(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
In a voiceover, Judith says, her mom once told her, the only thing more dangerous than the dead is the living. But if not for the living, we might as well be dead. The only people we can count on; not just about words, but actions. Having the strength to put someone’s life above your own. If you’re willing do that, maybe we can get back a piece of what we’ve lost.
Carol takes some loaves of bread from the bakery racks, and turns around to see Ezekiel. She says she thought she recognized his footsteps, and he says, she knows him too well. She tells him, they already said goodbye, but he says, think of it as a friendly talk before she leaves. He thought she might be able to use some extra medical supplies. She thanks him, going back to her task, and says she left him some of the bagels he likes in the back. When she turns around again, he’s gone. She calls to him, asking where he went, when a couple of guys come out. She throws the baker’s rack to the ground, blocking them, and runs out the back, throwing down other rack as she goes. She runs outside, and away.
Carol hides as troopers come by. After they pass, she quietly runs to the meeting place. She sees the empty wagon, and boxes of supplies everywhere. She bends down and sees blood on the ground, and the lock on the door has been broken. Inside, a big dude has Daryl on the ground, and is strangling him. Daryl reaches for a nearby gun, but dude pulls him away. Daryl digs in dude’s eyes with his thumbs. A few feet away, the corpse of another man reanimates, as Daryl continues to struggle against dude, who is now banging Daryl’s head against the cement floor. Carol finally gets inside, and pulls dude off of Daryl, and the zombie newbie finishes him. Daryl stabs the zombie and dude in their heads, and Carol tells him, they took everyone.
Pamela talks to some people in her office, and tells them, they have the enemies of the state situation in hand, and have suspended entry into the Commonwealth. A woman tells Pamela that she’s glad their contribution to the Common is not in vain, so apparently, they’re snitches. She says, on a personal note, she’s so sorry about Sebastian. Her daughter is distraught. To lose a child is unthinkable. Pamela says, worse than death, but Sebastian will always be with her. Yumiko charges in, and whacks the guard in the face when he tries to stop her. Pamela says, there’s no threat, and he backs off. Yumiko tells Pamela to say goodbye to her guests, and tell her what the hell is going on. She’s not leaving until she finds out. Pamela says, they were just wrapping up anyway, and thanks them. They leave, the guard following, and the look on his face is priceless, like, he can’t believe it. Pamela tells Yumiko that her friends have been removed, and Yumiko says, like the hundreds of others she made disappear? Pamela says, her friends caused rebellion and openly defied the law, and Yumiko says, as if Pamela had any respect for the law. Pamela says, that’s why she hired Yumiko. When justice has prevailed, order will be restored. She wants to assure the citizens that there will be an impartial trial for the man who killed Sebastian. They need to see justice will be served, and who better to bring impartial justice than Eugene’s friend? She wants Yumiko to prosecute Eugene on behalf of the Commonwealth. Yumiko says she’ll be signing his death warrant in a kangaroo court. Pamela says, then there will be no reunion with her friends. And she needs to consider how her actions will affect her brother. Pamela is going to hold a press conference announcing the prosecution. Don’t be late.
Daryl tells Carol that they were jumped; they even took Dog. What?! DEATH TO PAMELA AND THE COMMONWEALTH! Daryl says, the have to find Mercer, but Carol asks if he doesn’t think he’d turn them in. There is one other person… He says, Hornsby? and she says, who knows what dark sh*t goes on? She knows where to find him, but it’s not going be easy. He says, when is it ever?
Yumiko goes to the hospital, and finds Tomi finishing with a patient. The patient leaves, and Yumiko says, her friends were taken. All of them have removed on Pamela’s orders, and she’s demanding Yumiko prosecute Eugene or she’ll never see them again. He says he imagines Pamela will threaten him too, but Yumiko says she’s not going to let that happen. He says, Pamela expects her to fold. If she doesn’t, what happens to her? Yumiko says she doesn’t know, but there has to be another way. Tell her what to do. He says, it’s not what she wants to hear, but the best way to protect everyone is to give Pamela what she wants. She says, he means sacrifice Eugene? And he asks, what choice does she have? Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and Pamela is still standing. Justice isn’t waiting around the corner. She says, so she should just accept it? but he says, it’s not acceptance; it’s survival. It’s what her friends would want for her.
Connie grabs Yumiko as she’s walking past, and pulls her into a supply room. She signs that they were ambushed, but she stabbed one, and got away. Kelly is already gone. Yumiko signs back that if Connie hadn’t run, she’s be in the same situation. Connie signs, the man she stabbed needs medical attention. That’s why she came here. Yumiko looks through the grating into the next room, where she sees the guard Connie stabbed. Connie signs that she’s going to follow him when he’s released. He could lead her to her friends and her sister. She’s not going without Kelly. Yumiko signs, it’s too dangerous, but Connie signs, she’s not asking permission. Yumiko signs that they’ll be looking for Connie, but not her. She’ll do it. It’s the best chance they’ve got. Connie signs, if he spots her… Yumiko signs, they’ll know the two of them spoke, and Connie signs that she has faith in Yumiko. They hug, and Yumiko leaves.
A trooper walks up and down the rows of cells, as Carol slips around. She makes a noise, and when he investigates, she shoots him with an arrow. Daryl knocks him out, and ties his hands behind his back. Carol takes the trooper’s keys, and she and Daryl look through the cell windows. Carol finds Lance, who’s mumbling about there being a path. They open the door, and see Sebastian, wallowing in blood and guts, and growling. They’re like, WTF? and Daryl stabs Sebastian in the head. Lance turns his coin as he says, there’s always a path; there’s always a way out.
Daryl grabs Lance by the throat, and asks, where did she take them? Lance starts to scream, and Daryl puts his hand over Lance’s mouth. He’s about to punch Lance, but Carol stops him. She gets close to Lance’s face, and tells him to look at her. They can’t leave him alive. Tell them where their friends are or he’s dead. She puts a knife up to his face, and he shakes his head. Carol looks at Daryl, who nods, but Lance says, he’ll show them. He gets that they don’t trust him, but knows a way out of the city. Daryl asks what’s on Lance’s ankle, and Lance says, a radio frequency monitor. It’ll be set off if he leaves. Daryl will have to cut off his foot. Is Daryl going to carry him? Carol says, get ready to run, and Lance says he needs to do something first.
An alarm blasts as they run. Troopers shoot at them, and Daryl shoots back. They keep running, and Daryl tells Carol to get Lance out. She says, not without him, but he says he’ll figure it out. She and Lance go out the door, Carol exchanging a last glance with Daryl, who goes back to shooting at the troopers.
The guard leaves the hospital, and Yumiko follows him. She looks around to see if anyone is following her, and the guard stops. She continues to walk past him, and he watches her. Pam tells her new assistant that the optics of the press conference are critical if they’re going to regain the people’s trust. Moving forward, being transparent and open is the way. She mistakenly calls her assistant Max, and corrects it to Kathleen, apologizing. She tells Kathleen the Commonwealth Army should be there, but in the background. They want a peaceful return to law and order. A police state might stir up lingering resentments. Her phone rings.
Pamela walks with some troopers to Lance’s cell. She sees the now really dead Sebastian lying in a bloody mess. Lance’s coin peeks out of the mess, and she picks it up.
Lance and Carol walk up a hill, and Lance says, it’s a couple miles up. He never realized how much the Commonwealth looks like a prison from the outside. She was right to leave Daryl behind; he was slowing her down, like everyone. She asks what he means, and he says, she’s not like most people. She thinks ten steps ahead. Who else could have done what she just did? He hopes Daryl is all right. Carol trains her gun on him, and says she knows what he’s doing. He says he’s just making conversation, and she asks where they’re going. She’s done with his mind games. He says he’s not lying, but she says, he doesn’t give a sh*t what happens to Daryl. He says, he was just locked in a cell, and forced to feed Pamela’s son his colleague. Do it. Good luck find her friends. She takes off into the woods, and he follows. They duck down, and a jeep and two motorcycles with troopers come down the road. They stop, and one of them says, check the tree line. Lance tells Carol, he knows how to lose them. Come on.
Yumiko visits Eugene’s cell as a guard watches, and he says he can’t believe they’re gone. Yumiko says, Connie is trusting her, and she can’t let her down. She doesn’t think she has a choice but to do what Pamela is asking. With tears in his eyes, Eugene says if that means prosecuting him to the full extent of the law, he accepts his fate. He made his choices and bed, and now he must lie in it. But what if Pamela reneges on setting their kidnapped compadres free? She has to do something. Yumiko says, Pamela has all the leverage, and Eugene says he has to admit it appears that way, but he has to believe it’s something they can do. If it isn’t, then their friends are truly gone, and that’s a beast of burden he can’t live with, even in the truncated time he has left. She says, it’s not his fault, and he says, the one thing they can do is return the unwavering faith their friends have had in them, and trust that no matter how bleak, it’s not the end. He knows that’s not much coming from a soon to be convicted felon, but maybe it’s something. She puts her hand on his through the bars.
Lance and Carol walk across a field to a building, and Carol asks if he expects her to follow him in there. He says, she will if she doesn’t want to get caught. In the early days, this was a Commonwealth infrastructure repair project, but considered too unstable. He meant what he said; he hopes Daryl is okay. It’s hard to find someone who will do anything for you. That’s how he felt about Pamela, and thought she’d eventually feel the same. He helped her build and run the Commonwealth, and let her take the credit. Bringing them and the other communities in was mishandled, but it was never enough. Nothing he could do would change how Pamela saw him, her chauffeur’s son. There was something he wanted to ask Carol; what comes after? She says, after what? and he says, the unrest. If Pamela doesn’t survive, there will be a power vacuum. History shows that civilians suffer most in a revolution. She holds the fate of the people in her hands. She says, find her friends first, then they’ll discuss it, but he asks if she’s going to let the Commonwealth burn. She says, it’s not her problem, and she says, so she gets what she wants, and leaves them behind, him too? What about the kids? Is she going to deny them the only chance for the kind of life they took for granted? Shouldn’t the next generation be better than the one before? If not, what’s the point? They go inside, and Carol shines the flashlight around. Lance asks if that’s skin, and they hear zombies coming. One gets Lance down, and Carol grapples with it, the flashlight getting kicked away in the process. She bashes its head in, and we hear more coming. She shoots one, and another grabs her. She wrestles with it, and pulls the skin from its face, which is pretty cool. Underneath, it’s creepy looking, like a skeleton that still has muscles on it, and eyeballs in its sockets. She pushes it back, and shoots it. She looks at Lance, who has been no help whatsoever, and he says, sorry, the lights were out. She tells him to run, and they take off, zombies coming behind them. They run outside, and there’s a line of troopers. On says, drop your weapons. Radio back that they’ve been found. If they put up a fight, take them down. Daryl comes up behind them, and shoots them all. Carol and Daryl look at Lance.
Before the press conference, Pamela says she’s glad to see Yumiko, but Yumiko says she didn’t have a choice. Pamela tells her, Connie was picked up, and placed with the others. She admires Yumiko’s loyalty for her people, and hopes someday Yumiko understands why they need to do this. Yumiko says, Pamela is doing it for herself, not to restore peace. Giving Yumiko her speech, Pamela says, these are her words, but Yumiko says, they’re not. It’s bullsh*t theater. Pamela says, just make sure she knows her lines. The people gather, and the announcer says, they’re moving forward in prosecuting Eugene for the tragic events on Founders Day, including Sebastian’s murder. He introduces one of the Commonwealth’s most accomplished attorneys, Yumiko Okumura. Yumiko goes to the microphone, and tells the crowd that she wants to start be saying, it’s a privilege to be part of the great shining city, the Commonwealth. Not long ago, she was part of a group that was lost to the ravages of the outside world; they were left with nothing. Pamela welcomed them, and gave them the incredible gift of a second chance, to live life before it was gone. For her, this meant being a lawyer again, an opportunity to uphold the sacred ideal of the old world – justice. Eugene was part of her community. He was… someone she grew to know well over the years, someone she could trust. The events at the Founder’s Celebration have shaken her to her core. But they also renewed her belief that, regardless of the personal cost, they must always seek justice if they’re to preserve who they are as a people. Before she continues, she’d like to thank someone who means the world to her, and the people of the Commonwealth, their thoracic surgeon. She asks Tomi to stand up, and everyone applauds. She says, Tomi is an invaluable, irreplaceable member of the community, who always wants what’s best for her and the people of the Commonwealth. So she wants to take a moment to thank him. There’s more applause, and Pamela mulls this over, probably realizing that Yumiko just made her brother’s existence very public, and if he disappears now, it will be very much noticed. Yumiko says, she’d also like to thank her people for always having faith in her. She’d like to show them that she has faith in them by honoring the pursuit of justice. So she’s announcing her intent to defend Eugene, who’s been wrongly accused. They look forward to their day in court. They crowd doesn’t seem to hate the idea, and there’s applause. Yumiko drops the mic papers in front of Pamela, and says, there’s your speech.
Daryl watches through binoculars, and says, it’s cool. There’s just two walking the perimeter. Lance says, Daryl should have no problem taking them out, and Carol says, then what? Lance says, he knows there’s a supply train and the route, and Carol is surprised to find out the Commonwealth has a train. Lance says, it was part of the plan; the vision to expand the Commonwealth. They were going to reach out, connecting with communities all the way to the sea. Carol says, connecting or conquering? and Lance says, they have to move before dawn. Daryl says, they will, but Lance won’t. Lance says, they can’t get there without him, but Daryl says, they can; that train. Carol says, they’ll just wait for it to come, and see where it goes. Lance insists they need him. He talked about creating a better future, and he knows Carol heard him. She says, that’s because he wouldn’t shut up. He says he helped build the Commonwealth, and together, they could make it better. A place where everyone could truly have a shot. Where here, you aren’t defined by who you are, but who you become. It will be a new age, where everyone will start again. Daryl says, not Lance, and Lance asks if Daryl is just going to kill him after everything he’s done for him. Carol says, he can run, and Lance says, where? She says, it’s up to him. All he gets is a chance. Daryl says, it’s more than he deserves, but Lance says he made a mistake. That’s not who he is anymore. That guy died in a cell. He won’t make it out here. Daryl says, good, and I laugh. Carol says, Lance is a smart guy. He might survive. Lance begs them to just hear him out, but Carol says, they’ve heard enough. Daryl moves toward Lance, and Lance starts to walk. As he passes a trooper jeep, he grabs a gun out of it, but by the time he aims it, Carol’s already shot him in the neck with an arrow. Carol and Daryl get in the jeep, Lance lying there gurgling blood as they drive away.
On a bus, a trooper injects hooded prisoners in the neck with something that’s keeping them out of it. We see the bus traveling with a caravan of jeeps leading the way down the road.
Next time, it’s the first day of new beginnings; Negan tells Ezekiel they’ve got to work together; and Ezekiel says he’s with Negan.
Halloween is almost here, and I’m ready. Mostly. I got my candy for goody bags early, since I found out the hard way they run out of Mini Tootsie Pops on Amazon real quick. And big kids like them too. This year’s theme: Hocus Pocus. Float on by tomorrow for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay leaving it cleaner than you found it, and stay remembering, no matter how bleak, it’s not the end.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Leah and Daryl join others on a lookout platform, and they see a small horde milling around. Carter wonders why they’re walking around like that, and Pope says, there’s a reason for everything. He asks if Daryl has seen that behavior before, and Daryl says he has, south of there. He suggests he lead the zombies out two miles and double back. Pope says they’ll try it Daryl’s way, but wants to send Wells, who leads the zombies into the woods. Leah radios Wells, saying, hey pied piper, how’s the piping? and he says he’s having a ball. He realizes it’s getting late, and needs to get home, but continues leading the zombies down a path. When he turns around, he sees zombies coming from the other direction. He radios Meridian, and says they have a situation. Pope asks, what kind? and Wells starts killing them, but he’s way outnumbered. They take him down, and one picks up Wells’s radio.
The Alexandrians are holed up in a house, while a storm rages outside. The adults board up the windows, and the kids huddle together. Judith tells them, it’s only thunder; it can’t hurt them. Her mom says that storms are always followed by clear skies. A branch blows through one of the windows, and Judith tells the other kids, stay there. She looks outside, and everything is blowing around. Rosita tells her to back get to the wall.
Leah tries calling Wells, asking if he copies, but only gets silence. She wants to go after him, but Pope tells her, there’s no point. He’s already dead. Leah says she’s seen him kill dozens of zombies, but Pope says, they didn’t kill him. She did. His enemy. She did come back. Leah asks if Pope sent Wells out as bait, and he says, he was a soldier; soldiers sometimes fall. Leah says, Wells was more than a soldier; he was family. Pope says, it’s a sign from God, but Leah says, God didn’t send Wells out there; Pope did. He asks if she disagrees with his decision. She’s had a helluva lot to say as soon as her boyfriend showed up. Is there anything else she wants to share? She says, no, sir, and Pope says, Wells was a son to him. Because of his courage, they now know the enemy is close. He promises they won’t escape this time.
Aaron tells everyone that the wall by the garden center was breached. He hopes it’s just the one. There was also a fire at the windmill, and he wants three teams. He needs one to take on the fire, and Carol says she’ll be on wall detail. Aaron says they’ll also need a team to protect everyone there. He asks for volunteers, and Connie signs that she’ll go, but Magna says she just got back. Connie insists she wants to go with Carol, and Carly says, if she’s up for it, they could use the help. Kelly says, she’s joining them too, and Connie starts to protest, but Kelly says, it’s not up for discussion. Magna says she’ll go with Aaron, and Virgil says he will too. Carol says Virgil can barely stand, and Rosita tells him that she could use help there. Virgil agrees to stay, and Judith volunteers to go, but Carol says she’d prefer if Judith stayed there. Judith says she’s not scared, and Carol tells her that she’d be helping the other kids be less afraid. Aaron says they’ll be back soon. Gracie begs him to stay, and let someone else go, but he says, it’s not fair for him to ask something of someone that he won’t do himself. They groups blow out into the storm.
