michonne hears Judith talking to RJ, telling him the kid version of Rick’s story. She says, the brave man couldn’t let the walkers hurt his friends, so he blew up the bridge. RJ asks if the brave man went with his friends, but she says he died and went to heaven. Michonne smiles sadly. Judith tells RJ that Rick is in their hearts, and Michonne hugs him. Judith joins in the hug, and RJ says he didn’t like it when the brave man died. Why? Michonne says, some people you love so much, you’d do anything for them, like she would for them. RJ says, and his dad, and they hug again. They hear an explosion, and look up. A trail of fire shoots through the sky, and Judith asks if it’s a meteor. Eugene comes in on the radio, and says he needs to talk to her now.

Bird Wisdom. Aaron asks Michonne if this means they’re back, and she says, not necessarily, but they need to stay on alert. Eugene, who has a bunch of charts hanging up to record everything about the baby, changes diapers. Rosita works out with a punching bag. She feeds the baby, and then Eugene burps the baby. Success! Eugene tries to work, and turns off the music, which causes the baby to wail, Rosita turns it back on, and boxes some more. Gabriel comes by, and Eugene gives him some statistics on the baby. Rosita says the baby isn’t an experiment, and he can’t boil it down to charts and graphs. Siddiq arrives.

In the classroom, Lydia gets frustrated with learning to read. She says she’s gone her whole life without it, but the teacher says, it will open the world to her. Gabriel comes in, followed by some of the others. He says they need the room, and Yumiko asks if Lydia should be there.

Lydia practices with a pokey stick (which I learn later from Talking Dead, is called a Bo staff, but I’m staying with pokey stick). Negan tends the vegetable garden, and asks if everything is okay. Lydia says, it’s the same as ten minutes ago, and he asks why folks are giving her the side-eye. She says they’re eyeing him too, but he says it’s because of what he’s done in past years. A dude tells Negan to get back to work, and says Lydia is supposed to keep her distance. She tells Negan, someone found a skin, and Negan says she needs to watch her back. He winks at her. Eugene and Gabriel walk by, and Negan says, hey boss, but no one talks to him.

Siddiq kisses the baby, who laughs as he puts it in the crib. A mobile of origami paper cranes hangs above. Siddiq flashes back to Alpha. He splashes some water on his face. He sees a big spider, and remembers seeing one in the Whisperers camp. Dante pokes his head in, and Siddiq asks what he’s doing there. Dante says he could hear the baby screaming all the way to where he was. He wanted to make sure everything was cool. Siddiq picks the baby up, and says he was just doing household tasks. Dante says he’s been reorganizing the meds, and tells Siddiq, they’re like gods in the apocalypse. Dante wonders what’s with the yellow alert business, and the Whisperers. Siddiq thinks back again, and Dante wonders what’s up with him. Siddiq says he needs get his kid to sleep, and thanks Dante for checking on him. When Dante leaves, he thinks about Alpha.

Gabriel finds Negan back in his cell. Gabriel is surprised that Negan knocked off early. He thought Negan couldn’t get enough of the great outdoors. Negan says, it’s starting, and Gabriel says, if he wants to say something, say just say it. Negan says let him regurgitate some baby bird wisdom into Gabriel’s pretty mouth. People tend to get mixed up about who they hate. Yesterday, he was public enemy number one, now he’s the guy who tends vegetables and takes out the trash. He’s keeping his head down until this thing passes, in case his category gets moved to them. Gabriel says, that’s not what’s happening, and Negan tells him, he didn’t say that. He said, it will be. The boogey man stuck his mask out of the closet door, and people are putting their sh*tting pants back on. Pants sh*tting is definitely happening. The alert sh*t makes them feel insecure, even if it’s just for show. There’s a guy following him with a spear, like he might brain someone with a tomato. Gabriel says, so his advice is to lie? That’s his regurgitated bird wisdom? Negan says, strategic omission. Not misleading, just using the truth to manipulate things. If it’s what keeps people alive, what’s the harm?

Gabriel tells Michonne they should lock the gates for the night, and double the security. They see another streak of fire in the sky. Eugene radios Oceanside, and gets Rachel. Michonne says she needs to communicate leadership. Something of importance is about to happen.

Sea Dogs. At the beach, Aaron says, the river carried it down, and Gabriel asks if the Whisperers are back. Daryl arrives with Dog. Magna’s group pulls something out of the water with a net. Connie signs to Kelly, what’s going on? Kelly signs back, nothing, and Connie asks if it’s getting worse. Kelly signs that she’s fine. It’s just when there are a lot of voices and sounds, she can’t make out if someone is talking to her, and she  can’t predict when it’s going to happen. They hug, and Connie signs, it’ll be okay. Keep practicing to make sure she’s ready. Kelly signs, who will take care of Connie? Who will interpret? Connie signs, we got this. Them together. Being deaf isn’t a disability; it’s a damn superpower. Daryl joins them.

Ezekiel and Daryl meet on the bridge. Ezekiel asks if Daryl ever wonders why bird sh*t is called guano, but Daryl says he just calls it bird sh*t, and Ezekiel says, him too. When he worked in a zoo, birds scared the hell out of him. Lions and tigers were no problem, but an ostrich will disembowel you if you look sideways at it. Daryl says Ezekiel should eat more birds. Show them who’s boss. Ezekiel wonders what seagull tastes like, and Daryl says, not like chicken. Connie brings Dog to Daryl, and shows him her notepad. He reads, I think you lost something, and signs to Connie that he thinks Dog just likes her better. I love Dog, and I don’t want to, because this show always takes the things you love from you. Connie writes, not bad. You sign with a Southern accent.

A boat comes in. Daryl waves and whistles. Carol waves from the bow, and they dock. Ezekiel helps her off. She says it’s good to see him, and he says it’s good to see her too. They hug, but it’s all awkward. Carol goes over to Daryl, and asks if he missed her. He says, not really, and she says she’ll take that.

Daryl asks Carol, how was it? and she says, you work until you feel like your back will break, then work some more. Then sleep like the dead on deck under the stars. Daryl asks if it’s what she was looking for, and she says there was nothing at Oceanside. He says it’s been a while since he’s heard from her, and she says, fishing is hard. He says that’s not what he means. Is Carol looking for her? Carol says, no. She’s trying to forget what happened. If they’re lucky, they’ll never think about that skin freak again. Daryl says they found a mask today. They took a group out to look for signs. Does she want to join them? She says, no, and he asks what she wants to do.

Carol rides on the back of Daryl’s bike on a path through the woods. Daryl says they just cleared it out. Carol tells him, faster, and he says, hang on.

Walking again, Daryl and Carol encounter a zombie. Daryl shoots it in the head with an arrow. More pop out, and they stab the zombies in the head. I wonder if they think it’s like old times.

New Mexico. Daryl tries to shoot a deer but it gets away. He and Carol come across some wrecked cars in a ravine. The deer falls over, and Carol starts to move forward, but Daryl says, it’s one of their borders. She says they can still get the deer, but zombies are already on their way to it. Carol asks, why respect borders they didn’t agree to? The zombies fall on the deer, and feed. Carly says, that deer could have fed 200 people. I say, apparently, now it’s feeding five zombies. Daryl says, sorry he pissed her off. She is too. He says there’s no reason to start sh*t they don’t have to. She says maybe it’s just as well she left, and he says he’s been thinking about that. Why doesn’t she go home now? She sits on the ground next to him, and tells him, get off her ass before she puts him on his. Before she goes to live her life on a boat, she thinks they should have matching friendship bracelets. They can decorate them with seashells. What’s his favorite color? He’s got an idea. Eat, not talk. He shares some snacks with her, and she starts to make a bracelet out of dried grass. She asks if they should make a matching collar for Dog, and he laughs. Carol asks if he ever wonders if this is all there is. Running into people; killing each other. Sometimes she thinks they’re just surviving. Daryl says there’s got to be people out there like them. Who get what they’re doing. He asks if she wants to runaway together, and she says they can be pirates together. He says a little cabin isn’t for him, and Carly says, screw the boat. They’ll take the bike. He says, New Mexico, and she asks, what’s there? He says, people who need bracelets. No more fighting. They’ll get on the bike, and go see what’s left. It sounds good to her. She ties the bracelet. They hear and explosion, and look up.

Lines We Cross. Aaron says, it’s war, and Carol says they have to go now. Everyone runs into the woods. There are patches of fire everywhere, and they see a crashed USSR space capsule. They try to put out the fires. Earl says, it’s going to be a long, hot night. Elsewhere, another group digs a trench. Michonne tells them, keep digging. They have to get done before fire jumps the line. She hacks the head off of a zombie. Michonne and Daryl work on keeping the fires at bey while the others keep digging. The firefighting group passes buckets to each other. Ezekiel starts to cough, and doubles over. Jerry tells him, take a break. Carol says they’re out of water, and now zombies are starting to come out of the forest. Daryl, Michonne, and some of the others take up weapons. They dispatch the zombies, but more come out behind them. Then even more. Michonne gets out her machete. There’s a small herd at this point, and Daryl is like, wtf?