Daryl tells Pope, the rotters are gone, but he says, she’s not. He asks what Daryl can tell him about Maggie, but Daryl says, not much, and Pope wonders why he’s keeping Daryl around. Daryl says, Pope told him God chose him, and Pope laughs. He says he had this dog he found on the side of the road, starving and half-dead. The thing about some rescues is, sometimes they give you that look, like they’ll lick your hand, then bite it off. Daryl says, don’t worry. He ain’t going to lick Pope. Pope laughs again, and says, there he is. Fair enough. Just don’t try to bite Leah. He’d hate to have to strangle this dog. Leah says, they kept Daryl because he’s an excellent tracker. She’s sure he must have noticed something. Daryl says, she’s a great shot. She has a bullseye lookout. In the trees maybe. Pope says, we’ll see. A guard radios for Pope to go to the lookout.
They go up to the tower and see a ton of zombies. Pope laughs because everything is funny to him tonight, and he says, somehow she turned the dead against the living. That’s impressive. They won’t get that far. The zombies start to trigger random explosives, and scatter a little.
In Alexandria, Lydia says she needs boards, and they decide to use the furniture. I guess this infiltration was unexpected (as well as the storm), but I’m wondering why some of the windows are wide open. You’d think the first thing they would have done is close them. Or at least close them before they started nailing up boards. Judith tells Gracie, like how you can run faster when you’re scared, you can fight better too. It makes you stronger. Gracie practices, and Virgil tells Judith that her mother would be proud of her. Judith asks if he knows where Michonne went, but he says he’s sorry; he doesn’t. She says she just wishes her mother was here, and Virgil says, she is. He sees her in how Judith holds a sword. How she was ready to run into the storm. In how she talks to the kids. She’s helping them believe in themselves. Her mom can still be with her, and wherever Michonne is, Judith is with her. Gracie practices by one of those open windows, and Judith tells her, be careful. Right on cue, a zombie reaches through, grabbing at Gracie, but Judith cuts its hand off. Rosita and Lydia run back with boards, and start nailing them up. Rosita tells Judith to blow out the candles. More zombies try to get in, since they did such a crap job.
As the zombies set off mines, Pope asks what’s on Leah’s mind. She says, nothing, but he says he knows her better than he knows himself. What? She says she was thinking about the ones they lost, and Pope asks if she blames him. She tells him that she didn’t say that. He says, the black horse of famine rides after us all. In every war there is sacrifice. That’s why they were chosen in the first place; they don’t run from the fire. Wells didn’t die blindly. His sacrifice shows they’re still worth it. That’s why they will prevail. Daryl looks through the binoculars, and sees that some of the zombies aren’t zombies.
Maggie and Daryl split off, and sneak around outside the walls at Meridian. Daryl comes across the Reaper he shared a cigarette with, and dude says he’s missing the fireworks. Daryl says he was told to walk the perimeter, so he’s walking the perimeter, and asks dude if he wants a smoke. He gives dude a cigarette, and dude says he quit once. He guesses he’ll have to quit again. Daryl asks, why? and drops the matches. When dude bends to pick them up, Daryl stabs him in the throat, and throws him over the wall, where Maggie and Gabriel are waiting. Daryl tells them which way to go, runs to open the door’s padlock, then jets.
Negan and Elijah get hit with mine blowback, but keep walking. Pope watches, and Leah sees Daryl coming up the stairs. She asks where he’s been, and he says, getting ready, but she says, they won’t need him. The rotters will scatter. He asks if she’s sure about that, and Pope says he’s ready and watching. Daryl asks, what’s happening? and Leah says, this is how they’re going in.
Maggie comes out from under some garbage along with Gabriel. She asks if he remembers, and he says, top floor. She tells him to wait for her signal. They get the food and go home.
The Alexandrians try to hold door shut, and Rosita says she’s going to buy time. On her count, open the door, then close it behind her. She counts to three, and they open the door. She runs at the zombies outside, and Lydia shuts the door. They watch through the windows, as Rosita fights them one by one on the porch. She’s still not done, and goes down the steps. She is not fooling around. Finally finished, she comes back in, drenched.
Gabriel goes into a building, and checks for a secret panel in a closet. He opens it.
Daryl watches as Leah and another Reaper uncover a whole load of small bombs on a truck platform. Leah tells the Reaper to let her know when he’s ready, and Pope leaves. Daryl says, sorry about Wells, and Leah says he shouldn’t have gone by himself. It was her responsibility. She should have had his back. He always had hers. Her people protect each other. Daryl wonders if he can ask her something. Pope says God chose them. Does she believe him? She asks, why? and he says, just asking. She says she knows how it sounds, but it gives them something to hold onto, after all the lies they’ve believed in. He says, what about now? and she says, it doesn’t matter if she believes him or not; it matters to him. She asks if Daryl ever thinks about what it would have been like if they hadn’t left the cabin, and he says, yeah. She says, it’s hard to watch someone you care about change, and hurting other people you care about. Pope radios her, asking her status, and Leah says they’re ready and standing by. He says, it’s time to do this. He’s on his way. Daryl says he has to tell Leah something. There are people down there, walking with the dead; his people. They’re here for food. They’ll starve without it, and they’re good people and have families. She can’t let them die like this. Leah says he lied to her, and he says, to protect his family. He’s sure she understands. She says Carver told her not to trust him, but she wanted to so badly. What does he think Pope’s going to do when he finds out? He says, Pope doesn’t have to know. She’s got to help him. Pope comes back, and says, it’s time for their enemy to face their reckoning. Oh my, what were Daryl and Leah talking about? Leah says, family, and Pope says, nothing more important. It’s the only thing they’ve got left. Doesn’t Daryl agree? Daryl says, yeah, and Pope says when this is done, he wants Daryl work for him. He’s a good man. Leah looks at Daryl.
Maggie rifles through a car for the keys, but can’t find any, so she hot wires it. She hears a radio, and ducks down. A Reaper runs past, but Maggie gets the engine to turn over and he hears it. He makes a grab for the passenger door, but she peels out, and he gets thrown. Just before it gets to the wall, she jumps out and lets it crash through the wall. Zombies start to come in, and Pope radios the guard, asking, what the hell’s going on? The enemy is inside their walls. Maggie runs, and a guard stabs at the zombies, but there are too many. Pope tells a guard to get ready, and Leah says, they have people out there. Call them back in. Pope says, and let the enemy know?God will protect them. She says, what if He doesn’t? and he says, then it’s their time to die. She says they can win another way, but he says they’re going to win their way, She says Pope is going to kill them, and he says the Lord speaks through him. Don’t question the Lord; don’t question him. Light it up. A Reaper guard lights the fuse, and Daryl takes out a knife, but Leah stabs Pope. Daryl throws the knife at the guard, nailing him, and cuts the fuse.
Maggie runs, and a guard sees her. They fight, and he knocks her down, but someone shoots him before he can get Maggie. It’s Gabriel with a semiautomatic. He starts shooting at Pope’s men, and Pope starts to drag himself along, but Leah kicks him down, and puts her foot on his back. She finishes him off, and Daryl tells her, come on, but she doesn’t go. Instead, she radios Carter, saying, Pope is dead, and Daryl murdered him. He’s with them. Carter says, they’re on their way, and Daryl asks why she did that. She says, he forgot about what matters. Not war, but people, her people. He’d do anything to protect his family. So would she. Daryl hears them coming, and I think he’s going to kill her for a moment, but he jumps over the wall. Carter and another guy run to look over the wall, and Carter says he should have killed Daryl when he had the chance. She tells him to get the gate closed, and he says, then what? She says, then they’re going to kill everything inside the walls. I’m thinking it’s less love of family, and more like she’s power hungry.
Zombies are still beating at the door, and Rosita tells Judith to take the kids upstairs. They go, and Virgil tells Judith not to worry about him, but she leads him upstairs. Lydia and Rosita are left holding the door. Judith looks for Gracie, but can’t find her, because for some ungodly reason, she went down in the basement. Judith heads downstairs, and sees rain pouring in through the windows. Lydia tells Rosita to go, and holds door alone. Judith asks what Gracie is doing, and Gracie says she wanted a weapon, like Judith. Judith cracks a tool handle so it’s now a pokey stick, and gives it to Gracie. They go upstairs, but come face-to-face with a zombie. Judith tells Gracie to go, and they run back to the basement, slamming the door behind them. The zombie bangs at the door.
Maggie and Negan fight zombies, and Daryl joins them. A guard tells Carter to go back, and Negan, still in his skin mask, tells Maggie, sh*t. They are retreating. She wonders why, and they see Leah, stone-faced, watching them from the lookout. She lights up the rockets, and they shoot off in all directions.
Next time, Daryl asks if their choices even matter, and Gabriel says, it depends on who’s making them; and Pamela Milton is introduced. This was the finale part one, so part two is upcoming on 2/20/22.
The World Beyond
After Iris killed the CRM guard, Felix found her, and helped her drag the body into the woods. Some zombies heard them, and Felix took care of them, but forced Iris to shoot one in the eyeball. The eyeball part was her choice.
Iris and Hope’s dad Leo talked with girlfriend Lyla about Hope’s return. He wondered how much he should tell Hope, but Lila said the fact Hope was there was all that mattered. Iris and Felix would be back and safe. No useful data there went to waste. Leo said he should have known it would be a scientific decision, and Lyla said, it saved his daughter’s lives, which gave him hope. Leo made Hope a birthday breakfast, and thought she’d be hungrier, but she said Felix was a good cook. He’d taken good care of them, although she could go without seeing a can of beans for the rest of her life. He asked if she’d been in any danger, and she flashed back to all the stuff that had happened. She said she didn’t want to talk about it, but honestly, the hardest part about being out there was worrying about him, and not knowing if he was hurt. Now that she saw he was okay, it made everything worth it. She wished she knew if Iris and Felix were okay, but he said he was sure they were. He didn’t want to push her, but he hoped she would choose his path. She said now that she was with him, she was without any choice. She asked if she’d have to go along with it, but he said he didn’t know.
Felix, iris, and Will scoped out zombies at a lake. Iris freezes when she’s about to kill a zombie, thinking she sees it wearing a CRM helmet, but Felix steps in. Iris told Felix that she thought the CRM was behind the destruction of the campus colony, but Felix said, they were talking about a hundred thousand people. Why would they want them dead if they weren’t a threat? Iris thought maybe it had something to do with them wanting Hope. Felix saw how far they went to take her. Will said he’d be lying if he said it hadn’t crossed his mind. They chose a zombie, tied it’s arms down with rope, and Felix used the end of the rope like a leash. They did not explain whatever plan that was part of.
Silas been kidnapped, and taken on a hooded ride by some a guy named Dennis. The hood taken off, he asked where Dennis was going, but Dennis said Silas had nothing to worry about. He added that if Silas tried to fight or escape, it would mean prison for him. I’d say that might be something to worry about.
Elizabeth met with Leo, who told her that Hope wouldn’t settle in until Iris and Felix were found. He wanted to join the search team, thinking them seeing a familiar face would be helpful, but Elizabeth said that wasn’t possible. He said they were out there unprotected, but she told him that Huck was more than capable. He balked at her sending one soldier, but she said Huck meant more to her than any army because Huck was her daughter. He said he wanted his family there tonight, or he was done working for her, but she said he didn’t work for her. He worked for the Civic Republic. She did too, and her job was to protect the CRM and secure resources, of which his daughter was one. She was brought there on the condition that she change, and needed the experience of getting there to see the world as it is. She knew however angry and betrayed Hope was, she’d still work toward what was most important; building knowledge and research to save humanity. He said there was nothing more important than family, and Elizabeth said, but he left his. He broke their laws, and put them at risk. He’d called it an error in judgment, but a word of advice, don’t make any more.
Hope wandered around, and made notes about the security measures she saw. Lyla came over to introduce herself, saying she recognized Hope from the photo on her dad’s desk. She knew Hope’s dad was going to show her around, but he was waiting on update, so Lyla was happy to give her a tour. Hope eyeballed Lyla’s security badge, which was also a key card, and said to show her everything.
Dennis took Silas into a warehouse, where there was a zombie in a cage, and had him put on a fireman’s jacket. He told Silas to keep moving, and they went through the building and out the back, Dennis picking up what looked like a weeding tool (the claw thing you twist to pull out weeds) on his way out. Outside, three kids were stacking up zombies and poking them in the head with the weeder. One of them told Dennis that they were right on schedule, and Dennis introduced Webb, Tiga, and Grady, telling them that Silas would be joining them in decontamination. They’d be responsible for training Silas and setting him up. A zombie started to sit up, and Dennis instructed Silas to kill it. Silas did, and looked at Dennis like, was that good? Dennis also wanted some reports on his desk, and I thought, you can’t get away from paperwork, even in an apocalypse.
Hope asked Lyla what the place was before, and Lyla said it was government funded educational research, but before that, it had been an old diamond mine. They’d used the lab for experiments that needed to be shielded from sun radiation. Now they were using the lab to pinpoint why the world turned. Hope asked if they were looking for information to cure it, and Lyla said, that was one part. They also wanted to figure out a way to get rid of the ones who’d turned. If they could discover when kept them going and turn off the triggers that motivated their appetite, they could eliminate the dead as a threat. As Hope researched and investigated, she would pass that knowledge onto the next generation. Hope said at 17, they had her whole life planned, and Lyla said they also planned all meals for Hope’s optimum nutrition, and would match her to an ideal genetic mate. Then she laughed and said she was just kidding, but who knows? Hope asked if she could meet Lyla in her dad’s office, since she’d seen a bathroom, and one with four walls was hard to pass up. When Lyla left, Hope snooped around a door that said Authorized Personnel Only. A young guy startled her, and asked if she was the new girl. He introduced himself as Mason, and said he was sorry about what happened to her mom; it was why they wore black armbands. He said if she was curious, he’d show her, and opened the door, but it was just a supply closet. He said they didn’t want people helping themselves without permission.
At the Perimeter, Brody told Indira that Felix, Will, and Iris couldn’t be trusted. Iris had killed a CRM solider, and Will was wanted by the CRM. Felix said they had a plan, but Brody said it was too dangerous, and they hadn’t been forthcoming. Felix shows Brody a CRM notebook with the locations of supply drops and fuel depots, things the military wanted kept secret. Will said if their plan worked, it would protect all of them. They heard the tinkling of the Perimeter’s makeshift alarm, and trucks came up the road. Indira told them to hide now, and Brody covered up the notebook they stupidly left on the desk. Elizabeth got out of a car at the head of the caravan, and told Indira that she wished it was a social visit, but they were looking into something. A breeze blew off the paper hiding the CRM notebook, as Elizabeth was looking around at Indira’s wall art. She told Indira and Brody that a soldier had gone missing, but Indira said they hadn’t seen any new faces around town. Elizabeth pretended to be examining the tapestry covering the doorway to the room where the trio was hiding, but she was interrupted by her radio. One of her people told her that the soldier had been located, and Elizabeth apologized for the intrusion.
Hope looked around her dad’s lab, and Lyla said she’d hope for Leo to fill Hope in, but she wasn’t sure where he was. She did know that Leo loved Hope very much; he was working hard for their future. She’d met parents who felt helpless and wanted to make their children’s lives better, but didn’t have the knowledge, just the desire. They were relying on people like her father. Could she imagine the pressure? Lyla said, even though Leo wasn’t there, he could still fill her in, and put on a video where Leo updated his progress. After some glitches, they were given the ability to record and transmit the dead’s biological responses to environmental stimuli. Lyla said they’d been trying to do this for years, but Leo had cracked it in two months. They already had a trove of data that would open doors and further the avenues of research as to what was infecting the dead. If they were able to modify it, they could accelerate the rate of decay, eliminating them as a threat.
Elizabeth saw her missing soldier, who was really the leashed zombie, now unleashed and really dead, and wearing Will’s jacked. Elizabeth wanted to limit the knowledge of Will’s death to authorized personnel, since Leo didn’t need any more bad news with his daughter missing.
In her father’s room, Hope looked at his research dedication to her and Iris, and got teary. Leo came back, and said he’d meant to straighten up, but she said, it felt like home with stuff everywhere. He asked what she thought of the place, and she said she thought there would be more guard towers and attack dogs. She asked if Lyla was his girlfriend, and he asked if Lyla told her. She said Lyla didn’t have to. She saw Lyla’s stuff in his bathroom, and she’d called him brilliant 89 times. Hope said Lyla was all right, but she was concerned that Iris and Felix weren’t at the retirement home, and hadn’t been found. Felix had said he could barely walk, but if he felt they should move, he’d move. Leo asked if Hope was leaving something out, and said she needed to be honest. What the hell was going on?
Silas worked at killing the walkers/rotters/empties/zombies. He asked what happened there, and Grady said they lured the zombies in with lights and music a few times a week. They blew them up, then cut them up. Silas asked where the parts went, and Grady said they had trucks to take them off-site. Silas also found out the boys had signed on to be part of something bigger. Dennis threw a sleeping bag at Silas, who wondered about what the others meant about being part of something bigger. Dennis said this had been the first place of its kind. Now there were six others, bigger, and they were all state operated by trained military personnel. If everything went right, they could start bringing back energy, agriculture, and commerce. They were a training ground for that, What they were doing was starting over. Silas asked what Dennis did, and Dennis said he was a mechanic who fixed trucks and choppers. He trained others to fix what was broke. He pointed to a trailer, telling Silas it was his. He’d be back in the morning, and until then, Glenn was in charge. Dennis left, and Silas asked Webb where he was going. Webb said he was dropping off a dead one at CRM’s research facility. That place was going to change everything. Grady said he wanted to work there as a guard one day. They asked if Silas knew someone there, maybe a girlfriend, and Tiga said maybe Silas and Dennis had that in common. Silas watched as a CRM helicopter flew above them.
Dennis drove with a zombie in the bed of his truck. He pulled down his visor, and looked at a picture of himself and Huck.
Felix asked if Iris was okay; she hadn’t said much. She said she worked it out. She wasn’t worried about getting caught, but she was scared she wouldn’t get the chance to hit back at CRM. Felix asked if she was sure she was ready, and she said when she’d killed the soldier, she’d thought she was numb, but she was angry. This is war, even if they don’t know it yet. Felix agreed, and said until they figured out a way to hit back, they’d lay low.
Lyla and Elizabeth chatted, while a former colleague, now a zombie, was tied to a gurney and muzzled like Hannibal Lecter. Lyla said she thought Hope was coming around, and they might need her help to bring her father around. He was anxious about his missing daughter, but his enthusiasm for CRM had also eroded. They needed Hope to keep him motivated. Elizabeth thought that was what Lyla was for, and Lyla said she was doing her best. Elizabeth hoped her best was good enough – for Leo’s sake and Lyla’s. Lyla wondered when she was getting her next test subject, since it had been a while since her last premortem. She assumed General Beale’s plans were moving ahead as scheduled. Elizabeth assured Lyla that they were, and Lyla looked at the colleague zombie.
Next time, Huck gets called out, and an underground zombie.
🎭 It’s Back, Baby…
It will take more than a little pandemic to keep a good cosplayer down.
Whether you’re back to work, zoom, or just staring blankly at your TV, join me tomorrow for some soap and a walk on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay expecting good things, and stay never volunteering to be Pied Piper, unless you’ve piped before.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Connie and Virgil run through the woods, chased by zombies. He says they have to find somewhere to hide, and they keep running until they see a house. There are a few zombies milling around, and a zombie grabs Virgil as Connie is trying to get the front door open. The door finally opens, and three of them – Connie, Virgil, and the zombie – tumble inside. Connie manages to get the door shut before other zombies follow. The zombie has Virgil down, and Connie smashes it in the head, and puts her back to the door.
Carol tells Aaron and Rosita that she’s going to ride out. Aaron suggests a larger group, but Carol says Connie doesn’t have time to wait. Magna comes by, and asks if they’ve seen Kelly.
Connie looks through the slats of the wall at the zombies milling around outside. She sees a moose head on the wall and is creeped out, and the house as a whole is tattered and messy. She looks at a small written map, and Virgil quietly goes upstairs, and looks around. He checks one bedroom, then another. He comes back, and tells her that he checked the whole house. They’re okay. Nobody’s there. She looks at the map, and he grabs a book and writes, you need some rest. He tells her that she hasn’t slept in days. He writes, I can keep watch, but she just looks worried. He writes, we will find your home, and says, you sleep. She shakes her head, and writes, unsafe. He tells her, rest, making a gesture meaning sleep. She shakes her head again, and he sits, while she looks out again, remembering the cave. She rouses Virgil, and writes, going to search the house again.
Frost is tied to a chair, and not looking too good, since he’s been beaten pretty badly. Carver pulls Frost’s fingernails out, and says, tell him where they are. Daryl watches, and Pope asks if it bothers him. Daryl says he’s done worse, and tells Carver that he’s up. Carver says, like hell he is, but Daryl takes his place. He looks at Frost, who asks if they’re just going to stand there, staring dreamily at each other, or are they going to get to it? Daryl grabs him by the neck, and Carver says, if Daryl kills him, the two of them have a problem. Daryl drops Frost, and says he knows what he’s doing. He tells Frost to give them the location where his friends are hiding. If he does that, this all goes away. Frost says, it’s a good offer, or, hear him out, they can all go eat sh*t instead. Daryl cracks him one across the face, and Carver says he’s already gone through these steps. Maybe they should start taking pieces. Pope tells Carver to give him the knife, and Frost tells Daryl, do what he’s got to do. Pope gives Daryl a big knife, and Daryl takes off his vest and throws it down. I guess that means he’s ready to rumble. He says he doesn’t think Frost understands. He’s the best shot Frost’s got. Frost asks, why? Are they friends now? Daryl says, no, it’s not because they’re friends. He’s the one holding the knife. Frost says, Daryl’s buddy is the one holding the gun, and Daryl smacks him again, saying, shut up. Listen to him. Frost is close enough to know where they’re hiding. Daryl grabs one of Frost’s fingers, and says, no one needs to die. Just say the location, so they can all walk away happy. Frost says, go to hell, a-hole, and gets a finger chopped off for his trouble. Daryl says, the location, or he’ll take another one. At first, Frost refuses, but then tells him, yellow house, and gives an address. Daryl asks Pope if that’s good enough, and Leah says she can scout it out. Pope tells her to take a squad, and he wants her, Carver, and Daryl to go. Carver balks at taking Daryl, and Daryl tries to hand back the knife, but Pope shakes his head.
Connie checks some of the rooms, but they’re locked. She sees old-time portrait photos along the walls with the eyes gouged out. Not real promising. She goes into a bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror, telling herself, don’t you look delightful? She looks inside the medicine cabinet, and checks out what’s there. She realizes the back of it is a slatted wall, and suddenly, there’s an eyeball looking back at her from the other side. She runs downstairs, and wakes Virgil. She signs, we’re not alone, and he asks, what happened? She signs, something else is in here with us. He says he doesn’t understand, and she signs, it was behind the wall staring back at me. She grabs the book, starts to write, but gets frustrated, and throws it down. She grabs Virgil’s knife and cuts at a painting. She steps back, and we see she’s written, NOT ALONE. I actually got a chill there.
Leah, Daryl, Carver, and a couple other men find the yellow house. Carver says, it’s quiet… there are two entrances. Leah tells the men to go by twos, and gives them instructions. Carver says, what about d*ckhead? Is he supposed to believe Daryl has his back? She says, that’s her job, and they move toward the house. Daryl hangs back, and pulls on a car windshield wiper. Inside, Maggie sees a clothesline move. The men go inside, yelling, clear! as they go through the house. Carver says Frost jerked them around, but Daryl suggests they check the house first. Leah tells the men to search outside, and she stays to search the house with Daryl and Carver.
Kelly rides through the woods, and sees a dead horse near an empty campsite. She looks under the tarp, and starts going through the knapsacks there. The last one she opens has Kelly’s notebook, and she flips through it, seeing things like, trapped with the dead and walked with them for days, and asking where Michonne is. She says, Kelly, where are you? and takes the bag with her.
Virgil looks through cabinet to the other room, and tells Connie that he doesn’t see anything. She signs, something was there, and he says he’s sure she saw something, but she hasn’t slept, so maybe it’s… She shakes her head adamantly, and he says, sorry. They’ll give the house another sweep. She says she’s not staying there, and starts to walk toward the front, but a door slams shut behind her, separating her and Virgil. It’s silent because we’re getting Connie’s POV. She slides slowly down the hallway, with her back against the wall. She feels something behind her, and runs. A very creepy human on all fours, moving really fast, chases her, and she slams the door in its face. She looks down into the basement. This thing was so bizarre and scary, like something out of the old Creepy comic books.
Leah feels the sink, and says, it’s still wet, and Daryl says Frost was telling the truth. Coming downstairs, Daryl notices the corner of a trap door, peeking out from under a rug in the living room, but doesn’t say anything. He suggests, maybe they went out back, and Carver asks if Daryl is in a hurry to leave. Underneath the trap door, Negan, Elijah, Gabriel, and Maggie listen. Daryl says he’s just trying to help, and he and Carver argue. Leah tells them to stop, and says, she’ll check the perimeter, and check for possible runners. Carver says he doesn’t have time for this bullsh*t, and she says she understands, but doesn’t need it. Carver says he’ll check again upstairs, and make sure he didn’t miss anything. Leah tells Daryl, either he’s with them or not, and he asks what she wants him to do. She says, for one thing, stop pissing off Carver.
Kelly’s horse won’t budge, and she pulls on the reins. She slips, falling into a large mud puddle. Carol asks if she needs help, and walks into view with Rosita and Magna. Magna asks what Kelly was thinking. She should have told them she was heading out. They help Connie up, and she says she’s fine. She hands Magna the book, and says, it’s Connie’s. She found Connie’s camp. Connie, and some guy she was with, left in a hurry. Something’s not right. Magna looks through the book, and says, she thought they were being followed. Kelly tears up, and says, she’s out there and scared. Connie needs her. If something happened… Carol says, they’ll find her first, and they keep moving.
Connie holds the door shut, and it gets quiet. She slowly goes down the stairs, and when she gets to the bottom, she sees human bones everywhere, picked clean. The stairs shake, and something falls. The feral creature thing starts coming down the stairs on all fours – which is pretty effing creepy – and Connie pulls herself up, and into a vent leading to another room. Some of the walls are weird and made of slats, and she looks through them, seeing another eyeball, but this time, from the cave. She looks again, and sees nothing. Virgil suddenly runs inside the room, slamming the door shut. Connie sees Virgil, and bangs on the wall. He comes toward her, uncertain. She taps out SOS, and he moves closer, and I yell, no! because one of those things is behind him, being all stealthy. Connie tries to warn him, but…
She watches in horror as this creature pounds on Virgil. She tries to get one of the slats off, while it strangles him, saying, hungry. He fades, and she manages to distract the creature by banging on the wall again. It gets distracted, and Virgil is able to grab his knife, and he stabs it. It crawls off, trailing blood. He struggles to get up, and stabs the knife into the wall (on his side, it’s wallpapered). The knife comes through an inch from Connie’s nose, covered in blood. She pulls frantically at a slat, and gets it off, quickly putting her hand through so that he sees it’s her. He makes a hole big enough for him to help her come through.
Daryl tells Leah that they ran, and won’t come back; the Reapers hit them hard. The Reapers have twenty people in town, they’ve got weapons, and the balls. They probably saw the Reapers coming miles away, and ran. Carver asks what Daryl’s point is, and Leah says, there’s nothing here. It’s time to go. Carver thinks they’re missing something, and Daryl asks if he wants to waste another hour. Carver says, this dirtbag wants to play, and Daryl says, come on. Leah says, it’s not the time, and it’s not his call. Carver says they both know who Daryl is deep down. He was there, remember? After that, does she think this is going to end different? Leah says, so this is what? Carver looking out for her, and Carver says, she always got him. She says, when Pope locked her in the cabin and lit it up, he must have known. Was he was looking out for her then? He tells her, wake up. Everything is a test. Does she think this guy gives a sh*t about them? They’re going to fail. Daryl says, Carver is right. He doesn’t give a sh*t about any of them, except for Leah. He’s here for her. It’s no secret he’s made mistakes, but he’s here right now. Maybe he’ll do it better this time, if she lets him. Pope scares the sh*t out of him, and he doesn’t want to end up face first in the fire under Pope’s boot. But if Leah says trust him, he’ll trust him. Leah says, they’ve wasted enough time here; it’s time to move on. Carver says, sure. It’s her call. He sees the trap door corner, and says, hold on. He pushes Daryl out of the way, moves the rug, and opens it triumphantly, drawing his gun, but there’s nothing there. Daryl says, told you.
Negan, Maggie, Gabriel, and Elijah sneak out the root cellar door.
It starts to storm, and Rosita says, which way? Carol wonders if they should split up, check both trails, and double back, but Magna says, a storm is coming. They should stick together. Rosita says, it’s up to Kelly, and Kelly decides to keep going.
Virgil tells Connie that he’s never seen people this far gone… to herd them like prey, but they’re not. He’s getting her out. They’ll make a run for it. He gives her the knife, and says, no matter what happens, she has to keep going, with or without him. Don’t stop. She says, no, and tries give the knife back, but he says, no, just take it. She puts it down on the floor, and signs, if we’re getting out, we’re going together. She’s not letting him give up now. He says he doesn’t have a choice. He lost himself for a long time, off the map, and made choices he can’t unchoose, but Michonne gave him another chance. She pointed him to a road, and that road led to Connie. He has to pass on that chance, or it all means nothing. If she can find her family… He cries, and she signs, we leave here together. He says he needs her to promise to keep going no matter what happens. She puts her hand in his, and locks their fingers. He says, together, and they hear the creatures coming. He says, time’s up. They open the door and go out; her with the knife, and him wielding a table leg. He tries a door, but it’s locked, and the feral creatures appear. Virgil clubs at them, but they get him down. Connie slashes at them with the knife, and they back off. Virgil tells her to get out, but she drags him out with her. The creepiest creature of all comes crawling down the stairs, and Connie shields Virgil. She grabs the zombie they came in with, disembowels him, and covers herself in the guts. She opens the front door, letting in the dead. Very clever. There’s a free-for-all, and the dead feast on the feral creatures. I think leaving now would be a good idea.
Outside, Virgil stumbles, and tells her go. Some of the creatures have escaped, and make a beeline for Virgil, but get a slingshot rock in the head from Kelly. Kelly sees Connie, and starts to cry. They stand looking at each other for a moment, and Kelly says, I’m sorry. Connie begins to cry, and they hug.
Leah, Daryl, and Carver come back, and Pope asks, what’s the word? Leah says, there were signs they were there, but they slipped away. She’s sorry. Pope laughs, and she says she thought he’d be disappointed. He says, the night was a success. After they left, he continued the discussion with their guest, and he wasn’t too talkative, but Pope got everything he needed out of him. Pope looks at Daryl, who nods, and we see new zombie Frost tied to a tree. Pope and Carver go inside, Pope putting his arm around Carver. Daryl and Leah watch, and Leah looks at Daryl. Yeah, I don’t think this is good.
Next time, Negan says, the world is different – there are fewer people to fight for, and fewer things to fight over; Lance tells Yumiko that he can help her people; Maggie pretends to be a Whisperer; and Gabriel comes across a stranger talking to his spirit guide in the woods.
🎤 A couple of Talking Dead insights. Lauren Ridloff (Connie) was a guest tonight, and said she and Angel Theory (Kelly) were really like sisters. Before filming, they hadn’t seen each other in person since the beginning of the pandemic, and she’d asked that they be kept separated on set until it was time for them to meet in the scene at the end. She thought it would make it more authentic, and I have to agree it was a good choice. When they started crying, it made me want to cry. IMO, this was one of the best episodes ever. And while a great script, great acting, and great direction by Greg Nicolero played a part, it was largely because of those creepy-ass feral creatures. We also learned that some of the portraits were of them during a more civilized time, and the eyes had been scratched out so they weren’t reminded of how they used to be. I love when they get all detailed about a backstory we normally wouldn’t even know about.
And so another night of zombies concludes another weekend. Join me tomorrow for soap and a Croatian cruise. Until then, stay safe, stay going the extra mile, and stay trusting your gut feeling if you think a place is unsafe. Otherwise, you might end up having to cover yourself in guts.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Phyllis and Lenny walk past the sign for the dance, and it says all proceeds will benefit Firehouse 3. Lenny says, what did he tell Phyllis? and she says she was hoping he was wrong. Sonny says, wrong about what? and she says, what he’s wearing. He says he has a limited wardrobe, but Phyllis says he could still make an effort. She puts a cowboy hat on Sonny’s head, and says, much better. Lenny says he’s a born cowboy. Sonny says, yippee kai-yi-yay.
Scotty arrives at Elizabeth’s house, and she says, sorry it’s short notice. She hopes she didn’t pull Scotty away from anything, and he says, only the television; his film noire channel. She asks if Scotty will watch the kids, since Cameron is already a half hour late, and Scotty says that means Cameron’s got his game back.
Josslyn tells Cameron, they can’t keep having this same conversation, and he suggests they not talk about it, but she says, ignoring it won’t make the problem go away. He asks if she’s saying they can’t be friends anymore, and she tells him, don’t do this. He says, it’s a simple question. Can they still be friends? Yes or no? She says she’s not going to let him pressure her into saying what he wants to hear. He says, that’s right. Her standing by him isn’t nearly as important as her standing by a murderer.
Jason asks Carly to tell him exactly what happened, and she says, Nikolas hired mercenaries to track down Florence, so he could give her back to Cyrus. (I love how they all talk about Florence like she’s a possession, not just Cyrus.) She says she couldn’t risk a shootout, so she told the guards to give them Florence. He says she made the right call, but she says, without Florence, they can’t stop Cyrus. That’s why they have to move now.
Finn tells Portia that he’s ordered another lab series, but it’s not in Chase’s chart. Portia says, the lab is backed up, but it’s marked as a priority. She’s sure the results will be in soon. Finn says, that’s not good enough. He put them in last night. How is he supposed to treat Chase without the basic data to diagnose him?
Willow sits by Chase’s bed, when he opens his eyes. He says, she’s still there, and she says, where else would she be? Did he sleep okay? Michael looks in through the window.
Chase says he’s better now that Willow is there, and she says she’s flattered, but the doctors will need more specific feedback. He says the worst part is the constant monitoring. He’s over being poked and prodded while they check his bodily functions. Michael comes in, and says he guesses that’s a negative on the sponge bath he just arranged.
Finn says, for a lab that’s so good at leaking personal information, they seem to have trouble doing their actual job, and Portia says, she’ll go to the lab personally, and expedite it, but she wants him to do her a favor. He says, nameit, and she says, just step back, but he says, not when Chase is exhibiting a laundry list of symptoms that don’t point to any known condition. His job is to diagnose Chase. She says, his job is to be a father.