Embers. They just keep coming. Tons of them. Aaron says, there are says too many, but they’re stuck between the zombies and the fire. In a slow motion, the group takes out the zombies, with all kinds of blades and arrows. Eugene and some others continue to douse the fire, while zombies are slaughtered around them. Carol cuts a zombie’s throat, and blood gushes out. So much, that it puts out the fire on another downed zombie. I try not to think too hard about the fact that there probably wouldn’t be that much blood inside a zombie. Eugene tells them to steer clear, a flaming tree is going to fall. A group of burning zombies toddles toward them, and Daryl throws an ax at the tree, toppling it onto the zombies. Although this is a miniscule move in the grand scheme of zombie things, since these zombies are endless and relentless.

There’s lots of smoke, but looks like the fire is out as daylight happens. Michonne tells everyone to pack up and move. Eugene is examining the capsule, and asks if he can have twenty minutes. Michonne says he gets no minutes, and he says, ten. He thinks investigating the capsule could be useful, but uses a million words to say it. Michonne tells him, five minutes and he’s out. Luke says, hey, Eugenius, and asks what about radiation? But Eugene says, radiation is all around them. They’re already infected with whatever they’re going to get. Luke says he understands; no superpowers today. Aaron tells Michonne, they made the right choice, and it benefitted Oceanside too. Michonne tells him not to push his luck. They helped their people, and it’s all she cares about.

Carol and Daryl look out from a cliff. Daryl asks if she still wants to run away together. She says, a year from tomorrow, and he says he needs her to stay. She says she’ll think about it, and he says, otherwise, he’d have to punch holes in all them boats. He leaves Carol on the cliff, and she looks at a slate wall on the other side. She sees Alpha come out, and they lock eyes. Alpha puts her hands on her hips. Rut-roh.

Next time, Beta shaves Alpha’s head; Beta says, it’s time the pack returns; and Alpha says, there’s clarity in chaos.

🔉 On Talking Dead, Chris Hardwick said he wondered what show he was watching when it first started. Me too! the scene with the space capsule made it look like it was a different show. I also found out that Daryl (Norman Reedus, who was a guest) really did hit that tree with the ax. He said he couldn’t do it again if he tried.

🌠 Super Connie…

Like dolls, kids want to see superheroes just like them.

https://www.hearinglikeme.com/lauren-ridloff-first-deaf-superhero-marvels-the-eternals/

🔎 Reality Therapy…

It’s no wonder a cast member would need it, especially on Hoarders. I loved what Matt Paxton had to say. He always seemed like a compassionate guy.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1079840/keep-talking-how-reality-tv-shows-tend-to-their-contestants-mental-health?source=email&medium=emn-content-2&cmpid=evening&content=emn-news

And it has the added benefit of helping the audience.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reality-tv-normalizing-therapy_l_5d77d4e5e4b075210233f4f9?ncid=newsltushpmglifestyle__Lifestyle__091619

😔 Universal and Timeless…

When it comes to how humankind feels about Mondays, not much has changed. Hopefully, these harmonies will make it a little easier on you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sep30

September 29, 2019 – A Finale of Emo Proportions, Thoughts, a Goodbye, a Little More & a Dance

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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, Morgan had called Ginny asking for help.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

👹 Changes Are A-Comin’…

FTWD’s showrunners tease us.

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

💀 Okay, So It’s a Little Early…

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

 

Jun3

June 2, 2019 – Trying To Help, a Little Talk, Some Tyrion Love, Another Go For Eva, Feuding Shahs, Dorinda Radio & Exit

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

Older kid Max is trying to teach little kid Dylan how to shoot. Dylan shoots at a deer, and it runs. They follow it, finding it dead. A zombie comes out of the woods, and I hope they get eaten. Max says they can get out, but his gun jams. Instead of running, he keeps trying.

A small plane flies low, and the zombie gets chopped in half, but you know how determined they are. It keeps moving. The kids see flames in the clearing, and find the plane has crashed. Zombies are popping out of everywhere now, but Max isn’t real bright, and keeps trying get the gun to work instead of getting the hell out of there. A zombie gets close, but it’s suddenly down. Alicia says they’re here to help, and she gets cracking on that.

Max and Dylan find Morgan hanging upside down in the plane. A zombie nearly gets him, but he gets out. Max asks, who are you people? and Morgan says they came to help. Are they the Logans? Max asks, who? Alicia says they can’t stay long. Luci has been impaled by a metal pipe in the plane. John and Morgan call for June, who’s semi-conscious in the cockpit. Morgan asks Dylan to put pressure on Luci’s wound, and keep her from moving. He’s going to make sure nothing out there gets inside. Max asks, what if it does? and Morgan says, if it’s dead, shoot it.

A zombie pokes at June’s face. She calls to Al, who regains consciousness. Alicia is outside, whacking zombies right and left, and almost hits Morgan. He tells her, easy, and points out that her hands are covered in blood. Al and June unbuckle themselves, and John sees through the window that they’re okay. Morgan says they’re about ten to fifteen miles from the touchdown site; they’ll make it. Alicia takes a zombie’s head off.

Morgan asks if Logan copies, and says they’re coming, but it might take longer than they thought. Alicia starts setting up something, pounding stakes into the ground. John helps June and Al get out of the plane. Al radios Victor, telling him the plane crashed. There’s a tape back at the mill labeled skidmark, and It will explain how to fly a small plane. They need him to come get them. It looks like he’ll fly after all. She can’t hear Victor, and John says he must be out of range. He helps her out of the plane.

Where did all these zombies come from? is a good question. Morgan and Alicia get busy knocking them off. Dylan tells Luci that they’re friends, and help is coming. June runs in to attend to Luci. Alicia falls, and sees a sign that says, Radiation Area. John asks how Luci is, and June says tells him that they have to cut her free, but the boxes with supplies are scattered everywhere. Al and John look through everything for a hacksaw, as Al’s camera records.

Al is grabbed by a zombie in a Darth Vader-ish mask, and matching suit made out of puffer material. She pushes him back, and impales him through the back on a pipe. She grabs her camera and films. John shows her the hacksaw, and they go back to where Luci is. John cuts at the pipe piercing Luci to get her free, and she screams. John says they need a clear path. June says they’ll make it work, and Morgan says they can do this. Alicia says she’ll lead, and Morgan will take the side. She tells the boys to stay in the middle, and watch their backs. Now.

A truck comes toward them, running right over some zombies. The teenage girl driving tells them to get in. Max says it’s their sister, Annie.

In the truck, Morgan says he hates flying anyway. June says, the dead are everywhere, but Annie says the dead are the least of their problems. They have no idea where they landed, do they?

In a truck, Charlie asks Victor if he’s sure Al said skidmark. In another truck, Sarah asks Wendell if he’s up for this. He says he is, and she tells him, he said that the last time. He insists he’s sure.

Alicia asks, what happened? and Anna says they don’t know. They just stay away from them. Dylan asks if Al is a pilot, and she says, no. He says, no wonder they crashed, but John says it would have been worse if she hadn’t done what she did. Max asks if Logan is part of their crew. John says, no; just someone they’re helping. Annie says, he’s probably dead. They screech to a stop. Al thinks he just got into trouble, and Max says they can’t go around helping people they don’t know. Morgan says, they did, but Max says, they didn’t feel like they had a choice. Morgan says neither do they. Annie asks, why? and Morgan says they try to do what they can to make things better. She tells him, good luck with that. This place is worse than it seems. Alicia asks what she means, and Annie says, it’s not just signs. It’s the… she’ll see.

They drive until they see some zombies tethered together across the road. They get out, and see a tree with zombie heads hanging from it by their hair. Al asks Annie if they did this. Annie says, no, but they’re all over the place. June says they need to keep moving, but Annie says she’s not driving into that. Morgan says they’ll walk. It’s something they have to do. Annie says they don’t know the guy, but Morgan says they’ve been doing this for a while; helping people. They haven’t had a whole lot of luck. Annie asks what he means, and Al says, people are either dead, missing, or don’t want to be found. Logan and his people were the first who do. Annie says, it better be worth it, and tells them, get in. Morgan thanks her.

They get to the truck stop, and Alicia tells them, Logan said they were surrounded, but there’s no one there. They go inside, carrying Luci on a makeshift stretcher. Morgan calls for Logan, but there’s no answer. They set Luci on a table. John looks around outside, and checks the garages. He finds nothing. Al and June canvas the inside, but it’s dark and quiet.

Morgan finds a radio, and asks if Logan copies. They’re at the truck stop. June tells Luci, they’re going to do this. Luci says it hurts, but June says she’ll be okay. She gives John a list of supplies they need, and tells him, it’s not going to be pretty. He asks if she’s done this before, and she says, at trauma the center, but not at a truck stop. Dylan shows Luci a toy truck, and asks what it’s for. Lucy says, the man who set it up, drives a truck. Dylan wonders why he’d need toys, and Lucy says, it’s his way of giving people something to believe in. Dylan asks where he is, and Lucy says, he didn’t make it, so they tried to turn it into something more.

Morgan tells the kids that they have a place on the other side that used to be a factory. John says they had a movie night. Morgan says they were working on it. A place for people to feel safe and call home. Annie says, places like that don’t exist, and June says, they do. Morgan suggests the kids come back with them. Alicia comes back, and says, no one has been here for a long time. Al wonders if it could be another truck stop, but Alicia says, it’s the only one for miles. Morgan says they have to be there. Annie wonders what’s wrong with them? Morgan says she can trust them, and doesn’t have to be afraid. Annie tells him, that’s what people always say when there’s something to be afraid of. Morgan says, they just have to help a friend. Max picks up his gun, and Annie says, if they’re smart, they’ll get their friend and get out. They jet, but Morgan calls to them, please wait. He says they can help.