Peter tells Anna, Finn looks worried. No, frantic even. Heartbreaking, isn’t it? He’d do anything to save Chase from pain. Would she?
Elizabeth tells Scotty that Cameron is having a hard time with Franco’s death, and he’s channeling his grief into anger. Scotty says, he’s been there more than once, and she says, Cameron blew up at Jake, insisting Jason is guilty. Of course (🍷) Jake defended his father. He says it sounds like she could use some help around there, but he’s sure she can do better than an ambulance chaser like him. What about her sister Sarah? She says, Sarah is busy with her practice on the west coast, and he says, her father. What about him?
Josslyn says Cameron can force the issue all he wants, but she’s not choosing between him and Jason. He says, really? He’s keeps choosing her every time. Like when she used him to make Oscar jealous, and when Oscar was dying, he stood by her. When she needed a friend to lean on, and he wanted to be… She says, wanted to be what? and he says he just wants his friend back, but not if it means ignoring the fact that Franco, who he loved, is dead, and her wonderful Jason killed him. He walks out past Jax. Jax asks if Josslyn is okay, and she says, no, hugging him.
Carly tells Jason that she and Laura went screaming over to Windymere, but they were too late. Nikolas was already on the phone with his guys. He’s convinced returning Florence to Cyrus will save Alexis, and thinks he’s being a hero, but he doesn’t realize he’s being played. Jason says, maybe it’s for the best. They couldn’t hold Florence forever. She asks if it’s okay with him that Cyrus will have free reign because it’s not with her. He says, it’s not okay, and she asks, what happened to his hand? He says, it’s fine, and she says, did he fall and bang all of his knuckles at once? He was in a fight. Was it Cyrus’s men? He says, it’s fine; it’s being handled, and she asks, how long can he keep fending them off?
Sonny tells Phyllis, nice set up; fundraising is important. She says, so is community building. Lenny tells Sonny, don’t let Phyllis fool him. She’s here to dance. She says that’s why she got Sonny the hat. She didn’t want him begging off because he’s not properly dressed. She’s counting on him and Lenny to spin her around the floor. Lenny says, as long as it’s clear she’s his date, and Phyllis says she’s sure Sonny can find his own date. Eli and Nina arrive, and Lenny says, the whole gang is here. Eli says, it looks like the whole town showed up, and Lenny says, it gives you hope, doesn’t it? That Nixon Falls can pull together and get through this rough patch. Eli says, hope is a beautiful thing, and Phyllis says, it can move mountains, or build a barn dance. She says Nina looks pretty, and Nina says, never mind her. Look at Mike.
Scotty tells Elizabeth that he knows Jeff from way back. He’s a good guy. If she needs his help, he’ll be there. She says she and her father aren’t close, but he says, maybe this would be a good time to get close again. Cameron comes in, and says, sorry he’s late, and Elizabeth says Scotty is there because she didn’t know if he’d get home in time to watch his brothers. He tells her that he said he was sorry, but she says she doesn’t want to hear it. The boys are in their rooms. She leaves, and Cameron says he can’t deal with this. Scotty says Cameron looks like he went a few rounds, and got chewed up and spit out.
Josslyn tells Jax, Cameron just ended their friendship, and it’s the third time he said they can’t be friends. So it’s official; three faults and they’re eliminated. Jax asks if it’s about Jason, and she says, no. It’s about Cameron pressuring her into joining his one man vendetta, and she refuses. A friend who only likes you when you agree with them, is a friend not worth having. He says, in general, he’d agree with her, and she says, but she should make an exception for Cameron? He says, that’s up to her.
Carly says, the night Sonny disappeared, Jason said they were in this together, and he says, they are. She says he told her they’d make decisions together, and he says, they do. She says, that means being honest, so let’s be honest. Cyrus is going to get him killed. He says, Cyrus is going to try, and she says, eventually, he’ll succeed. Jason is outnumbered, and he doesn’t know who he can trust. At some point… She can’t let that happen. Jason says, this is where they are, and there’s nothing she can do to change the situation. She says, wrong.
Nina says Sonny’s hat looks amazing. Who would have guessed?. He says, that he could wear a cowboy hat? and she says, that he’d look so good wearing one. He says he has Phyllis to thank; she picked it out. Phyllis says she had the feeling it would suit him, and Lenny says, enough of this chit-chat. Is Phyllis ready for the dance floor? She says, lead the way, and Eli suggests he and Nina get a drink, and check out the silent auction, but Sonny says, Phyllis and Lenny have the right idea. He holds out his hand, and asks Nina to dance with him, and she says, how can she refuse? She tells Eli that the can find her on the dance floor. Eli doesn’t look happy.
Portia says she knows Finn took the lead when Chase was admitted, but doesn’t he think it’s past time they called in a specialist? He says he’s not turning over the case to someone else; Chase is his son. She says, that’s exactly her point. There are rules governing which doctor treats which patient, and number one is doctors don’t treat their children. He says, these are extraordinary circumstances, but she says he’s lost all objectivity. Every time he goes into Chase’s room, he’s less of a doctor, and more of a father. Finn says he is a specialist, and she says, who’s desperate to save his son, which could lead to errors in judgement. Does he want to be responsible if something happens to Chase because he did something wrong? He says, he’ll be responsible either way.
Anna tells Peter he shouldn’t be there; get out. He says he thought there might be a story for The Invader – PCPD detective struck by mysterious illness. She asks how far he’s going to take this, and he says, how far is she going to make him take it? She asks if he really doesn’t care that Chase is suffering because of him, and he says she might want to keep her voice down. He gave her his terms. No more public accusations by her and Valentin, and they’ll treat him like the upstanding citizen he is. She says he told her that he had an antidote, which he’s yet to produce. He says, about that. He’s reconsidered.
Anna and Peter go to a stairwell, and Peter says they can speak more freely there. She asks if he even has an antidote, or did he poison Chase, and make them hope they’d save him, while he’s stringing them along to get what he wants? He says, Chase is still alive, and she asks if she’s supposed to trust him. If Chase dies, Peter dies. He says she’s a bit late. Valentin already promised to kill him, but he might find it’s not as easy as he thinks. She says she thinks Valentin is pretty capable of killing Peter. Valentin is ten times the man he is; ten times smarter, and ten times more lethal. He just doesn’t have access to the bag of Faison’s leftover dirty tricks. But Valentin won’t be the one to kill him; she will. She’ll put a bullet in him, and not even blink. He says, she hates him that much? but she says she could pity him, if he’d ever tried to change. He tells her to get down off her soapbox. He has the antidote. She asks where it is, and he says, first things first. He needs her help with Maxie.
Chase asks if Willow told Michael about his face plant in his living room, but Michael says, sadly, she left that part out. Chase says he passed out cold; so much for being a tough guy. Willow says she’ll let them catch up, and check in with Portia. She leaves, and Chase says he hopes he didn’t upset her. Michael says, she just needs a minute, and Chase says Willow has barely left his side since she brought him in. She’s gone above and beyond, especially considering what he and Sasha did. They’re so lucky that she and Michael are so forgiving. Michael says, Willow didn’t tell him? and Chase says they’ve had no chance talk. Fill him in.
Finn tells Portia, with all due respect, he doesn’t feel the need to justify himself to her or anyone else. She says she respects him, and sympathizes with what he’s going through, but not enough to ignore best medical practices. He says she’ll just have to report him to the higher ups, and she says she has a duty of care. Anyone on their team, including the Chief of Staff, would agree with her. He says, so that’s it? She’s going to turn him in to Britt? She says, only if he forces her hand. Now she’s going to check on his son’s labs. Elizabeth comes in, and asks if Finn is okay. He asks if he looks okay.
Josslyn says, Jax knows about Jason saving Cameron’s life, and he asks her to remind him of the details. She says, when Cameron and Trina were kidnapped when they were on their way to the midwinter formal, Cyrus wanted to use Trina as bait to trap her father. Cameron got away, and was literally running for his life, when he tripped and fell. One of Cyrus’s men was standing over him with a gun, and was going to shoot him, when Jason shot Cyrus’s man first. Cameron told her the story, and now it’s like it never happened. Jax says, because Jason was accused of killing Franco. She says, Jason didn’t do it, and Jax says, of course (🍷) he didn’t, but Cameron doesn’t know that. All Cameron knows is, the stepfather he loved is dead. There are two witnesses, one of them is his mother, who said Jason did it. Josslyn says, Jason was kneeling near Franco, that’s all. She assumed Jason killed him, but didn’t see it happen. He asks if she told Cameron this, and she says, many times. Not that it mattered; he won’t listen. The other witness is Gladys Corbin, a lying liar who lies, and will do anything for money, but Cameron would rather believe Gladys than Jason, the man who saved his life.
Cameron says he’s glad Scotty is there, but there was no reason for it. Everything he does, his mom totally overreacts, and she’s not the only one. He feels like everyone is mad at him for some reason. Scotty says he made that mistake at Cameron’s age. He still keeps making it, so don’t follow in his footsteps. Cameron doesn’t want to go it alone; that’s no good.
Jason says whatever Carly is doing, she needs to stop. She says, wrong. She tried it his way. Cyrus offered to have Gladys retract her statement, and Jason made her turn him down. Jason says, because it was a set up. Cyrus is not going to have Gladys take back her story; Diane needs to break Gladys on the stand. She says, that won’t happen for months, and by then, he’ll be dead, and she can’t handle that. She can’t lose him. She doesn’t care if he’s mad at her, or thinks she’s wrong. They’re going do it her way, and they’re going to do it now.
Elizabeth tells Finn, it was poor choice of words. Clearly, he’s not okay. Can she help? He asks if she can convince Portia to mind her own business, and she says, about? He says he wants to be the lead on a patient’s team, and Portia thinks it’s inadvisable. She asks who the patient is, and he says, his son.
Michael says, clearly Willow has other priorities, like Chase’s heath. Chase says he appreciates that, but he can use a distraction. What’s going on? Michael says, he and Sasha broke up. They were never really back together, so it’s more accurate to say they mutually agreed to end things. Chase says he’s sorry. He thought they’d work things out. Michael says he thought so too, but they finally admitted to themselves and each other that their hearts weren’t in it anymore. He’s grateful Sasha is in his life, and hopes she feels the same, but they were headed in different directions. Chase says, what a waste. If he and Sasha hadn’t lied… Michael says they did what they did with the best intentions, and this is where they all wound up. Chase says, he knows it sounds selfish, but he can’t help wondering, if Michael and Sasha couldn’t make it, what chance do he and Willow have?
Willow sees Portia, and tells her, Chase is awake. Portia asks if he’s in any discomfort, and Willow says, he’s not complaining, but that doesn’t mean he’s not hurting. He just doesn’t want her to worry. Portia says, so he’s less than forthcoming about his symptoms, and Willow says, at least not with her in the room. She asks if there’s been any progress, and Portia says, not yet. Chase has multiple symptoms, seemingly unrelated. Right now, they have to come up with an accurate diagnosis, so they can start the proper treatment, but stay strong. They’ll figure it out.
Anna asks if Maxie didn’t call Peter from the ER the other night, and he says they are finding their way back to each other, but it’s happening way too slowly. She asks if he’s on some kind of schedule, and he says he wants to be in the room when his daughter is born. He wants her to know him from her first breath. She says, he’ll have to take that up with Maxie if he wants to be in the delivery room, and he says he wants her to lay the groundwork. After all, Anna is Maxie’s godmother, and Maxie respects her opinion. She says, not anymore. Maxie wants nothing to do with her. He says, then try harder. Make it a priority, or else – he takes a vial out of his pocket – Detective Chase will have to do without.
Cameron says Scotty is acting like he’s tried to antagonize everyone in his life, and Scotty says, no, just the people he cares about. Those are easy targets. Cameron says, maybe it’s not his fault. Is it impossible to think someone else is wrong? Scotty says, no. Cameron has a good point, but he has to make the playing field bigger. He can’t just pick on his mother, his brother, and Josslyn. Cameron tells Scotty that he didn’t say anything about Josslyn, and Scotty says, he was going to. Cameron says, the only person he wants to target is Jason, and Scotty says, Jason is in the slammer. If Cameron wants to go after someone who goofed up his life, he should do ten rounds with him.
Josslyn tells Jax, she never thought Cameron could be this unreasonable, this flat-out hateful. He tried to convince Jake that Jason is guilty. How can he do that to his own brother? Does he think she’d do that to Avery, even though Ava is fully responsible for Morgan’s death? Jax says, of course (🍷) she wouldn’t, and she asks how could Cameron be so selfish. He says maybe she’s asking the wrong question. Maybe the question she should be asking is, is it worth losing Cameron’s friendship over something that’s out of her hands? She asks what he means, and he says they talked about playing the odds. The odds are good that Jason will be exonerated, and they’ll find the real killer. Then, Cameron will know that he’s wrong. And even if that doesn’t happen, how will it help Jason to fight with Cameron? She ponders this, and he says, the real reason he came there was, he wondered if she wanted to join him for a little flight in the Cessna? She says, at night? and he says, it will only be a couple of hours. It might give her a different perspective. She says she’d love that, but she can’t. She has to stay there; her mom needs her. He says, fine, and she hugs him, saying, fly safe. He says he always does, low and slow. He tells her, one more thing. Try to understand, underneath all that anger, Cameron is just scared. Maybe he needs Josslyn’s understanding more than Jason needs her to defend him.
Jason says, what are they doing? and Carly says, what needs to be done. He says he knows she’s scared and wants to fight, but whatever she’s setting up, she needs to think it through. Not just how it will work, but how it will fail. Will she be protected? Will there be blowback? If there is, it’s not worth risk. She says, it is, and he asks if Donna says it is. Does Josslyn say it is? It’s okay with them that their mother risks her life? He can survive in there for as long as he needs to. She says he won’t have to much longer. Be ready. He says, for what? and she says he’ll know it when he sees it. She puts the phone back, and walks out.
Nina tells Sonny, that was crazy. What’s gotten into him? He says he thinks his partner had something to do with it, and she says she could barely keep up. He says maybe the man he used to be was a dancer. Or maybe he felt lose enough to do what he couldn’t do before. It’s just the mystery in his life that he’s not going to get the answer to. She says, there’s no mystery that he’s got skills on the dance floor, and he says, he’s not that good. He just likes to make a fool of himself. She says, dignity is overrated, and he asks if she just insulted him. She says, never. It’s just that she knows a lot of dignified people who wear their social status like armor. People who would rather look down on life rather than embrace it like him. He says he can’t imagine her with those people, and she says, right now, she can’t either. He says, when they were dancing, he saw the real her, and she says, when she was tripping over her feet? He says she was happy, shining like nothing could touch her. It’s the happiest he’s seen her since they met. She says she thinks her partner had something to do with it. They almost kiss, when Eli approaches, and asks if Nina is ready for their dance.
Eli says he saw her on the dance floor, but he couldn’t reach her, and Sonny says, maybe his timing was off. Eli asks if he can have this dance, and Phyllis and Lenny come out, Lenny leaning on Phyllis. Nina asks if he’s okay, and he says he just needs to rest. Nina says she thinks Lenny must have overdid it, and Eli says, or he wants an excuse to sit this one out. She says she’s going to double-check on Lenny, and she’ll circle back around, but Eli says, Phyllis has this one covered. The dance floor awaits. He takes her hand, but Sonny says she offered him a raincheck. Why doesn’t he take it? Eli says, whatever she wants, and she says she’ll be right back. Nina leaves, and Eli says Sonny needs to learn to stay out of business that doesn’t concern him. Sonny says, that’s the thing, Nina, Lenny, and Phyllis aren’t business; not to him anyway. Eli says he gets the feeling Sonny doesn’t think much of him, and Sonny says, why would he? Eli is lying to Lenny and Phyllis about his past. What else is he lying about?
Finn says he’s sorry for snapping at Elizabeth, and she says, don’t let it happen again. What’s going on with Chase? He says Willow brought him in last night; he passed out at his home. Initially, he was exhibiting flulike symptoms, but his fever dropped, and he developed severe neuropathy. She says, anything in his labs? and Finn says, the first round showed nothing. He ordered a second round, but he’s still waiting for the results. She says, he knows neuropathy can be the result of a condition that doesn’t show up in the initial series, and he asks if she’s telling him not to worry too much. She says, he has every right to worry. Just don’t let it cloud his judgment, or cause him to fight with the people on his side.
Portia asks how Chase is feeling, and he says, he and Michael were just discussing his imminent return to the gym. She asks Michael if they can have a moment, and he tells Chase, feel better. Chase says maybe when he gets out they can go grab a beer. Michael says, sounds like a plan, and leaves. Chase tells Portia to do her worst.
Michael tells Willow that Portia is in with Chase. She says, maybe now is a good time to talk.
Anna asks Peter if that’s an antidote or a mind game, and he says, no game. It’s the real deal. Shoot Chase up with this, and he won’t be good as new, but he’ll be further from death’s door. She tells him to give it to her, and he says, deliver Maxie. She says, that will take time, and he says, Chase doesn’t have time. She says, all right. Can’t they come to a compromise? Like an intermediary step of some sort? He says, now that she mentions it, he’d like her to arrange a visit, hassle free, with Maxie at the house they once shared. She says, done, but he says he’s going to need more than her word. He drops the vial to the floor and crushes it with his heel, telling her, work fast.
Cameron asks what Scotty did to mess up his life, and Scotty says, indirectly he did. If he’d been a better father to Franco, Franco would have turned out different; things might have been a different story. When Scotty was young, he was deemed a bad guy in this town. He did a lot of horrible stuff, and never thought about the consequences. For cryin’ out loud, he has three grown kids he didn’t know about until they were grown. He thinks about that all the time. Could he have been a better guy, a better father? Cameron says, Franco wouldn’t have wanted Scotty to blame himself, and Scotty says, he wouldn’t want Cameron to make the same mistakes he did. The things you do as a kid, that’s what shapes you. If you’re not a stand-up guy now, when you’re older, you won’t be.
Carly comes back home, and Josslyn says she just missed dad. Carly asks if he was looking for her, and Josslyn says, no. He was taking a short trip in the Cessna, and thought she’d want to ride with him. Carly asks, where? but Josslyn says she forgot to ask. He said he’d only be gone a couple of hours. She asks if Carly is okay, and Carly says she’s getting there.
Jason is put back in his cell. The guard tells him that he just got word from the powers that be. Jason is getting a roommate.
Willow asks Michael how Chase is, and he says, Chase is putting up a good front, but he could tell he’s in pain. Willow says that’s why she couldn’t tell him about them, and he says, of course (🍷). She asks if he doesn’t think she’s a coward, but he says he thinks she’s caring and wonderful. She says, and she has no idea what she’s supposed to do now.
Portia tells Chase to rate his pain from one to ten, and he says, it’s like a three, or five, or six, but down from nine. All he knows is, last night, it was excruciating, and now he’s uncomfortable. She says his most recent lab tests will be back soon, and they can eliminate any conditions he doesn’t have. He says he’s not worried. He has the best taking care of him.
Finn thanks Elizabeth for talking him down. He’s going to find Portia and apologize. Elizabeth says she’s sure Portia will appreciate it, but thinks right now, Chase needs his attention more than Portia does. He says, good point, and heads for Chase’s room, running into Anna on the way.
Peter asks if Chase is up for a visitor, and Chase says, not him. Ha-ha! Peter says he’s sorry to hear that. Chase’s mother is his star reporter, and that makes Chase as part of the Invader family (ugh). Chase says Peter violated his mother’s privacy, and splashed her private personal information all over the front page. Is that how Peter treats family? Peter says, it depends on the family, and tells Chase, get well soon.
Finn asks Anna why she’s at the hospital, and she says she knows what’s wrong with Chase.
Josslyn calls Cameron, and he hesitates, but answers. She says she doesn’t like how they left things, and he says he doesn’t either. She says, can they just not give up on each other yet? He says he’s glad she called. The entire way home, he thought about calling her. He deleted about ten texts. I hope not while he was driving. He tells her that he doesn’t know what to say, except he doesn’t want to give up either. He goes upstairs with the phone, and Scotty makes a call. He leaves a message, saying he’s at the Webber house, babysitting. The kids are busy, so if she gets this message, maybe they can have their own Oktoberfest. If not, then gute Night Fräulein.
Carly gets a call from an unknown number. She asks, is it done?… Okay. Time to move on to the rest of the plan.
Jason’s cellmate is brought in, and Jason looks shocked. We see it’s Shawn, and Jason asks, who set this up? Shawn says, good question.
Lenny looks at Eli and Sonny, and says, look at those two fools. Like a couple of roosters, strutting around the barnyard. Phyllis says she’ll talk to him, but Nina says, they can handle it. Phyllis says, she hopes.
Eli tells Sonny, so what if he lost his shirt with the startup? and Sonny says, he nearly went to prison in the process. Did he tell Lenny and Phyllis that? Eli says, why would he tell them something that would worry them? and Sonny says, because they’d be less trusting and generous with him? Eli says, like they are with him? He has a sweet deal. Why doesn’t he back the hell off? Sonny asks, why not tell Lenny and Phyllis what happened in California? and Eli says they don’t have to be enemies. Sonny tells him, who said anything about enemies? and Eli says, he did, and walks away. Nina asks Sonny, how about another dance? and he says he’s game if she is. She says, just try to keep up.
Lenny tells Phyllis, it’s been going downhill since Eli offered to buy the Tan-O and Mike gave them the money to keep it. Phyllis says, she thinks it’s got less to do with the Tan-O, and more to do with Nina. Lenny says Phyllis started pushing her toward Mike. Has she changed her mind about Eli? Phyllis says she’s staying neutral. Nina has to make up her own mind. All of a sudden, Jax appears, and says he’s hoping they can help him find someone.
Tomorrow, Willow knows it’s a lot to ask, Maxie says she’s in trouble, Carly says she needs more than Jordan’s word, Jax asks if Nina is still in Nixon Falls, and Jason wonders who set this up. It’s a lot.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
Marge invited the women to a yacht party in Norwalk, Connecticut on ghostwriter Emily’s yacht (the same ghostwriter Teresa used). I’m rethinking my career if the ghostwriter is the one who has the yacht. Marge was going to read some of her book to her friends, so she could get the vibe. Melissa wasn’t feeling well, and passed on the party. Since Marge said Melissa had been throwing up, I wondered if Melissa could be pregnant. Even though she’s said that ship has sailed, four words – change of life baby. Feel free to start a rumor. Delores told Frank Jr. about her abnormal mammogram because she didn’t want to repeat her mistake in not telling David about having a procedure that could potentially affect her family. In her interview, Teresa admitted she was dating someone, but wasn’t ready to talk about it.
Jennifer talked to daughter Gabriella about the fight between her grandparents. Jennifer explained that she’d grown up with that, and had been petrified of her mother. She tried her best, but was never happy. She told Gabriella that her grandmother had married when she was 16 and her grandfather was 26. It had been an arranged marriage, and since Josephine was the only daughter at home, she had to cook and clean for everyone. Jennifer thought she’d agreed to get out of the house, but then he wanted to move to America, ripping her away from her family. Jennifer also thought her mother was embarrassed that her dad was staying with them, and wondered what people would think. She said it was also possible Josephine was a little jealous of Jennifer’s marriage. In Jennifer’s interview, she said her mother didn’t get to choose her life, and they had to understand where she was coming from.
Emily’s boat was called The Frivolous, and a fabulous spread was arranged. Emily introduced Captain Fred and First Mate Parker, and Jackie immediately wanted to fix Parker up with Teresa, saying in her interview that she wanted Teresa to be happy. Maybe if she was happy, she’d stop doing bad things. When everyone arrived, Jackie said she was going to be 44 soon, and they discussed possible plans. A restaurant was brought up, and Teresa said she’d gone there on a date. In Marge’s interview, she said she was glad Teresa was admitting it, and Teresa told them that she’d met him at the Shore after praying that her mother would send her a guy who was everything she’d ever wanted. She told the women that they were taking it slow. Delores said he sounded like a guy who would court her, and in Delores’s interview, she said maybe Teresa wasn’t being honest with herself, or telling herself what she needed to, since she was pregaming with pineapple.
Marge said the first chapters of her book were about Marge Sr. – the first chapter called Raised By Wolves – and she was going to read about how and why she slept with her boss. In Marge’s interview, she said she was nervous. It was bringing her back to a time in her life when she wasn’t strong, and now it would be in print forever. She felt vulnerable. She read that she knew he was taking advantage of his power, but she compartmentalized. In Jennifer’s interview, she said the first time Marge told the story, it was in a different tone. She hadn’t understood Marge felt powerless, and just thought she was living it up. Jen told Marge that wasn’t how she’d processed it, and Marge said Jen didn’t read things correctly. At a time when people were worried about getting a stimulus check, she was on Instagram, complaining she couldn’t find help. She was tone deaf. Jennifer told Marge, if she didn’t like the music, change the channel, and Emily said Jennifer didn’t know how to read the yacht. Jennifer said they had no idea how much she had on her plate. Her kids were homeschooled; her parents were constantly going at each other, so she had to referee; and she had a hard time taking care of such a large house. She didn’t feel she should be judged for the occasional good time – i.e. getting blackout drunk and falling all over the place. She said after hearing Marge read her story, her perception had changed, and she was sorry. She told them about how her mom believed she’d been emotionally abused during her marriage, and she wanted to cheer her up. She thought her mom should do something social, and wanted to have everyone over with their moms. She thought maybe Josephine’s peers could give her advice, since if it came from Jennifer, she thought it was an attack. Marge said life was too short to hold grudges, and suggested they move forward. In her interview, Jennifer said, even though she thought Marge sometimes came for her, she respected and loved Marge, and wanted to find a way to move forward.
Jennifer visited Melissa, who told Jennifer about her date night with Joe #2. She said she was scared to have in depth conversations with him because she felt like they ended up arguing. She was ready to go, and thought if Joe held her back, she’d end up resenting him. Jackie brought up Teresa’s mention of her boyfriend, and in Melissa’s interview, she said she’d been sworn to secrecy. She had to pretend she hadn’t met him, even though she had. Teresa had always been on the defense, backing up her marriage to Joe #1, and if she had a nice guy who made her feel good about herself, maybe she’d chill. She thought if Teresa was content and in love, she would be a better Teresa. These people expect a lot out of Teresa getting boinked.
Marge Sr. came by Marge’s house, and Marge asked if she’d read the book. Marge Sr. said she had, and she’d known about Marge’s antics in high school, but not the sexual harassment later. Marge said, at the time, women felt shame or like they were responsible. In Marge’s interview, she said women were made to feel that if they looked sexy or attractive, they brought it on themselves. She was afraid to say anything, since she was 22 and had her dream job. Marge Sr. felt badly that Marge had never felt safe growing up, and Marge said, growing up, she wanted Marge Sr. to be the same as the other mothers, but she also loved the glamour. Their bathroom was filled with cosmetics even though their refrigerator looked like it belonged to a bachelor. She said she’d gotten her work ethic from Marge Sr., and Marge Sr. said she felt badly that she hadn’t been around more, and didn’t give Marge the advice she needed. Her personal life had been a mess. Marge said she’d made up for it, and was the best grandmother ever. Marge Sr. said that Marge had become a fantastic woman, and she knew the book would be a success. I can’t wait to read it. For the record, I too, worked in the garment district, and can back up the attitude Marge talks about. However – and this is not judging Marge in any way – I didn’t go down the same path. One day, I was bending over my desk, and the VP came by. He put his hand in my back pocket, and I never even turned around, but told him, if he wanted to keep that hand, he would take it out immediately. He did, and laughed, never doing it again. I guess he could have fired me, but I was pretty good at what I did. True story.
Melissa gave Antonia a private shopping experience at envy, where they picked out some school clothes. Melissa asked if Antonia was still with her boyfriend, and Antonia said she was, but didn’t want to talk about it. Actually, she seems like a typical teenager who doesn’t want to talk about anything personal with their parents. Melissa barreled on anyway, telling Antonia that her mother never told her about anything. She asked if Antonia had had sex yet, and Antonia said no, but wondered why Melissa wanted information about her life. Melissa said Antonia was her daughter and she knew Antonia was no longer a child. She said Antonia needed to know she could get pregnant, or get a number of STDs, at which point Antonia looked like she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her. She told Melissa, please stop, and Melissa said Antonia could laugh, but needed to hear what she was saying. That’s where Antonia had enough, and hid in the bathroom, saying she’d be back after a 15 minute pee. In Melissa’s interview, she said she hoped she got the message across that Antonia could come to her. She yelled to Antonia that she had to be strong enough to say no, and Antonia went, la-la-la.
Jennifer and Josephine got ready for their Turkish tea party, and in Jennifer’s interview, she said her mom was in her glory when she was putting out a big spread. She loved to cook, and started cooking with her own mother when she was five. Jennifer’s grandmother was famous for some of her dishes in the village, and Josephine had even surpassed her. When the party commenced, I almost didn’t recognize Jennifer’s mom without her hair in a bun and wearing an apron over old lady slacks. She looked a lot younger. Melissa told everyone about discussing sex with Antonia, which I’m sure will thrill Antonia when she sees that. We flashed back to various scenes with Teresa and her mom, and Teresa said she had to leave; she missed her mom. In her interview, she said, you never get over the loss of your mom. She felt the need to see her, so she feels like she’s with her (by which, I assume she means go to the cemetery). I could understand this, since my dad died just before I got married, and I tried to spend the next Christmas with my in-laws. I had to leave too. Teresa told the women that she’d had so much anxiety, she could sleep the night before. We were all wiping our eyes.
There was no preview, other than, to be continued…
⏳ Like Sands In the Hourglass…
Lots of tea tomorrow, as well as the long-awaited finale for Frat Summer House. It looks like they saved their most disgusting drunken messes for last. For now, stay safe, stay fierce in a good way, and stay never thinking you brought harassment on yourself just because you look good.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
When we last left, Beta was leading the zombies to the hospital where everyone was holed up, and they chanted, we are the world, but not like in the Coke commercial. Eugene, Ezekiel, and Yumiko had gone off on a mission to meet Eugene’s radio buddy Stephanie. Along the way, the picked up Princess. We’re told, The Whisperer War: The Final Showdown starts now.
Inside, everyone runs around gathering supplies and weapons. Gabriel slams into Dianne. He peeks outside and sees the zombie hoard gathering. He tells the kids they’re safe, but they’re worried about the zombies having lots more than they have. He waggles his fingers, and says, see his fingers? They’re not much to look at, but together, they make a mighty weapon. That’s who they are. Alexandria, Hilltop, Oceanside, what’s left of the Kingdom… He shows them his thumb, and says, andthe others. We see Carol, Daryl, and Kelly run inside a building, killing zombies on the way. Gabriel says, those who might find help – we see Yumiko, Princess, Eugene, and Ezekiel – or come here and help – we see Virgil (who trapped Michonne on an island a while ago) – together we’ll fight – we see Aaron and Alden in the woods – and that’s how we’ll survive… We see Maggie in the woods. She finds a buried tackle box with a letter inside. The letter tells her to come back. Rick is gone. Jesus, Enid, and Tara are all dead. Gabriel says, together.
The Whisperers chant, we are ready; we are here. Beta rocks his mask, and they chant, we are here; this is the end of the world. Beta says, begin. They turn and head closer to the hospital. A crane shot shows us there are… a lot of them. Like, a whole lot.
Eugene sits on the ground. His bicycle is out of commission, and Ezekiel says he doesn’t know about the chain. Eugene checks himself out in a car window, and says, don’t bother; it’s too late. He’s run the calculations, and the time it will take to get there is too long. Yumiko says they’ll figure something out, but he says, unless they can slow the passage of time, there’s nothing else to figure out. The rendezvous time was set in stone, and they’re not there. She won’t be either. He says he’s sorry. After all they hoped, and went through to hold onto said hope, he believes it’s time to go eye to eye with reality. It’s time to head back home. Ezekiel says they’re not going back. They said they’d do this, and they’re going to do this. In his moment of doubt, Eugene didn’t let him waver, so he’s not letting Eugene waver now. His journey must be complete for all of them, and the ones left behind. Ezekiel says Eugene has to try. He’s gotten this far in his journey and his life. What do they want to remember? That they did everything they could, even if it means he has to carry Eugene. Eugene sniffles, and Ezekiel holds out his hand. He helps Eugene up, but Eugene says, it won’t change anything. Princess says she didn’t think she’d ever see other people again, and look at her now. Yumiko says, they’ll know when they get there tomorrow. They have tomorrow to deal with tomorrow’s problems.
Daryl puts wires around the banisters to boobytrap them. He and Carol have a conversation that I can barely understand. I can’t believe the two people who rarely talk, and when they do, you have to strain to hear them, are the ones getting a spin-off. It didn’t sound that important, but still.
Gabriel says, the plan is for the horde to be led away, but not to Oceanside as planned. When it’s clear, they’ll meet at rendezvous point B. He asks if Luke is ready, and Luke says, technically. The final pieces need to connect to the wagon in order for them to do the Pied Piper thing and get the zombies over the cliff. But they need to get from point A to point B to plug it in. Someone has to go through the horde. Gabriel says they have four crews, two people each. Jerry says it’s crucial that the equipment makes it to the wagon. Lydia says she’ll help; she can make it. A woman from Oceanside says they’re in, but only if Lydia isn’t going. They understand the people there forgave her, but Oceanside isn’t ready. Gabriel says Lydia’s role is there anyway, and Captain Obvious Daryl says, they’re not all going to make it.
Dianne says Carol keeps thinking she could have helped them, but she couldn’t. Carol says she knows; she’s sorry. She puts knife in her sleeve. Lydia tells Carol that she doesn’t hate her for what she did, and Carol says she should. It didn’t fix anything. Lydia says, it did for her; a little at least. It sounds awful, but it’s the truth. The truth is, she didn’t love her mother, so thanks. She’d like it if she and Carol could still talk about whatever. She starts to leave, but Carol calls her back. Carol says Lydia needs to find her own way, and Lydia says she’s not looking for another mom. That’s not what this is. She could use a friend, and so could Carol.
The group going out covers themselves in guts. Negan tells Daryl, he ain’t going. He’s at the top of every skin’s kill list. The idea is to get through it, and after the sh*tload of attention he’s gotten, he’s the last person anyone wants next to them. Daryl says if he wants to be a part of it, he has to put his ass on the line like everyone else. Gabriel says, it’s time, and opens the vestibule door, as Judith stands next to him. The group files into the vestibule. Judith closes the door, and Daryl puts his hand on the window. She puts her hand against his on the other side. Kelly puts on a skin mask, and Jerry opens the door. Zombies come in, ignoring them. It gets tight quickly, and I almost want to freak out myself. Daryl and the others shuffle out, as the zombies are shuffling in. Soon enough, the zombies begin to shuffle back out when they realize there’s nowhere else to go. The group allow themselves to be pushed along.
Gabriel watches through binoculars. The group blends into the crowd, which has to be in the thousands. Magna looks like she’s going to freak or throw up. Jerry puts a hand on her shoulder. Daryl keeps looking around, and sees a Whisperer with a knife, who immediately gets shot by an arrow. The zombies feed on the downed Whisperer.