June gets ready to work on Luci. She says they won’t have much time if it starts to bleed. At the count of three… They pull the pipe out of Luci, and she screams.

A guy uses a combination to open the gate at the mill. He calls out, but no one answers. He sees a box that says, take what you need – leave what you don’t, written on it. He walks through the building, and finds a room with empty beds, and schedules on a bulletin board. He looks at a movie requests sheet, and sees a load of Al’s tapes. It’s Matt Frewer, and I suddenly get very distracted by that. I hadn’t known he was joining the cast. I assume he’s not just passing through.

Alicia says the kids were like everyone else they tried to help. She and Al lock up. A zombie stumbles out from around the corner. Alicia looks bored as she pikes it in the head.

June tells Luci that she’s very lucky. If it was off by a centimeter or they’d hit a bad bump in the car, she wouldn’t be there. Morgan continues to try the radio. He thinks something isn’t right, but Logan suddenly comes through. Morgan says he had them worried, and asks where he is. They’ll come to him. Logan says, that would be a little tricky. He’s there with his crew, looking at Morgan’s crew, and a spectacular view of the river. It’s Matt Frewer, inside the mill, while Victor and company stand outside. Logan says sees they’ve been driving the big rig with C & L on the trailer. From what he’s gathered, they’ve met the C, and he’s the L. Morgan asks why he brought them there, and Logan says he wanted what was his. It was the only way to get them far enough away, so he could slip in without a big fuss. Alicia says they found a plane and crashed it, because they wanted to help him. He says they make Clayton look like an amateur. Morgan asks where he brought them, and Logan says, a truck stop far away. He’s reclaiming what’s his. The one thing Clay said that he agreed with is, take what you need; leave what you don’t.

Victor and the others look around outside the mill. On the radio, Alicia says, don’t do this. Logan says he already did. She says she’ going to find him, and kill him herself. He says, for taking over a place where he’s the legal owner? I guess he does have a point. He says they have a more pressing quandary; her attitude. He doesn’t want to see people dead, he just wants what’s his. They want to help people? It looks like they’ll have to help themselves. Geez. Luci is sitting up already. June is good.

Sarah drinks a beer, and looks at an old ad for Jim’s brew. She says, you missed a real sh*t pie a la mode today, Jimbo. They joke’s on them. Wendell says, it tastes like vinaigrette, but she’ll get there. Charlie tells Victor she can find a way in, and Victor tells her to get the tape. He should have been on the plane today. He sure as hell is going to be on this one.

Al looks through what she recorded earlier. She takes a closer look at the zombie in the mask. She tells Morgan that she has to go back to where the plane is. There’s a story there. Morgan suggests going in the morning, but she thinks it might not be there if she waits. She knows her tapes haven’t helped them so far, but Morgan says it’s not her fault. He tells her to go and see June.

John asks June how Luci is doing. June says, she might have nerve damage, but she’ll be okay. He says look what he found, and shows her a copy of the film, It Happened One Night. She says, Clayton had good taste. John says he’ll save it for when they have people to show it to. She says, there’s a VCR in the back, but he says, let’s wait. June says, they’ll find him. John tells her that he was starting to think got all the luck in this world. They’ve survived things people don’t survive. Most people don’t have that kind of good luck. It would be a shame not to share it. They hug, and June says she didn’t think anyone could help her, not even him, until he made her believe it. So that’s what they have to do. Find a way to make other people believe it. They kiss, but John looks distressed.

Alicia stabs zombies. Can’t stop; won’t stop. Morgan says, hey, and Alicia says they could have died today. Luci almost did. The people they came for took what they had back home, and the kids ran from them. They can’t make up for the past if they’re dead. This was stupid. Morgan says, they were trying. They can’t make up for the past if they don’t try. She says her mom did so much to make sure they were standing there. Why? If they’re out there, they need to make it mean something. Morgan says he’s not done yet. It’s what they need – what he needs – because they’re not done yet. They could keep looking for the kids. Alicia says they don’t want help, but Morgan says they’ll keep trying until they do. It’s not supposed to be easy. They can’t just say they want to help and that’s it. They kill people. The things they’ve done – the things he’s done – they should be hard. Maybe that’s how they know they’re on the right track. Alicia says, it shouldn’t be this hard. Morgan says they’re still standing; they’re still here. Until they’re not, they have to keep at it. She walks off, and he walks in the other direction.

Victor looks at the skidmark tape. He sees Al’s interview with Daniel. Victor is like, what?!

It’s pouring rain, but Al goes back to the impaled zombie. She takes the mask off, and stabs him in the head. She begins to film, and finds a wire attacked to his jacket. She pulls out some kind of electrical component, and a pouch. She pulls a map out of the pouch. On the map, are the letters CRM and three circles interlinked. She radios Morgan, and says she’s back at the plane. He asks if it can wait, and she says, she was right. There’s a story there.

Someone comes up from behind, and knocks her out using a taser. It’s another guy in a mask and suit, but I don’t think he’s a zombie.

Next time, I don’t know. Either they didn’t show it or I wasn’t paying attention.

💀 I was, however, paying attention to the code word for TWD Rewards during Talking Dead. It was skidmark, and Chris Hardwick made me laugh when he cautioned viewers to enter it at the website, not Google. Yeah, I can only imagine, but don’t want to. The guests also gave a tease that the radiation sign Alicia saw would have something to do with the storyline, and how that might have affected the zombies. Chris acted like this was all fresh, but um… Z Nation addressed that issue some time ago. (Still sobbing over its cancelation.)

👃 Smelling an Emmy…

And still hanging on. Tyrion was really the only character I was invested in. Except for the dragons and direwolves.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/2019/05/20/game-of-thrones-peter-dinklage-fan-love/?utm_source=Comicbook.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=190520_184652_Comicbook.com%20Daily%20Newsletter&utm_content=Link

💃 Giving It Another Try…

Eva Longoria is making another attempt at a show. I hope it works out for her. I loved Devious Maids and Telenova, but apparently the general public and/or network didn’t feel the same.

https://us.hola.com/celebrities/2019051523801/roselyn-sanchez-eva-longoria-grand-hotel-video/

👓 I Had No Idea…

Reza and MJ are at odds again.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1043760/shahs-of-sunset-star-mercedes-mj-javid-breaks-silence-on-reza-farahan-s-restraining-order

https://www.eonline.com/news/1043347/reza-farahan-vs-mercedes-mj-javid-a-complete-timeline-of-the-shahs-of-sunset-stars-feud

🏡 She’s Making It Nice…

Now if Dorinda had just had James The-White-Kanye Kennedy as a DJ, that would have made it perfect.

https://pagesix.com/2019/05/31/dorinda-medley-celebrates-new-radio-show-with-rooftop-bash/

🐈 Making Like Snagglepuss…

Exiting stage left.

Apr1

March 31, 2019 – A Storm Hits the Dead, a Little Talk, a Little Tyler, Some Sparkle, Two Films & Doggos

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

Ezekiel speaks into a radio. He says, it’s finally broke and they can’t fix it. They kept trying to hold on, but things fall apart. We see them trying to fix broken pipes, water spewing everywhere. He continues, the cold set in, the fires raged, the rot spread. We see the entire place is a mess. He says, there’s no one left to keep fighting. They have to know when it’s over; if only for now. They need help. Shelter. From the storms to come.

Daryl gives Lydia a plate, and tells her that she should eat something. In a voice over, Ezekiel says they’ll never forget the magic they felt in this place; the love. Carol goes through a memory box, Henry’s drawings, a birthday card, a tiger pin. She wipes tears from her face. Ezekiel continues, the acts of courage. Cowards die many times before their deaths. He looks at the constitution they signed, and touches it. The brave taste death but once. He blows out the candle, and all is dark.

Michonne and Aaron lead the people from the Kingdom out, some in a covered wagon, some on horses. Ezekiel holds the gate open, and they all go through. He and Carol close the gate, and Ezekiel mounts his horse. He says, as they head into an uncertain future, they must be valiant. All of them together.

While walking, Michonne talks to Yumiko, asking if the council has had no security resolution. Have they heard nothing from Maggie? Yumiko says, the council sent another letter, but they haven’t heard back. They see some spread out zombies in a field, and a dude whose name I don’t remember tells Lydia her people are watching them now. They followed the rules; isn’t it enough? Daryl tells him, lay off. Lydia says he doesn’t have to protect her; she started this mess, but Daryl says it doesn’t mean they get to talk to her like that. She doesn’t want to cause more problems. He says it’s their problem, not hers.

A quarter zombie makes growly noises, and they continue on. Daryl tells Carol, Henry wanted Lydia there when no one else did. She’s a good kid. Carol says every time she looks at Lydia, all she sees is him. Daryl asks what she sees when she looks at him, and Carol says, him. Jerry says they got a mother of a storm coming. Ezekiel says they’ll have to travel through the night, and get to a waystation before it hits.

In Alexandria, Rosita tells Gabriel, both the heaters are dead. He suggests keeping each other warm. Eugene comes in, and tells them all of the heat sources are in bad shape. Their best bet is an old school winter. Ezekiel says they’ll divide up, and go to the buildings with the largest fireplaces. Rosita says, they’ll stock up on firewood, keep toasty, and wait it out. Ezekiel says they can’t leave Negan; he’ll freeze. They have to let him out.

Two snow dusted zombies come out of the forest. Daryl shoots one, and Carol shoots the other. Ezekiel tells everyone to keep going; he and Daryl will catch up. Lydia lingers on the side of the road. The group walks past, and she’s gone.

Daryl pulls his arrow out of the zombie’s head. Ezekiel asks if he’s given much thought to his plan after this. Daryl asks, why? and Ezekiel says the past few months have been difficult for him and Carol. They could use a fresh start. He suggests Daryl stay at Hilltop, saying it would be easier if it was just them. Daryl asks if he thinks that’s what Carol wants, and Ezekiel says Carol wants the same thing he does. She wants to hold her son again. He’s not trying to be the bad guy. He just wants to get back a piece of what he lost; what they lost. After everything that’s happened, does Daryl think he can give them that? Daryl walks away.

Lydia goes through the woods. It’s cold and snowing. She sees a zombie stuck in the frozen lake, its head, upper chest, and one arm showing. She approaches it, and its jaws snap. She takes off one glove, and pushes her sleeve up. She puts her hand out. Its mouth gets close. She closes her eyes, and a tear rolls down her cheek. Carol sees her. They look at each other. The zombie is obviously frustrated.

Jerry tells Ezekiel, even if they haul ass overnight, they’re not going to make it to the shelter. They need to find a waystation. Ezekiel asks if anyone has a place in mind. Michonne says, yeah. Carol comes back with Lydia.

The group goes inside a building. Magna says, people actually lived here? Michonne says, welcome to the Sanctuary.

Sitting in a big room in front of a fireplace, Negan says he’s memorized every square inch of this room, and it still feels like a party. Rosita says, a party from hell. He says it smells like a barn, and they’re bored sh*tless – Judith says, language. He says, sorry, and continues. They have this hot love quadrangle to entertain them; it’s like Christmas. He asks Gabriel, since his girl’s doctor is also her baby daddy, does he wonder what’s going on when she has appointments? Gabriel says he could be less predictable, and Negan says, that hurts. Gabriel says they’d never let it ruin their long-standing friendships and mutual respect, and Negan says, that is a very mature attitude, Father Not the Father. Siddiq tells Judith not to stand so close to the window. Daryl said to take care of her until they got back to Hilltop, and they don’t know where he is. Negan asks if anyone smells something. Siddiq tells him, stop being an a-hole, but Rosita says, he’s right. Something smells funky. Eugene yells, get away from the fire place! And something causes a small explosion in the firebox.

Eugene says it’s as he suspected. He says a whole lot of complicated words very fast, which I take as meaning there was gunk in the flu, and they can’t build another fire if they still want to breathe. Negan says he missed Eugene, but Eugene can’t say the same. Siddiq says, without the fire, they’ll never get warm enough. Rosita says they should leave before the temperature gets any lower. Gabriel asks if they have a contingency plan. She says Aaron’s house. It will be tight quarters, but they’ll make it work. Negan asks if not one of them is going to untie him, and Rosita says they can tell Michonne it was an accident.

They bundle up and form a line. Eugene opens the door to a beginning blizzard.

Carol snoozes on the steps. A fire has been made in the Sanctuary. Daryl sits next to her, and offers her his flask, but she shakes her head. He says they’re going to make it, and she nods. She asks if something happened with him and Ezekiel, but he says, no. Carol says Ezekiel blames him, because can’t let himself blame her. She feels like she’s losing herself again. She’s trying to hang on but doesn’t know what she’s doing. She cries a little. Daryl says he could take her away. Keep her safe on his own. She asks if he wants to go, and he says, no. What does she want him to do?

Ezekiel breaks wood for the fire. He says, the snow has never hit this hard this early. It could last days, and they can’t; not there. Maybe he could bring back some supplies from a waystation. Michonne says she thought of that, but they could get caught in the storm, and end up worse off. She wants to see a map, and points out a waystation across the river. Aaron says there’s no way they can make it in these conditions. Carol says they need a bridge, but the creeks and ponds are frozen over. They can probably walk across it if they don’t all go at once. Michonne shows them it’s a straight shot. Carol says they didn’t agree to the borders; they’re hers, not theirs. Ezekiel says they don’t know how fight them yet, but Michonne says if they cross at night, they won’t know. Yumiko says they could be watching, and Daryl says, all the more reason to go. Ezekiel says not the elderly and children. They can’t take horses and wagons over the ice. Michonne says, on foot is risky, but they’re low on food, and the storm could make the roads unpassable for weeks. Unless they make it to a waystation, they’ll die.

Michonne tells Ezekiel, sorry. She wishes there was another way. Ezekiel wants to do right by them. The Kingdom fell. He should have seen it coming, and had them go out sooner. If it wasn’t for him, they wouldn’t be there. She says, if not for him, they wouldn’t be there at all. The time they spent apart, she thought it made them stronger, but it didn’t. That… woman was able to walk among them because they didn’t know each other. They can’t let it happen again. They’ve come too far to give up the Kingdom. The Kingdom hasn’t fallen; it’s right there. The charter they signed means something. These people aren’t just his; they’re theirs. And they’re going to get them home. Ezekiel says if their seen crossing the border, it could start something. She says they’ll make sure they don’t.

The group starts walking. They come to the pikes where the heads were, and pause. They continue on.

The blizzard gets worse. They hold to each other. Judith hears Dog barking in the distance, and runs after him. Negan runs after her.

Ezekiel holds up his hand to stop. They see shadowy figures ahead, and Daryl shoots. Nothing moves. They move forward and see it’s zombiesicles. Michonne cracks their frozen heads off, and they shatter. Daryl signals to keep moving. They’re at the water, and Daryl says he’ll go ahead to check it out. Lydia hangs on the outskirts. Daryl tests the ice, and thinks they’re good. Ezekiel tells them, assume eyes are on the border. He tells Daryl to get others the ready. Daryl asks where Lydia is, and Carol says she’ll find her; get everyone across. Ezekiel says, let’s move. A zombie pops out of the snow behind Daryl. Another grabs Ezekiel’s ankle. This is not good.

More come out. They’re everywhere, grabbing at everyone. The group keeps moving, and zombie heads get stabbed. Daryl shoots at the ones coming out of the forest. Michonne works her katana. Someone asks if it’s them, but Michonne says, no. Jerry says, get them across, and gathers Nabila and their children.

Carol finds Lydia in a shelter, and asks what the she’s hell doing. Lydia doesn’t know, but knows she can’t cross the river. She knows what’s on the other side. The same thing as on this side. It won’t make their problems go away. It won’t achieve sh*t. They think it will make it better. If they hadn’t taken her, all those people would still be alive. Carol’s son’s is dead because of her. Henry said she was a good person. She shakes her head, and says, he was wrong. As long as she’s with them, it will never stop. She says Carol knows she’s right. There’s only one way to fix this, and she sees it. It can be Carol. No one else has to know.

The zombies keep coming out of the snow, and out of the forest. One gets Daryl down. He struggles with it, and it’s so close to his face. He throws it off, and grabs an icicle, stabbing it in the eye.

Lydia begs Carol, saying everything will be better when she’s gone. She takes the end of Carol’s pokey stick, which looks like it has a giant drill bit on the end, and points it at herself.  She says, this is how they keep from losing anyone else. She begs Carol, just do it. Lydia is sorry it has to be her, but it does. She’s too weak, like her mother said. Carol’s eyes fill with tears. She strides past Lydia, and jabs a zombie instead. She tells Lydia, she’s not weak. They have to go. She takes Lydia’s hand.

The storm gets worse. It’s hard to see and hear. For me too. Negan falls. He yells, but doesn’t see Judith. Dog barks, and Judith comes out with Dog; she has him tethered, and Negan picks her up. He doesn’t know what direction to go in, but Dog leads them. Good Dog. Negan sets Judith down behind a shack, and gives her his coat. He says something about nuggets – chicken nuggets? what? –  but I can’t hear above the wind. He’s hurt, and ties his leg with a piece of his shirt. He tells her they’ll get out of this, picks her up, and moves on.

It’s morning. Ezekiel and the others arrive at Hilltop. There’s a frozen zombie out front, and Daryl shatters its head. Lydia looks at a painting of Herschel. Jerry says Hilltop can be the new Kingdom, and wonders if they can make Kingtop a thing. Daryl tells Lydia, try to get some sleep. They head to Alexandria in the morning. Lydia says Hilltop seems nicer, and Daryl says, it is. She asks why he left, and he says, one day; try to get some sleep. Carol looks out the window. Ezekiel stands behind her, and says, they made it. She says, did they? She’s going Alexandria with the others. Ezekiel knows she has to do this, but he won’t ever stop loving her. She takes off her ring, but he won’t take it back. She doesn’t regret anything. He leaves, and she cries quietly.

The breakaway group gets to Alexandria, where Judith is waiting for Michonne. Michonne asks her what happened, and in typical kid fashion, Judith responds with, it’s cold. Michonne hugs her little boy. Daryl throws snowballs. He and Lydia play with the kids. Everyone joins in.