Gabriel continues to watch, and Dianne says, there, in the center. She aims her bow and arrow, but someone else shoots the Whisperer who is heading for Magna. The zombies feed again, and Beta is like, hmm… He looks up, but doesn’t see anyone in the windows. Nothing phases this dude, and he tells a passing Whisperer, tight together. They begin to chant, together. Beta looks around. It’s like Woodstock.
Gabriel says he can’t find them in the horde, and Dianne asks what she should do. Another woman with a bow says she got one, and Gabriel tells her to be certain before she shoots. A crash is heard downstairs, and Judith takes a look. She sees a zombie (or a Whisperer) crawling up the stairs, which is creepy enough, but it’s got a knife in its eyeball. She runs back, and says, they’re coming up.
Gabriel says they all know what to do. He tells Dianne to be in the first group, and the children and Rosita are to go to the office. Negan tells Lydia, they know how this ends, but she says, that’s not true. She doesn’t, and neither does he. He says her being there won’t change anything about the sh*tstorm going down. She can slip out, go down, and dance her way through the dead. She says so could he, but he says she told him herself, he ain’t no hero. She says, he could be, and he says, he guesses that’s why he’s doing what he’s doing now. He hands her a mask, and he grabs a rope that’s tied around a pillar, using it to go down the elevator shaft.
The outside group intersperses themselves among the horde. This is a very slow moving crowd. Worse than the line at Trader Joe’s last June. Luke, Magna, and Jerry go through the woods, and come across a small group of zombies. Carol shuffles into the crowd, exchanging glances with one of the women from Oceanside. Oceansider Beatrice has a knife, and a Whisperer sees it, slamming it out of her hand. Carol quickly slices the Whisperer open. The Whisperer falls, but grabs Beatrice by the foot, and slices her across the calf. Ow. Beatrice cries out, and the zombies get a two-for-one meal. Beatrice calls Carol’s name, and Carol stops for a moment, but keeps going. Even I agree, there’s no point. It’s pretty gruesome, with lots of blood gushing out of severed limbs, and the traditional zombies eating intestines. I’m guessing they’re trying to throw a lot in since it was supposed to be the finale. Carol goes off to the side where there’s less traffic, comes eye to eye with Lydia, who’s in a skin mask, but still wearing her backpack. They go past Daryl.
At the hospital, Gabriel radios Daryl, who tells him something about the wires on the stairway. Gabriel says his prayers are with them, but Daryl says, don’t need ‘em. Oh, bleepity-bleep-bleep. Dog starts barking, and I’d forgotten about him. I swear to God, I will never watch this show again if Dog gets it. The doorway is barricaded with furniture, but the Whisperers use an ax to try and get through. Judith aims her bow and arrow.
A Whisperer passes Beta, saying, almost here. Beta is still wondering, WTF? We hear music in the distance, and the horde turns and moves toward it. Luke drives a wagon, carrying loudspeakers that are blasting Burning Down the House. The rest of the group walks alongside and behind the wagon.
Back at the hospital, the Whisperers are almost in, when Daryl’s boobytrap goes off.
Jerry slowly leads the horde on a dirt road through the woods. Daryl seems amused. Someone yells, they’re coming, and Carol and Lydia shoot their arrows. Daryl gets out his crossbow. Whisperers come out of the woods; some of them are shot, some are nailed by boobytraps. A wheel comes off the wagon, and Daryl tells everyone to go. They take off, along with the horses, and some Whisperers destroy the wagon.
Daryl radios Gabriel, and says they lost the wagon. He tells the others, it’s not a good plan, but it’s all he’s got. They go back, and hunt the skins; take them out one by one. If they don’t, all their people will die. Magna wonders how they’re going to lead the zombies away, Lydia says she knows how; her mother taught her. Luke says they have to be lead off a cliff, but they have no wagon to lead them over the edge. It’s suicide. Daryl says, they’ll deal with that later. They’ve got to go now.
Gabriel backs up, huge gun in his hands. Everyone is gone, except Judith, and he tells her that she should go. She asks if he’s not coming, and he says someone needs to stop them. She asks if Rosita knows, and he says, tell her, Eres mi media naranja… Judith says, you’re my half orange? and he says, she’ll know. Judith leaves, and the Whisperers finally get the door open. Gabriel shoots one, but decides to save bullets, and starts whacking them with both ends of the weapon. He’s no match for two of them, who get him down. A third raises an ax above Gabriel, but someone comes in from behind and goes crazy on the lot of them. Behind the crazy guy is Maggie, who helps Gabriel up. He hugs her, and Aaron looks at the surprise guest killer, who’s wearing some kind of Power Rangers outfit.
In the horde, Daryl and the others are killing off Whisperers, and Beta is sure now that something is going on, looking around more quickly than usual. A Whisperer shuffles past him, saying, go back. He takes out a sword, but a masked Negan says, hey sh*thead, from behind him. Beta flies toward Negan, throwing whoever out of the way. he throws a zombie (or a Whisperer; it’s unclear) at Negan, who falls down. Negan throws the zombie off of him, but Beta is over him with his weapon. Daryl comes up behind Beta, and slams two knives into Beta’s eyeballs. Beta’s life with Alpha flashes before him. He hears, we are nothing; we are free; we embrace death. The zombies move in around him. Daryl helps Negan up. Beta’s mask is removed, and he seems like he’s in ecstasy as he’s pulled to the ground by the zombies. Negan says, sh*t. Does Daryl know who that a-hole was? Daryl says, Nobody. Dammit. Dammit! Are we never to know?
The horde wanders toward the cliff, and Carol says she’ll do it, bypassing Lydia. I think, but wait. Carol can’t die. She has a spin-off coming. Carol gets close to the edge of the cliff, and stands there. The horde catches up, and a hand grabs Carol, pulling her back, as the zombies keep going, and walk off the cliff. Lydia pulls Carol into a hole, and Carol says she told Lydia to go. Lydia says, Carol told her to find her own way. They cry, and hold one another. Zombies walk past, and tumble down into the ravine. Carol thanks her, and they watch as the lemmings zombies continue to drop over the side. Lydia tosses her mask, and it goes over with the zombies. This is a pretty good throw, since it must have had to zigzag through the crowd.
It takes less time than you’d think for all those zombies to plummet into the abyss, but the show only has another few minutes. Lydia and Carol look out over the canyon, and the sun breaks through the clouds.
In a clearing, everyone regroups. Gabrielle kisses Rosita, and Maggie says hello to everyone. She sees Judith, and kneels down. Judith hugs her. Magna bandages Kelly. Carol and Lydia come back, and Jerry says, is it…? and Lydia says, it is. Carol says, thanks to her. Jerry says, thanks all around. He can’t believe they pulled it off. Lydia says Negan is still there, and he says, for now. She hugs him, and Carol hugs Jerry. Carol asks Daryl if they’re good, and he says, yeah. It’s over. She says, it is, and he says she got what she wanted. She says, not really, and he asks if she still loves him. She says, yeah, and he nods, and says, yeah. They hug – lots of hugging going on – and Daryl says she could go to New Mexico. She says, maybe someday. They still have things to do there.
A hand claws at the dry leaves in the woods. A woman stands up, and stumbles forward. It’s Connie, covered head to toe in dirt. She falls. A horse approaches, and the rider looks down. It’s Virgil.
Eugene, Princess, Ezekiel, and Magna – the ones who should really have the spin-off – get to the meeting spot. Princess asks if they have a secret code or something, and Eugene shouts that it’s Eugene Porter there. Princess noses around, and Eugene goes to the door.
Princess and Eugene sit looking dejected. Ezekiel says they can stay in one of the cars. Maybe in the morning… Eugene says, she’s not there anymore; if she ever was. Yumiko says, no regrets, and Eugene says they’re not turning back. There are people out there – maybe not in this trainyard or in a mile radius – but they’re going to keep on trekking until they find them. The reason they assimilated was to make what built stronger with like-minded folks. Assimilate they can. Princess says Eugene is one horny dude.
They all laugh, and stadium lights come on. We hear, weapons down; hands in the air. Suddenly, they’re surrounded by people in stormtrooper uniforms, with guns pointed at them.
TWD will be back in early 2021. Next week – Fear the Walking Dead – Rick gets some play, and we find out more about Al and those circles.
The Walking Dead: The World Beyond
I enjoyed this show, and definitely want to see more. It’s kind of the YA version of The Walking Dead, but I love YA novels, so I can easily get behind this.
Iris and Hope are sisters, living in one of three existing colonies of survivors. Theirs is called the Omaha or Campus Colony, as it’s housed in Nebraska State University. They refer to an incident ten years ago as the night the sky fell, when their mother was killed. Later, their father Leo went to work for a government organization called the Civic Republic, trying to find a cure for zombieism. FYI, zombies in this part of the franchise are called empties. The organization has something to do with those three circles Al discovered in Fear the Walking Dead, so I’m sure more will be revealed as time goes on.
Iris is the more conservative of the two, participating in Monument Day – a day to celebrate those who survived and found safety, and are monuments to the past – and schmoozing with Elizabeth, a lieutenant colonel who heads the military and works with the Civic Republic. Hope is more rebellious, getting nailed for having a distillery on campus, and pretty much telling Elizabeth to f*** off. Iris is also going to a therapist, since she has nightmares, and when she wakes up, has anxiety about everything she has to do. I can identify with the latter, which sounds like me most mornings. She also has guilt over getting separated from Hope when their mom was killed, since Hope saw everything. The doctor pinpoints that Iris feels guilty over not doing enough when she and Hope got separated, and she now feels she has to do everything for everybody. She suggests Iris talk to her sister, and let go of what she’s been holding on to for her.
Between both Iris and Hope’s flashbacks, the night the sky fell is pieced together, and we see the aftermath of a plane crash, where their parents tried to steer them past falling wreckage and the dead coming back as zombies. When Leo stopped to help a pregnant woman, he and Iris became separated from Hope and their mother. Later, their mother tried to get the same pregnant woman to share a car with her so she could find the rest of her family. The woman shot their mother (it seemed to be more accidental than intentional), and in turn, Hope shot her.
It’s normal life, sort of. As Iris tells us, they still live behind walls, but the dead still have the world. Leo has made security force officer Felix the sisters’ legal guardian while he’s gone, and has been sending them secret messages. Another officer, Felix’s sidekick Huck, has been teaching Hope how to fight the dead. During the first episode, the girls receive a message from Leo saying his safety is not assured. Overhearing Hope talking to Iris about her distrust for the Civic Republic, Elizabeth assures them that all is well. She gives them a map to the facility where she says their father is teaching other scientists and working toward a cure, telling them she could get in trouble for doing it. But then they receive yet one more message from their father – It’s gone bad. Keeping my head down. I’ll find help. Don’t tell the Council. Don’t tell Felix. Iris then also becomes suspicious of the Civic Republic. It doesn’t help when she discovers her therapist has turned into a zombie, which was kind of sad, but at least the doctor had the good sense to put serious bars on the entrance to her apartment, so she couldn’t have Iris as a snack when Iris showed up for her appointment. The girls decide to go on a mission to help their father, along with the assistance of two classmates, Elton and Silas, both nerdy outsiders. This reminded somewhat of A Wrinkle in Time, one of my all-time favorite YA novels. When Elton shows them a photo of his mother, we see it’s the pregnant woman from long ago. I also see an awkward conversation in the future.
It’s a 1100 mile trip to NY, and why they decide to go on foot, I’m not sure, but they leave Felix a note and head out. When Felix finds the note, he tells Huck, they’ll never make it; they’ll die. He and Huck decide to follow them. On the outside, it’s both beautiful and creepy. Elton, who is like a cheerier Eugene, says, let’s see what discoveries await us, shall we? just before Iris has to kill her first zombie.
Back at the colony, Elizabeth is destroying the whole place and killing everyone. Why? We don’t know yet. One of her soldiers tells Elizabeth that they couldn’t find her, and Elizabeth says, good. Who? We don’t know yet.
While this was basically just the set up, I think TWB shows a lot of promise. It’s certainly more upbeat, which is a refreshing change. Hopefully, Rick doesn’t show up.
👩🏽🚀 Over and Out…
While I enjoyed it, it was tough to get back into Sunday night Dead mode. I decided to forego Talking Dead to watch Lovecraft Country, which gets eerier every week. I hope I don’t dream about those strange twins from bizarro Little Rascals world, who kept doing Twyla Tharp choreography. Until we meet on Deck, stay safe, stay informed, and stay not walking off the cliff with the zombies.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Drew tells Jordan that Franco didn’t do it.
Cameron has obviously been in a fight. Elizabeth asks what happened, and he says her boyfriend was arrested for attacking Lulu and killing people. Everyone knows.
Peter and Maxie arrive at the MetroCourt, and see the sign for their Valentine’s Day dinner. Peter says, Valentine’s Day is around corner. Maxie says no one does it better than the MetroCourt. They have the most romantic menu. Nina is sitting with Valentin and Sasha, and calls Maxie over. Peter is chilly toward Valentin, and Nina suggests they ignore whatever’s going on between those two. She says she’s about to share some amazing news. Sasha tells her not to keep them in suspense. Nina says she and Valentin are getting married again.
Sonny opens the door to Spencer. He says the guardhouse said there was an intruder on the premises, and Spencer says a hale and hardy hello to him too. He’s carrying a large heart-shaped box, and Sonny wonders if it’s for him. Spencer thought his presence would be enough to brighten Sonny’s existence. Sonny says it is, and Spencer tells him that he’s going to rescue Valentine’s Day for his grandmother, and especially Aunt Lulu.
Franco plays ball with rolled up sweatshirt in his cell. Laura comes in, and he says he knows what the police are saying, but he didn’t do it. Laura says her daughter says otherwise, and so do the police.
Maxie congratulates Nina and Valentin. Valentin says Nina has made him a happy man. Maxie says marriage is hard work, and no one has worked harder. She tells Nina it’s a real surprise. She thought Nina was… Nina says, she was. She was happy with how things were; now she’s happy with what things are. Peter asks what changed her mind, Nina says Sasha was a big part. Sasha asks what she did, and Nina says Sasha reminded her that time is precious, and you can’t get it back. She and Sasha have been granted more time, and it’s what wants with Valentin. Everyone knows they love each other. Maxie says she read the ads in Crimson – all seven of them. She wants to be a family with Valentin. Maxie says Nina’s happiness is all she wants for her. Valentin wants to keep her that way. All of his transgressions are out in the open. He can’t right the wrongs, but he can spend his life trying. Peter trusts he’ll handle Nina with the utmost care. Maxie says, or else, and they all laugh. Valentin thinks champagne is in order. Peter says he and Maxie have things to discuss, and they sit at another table. Valentin goes to order the champagne, and Nina tells Sasha that she’s trying to get used to Maxie and Peter being a semi-couple, and be happy for them. She hopes she was convincing, and Sasha says, very. Maxie’s happiness is the most important thing, and she’s happy with Peter. She’ll guesses she’ll get used to it. Sasha says her intention was never to convince Nina to marry Valentin. In fact, she strongly suggests Nina reconsider.
Franco tells Laura that he didn’t kill those people, and he didn’t lay a finger on Lulu; he swears. Laura asks if that’s supposed to mean something to her. He says he didn’t do it, and she says, cross his heart? He knows what she wants, but he can’t express guilt and remorse for murders he didn’t commit. She says because the tumor was taken out and he’s a changed man. Convenient. He tells her to talk to Elizabeth. She believes him; trust her. Laura says she does trust Elizabeth. In all matters except this one. Elizabeth has the incredible misfortune of believing she loves him. Her judgement is compromised. He says Elizabeth is the one person who sees him. The only other person who ever did was Kiki. Laura is sure Kiki got a glimpse of the real him when he plunged the knife in her lungs. She asks if he watched while her life drained out. He says he’s not an innocent man, but he’s innocent of this. She says society made a mistake, giving someone like him a second chance. She’s going to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Elizabeth tells Cameron that she’s calling the school. He says he didn’t get in a fight because of Franco. He got in a fight because his mom is engaged to a serial killer. She says she hopes Cameron told them that Franco isn’t, but Cameron says, he only used to be. Elizabeth asks if he was taught that people are innocent until proven guilty. He says it’s school, not a courtroom. They have all the evidence they need. She says, including the teachers? She’s going to have a chat with them tomorrow. Cameron says she let Franco live there, despite his past, which is famous, but she says he’s not that person anymore. He says, no one believes that except her.
Jordan tells Drew that the killings are reminiscent of Franco’s pattern, Lulu remembers him, and that’s not the only evidence she has. If Drew has proof, hand it over. Otherwise they’re done. He tells her that Jim Harvey tried kill Franco. He was strangling Franco, but still, Franco couldn’t bring himself to take Jim’s life, even if it meant saving his own. Drew had to pull the trigger.
Sonny is happy to see Spencer, but wants him to be upfront and honest. Spencer says he has been so far. Sonny asks why not go to Laura first. Spencer says, after she became mayor, she was busy with official duties, then Lulu was attacked. Sonny is a humble coffee importer. How is he going to wreak justice – coffeewise? Sonny says don’t make him ask a second time. Spencer says he needs intel on hi grandmother. He needs to know what he’s walking into. Sonny says, so far, he and his sources haven’t heard anything about Valentin revealing Spencer’s secret. He asks to stay the night, and Sonny says as long as his grandmother won’t mind. He’s sure she’s going to love the chocolate. Spencer says it’s the least he can do, after what Doc put her through. Sonny wants him to come clean first. Spencer says it will take away her joy. She called him a scourge. Sonny is like, what? and Spencer tells him, she said whoever tampered with the election was a scourge, so since it’s him… Sonny says he has to unscourge himself. Surprise his grandmother, and tell her the truth.