Siddiq tends to Negan’s wound. Michonne comes in, and he says, look who’s here. She thanks him for saving Judith. He always did have a flare for the dramatic. Negan says the last time they were there together, Rick had slit his throat open. This ain’t nothing. She’s a special girl, a damn spitfire, and Michonne has been through enough. Michonne tells him, get better. He says, Doctor Baby Daddy says they got caught in the storm with the royalty brigade. Is everyone okay? She says, does he care? He says he doesn’t know them from Adam, but he knows what it’s like to lose a kingdom, and see things fall apart. It sucks ass. Michonne says, the Sanctuary is a sh*thole now, and he says he could have told her that. All she had to do was ask. So they cut through their territory; ballsy. Michonne pulls up a chair and sits. She says they don’t even know if the Whisperers knew they were there. The point is, they came together and made it. Negan says, a common enemy, a common goal, and Michonne says, or facing evil brings good people together. Negan says, same thing. Except no one ever thinks they’re the evil one.

At the Whisperers camp, the most boring place ever, Beta tells Alpha the time away was good for the pack – and her. Alpha says, it has, but she made mistakes. Mistakes she can’t make again. Beta says, and she won’t. She’s strong. She says she needs to be, for what comes next. Beta says, she will be. She holds out her arms, and he whips her. She takes it like a man, and even smiles a little.

Ezekiel says they’ll make it through this winter of discontent. When the snow melts, and the winds quit, who knows what glories the summer may bring? We see he’s talking to Judith over the radio, and she says, maybe they’ll come back to the Kingdom. He says just because they’ve left the house, doesn’t mean they’ve lost their home. She says she’ll tell her mom that he said hi. Over and out.

After Ezekiel leaves the room, the radio crackles. A voice says, is anybody out there?

🔊 Melissa McBride (Carol) made a good point on Talking Dead tonight – Carol got to keep the ring. They also called the drill bit thingy on Carol’s pokey stick a rebar. Good to know. I guess.

😀 He likes me! Tyler Perry likes me again! Starting this week, If Loving You Is Wrong moves to Tuesdays at 10 pm.

💖 Sparkle Like No One Is Watching…

I knew Kameron’s Sparkle Dog line would be a hit. Check out how the other half’s doggos live.

https://pagesix.com/video/this-housewives-dogs-life-is-better-than-yours/?utm_source=maropost&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pagesixdaily&utm_content=20190330&tpcc=pagesix_daily&mpweb=755-7739448-711673032

🎬 Because I Still Pay So Much For Cable…

I try to actually watch those 500+ channels I get robbed pay for. This weekend, I took a look at Venom. Like Deadpool, it was better, and funnier, than I expected it to be. In a nutshell, a reporter doing an investigation on a dicey scientist’s experiment, merges with an alien, and becomes an anti-hero. I was surprised to see Escorpion (Emilio RIvera) from Z Nation show up, and there was also a very amusing cameo toward the end too. No spoiler, in case you haven’t seen it. Even the end credits were well done, although I haven’t seen a more obvious plug for a sequel since The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Leaving that channel roll, I then caught a 2001 offering, Down – otherwise known as The Shaft. I’m not making a joke, that’s how IMDb lists it. You wouldn’t think elevators would be that creepy, but late at night in a big empty office building, they are. The familiar faces didn’t stop coming in this one. Mr. Tortelli, and the head vampire from The Lost Boys (Dan Hedaya and Edward Herrmann, respectively) Ron Perlman, and one of my all-time favorites, Michael Ironside. Who still can kick ass at nearly seventy years old. It was as Oscar worthy as Sharknado, but it had its moments, and it’s great if you don’t want to think too hard. Especially when the source of the killing is revealed. What was that? you’ll be saying to yourself. The best way to describe it is like The Poseidon Adventure, but inside an elevator, and without all the water.

🐶 In Case You Want To Brush Up…

The players in the Puppygate game. This is going to go on all season, isn’t it? Heaving huge sigh…

https://www.eonline.com/news/1022630/attempting-to-unravel-rhobh-s-confusing-puppygate-controversy-breaking-down-the-accusations-players-and-timeline?source=email&medium=emn-content-1&cmpid=evening&content=emn-news

🐕 Better Than Monday…

An explanation of doggos.

Mar18

March 17, 2019 – Michonne Has Her Reasons, a Little Talk, a Final Ride, Some O’Myths & an O’Tune

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

This episode did some time jumping, which I hate, so I hope you can follow. I hope I could follow. I thought I was done with this sort of thing when Once Upon a Time was canceled.

All is peaceful near a river. Michonne rides up on a horse, and there are a few lingering zombies around the water. She slices one’s face off. She digs a gun out of the dirt, and whacks another zombie. We see that she’s pregnant. Daryl joins her. He says he followed the water to the ocean and back. There’s nothing there. He asks if she’s good. She says this one’s been kicking the sh*t out of her every morning. Judith has been asking about Daryl and wonders if he’ll be back. He says he will – when he finds something. He thinks he’ll be out there for a while. She says he doesn’t need to, but he says he’ll never stop looking. Not ever. She asks if he’s okay being alone. He nods, and says, her? She rubs her belly, and says she’s not.

Michonne cleans the gun. I assume it’s Rick’s. She puts I in a box marked Judith.

Aaron walks purposefully down the street. Judith and some other kids play. Michonne tells Judith to stay with her brother. Aaron tells Michonne, Daryl is at the at gate. He’s not alone.

Daryl tells Michonne that Henry is hurt. Hilltop was the closest; they had no other choice. Michonne sees Lydia, and asks, what about her? Henry she’s with them. Michonne looks at Aaron, who says they can’t trust her. Michonne says she trusts Daryl. She tells the guard, open it.

A pregnant Michonne opens the gate to a group of kids with Tara. The guard says they were found wandering; one of them is hurt. There’s an adult woman with them, and she says, my God, it’s Michonne. Michonne says, Chocolate?

Siddiq stitches up Josslyn aka Chocolate, who’s the hurt one. Michonne asks Daryl, where to now? Straight to the Kingdom? He says, not straight, but yeah; Carol should know. Connie thanks Michonne for everything. Michonne tells a woman at the door to keep an eye on the girl, and she says she’s on it. Aaron tells Michonne, it doesn’t look like they were following. Daryl covered his tracks. But if the skin jobs look for them, they’ll find them. Michonne says, and then?

Josslyn wants to go, but Siddiq says she’s lost too much blood. She can’t travel. Josslyn says, there are others. Michonne grabs her, and says, it’s her. Talk to her. Tell her what she needs. Josslyn says she needs them.

Michonne, Gabriel, Aaron, and some others enter a building. Michonne asks if they’re sure, and Siddiq says it was one of the places Josslyn mentioned. Aaron tries a door, but it’s locked. He says they’ll have to go back, but Judith has already crawled into a ventilation tunnel. Eugene gives her points for dexterity. She opens the door, and they go inside. They see writing on the walls. They hear a whistle, and a bunch of kids come out.

Henry says his wound is going to leave a huge scar, but Lydia likes it. He’ll never forget what he did; neither will she. Michonne needs speak Lydia – alone. Henry says he’ll make himself scarce. He thanks Michonne for letting the people go to the fair. Michonne says if she knew all this would happen, she wouldn’t have. Can’t say I blame her. She asks if Lydia cares about him? Lydia says she does, and Michonne says her too. Michonne tells her, sit, and they sit on the steps. Michonne says she’s done things to protect this place; things she’s not proud of, and some she’s tried to forget. To save her people, she had to risk others. It hasn’t been easy, but she did what she had to do. She’s made her peace with that. It might be easier if the only life risked was her own life. She could just walk away, and take all the risk with her. If that could make everyone safe, it wouldn’t be so hard. She tells Lydia, think about that, and leaves. Lydia ponders Michonne’s words.

As they sit on a bridge in the now, Judith asks Daryl if Hilltop is in danger. Daryl says, it might be. Judith asks if he wants to help. She asks if he’ll stay if mom says it’s okay. Daryl doesn’t know. He should keep moving. She’s read stories about how he and her dad fought the Saviors and won. He can do that again. He says they’re just stories. She asks what would her dad do? and gets silence. She says, that’s what she thought.

Gabriel plays a game with the kids. Pregnant Michonne watches. Aaron says he didn’t know how much they needed this until now. She wishes Rick could see it. Aaron says, wherever he is, he’s sure Rick knows. He says, sorry, that’s not what he meant, and she tells him, it’s okay. She finds Josslyn in the kitchen, and says she’s impressed with the kids’ hunting skills. She doesn’t know how Josslyn does it; all the kids. Josslyn says, they take care of her. The adults never made it. They’re broke, but children crumble, learn, and come back. Michonne brought her kids back to her. She knows that Michonne is going out to look for her man. She knows the look. Their junior year, Dean Turner told her that she’d need a thousand signatures before her petition would be considered. She had that look when she brought them to him at his fancy-ass event. Michonne says she’s at least going to enjoy this. She asks Josslyn, what if she never finds him? Josslyn says she might not, but if she gives up now, she never will. She can’t live with that. Michonne says she needs to know. Judith and the baby deserve to know. Josslyn says Michonne found her after fifteen years. Last time they saw each other, there was still a world. Michonne takes Josslyn’s hand, and says she’s so glad Josslyn is there. Josslyn says, so is she.

At today’s Hilltop, Aaron talks to Daryl about his kid. Daryl says, a lot has changed. When they last talked, they were still building bridges. Michonne joins them, and tells Daryl, stay safe. He says, her too. She tells him that Judith is mad at her. She told Judith she’s not ready, and neither is Judith. She’s a kid, and gets to keep being one for as long as Michonne can help it. Daryl says, it’s not just a little kid she’s got there. He calls Dog, and the gate closes behind them. Judith walks off. Michonne follows, stopping to look at the sewer cap that allows access underground.

Aaron asks pregnant Michonne if Judith is having a sleepover. She says, yeah. Judith loves them.

Michonne and another couple knock on Josslyn’s door. When there’s no answer, Michonne lets herself in. She calls for Josslyn, and the man with her calls for Marcus. They go outside, and start calling for the kids. Marcus’s dad sees the pantry is cleaned out. Michonne continues calling for Judith, when he tells her to come there. He shows her the pantry, and they see the guard is dead. A girl runs up and says they’ve been raided. Michonne says, no, and follows small footprints to the underground tunnel.

Presently, Michonne has dinner with Marcus and Judith, telling Judith, eat; don’t poke. Judith says, sorry; she not hungry, and asks to be excused. Michonne lies awake. She sits up, and we see her scar, an X on her lower back. She knocks at Judith’s door. She knows Judith is upset. She’d like to talk. There’s something she wants to tell her. She goes into Judith’s room. Judith is gone.

Michonne asks Negan if Judith has been there. He asks if she’s curious, or… She tells him, answer her question. He says he hasn’t seen Judith since yesterday. She asks what they talk about, and he wonders why. She says for someone who wants to be helpful, he’s doing a sh*t job. He says they talk about nothing; just chit-chat. Michonne asks for specifics, and he says, homework. She misses Daryl, and likes to hear stories about her dad. Michonne asks if he’s feeding her bullsh*t, but he says Judith would weed that out. He tells Judith that she’s just as much of a bad ass as Carl. He tells her about how her dad got into the Sanctuary, and shot up Negan’s men, and how her dad sliced his jugular. She asks if he tells Judith why. Negan says Judith likes listening to him. Michonne says he likes hearing himself, and he says they have that in common. He shoots straight. If Michonne did that, maybe she’d be talking to Judith instead of him. Michonne laughs, and asks if he told Judith what he did to Glenn and Abraham. He’s quiet, and she says she didn’t think so. He says he’s always been honest with her. Judith asks questions, and he answers; so yeah, she’s heard those stories too. She hates that Michonne isn’t letting people into Hilltop. She thinks it should be like how Carl would want; like in Carl’s letter. Michonne says he doesn’t get to tell her about Carl, or what Judith wants or feels. Judith is her daughter. Negan says, exactly right. She has her own idea of how things should be. He says Michonne didn’t come because she’s curious. She has no idea where Judith is. Maybe she’s off petting a horse, or maybe she’s exactly like her mom, and not taking sh*t lying down. Michonne jets.

Michonne runs home, and runs upstairs. She opens a note that says, I’m sorry I had to go. Our friends need help.

Pregnant Michonne and Daryl walk through a field. Daryl suggests they take a break. They sit on a swing set. Daryl says they’ll find her. Michonne can’t believe this heartbreak. After Judith lost her mom, she wanted to be that for her again – she needed it. She let her guard down. Daryl says she didn’t know, but Michonne says she should have sensed something. Daryl says she didn’t because Michonne’s not like her. Some people are evil in their heart, and hide it; like they’re wearing a mask. This is on Josslyn, and she’ll pay. They’ll find them. Michonne suggests they get going.

Michonne sees a little girl breaking into a school. The girl brandishes a knife, and runs. Michonne yells, wait! Daryl comes around the other side, and aims his crossbow. He turns a corner inside the building, and sees a group of kids blocking them. Michonne asks where her kids are. The group has weapons, and Daryl says, drop ‘em. One of the kids shoots at him, and Michonne says, okay, lowering her weapon. One of the kids knocks her out.

Michonne and Daryl are gagged, and their wrists are bound to a pipe. The kids look at them. A little blonde boy says, she’s awake. Josslyn is there. The child has a branding iron with an X. Michonne tells Daryl, be strong. The child brands Daryl, and although he makes muffled noises, he keeps in control. Josslyn says, well done, Linus. He says, the strong survive. She says, and thrive. She says she told Michonne, children are capable of anything. She taught them, become what you are; they can be soft. Michonne tries to talk. She sees the iron being heated again. Josslyn tells Linus, control it. Don’t let it control you. Linus goes behind Michonne, and brands her. She cries out, and Josslyn gets in her face.

Present day Michonne is on a horse, riding over a field. She sees a lone bike, and looks panicked. She gets off the horse, and runs through a crowd of zombies, calling for Judith.

Daryl gets loose, and cuts pregnant Michonne down. She says they should split up, and Daryl agrees. She goes upstairs, and finds an open door, but it’s padlocked. Josslyn walks down the hall with the kids, saying there could be more of them. Holding a piece of pipe, Michonne stands in front of them, and Linus blows a whistle. Michonne asks, where are her kids? Where’s Judith? Tell her. Josslyn says, why? She’s better off. Michonne lives in the past, and Judith isn’t a ghost like her. Michonne calls for Judith. Most of the kids take off out the door, and an older kid locks it behind them. Linus says, kill them off. Michonne doesn’t want to hurt them, but Linus slashes Michonne’s stomach, and now she’s pissed. She screams, no! and they run. She tries the door, but it’s locked. She sees the kids run past outside, and gets out, but Josslyn is waiting, and whacks her with a board. She hits Michonne a few more times, saying she’s truly sorry. Michonne grabs her sword, and stabs Josslyn in the thigh. When she’s down, Michonne stands over her, and stabs her in the chest, finishing her. Linus runs up. He can’t believe it. Michonne doubles over. The kids are at the ready to pounce on her, but she says they can come back to Alexandria. They’ll be taken care of. An older kid tells them to kill her; the rest, come with him. Linus runs at her. She tries to keep him at bay, telling him, no, when the older kid comes up behind her.

Present day Michonne is in the field, slicing and dicing zombies, while pregnant Michonne fends off Linus, who has a knife to her stomach. She has no choice but to start carving at the kids. The timelines are interspersed. Another little blonde boy, Whitney (honestly, all these little kids look the same), runs to the trailer, and stands at the top of the steps with a knife. Michonne tells him, please don’t. Daryl comes out – gee, thanks for your help – and walks toward Whitney. Whitney puts down the knife. For a moment, we think he’s going to hug Michonne, but he runs past her, and away. She cries, and calls to Judith. Judith, who looks to be about four, comes out of the trailer. She stands there a moment, but then runs to Michonne, saying, mommy! More kids come out, and Michonne welcomes them.

In the field, Michonne stabs another zombie. Judith is there with her, and spears the last one. She’s miscalculated though, as it’s down, but not out, and grabs her. Michonne gives it a last jab. She hugs Judith, and asks if she’s okay. They need to talk.

Michonne tells Judith that she stood there, like she didn’t know. For a second, she thought she was too late, that Judith had changed, and she’d lost her. Judith says Michonne didn’t look like herself because of the blood; that’s all it was. Michonne says, she remembers that? Judith nods, and Michonne asks, what else? Judith says, Josslyn and her kids were nice to them the whole time. They made it seem like game, but she was a bad person. They all were. That’s why Michonne did what she did. Michonne says, all this time, she thought Judith didn’t remember. She’d hoped Judith didn’t. She never said anything after the first year. Judith says it made Michonne sad. Michonne says she thought Judith would understand. How did they get there? Judith says their friends need their help, and Michonne says, it’s not that simple. Judith says, yes, it is. Michonne chose to be her mom because they love each other. Michonne agrees, and Judith says, love means doing whatever it takes to keep the ones you love safe. She asks when they stopped loving Daryl, Maggie, Carol. and the King? Michonne says, they didn’t, and Judith says, then why does it feel that way? Michonne hugs her.

The gates open. Michonne and Daryl come back with little Judith and the kids. Siddiq takes Michonne with him. Aaron closes the gate after them.

At the baby’s grave, Michonne tells Judith that she and Judith’s father dug this together. That day, standing there, she made a promise to never bury another child again. Then Judith’s father was gone, and she was lost. Then Judith was lost, and she was scared. More than she’s ever been, before or since. She wasn’t the only one, so they decided to make the place only about the people there. It’s not what Carl or her dad gave their lives to create, but it kept her safe. It’s what she wanted. It’s all she wanted. She cries, and says Judith was right. They have to protect the people they love. All the people they love. She takes Judith’s hand, and they walk back.

Michonne and Judith travel in a buggy. Michonne slows down. Daryl, Connie, Henry, and Lydia come out of the woods. Judith asks if anyone is headed to the Kingdom. They get in.

Two Whisperers look out from a distance. They see the buggy going into the Kingdom. One of them says, we must tell Alpha.

Next time, Ezekiel stands before them today at the start of a new tomorrow, the groups merge, and Beta says only Daryl has to die.