Sasha says all she talked about was why Nina shouldn’t marry Valentin, and Nina agreed with her. Nina says she felt that way at the time. Sasha asks, what changed? and Nina says, his past mistakes don’t matter more than the man he is now. He makes her happy, when she lets him, and she wants to let him. Sasha asks if they’ve set a date, and Nina says, no, but she wants to set one as soon as possible. She’d be the happiest mom alive if Sasha would agree to be her maid of honor. Obrecht approaches the table, and says she must be Sasha. She can see the resemblance to Nina; she could be her Britta’s sister. Nina introduces her Aunt Liesl, and Sasha says she’s heard so much about her. Obrecht says she hasn’t heard nearly enough about Sasha. Tell her everything. Peter tells Maxie, it just got more interesting. Maxie takes out her compact, and uses the mirror to watch them. Obrecht wants to hear everything about Sasha. Where has she been all these years?
Elizabeth tells Cameron that she’s sorry for what happened to him, but she’s not apologizing for loving Franco or bringing him into their lives. The person who did this needs to apologize, and the school for allowing it to happen. He says the police have evidence, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t. Cameron says that’s because it would hurt her too much to face the fact Franco has been lying the whole time, or his tumor came back, or she’s crazy. She says Franco is innocent. It will be over soon, but in the meantime… He says he doesn’t care about idiots talking trash, but Aiden and Jake are still little. How are they going to handle things the kids are saying about Franco, and the things they’re saying about her?
Drew says it’s not his place to tell Jordan what happened between Jim and Franco. She says she read the files; it’s all there. He says then she knows what Jim did when Franco was a boy. If it had been TJ, what would she want to do? She says she hopes someone would intervene, but he says, off the record. If TJ was violated, what would she want to happen? She says, off the record, she’d want to kill the son of a bitch. Drew says, him too, but Franco couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kill the man who molested him, so how could he kill people he didn’t know, and someone he loved so much. She says, maybe he relapsed, and Drew asks if she thinks that’s possible. She says it’s not outside the realm of possibilities. Drew says, if she can’t trust him, at least take a better look at the pieces. They’ve got the wrong guy. Drew leaves. He sees Curtis in the hallway, and says, all yours. Curtis says, for what it’s worth, he’s sorry about Franco. He knows Drew had hoped Franco turned things around. Drew says he guesses he wasn’t sure Franco had – until now.
Curtis goes into Jordan’s office. She’s studying Franco’s file, and he asks if she’s okay. She says she’s just thinking. He says he talked to Drew in the hallway, and he believes Franco is innocent. What does she think?
Franco says, for the sake of argument, say she’s right; he’s a monster. Why? why now? He has everything he ever wanted; Elizabeth and a family. It’s his job to take care of his family. Laura says it’s a perfect cover for him to sneak out and kill again. He says he wouldn’t use them like that. She says he would strap a bomb to her daughter’s body. Franco says he did something horrible. Whether he was in control or not isn’t the question; did he do it? Laura says, he did. He says, exactly. It has to be a vividly awful memory for Lulu, and not remembering who attacked her in her office. Laura says she remembered the attack. He says it wasn’t him, but it’s entirely possible that perhaps she was seeing him to fill in the blank. Laura thinks it’s more possible that Lulu was seeing his face because he stabbed her. Franco says, Lulu is wrong. He’s sorry she got hurt, but she’s wrong. It wasn’t him.
Obrecht says, champagne, and not just any champagne, the best. She’s touched. Valentin says that’s one word for her. She says they’re one flute short. Valentin says it’s a family celebration. She says Nina is her family, and Sasha.
Maxie tells Peter that Obrecht just swiped a champagne glass for herself, and Valentin didn’t stop her. Peter says, it’s not right.
Sasha laughs at Valentin and Obrecht’s banter, saying it’s almost like they don’t like each other. Obrecht says she has beautiful perception and a subtle bite. Who else could she be but Nina’s daughter. She can’t tell Sasha how much she’s looking forward to getting acquainted.
Elizabeth sits with the boys in the living room. She says people are saying scary things about Franco. Cameron tells them, they should see the other guy. Elizabeth knows they have questions. They can ask her anything, and she’ll answer the best she can. Aiden asks if Franco hurt the lady in the apple barrel, and Jake asks why he hurt Aunt Lulu? She says Franco doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Jake asks if it was an accident, but Elizabeth says, no; he didn’t do it. Aiden asks if grandma is a liar, and Jake wonders why Franco is in jail. The doorbell rings. It’s Drew, who thought he’d check on her and the boys. She says his timing couldn’t be more perfect. Aiden tells Drew, Franco was arrested, but mom says he didn’t do it. Grandma says he did. Does Drew know who’s right?
Drew says, people make mistakes. Their grandma is making one. and the police are making one. Franco didn’t hurt anyone. He loves them, He has hurt people before, but there’s no way their mom would let him live there if she didn’t trust they’d be safe. Cameron says, if he’s such a great guy, why was he arrested? Drew says Lulu remembered Franco did something bad, but she remembered wrong. Aiden asks if she’s lying, but Drew says, no; she’s making a mistake. He doesn’t know why. Elizabeth says there could be a lot of reasons they don’t know, and the police have to confirm or rule them out. Cameron asks, what are the odds of them ruling him out? Drew says he spoke to the commissioner. He explained that Franco is a good man, and the evidence is misleading at best. They have the wrong guy. Elizabeth asks if they have any other questions. Jake asks if Drew can visit more often. Elizabeth tells them it’s time for bed. Jake asks if Drew can come upstairs with them. Elizabeth tells Cameron to wait. She’ll get some ice.
Jordan tells Curtis that Drew was asking the same questions that have been in her head. He says, any answers? and she says something is off. Curtis says, definitely. He’s there to talk it through. She says the victims weren’t random; they each have a special connection. Curtis says, Franco crossed paths with each of them, but there was no acrimony with anyone. No one had anything good to say about Mary Pat, but no one recalled her clashing with Franco. Peyton wanted to set up a meeting. She says, maybe he had something on Franco, but Curtis says, according to Franco, they never even met. Then there’s Kiki. Franco says he loved her like a daughter. Jordan says he believed she was. It was ages ago, but everyone confirmed they had a bond. Curtis asks, what about Lulu. They had a history of violence. Jordan says that was a decade ago. He went from town crier to a respected member of the medical community. He worked hard to become worthy of Elizabeth. He had a lot to lose. What threat would they pose? These aren’t run of mill killings; they were done with skilled precision. Curtis says it was someone not new at murder. Jordan says, Franco is the obvious suspect, and Curtis says, too obvious.
Spencer is beyond shocked that Sonny wants him to tell his grandmother the truth. Her marriage is over, Lulu was brutally attacked, and the only brightness in her day is her being mayor – and him. Sonny asks if Spencer doesn’t think he owes her the truth. Spencer thinks the kindest thing is if she never knows the trick he played. Sonny tells him, it’s 100% true that it’s not about the crime. It’s always about the cover-up. Spencer asks if he’s sure that’s an accurate statistic. Sonny asks what’s bugging Spencer more; that he did it or that Valentin knows. Spencer gets it, and Sonny asks who Laura hates most. Spencer says, Valentin, and Sonny asks if he thinks she’d be happy that Valentin has power over him. Spencer says, of course not. Sonny wants to give him some more advice. Never let your enemies hold secrets over you.
Obrecht says, before they toast, she wants to say she’s moved. She’s surprised with them gathering in celebration of her new advice column for The Invader. Nina says she’s working for Peter? Maxie closes the mirror. Valentin says that’s not what the celebration is about. Nina asks why they didn’t know, and Valentin says he did. He says the press release was truly spectacular. Nina says her family isn’t short on self-confidence.
Maxie doesn’t like it one bit. Peter says, Valentin can take care of himself. Maxie says she’s worried about Nina. She’s sitting with two pathological liars. Peter tells her that Valentin would never purposely hurt Nina, but Maxie says if he and Obrecht go up against each other. Nina could get caught in the crossfire.
Obrecht says if they’re not celebrating her prosperous new career, to what do they owe this special vintage. Nina says she accepted Valentin’s marriage proposal. Obrecht says Nina has a generous heart. Nina says he puts her happiness before his. Because of Valentin, she has two incredible daughters.
Peter asks if Maxie thinks they’ll hurt each other. Maxie knows Obrecht is a lunatic, but she cares about her. What she’s done doesn’t hold a candle to Valentin’s ruthlessness. There are things they’ve never even seen. Peter says he has to tell her something. She asks where it is on a scale of one to he’s secretly her husband’s brother? He says when he didn’t press charges against Obrecht, he said it was because she’s part of Maxie’s family. He meant it, but it was also partly because Valentin asked him. Valentin also suggested he give Obrecht a job. She asks why he didn’t tell her. He says it goes along with what she was saying about Valentin. She asks if he thinks Valentin has a secret he doesn’t want Nina to know, and Obrecht is in on it. He says, that seems to be the case. She’s blackmailing him, but with what?
Drew asks Cameron if the guys at school are giving him a hard time about Franco. Cameron says he could say that. He thanks Drew. He knows Drew’s visit meant a lot to Jake and Aiden. Drew knows Cameron is a stand-up guy by the way he takes care of his brothers, and the kind of friend he is to Oscar. He knows how hard it is to take a side when everyone tells you you’re wrong. Sometimes small-minded people pick fights over it, but it’s not his fault. Elizabeth says Cameron also defended her, but he doesn’t have to. Cameron says he does. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks about Franco, but he doesn’t want them to think they can say stuff about her. He goes upstairs.
Curtis tells Jordan there’s something else that doesn’t fit. Even if Franco was inspired by the attention that Ryan Chamberlain got on the anniversary of the murders, there’s no way he could have known about Ryan keeping the driver’s licenses as souvenirs. It was never made public. Jordan says there were no fingerprints on them; not even the victims’. She says, he could have wiped them down, but Curtis says, why, if he was keeping them as souvenirs? And why keep them where they can be found? Franco might be a lot of things, but he’s no idiot. Jordan says, if the licenses were planted, then Franco was framed, and the real killer is out there, waiting to strike.
Laura tells Franco that Doc thought he’d helped him. Franco says Doc did. Laura says Doc thought he became a changed man, worthy of Elizabeth’s love. Franco believes he is, but Laura says even excellent psychiatrists make mistakes. It must have hurt Doc to find out Franco deceived him. She read the truth. They have Doc’s notes of their sessions. It’s all there in black and white. He is a monster.
Sonny tells Spencer that he can’t spend all his time looking over his shoulder. He has to man up, and face the consequences head on. Spencer says, consequences are one thing; his grandmother is another.
Franco tells Laura that he has no idea how that twisted garbage found its way into Doc’s files. He’s not that person. If Doc said otherwise, then Doc isn’t the man Franco thought he was. Laura considers this.
Curtis tells Jordan that he’s going back to the hospital. If the killer is still out there, Lulu is in real danger. Jordan doesn’t think they’d risk taking suspicion away from Franco by hurting Lulu. Curtis says, if she thinks it’s a set-up, is she going to drop the charges. Jordan says, no. She’s going to throw the book at him.
Elizabeth thanks Drew. The boys needed hear from someone who believes in Franco who’s not her. He asks how she’s doing, and she says she’ll get though it. She’s glad Franco has Drew in his corner. Drew says he’ll do what he can. If Elizabeth needs anything, let him know. She sees the wedding flyer, and says, there is something.
Obrecht toasts to Nina and Valentin. May they have a life free from strife and comeuppances, and filled with joy. May they all get what they most desire.
Peter tells Maxie, blackmail requires leverage. There’s only one thing Valentin fears – losing Nina. Maxie says the one thing Nina has wanted is a child to replace the one she lost. Peter says, and she suddenly appears alive and well. Maxie says, and they’re engaged again. Whatever Obrecht has on Valentin, it has something to do with Sasha.
Tomorrow, Kristina asks Alexis to give DOD another try, Jason has questions for Shiloh, and Willow says Brad knows who she is.
The Haves and The Have Nots
Hanna tells Mitch to repeat himself. Jim had Benny stabbed? Bennie nods, and she asks Mitch if that’s true. Benny says, tell her, and Mitch says, yeah. She asks how he knows. He doesn’t want to get into it, but she tells him, shut up and tell her. He says his family is really connected, and Benny says he’s telling the truth. She asks if Jim was threatening Benny in jail, and says, she’s got him. Benny asks what she’s going to do, but she walks out. Mitch is sorry. Benny tells him to stop her, but Mitch wonders how he’s supposed to do that. Benny says they’re going to the Cryer’s. Mitch helps him up.
On the phone, David tells someone that he needs something handled. A police officer is harassing his son; Justin Lewis. He wants a clear message not to go near his son again. He listens, and says he likes it, and would like it immediately. He thanks them. Madison tells Jeffrey that his dad wants to see him. Jeffrey asks if Madison told him. Madison says David just wants to see him; just talk to him. Jeffrey asks if Madison thinks he knows his dad. He doesn’t. Jeffrey asks if Madison is doing this in the hopes David will help Madison be with him. Madison says Jeffrey’s dad is a nice guy, and is going to help him. David calls down. Jeffrey says he’s done talking to Madison about this, and goes upstairs.
Jeffrey asks if David slept well, but Davis says he should be asking Jeffrey. He asks if something happened last night. Jeffrey has covered this up for too long. He asks if that boy pointed a laser at him, and Jeffrey says, yes, but he talked to him. It was just a laser pointer. David says Justin is sending a message he doesn’t like and won’t tolerate. Jeffrey asks how he knew about Justin coming there, and David says there are cameras all over. Did Jeffrey ask him to come? Jeffrey says, no, but he’s harmless. David is going to make sure. The behavior isn’t acceptable. Jeffrey asks what he’s going to do, and David says, make sure Justin understands the cost of harassing his son. He needs to be alone – now. Jeffrey leaves. David says, Lord help him.
Madison tells Jeffrey, sorry. He hopes whatever David did, it keeps Jeffrey safe. Jeffrey says he doesn’t know. He says Madison gets one strike. Madison says he was trying to help Jeffrey, but Jeffrey says he has two more left.
At the Artisian bar, Rocky complains that RK is always late. RK says that crazy broad tried to burn him. Rocky wonders why she didn’t. RK sees Justin, and Rocky asks if he’s a john. RK says, no; a cop. Rocky says he’s going on a break. Good luck. RK goes to Justin’s table and asks how he can help him. Justin says he needs a drink. He wants RK to bring it to his room, but RK says he can get room service. Justin wants him to do it, but RK says, not going to happen. Justin says, it’s happening. Does RK want him to tell everyone what RK does and who he is? RK tells him, go ahead. Justin says maybe he’ll have a chat with the manager, and RK repeats, go ahead. Justin says, why doesn’t RK make it easier? Find a room, give him the number, and meet him there. RK asks why the hell he’d do that, and Justin says because he said so. RK tells him, go to hell. He’s not letting Justin do that to him again. Justin acts ignorant, and RK says he knows what he did at the police station. Justin says, he got out, didn’t he? RK says, after Justin got off. Justin thinks it’s a fair trade. Get the room. RK suggests Justin get the hell out of there. Justin says he’s talking to the manager on the way out.
Justin goes over to Roderick. He says he’s a police officer, and RK has a rap sheet longer than his arm. Roderick says, that so? He didn’t know that. Justin says, now he does. Be more careful who he hires. Roderick says he’s right, and asks to see RK in the back. Justin sits back down.
Roderick asks RK, what the hell is with the cop? RK says Justin felt him up when he arrested him, and he wants him to go to a room. Roderick asks, what’s the problem? and RK says he doesn’t swing that way. Roderick says he can’t have heat on the operation. RK’s got to get rid of him. RK says he’ll tell Justin that he’s fired. Roderick says, okay, and tells RK to pack his things. RK asks if Roderick is really firing him. Forget it; he quits. Having quick second thoughts, RK says he needs the money. Roderick says, then go make nice.
RK goes back to Justin’s table. Justin says, look who still works here, and RK says, not for long. Justin says RK should have gone with him, but RK says he’ll never go anywhere with Justin. Veronica sits with Justin, and asks, what this girl talking about? She asks RK for coffee, and says, hello, officer. Justin is silent, and just stares at her. She asks, does he like? No? He wouldn’t know how to like this. RK brings her coffee, and she says he’s not pouring it. He says, hell no, and she says she burned his arm one time, and he acts like a little bitch. Like the one in front of her. RK tells her to pour it herself. Justin starts get up, and she says, uh-uh. Sit. Let’s chat. How is he? He says, better than her. He doesn’t have to deal with an FBI investigation. She says, he’s trying to come for her. She saw his wife the other day in court. She was sad, holding her head down. Veronica told her, don’t be sad, and don’t hold your head down. She’s not the first one duped by a flaming homo, and won’t be the last. She started to cry. She’s a delicate little thing. Justin says he’s on suspension. He has nothing to lose. She says she heard he’s about to be brought up on charges. Sexual assault again Wyatt while he was in jail. RK is back, and asks if that’s why Justin arrested him. Justin had his hands all over him in the back of his car. Veronica asks if this is how Jeffrey got arrested. Did he feel Jeffrey up too? This is his M.O. She bets there’s more to it. If the station did some digging, they’ll find out it’s serial. She asks RK if he’s wiling to testify. RK says, damn right. She says, the DA is going to love this. Justin gets up. She tells him, walk, Miss Honey. Walk, bitch. RK laughs. She asks if Justin really did that to him, and he says, yeah. She says, okay. Thank you for that. One down, one to go. She pours her coffee and smiles, saying, he learns fast.