🔊 On Talking Dead, Chris Hardwick started off with, happy St. Patrick’s Day. Or as sober people call it, don’t leave your house day. I had to laugh, given my aversion to the holiday, after having worked in Manhattan during it. Useless zombie trivia: he was also a walker in tonight’s episode.

🚴 Tonight was the finale of Ride with Norman Reedus. Norman took on Tennessee, going to Memphis first. He met up with major song writer Dale Watson, who took him all over the place, their first stop being a custom bike shop. Dale said that Memphis tries to repurpose old buildings rather than tear them down, which gets my vote. They had breakfast with Henry Nelson, the voice of Memphis radio, and I could not take my eyes off the food, in particular, the biscuits. Henry was a font of historical knowledge, and said, in his opinion, Memphis was just beginning to heal from the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination. They hit World Studios, a recording studio that had about a billion gold records on the wall. The owner said at one time, the building had been a silent movie theater. Being African American, his dad wasn’t allowed to record there, but eventually bought the guy out. A prime example of living well being the best revenge. They had an autograph wall, and we found out The Beatles had once signed it, but it had been painted over by a little old man with a roller. Norman told us, from Al Green to Wu Tang to Bruno Mars; there’s magic in these walls. Next, Norman met two-girl band Sister Antics, at a dive bar that was part of the historic foundation of the town, and a seemed to be a dive bar on purpose. They followed the Mississippi River, and headed for Nashville. After doing some fishing on the Tennessee River, they hooked up with some more musicians, and we found out that Nashville has had a white rapper scene for quite some time. I can’t say I’ve ever thought, nothing says Eminem like Nashville. Norman and the ladies followed what had once been an old Native American trail, and then parted company. Norman’s next stop was a hot fried chicken place where he met Marilyn Manson. One of my favorite things is how they splice in mini interviews with locals, much like Sweet Home does. On the subject of hot friend chicken, we found out it’s dipped, marinated, doused, and submerged in hot sauce; and it’s a hillbilly concoction that will set your ass on fire. Marilyn accompanied Norman about town by riding in a motorcycle sidecar. They spent time with designer Manuel, who started Johnny Cash on the road to being the Man in Black. He sold one-of-a-kind items, many of which, Marilyn tried on. We also discovered, Marilyn loves roller skating, and is quite the speed skating demon. He and Norman attended the Roller Derby, which looked like a lot of fun. I love the Roller Derby, which may or may not be a surprise. Kansas City Bomber is one of my favorite films. They took a picture with the girls, and everyone was thrilled. I enjoyed this show so much, I’m hoping they do another season. The best thing about it is how Norman really makes you want to be there.

🍀 St. Patrick and the Luck O’…

The Top 5 Myths Of St. Patrick’s (And How To Improve Your Luck)

Did you know St. Patrick wasn’t Irish? He did believe in a generous pour though.

https://blog.sivanaspirit.com/gs-gn-lucky-gemstones/

🌈 In Keeping With the Theme…

Unfortunately, The Irish Rovers didn’t have a video, but there was this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uInrQcXR8vA

 

Feb18

February 17, 2019 – Alpha Arrives at Hilltop, Extra Dead Tidbits & Lydia

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

The Walking Dead

An announcement over a loudspeaker says, remain calm follow and instructions. A lot of people run around, getting ready for something. 23 DAYS is written on a wall. A couple with a little girl is in a back room. The woman calls the man Frank, and says they have to wait it out. He says, the world is going to hell, and they’re pretending it’s not. The girl says they can’t go out; they’ll get sick. They have to wait for the doctor to come, and make it better. Frank says, nobody’s coming, and we find out the little girl is Lydia. Her mother says, daddy is just kidding, and sings Lydia, the Tattooed Lady to her. (See below for another version.) Lydia looks at her father.

Lydia tells Henry that she remembers the look in his eyes. She can still see it; how cold it is… was. She wonders why she’s telling Henry. He says, it beats the quiet and being alone. Outside, Daryl listens. Henry says, walking around in dead people’s skins is pretty messed up. Lydia says, thinking Hilltop isn’t going to fall like every other place is messed up. She tells Henry that his dad’s an a-hole, like hers. He says Daryl isn’t his dad. He doesn’t even want to be there. Daryl is only there to do a favor for his mom. She thought his mom died, and Henry says she’s his second mom. She’s tough. Not somebody you want to mess with. He asks what happened to Lydia’s dad.

We see Frank with blood pouring out of his neck. Lydia says. he didn’t survive. Her mom kept her alive and safe. She’s a lot like his mom. You don’t want to mess with her either.

Magna’s group goes through the woods with Tara. They see a cluster of what look like zombies feeding, and Yumiko says maybe dead; maybe not. She tells them to keep their distance. Watch their hands; they could have knives. They’re noticed, and kill the zombies (or not) one by one, using arrows, a pokey stick, and Kelly’s slingshot. When all of the zombies are dead, Magna tells them, find the masked ones. They discover the dinner is Luke and Alden’s horses. Kelly says, maybe they tried to bail? and Tara says, check for tracks. Kelly tells them, Connie says the horses were cut open and skinned with knives; these aren’t just the dead. Magna thinks they should go in different directions, but Tara says, it’s not safe. The walkers aren’t walkers. The girl is a liar. There could be three or three hundred of them. She tells them that they need to stay behind the walls until they make a plan, and they find out what this is. Kelly says, what if they don’t? but Tara says they will. Let’s go.

Henry asks if Lydia wants an egg. He can roll it to her. She says he doesn’t have to take care of her, but he says he’s just being nice. She asks why, and he says when he, his brother, and dad were found, they were pretty messed up too. It took a lot of someone being nice to make okay again. She says, hunger is a gift, and asks if he thinks she’s messed up. He asks how hunger is a gift, but she says if she has to explain, he wouldn’t understand. It will never be okay again. Henry says, says who? and she says, her dad.

Lydia flashes back again. We hear, please stand by, on the loudspeaker. A guy says, it’s been the same message for a day. Are they doing this or what? Frank tells Lydia’s mom (whose real name is unknown as far as I can find) to get their stuff. They’re moving out. She asks what he’s doing, and Frank says, getting the hell out. She tells him, it’s too dangerous. Let them go; they’ll play it safe. He says Lydia is coming, but she says she doesn’t want her child harmed. He tells her to never suggest he doesn’t care about his kid. She says they’re not going, and he calls her a bitch. Lydia asks if Halloween is coming up. She found a costume. She holds up a sheet, saying she can be a ghost. Frank says, every day is Halloween. How can he see all these freaks, and still be hopeful? He starts to shave off his beard, telling Lydia’s mother that she’s the one who liked it; he can’t stand it, and he’s doing what he wants now. Lydia and her mom play checkers. Her mother says, checkmate, and Lydia says, that’s chess. She tells Henry, He… she always said that. He says her mom sounds nice. Lydia says, yeah, but it’s not real convincing. Henry says his second mom found him. Ezekiel is his second dad; they’re leaders from another community. That’s where he’s from. She asks if it’s far, and what it’s called. He says it’s called The Kingdom. It’s about a day’s ride. Daryl busts in.

Daryl tells Henry that he’s getting out, and unlocks the door. Outside, he asks Henry what the hell is wrong with him, telling her about The Kingdom? It’s where Henry is from, and he has family there. Henry says, he was listening? Daryl says they’ve been switching off, and Henry says they were using him. Daryl says, it was working too. Henry says Lydia is a good person, but got messed up out there. She’s right about Daryl; he’s an a-hole. If he wants answers, he can get them himself. The cheese Lydia sits alone.

Lydia hears Daryl come in, and sits up. He sits outside her cell. She thought he came to kill her. He says he brought her something for her ear. She keeps pulling on it like it hurts. She says, no, and he says he doesn’t give a sh*t. Two of their people went missing. Their horses were half-skinned and half-eaten. Does she know anything about that? She says, how could she? She’s been there. He asks if her mom kills the people she crosses, and Lydia says she does what she has to do.

In Lydia’s flashback, a man says they’re running out of food, and haven’t seen daylight in weeks. Her mom tells him, shut up. The guy starts going stir crazy, banging on the boarded up window, calling for help, and Lydia’s mom knocks him down. She gets in his face, leaning on his throat, and tells him, shut up. He’s pathetic, and there’s no room for him there. Shut his mouth. Does he hear her? Not anymore. He’s dead. Beardless Frank holds Lydia, and sings to her softly

Lydia tells Daryl that he used to sing that to her when she was scared. She was scared a lot back then. Daryl asks how old was she? and she says, five, six st most; who knows? Daryl says her mom did what she had to. Lydia looks troubled. He throws the pill bottle into the cell. He says, it doesn’t have to be like that. There are a lot of good people there. They’ll help her if she helps them. She asks for some water. He scoops some up with a ladle, and holds the bottom of it through the bars. She asks if he thinks she’ll hit him with it. She tries attacking him, but he grabs her arm. He sees bruises all over it. She spits at him.

Back at Hilltop, Yumiko tells Magna, they should go back out. They’ve been gone too long. They could be hurt. Magna says she almost screwed up for them in Alexandria. They got a second chance. If they go against Tara, they could lose everything. Kelly says Luke would want them to be together. There’s a way they can sneak out; she saw the kids do it. Yumiko says, it’s Luke. Minute by minute, day by day; they’re ride or die. They have to do it, even if costs all this. She asks who’s in, and everyone raises their hands. Yumiko says they meet tonight..

Daryl messes with a branch, telling Lydia that some dads beat the sh*t out of their kids with a stick or a belt, but these a-holes ain’t picky. They use what’s laying around. A good switch from a birch tree ought to work. Her dad sounds like one of those dads, except the part when he sang to her when she was scared. Those dads like it when you’re scared. The thing is, it was the only part of her story that didn’t sound like bullsh*t. He saw the bruises on her arm; they’re from a beating. If her dad is dead, who gave them to her? She says, her mom. Daryl asks where she is, and Lydia says he should be glad he doesn’t know. He asks, where’s her camp? Why is Lydia protecting her? She’s safer there. She says, this place isn’t real. Things won’t change, and they’re all acing like it will. Her mom walks because that’s what the dead do. It’s their world, and we have to live in it. What her mom does, she does for a reason. She beats Lydia because she loves her. Daryl says, bullsh*t, and Lydia says, when you stay soft, people die.

This time, in Lydia’s flashback, her mom sits in a chair, her head shaved. Someone in the background says they should wait until morning; it will be safer. Everyone agrees. Frank – again with a beard – tells Lydia, it’s okay. Her mom and dad are there. She doesn’t have to worry. Everything will be all right in the morning. When everyone is sleeping, Lydia gets out of bed, and sneaks over to the corpse of the guy her mother killed. His body is under a blanket. She uncovers his face, then covers it again. She starts to leave, and his hand moves. He sits up. She turns around, sees him, and screams. Frank grabs her, and the zombie bites Frank’s throat out. Her mother picks her up.

Daryl says it wasn’t her fault. Lydia says she was stupid. She deserved to die. Her dad was soft, now he’s dead. Daryl asks what he was supposed to do? Watch his little girl get bit? She says, if you can’t bend, you break. He broke. Daryl says they’re making it better. They’re building it back up. Changing it back. She says he doesn’t belong with these people. Maybe used to, but not anymore. He’s hard; they’re soft.  He says she doesn’t know sh*t about him. He starts to leave, and she says she told him about what happened to her, tell her what happened to him, but he walks out.

Magna’s group sneaks out. At the fence, Yumiko watches for the guard. They hide inside a cart with wood piled on it.

Henry says Daryl could have asked him to help. Daryl keeps walking, and Henry asks where he’s going. Daryl says, this is a waste of time. She’s Tara’s problem. Henry asks, what’s going to happen to her? Did someone beat Daryl too? He once heard his dad ask his mom why her hair was so short. She said her first husband grabbed it when she tried to get away from him, and slammed her against the wall. One day, she cut it off, so he couldn’t. He guesses it took this long for her to feel safe again. Sometimes Daryl acts like the type of guy who slams people against walls, but Henry doesn’t think that’s it. Daryl says Henry shouldn’t listen to people talk. Henry says, just because her people bad, doesn’t mean she is. She’s just scared. Daryl can show her there’s nothing to be afraid of. Daryl says, no, not just him. Henry can do that.

In the woods, Yumiko doesn’t think the tracks they’re seeing are the same, but Kelly disagrees. She says the dead don’t do that. Yumiko says Kelly is thinking about Coalport, but if they hadn’t left, they’d be dead like the others. Kelly says they didn’t have a choice. Yumiko says, they did. Their choice was not to die. A zombie pops out of the trees behind Kelly, who stabs it in the head. They see more coming, and Yuniko says, it’s too dark and dangerous to be looking for Luke. Kelly says they can’t give up. They love Luke. Yumiko says they need to go back, and Magna says, she’s right. Connie says they’ll come back when they have a plan – all of them. Kelly says when they got separated Luke is the one who found her. She starts to cry, and Connie hugs her. She tells the others to go back. She’ll stay with her sister. They reluctantly leave. Something tells me this is a bad, bad idea.

Henry visits Lydia. He tells her it’s just him. She asks if Daryl sent him, but he says Daryl doesn’t know he’s there. He couldn’t wait until tomorrow to talk to her. He likes her, and thinks she’s a good person. He wants to show her a good place with good people. He unlocks the door, and she asks if he’s letting her out. He says, for a bit. Be quiet, and stay out of sight. Cool? She says, cool.

He helps her out of the root cellar. They duck back when someone comes by, but trip and fall. Lydia digs in the dirt, and eats something. She digs again, and shows Henry a worm. She holds one out to Henry. At first, it’s a no, but then he takes it and swallows it. He says he just ate a worm. She smiles, and says he did. He helps her up, and they walk around. He shows her the doctor’s office, saying, Enid is a good doctor. She’s surprised they have a doctor, and he says, you name it, they’ve got it. She feels around on a carpentry table behind her and fingers a hammer. She asks how long they’ve been there, and he says six years, but it’s only going to keep growing. She says places like this aren’t supposed to exist. Her mom told her they couldn’t. That’s why… A baby starts to cry. She puts the hammer down, and grips her head. She flashes back to being with her parents, but this time, the narrative is different. Her mother kills the guy, and shaves her head, saying, they’re going to do what she wants now. She holds a knife to Lydia’s throat, says, this is how they live now, and puts a skin on Lydia’s head. Lydia tells Henry to put her back in her cell. He’s puzzled, but says, okay.

As Henry locks her in, he says he’s sorry, and starts to leave. She asks him to wait. She asks if he could stay with her tonight. Please. He lies down in front of her cell, and they hold hands through the bars.

Daryl comes down in the morning. Henry says, she didn’t want to be alone. He asks if her ear still hurts, and Lydia says, everything hurts. She still has the pills, and he gets water for her, putting the ladle in between the bars. This time, she drinks. She says her mom isn’t coming for her; none of them are. When someone dies, or gets taken, they move on, like they never existed. That’s how it’s always been. Unless they have no choice, they don’t come into contact with big groups. That’s why she asked about the communities. So she’d have something to give them. Otherwise, they have no reason to take her back. Henry says, Lydia is her daughter. Doesn’t it matter? Daryl says they’re missing people. Lydia says if her mother came across them, she can’t think of a reason she’d keep them alive. She’s sorry. He asks if they have a camp somewhere, and she says under a bridge, maybe a mile east, but they don’t stay in one place long. Henry asks if any of her story is true. She says she thought all of it was. She needed it to be, but had it mixed up. It was a lie, but she wasn’t lying. Her mom told her over and over for years. Deep down, she knew what her mother was, and knew what she did.

Back in Lydia’s past the dead guy has become a zombie, and tears a different guy’s throat out. It’s pandemonium with everyone running around. Her mother starts prying off window boards, and says they’ve got to get out. Frank says, those are our friends. She says, they’re panicking. The three of them are getting out of there. He says she can do what she wants, but Lydia stays with him. Lydia’s mom says, the hell she does. He tells Lydia, it’s okay, and to wait there. They’ll come back. Lydia says, don’t go, but he jumps into the fray. Her mother follows, but slams Frank up against a wall. Lydia tells Daryl and Henry that she was scared. Her mom was there with that cold look in her eye. Then she got her knife. Lydia starts to cry, and Daryl says, it’s okay. They’ve heard enough. She’s sorry she can’t help them. She’s sorry she wasted his time. He says she didn’t.

Magna and Yumiko go back to Hilltop. They see Tara up on the fence, and Yumiko says she’ll talk to her.

Henry asks Daryl why would Lydia’s mom do that to her kid? Lydia thinks it’s her fault her dad died.  Daryl says, some people are not meant be parents. Henry asks, what happens now? Can she stay with them? Daryl says, we’ll see. He’s going to get her fresh clothes, and talk to Tara and see about that camp. Henry says he’s glad Daryl and his mom are friends.

Yumiko joins Tara, who asks what they found. Yumiko says, nothing. It was wrong of them to leave. She wishes they’d realized it sooner. She should have. She sees two guards bringing Kelly back, along with Connie walking parallel on another path. Tara says the guards saw them sneak out, and they weren’t taking any chances. She gets why they did it, but next time they want to challenge one of her decisions, talk to her. She doesn’t know if she’s doing the right thing there, but she doesn’t want any more people to die, including them.

Yumiko looks through the binoculars, and sees a group of Whisperers coming toward Hilltop. They’re perilously close to Connie. Kelly sees, and tries to run to her, but the guards hold her back. Connie signals for her to stay, and runs into a cornfield, which is probably another bad, bad idea. Tara looks out, and freaks. She yells for Daryl.

Here they come. Lydia’s mom pushes her way to the front. Daryl watches, along with Tara, Yumiko, and Magna. The Whisperers stand at the gate. Lydia’s mom says, she’s Alpha. She only wants one thing from them. Her daughter.

Next time, the Whisperers have captured Luje and Aldon. Daryl tells Alpha that she can’t have her daughter, and Alpha says, wrong answer.

ℹ Some useless trivia I got from Talking Dead. Yip Harburg who wrote Lydia, the Tattooed Lady, also wrote all the songs for The Wizard of Oz. And to turn that into six degrees of Walking Dead, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was being read to Judith in an earlier episode. Another tidbit was that the set for Lydia’s past memories was also The Sanctuary set, since it wasn’t in use at the time.

🐥 Say the Magic Word & the Duck Comes Down…

And how an elephant got in my pajamas, I’ll never know.