She asks where RK is going, and he says, far away from her. The last time he sw her, she assaulted him with grits. She says it was a gesture of love. He says she’s crazy. She says, they say she is when she’s drinking. He says she’s a different person when she drinks. She says she’s Veronica – and several otherpeople. He doesn’t like it; he’s not coming back. She says that’s not why she’s there. She’s brought undercover officers there to arrest him for stealing her jewelry. He says he didn’t take anything. She asks if he thinks she’d let his hood ass run around her place without cameras on. Is he telling her the video is lying? Tell the damn truth. He says he took them, and she says she knew that. Where are they? He tells her that he pawned them. She says he better get his ass over there and get her things, or he’s going with the officers.
Roderick sees Kathryn. She says she’s checking on her hotel. Shall they look at rooms? She asks where the young man is who works at the bar. Roderick says he just left, and she says Roderick can catch him before he leaves. RK needs to talk to Roderick, but Roderick says, not right now, and tells him, get back to work. Kathryn sees Veronica, and wonders what the hell she’s doing there.
Kathryn says hello to Veronica, and they make phony small talk. She asks what Veronica is doing there, and Veronica says, having coffee. Her? Kathryn says she owns the place. She doesn’t need a reason to be there. Veronica says from what she saw, Kathryn is there for that young man. Their body language wasn’t boss and employee, but cougar and kid. (Shouldn’t that be cub?) She says like when a woman is lying on the floor, you know she’s dead. Kathryn says, the FBI is on to what happened to David; it’s out of local jurisdiction. Veronica says, let’s hope they get their man. Kathryn hopes it’s not a woman. Veronica says, only a diva with an ax to grind would be so bold. It’s nice to see Kathryn, but she has to go. She has a team of lawyers protecting her secrets. Kathryn says, very smart. Veronica says she is. She tells Kathryn, take care, and leaves.
Rocky and Roderick approach Kathryn’s table. She starts to leave with them. A man tells them, step back. Kathryn says it’s her hotel, but the guy says it’s the President Elect. Charles goes by with the Secret Service. She asks Roderick why she didn’t know he was here, and Roderick says it was on the news. Rocky says he stays there a lot; he seems to like it. She asks if he’s had any contact with their services. Roderick says, no. She says, too bad. She didn’t vote for him. She was with her.
Charles tells the guys, that will be all, but not Landon. When they’re alone, he asks how Landon’s jaw is. Landon says, okay. Charles checks Landon’s face out, and says, not that bad. Landon says, nothing a little makeup can’t cover. Charles says his wife claimed he had a problem saying he was sorry. He wants to prove her wrong. He’s sorry. Landon says, it’s okay, but Charles says he was way out of line. Why didn’t Landon tell him that he was gay? Landon didn’t think it was important. Charles asks if Landon is attracted to him, and Landon says, yes. Charles is a very attractive, sexy man. Charles says he has no desire to be with the same sex at all, but appreciates Landon’s honesty. He asks if it’s going to be a problem, since they’re working closely. Let him know now. Landon is good at his job. Landon says it will be no problem; trust him. Charles says he respects Landon, and expects the same. Landon asks if he can speak freely. Charles can’t believe he’s really asking that after what he tried. Landon says, touché. He knows Charles likes her. (Interesting. He always refers to Candace as her.) When she’s around, Charles is better. When she’s not, he’s bitter and mean. Landon asks Charles to let him work on her for him. Charles says Landon can’t make her do or become what she doesn’t want to. Landon says, let him try. Charles says, be his guest.
Madison comes downstairs. Jeffrey has his face in his phone, and Madison asks if he’s still not talking. Jeffrey says Madison has a job to do; he should do it. Madison says Jeffrey’s dad is resting, and he’s going to his nighttime shift at the hospital. Is Jeffrey really going to act like this? He obviously cares about Justin. Jeffrey says he doesn’t want his dad getting to him. All his life, his dad has handled his problems. He can handle this. Madison says he can’t. That guy going to kill him. Jeffrey says Madison doesn’t know Justin. Madison says, no, but he works at the hospital. He sees it all the time. He knows the signs. Jeffrey says he knows the psychology. Madison says he’s too close to see it for what it is. Is the sex that good? What would make Justin crazy enough to do what he does? Jeffrey says when Justin’s not crazy, he likes him. Madison says Jeffrey loves him. Jeffrey says he can’t talk about it anymore. Madison says he wants Jeffrey safe, with no havoc in either of their lives. Jeffrey asks if Madison doesn’t have somewhere to go. Madison says he’s wasting his time there. Jeffrey is glad he knows that. Madison blows out, and Jeffrey says, don’t slam my dad’s door, bitch.
George finds Wyatt in the interrogation room. Wyatt wants to talk to him – now. George says he has it bad. Wyatt says he didn’t do anything. The bitch put it in his pocket. George says everyone there says they’re innocent. Wyatt says he’ll do it. He’ll testify. He wants out. George asks, why in such a rush? and Wyatt says George knows why. A guy out there is trying to kill him. He asks if he’s still there, but George doesn’t know who he’s talking about. Wyatt says he told George that he’d do it. Get him out. A guy comes in, and says something to George. He tells Wyatt that he’ll be right back.
Jim is in the reception area, and he says George has his son. Does he mind telling him why? George says, possession. Jim asks why George is holding him; he has no priors. George says, tell the judge. Jim says, let him out, and George asks if that’s a threat. Jim says he’s sick and tired of George. George says he’s just getting started. He has enough on Wyatt for him to serve twenty years. Jim says Wyatt is broke. He couldn’t have afforded it. George says he got from somewhere. Jim says George sent his whore to his house to get his son. Get him out right now. George says Jim doesn’t scare him. Jim says George isn’t railroading his son. George says Jim has something that belongs to him. Jim says he has nothing that belongs to George, and wouldn’t admit it if he did. George says Kathryn is going down, and so is he. Jim says, so arrest him, and George says, it’s coming. Jim says, bring it on. George says he’s not seeing his son, but Jim says he’s his son’s lawyer. George says Wyatt refused him as counsel. Jim says George thinks he has the power in this matter. George says he does. Jim says he’ll go to the Attorney General. George says he won’t answer Jim’s calls. George walks away, and Jim says, sh*t.
Hanna goes to the Cryer’s. Housekeeper Diane answers, and tells her that they’re out. Hanna asks if anybody is home, but Diane says, no. Diane asks if Hanna can help get out a stain, but Hanna says she doesn’t work there anymore. She’ll just sit and wait. She sits on the sofa, and the doorbell rings. It’s Candace, who asks for Jim. Candace says she’ll wait, and tells Diane to call Jim now. She sees Hanna, and asks what the hell she’s doing there. Hanna asks what the hell is Candace doing there. Candace says, none of her business, and Hanna says all she’s been doing is cleaning up Candace’s business. Hanna goes to another room and sits.
Diane calls Jim. She says Hanna’s there, and so is her daughter. He asks what they’re doing, and she thinks staring at each other. Should she ask them to come back? He tells her, serve them tea, and have them wait. Tell them he’s on his way.
There’s a flower delivery of yellow roses for Justin. The delivery guy says they’re from Jeffrey. Justin says it’s not what he thinks. The guy says he’s not thinking anything. Justin says, it’s not like that. If it was, it would be weird. He goes inside to get a tip. Three guys follow him in. He turns around, and sees them. The flower guy grabs him, and throws him down. They proceed to kick the sh*t out of him, then punch him. Justin gets one guy, but then they really stomp him.
Next time, Kathryn has another three-way, George tells Wyatt that he’s free to go if he says what happened, Veronica doesn’t trust David, and Hanna slaps Jim.
💔 If Loving You is Wrong will be having a two-night premiere, on March 19th and 20th, at 10 pm.
⛪ I happened to catch a commercial for Madea Family Funeral, and it looks like Rome Flynn (RK, HAHN) is a main character.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Giggy! LVP and Kyle are having a fight. LVP insists she didn’t say that about Kyle, and isn’t going to admit she did something that she didn’t. Ken tells Kyle that LVP would never say that about her. Kyle says maybe she cares more about her image. Ken tells Kyle she’s not LVP’s friend; get out. LVP says she’s done with Kyle, and Kyle leaves.
Two months earlier.
Kyle makes breakfast, and asks if the kids are going to be around on weekend. They’re having people over. The ladies all get a text, saying Kyle is having a pool party this weekend.
Teddi and her husband recently bought a new house – five houses away from where they were. Her husband has been stalking it for years because of the view. it went on the market, and guess who had to buy it? She’s kind of in love with it. She’s doing great businesswise, with thirty coaches, and five hundred clients. It’s a learning curve, and she has to remind herself, balance.
LisaR wants to spend every moment with her girls. It’s important because they’re working so much. She and her daughters attend goat yoga. No way I could concentrate with a bunch of cute goats sniffing at me. LisaR says, it’s the funniest weird LA thing she’s ever done, and she’s done a lot of weird things. They’re dying laughing, and their French bulldog plays with the goats. Last year Delilah was living in NYC, but realized she was lonely. LisaR is thrilled that she wants to move back. Delilah makes it clear she won’t be living with her parents; there’s not as much freedom. In her interview, LisaR says at age eleven, Delilah couldn’t leave the house because of anxiety. Considering she moved away for a year, it’s a huge win. LisaR thinks it’s good she’s taking a step back. It’s surreal watching the girls grow up; it goes by fast. We see some old clips of them. LisaR says they don’t need her as much as she would like, but she’s proud of them.
LVP brushes the ponies. Giggy still has a cold, and she worries about him. She explains that he’s had fainting episodes, and has be in an incubator. His heart is slowing down, and they need to give him CPR and massages to bring it back. She tells Ken there were only two siblings in her family, and suddenly, her brother is gone. In her interview, she says the passing of her brother is still fresh. So many people have taken their lives recently. People say it’s selfish, but she knew him well enough to know that wasn’t the case. It was a cry for help that went horribly wrong. He was her partner in crime while they were growing up. Whatever happened, it was the two of them. She tells Ken that she moved his photo off her desk; she couldn’t keep looking at it all the time. She thinks work is a good distraction, and Ken says it’s the best distraction. She went back to work two days after the funeral, and it’s only when people bring it up that she gets emotional. She’s a strong woman and can cope with most things, but wasn’t prepared for this. Ken says you grieve properly for a month, come out, and carry on. You can’t grieve for the rest of life your life. LVP thinks you always grieve. Geez, this is all too much for me.
Teddi visits Kyle. They giggle over being in a boxing class with Justin Bieber. Kyle tells Teddi that one of her eyes is bigger than the other. I assume she means the pupils. Teddi tells her it looks better. In Kyle’s interview, she says she has general anxiety disorder. Her parents both died from cancer, and she automatically imagines the worst. Kyle shows Teddi around. In her interview, she says they have so much in common; it’s an easy friendship. Teddi asks if Kyle is nervous about the security stuff, and Kyle says all of the cameras and alarms are working. She didn’t want to stay in the house after they were burglarized. We flash back to the reunion where she talked about how they took everything, even sentimental things she can’t replace. She tells Teddi about seeing a mountain lion on the property.
Erika chills champagne, and Dorit arrives. In her interview, Erika says she’s gotten more interested in having people over. Dorit tells her about Boy George being on tour. They clink glasses. Dorit says she’s had a sh*tty days that tipped her world upside down. They were robbed when they were away; all her handbags and jewelry were taken. Wonder if it’s the same one that burgled Kyle. She says they’ve been hit five times. Erika knows what it’s like. Dorit laughs, saying they left one horrible necklace her husband got her for Valentine’s Day. The burglar had the nerve to leave it. Afterward, she went to Utah, and climbed a mountain. In Dorit’s interview, she says she doesn’t classify herself as an athlete, but told herself she could do it. She tells Teddi that she had a mental breakthrough. It’s like a switch flipped, and the gas is back in the tank. It was her biggest spiritual awakening to date. She says her daughter has more purses than mommy right now.
At Vanderpump Dogs, manager John greets Teddi and her daughter. In her interview, Teddi says her daughter is obsessed with dogs, so Teddi brings her there to play with puppies, and they don’t have to commit yet. She explains that she hosts cycling rides for charity, and got to know John through doing one for Vanderpump Dogs. Kyle joins them, and LVP arrives. They fawn over the precious babies. John brings out a dog, and asks if Kyle recognizes it. Kyle thinks something is strange, and wonders why they’re staring at her. John says it’s the dog Lucy that Dorit adopted. She (the dog, not Dorit) ended up in a shelter, and Vanderpump Dogs was called because Lucy had been microchipped. LVP doesn’t want to talk about it, and I’m perplexed as to why anyone would be staring at Kyle. Since there’s no explanation, I’m assuming maybe she’s just paranoid.
Dorit tells Erika that the dog wasn’t the right fit. She bit the kids, and bit PK in the face. We see a picture of him with what look like scratches on his nose. I’m guessing the kids were probably rough with the dog, and PK shouldn’t have put his face there. Dorit was thinking the dog was going to a beautiful home, but ended up in a shelter. LVP called her and didn’t seem mad, just shocked like she was.
John says it wasn’t handled properly. LVP says this isn’t helpful, and she doesn’t want to talk about it. Teddi says Dorit should have come to her, and LVP says maybe Dorit believed Lucy was going to a good home. John says he’s pissed. Everyone is pissed, and he’s been dealing with it for a week. In LVP’s interview, she says she doesn’t think Dorit deliberately gave the dog away to a shelter. They go in the back where some dogs are in crates. John explains they keep them for seven days of observation to make sure nothing is wrong. LVP says she wishes Kyle had come to TomTom for the Daily Mail party. Kyle says LVP is full of sh*t, and she’s not doing this. She landed at 4 am, and LVP said it wasn’t even her party, acting like it was no big deal. In her interview, Kyle repeats that LVP said it wasn’t her party, and didn’t even invite her. Kyle says Dorit drops off a dog, and LVP gives her the benefit of the doubt. She’s not doing this again. LVP is being a bitch to her, but Dorit can bring a dog back, and gets away with it.
In Kyle’s interview, she says LVP likes to make her look bad in front of other people. She’s watched when friends did sh*tty things, and LVP has made excuses. We flash back to that. She says you don’t do that to one of your closest friends. LVP says Kyle hasn’t come to the restaurant once, but Kyle says it wasn’t finished, and she’s not doing this. On the side, Teddi tells Kyle that LVP is super sensitive right now. Kyle says she can feel it. LVP wants to start with her, and she’s been there for her. LVP apologizes, saying she made an idiot of herself. It’s not like her to lose her sh*t. Teddi says that’s’ what happens when you hold it in. In Kyles interview, she says that after LVP’s brother passed, there’s been ups and downs. One minute, everything is good, and the next, it’s not. It’s understandable. LVP sits on the steps and cries, calling herself an idiot. Teddi tells her not to be hard on herself.
LisaR gets ready for company. Denise Richards comes to the door. In her interview, LisaR says they go back in many different lifetimes. We see a clip of them talking about knowing each other for almost thirty years. She thinks Denise will blend in well. Denise is a seasoned old bitch like she is. Dorit arrives, followed by Erika. Erika asks how LisaR and Denise know each other, and LisaR says she saw Denise at Wilhelmina when Denise was sixteen. Erica says she loved Denise in The World is Not Enough, and Denise says she got slammed for that movie. They talk about Charlie Sheen. LisaR says she did a movie with him, and in the first scene, he was licking her toes. They’re like, eww! and we see a clip of that, which we can never unsee. They laugh about the margaritas being strong.
Dorit and PK meet LVP and Ken for dinner. Dorit asks how LVP is feeling, and LVP says she compartmentalizes, says it’s just a bad time in her life, and moves on. She can’t bring him back. In her interview, Dorit knows it’s affected LVP, no matter what she’s saying. She can see it; it’s physical. LVP wants to clear up the dog thing. She knows Dorit had no malintent. PK says she knows Dorit didn’t mean for that to happen, and LVP says that’s why she defended Dorit. She knows Dorit had the best intentions. PK says it was a mistake that could have been made by anybody. LVP says that’s why they make stringent rules, and put a $5K penalty in the contract. PK says, but the mistake was made by a best friend. In Dorit’s interview, she admits she signed the contract, but didn’t look at it with a fine-toothed comb. LVP says John lost his mind, and it got heated at the center. She tried to shut it down, but people are talking about it. Dorit wants to know who discussed it, and what they said. LVP says John spoke to Teddi; he’s close with her. In her interview, Dorit says LVP sent her a text that Teddi was aware of the situation, but made it seem like it was fine. She’s surprised there’s a different tone now, and Teddi is talking about it. She doesn’t want her private matters discussed with anyone, especially Teddi. They decide to move on.
There’s an amazing spread happening at Kyle’s. In her interview, she tells us when they were burglarized, they hadn’t had any celebrations there yet. This makes it feel like home, not just a house. Guests begin to arrive. Ooh! A Snow-Cone machine! Camille walks in, followed by LisaR and Denise. Kyle says she once belonged to a Hollywood moms group that Denise and LisaR were a part of. They would get together for potluck dinners, and it’s how she got to know Denise. She’s known Charlie since she was a teen. Her old boyfriend, C. Thomas Howell, used to hang around with him, but she wasn’t happy about it. You never knew what was going to happen – or what they’d bring home.
In her interview, Dorit says, in the past, she’s been a target of Teddi’s attacks. In the back of her mind, she’s thinking Teddi knows about the dog situation, and wonders how Teddi is going to torture her. The party is in full swing. In Teddi’s interview, she says Dorit isn’t mentioning anything, and she’s not going to with the kids there. In Dorit’s’ interview, she says they’re doing what they do in Beverly Hills. Put a smile on their faces, and put it behind them.
LVP and Ken show up. Ken hopes they saved some food. LisaR tells LVP she’s sorry, but LVP would rather not talk about it. In her interview, LisaR says, grief is a tricky thing. LVP keeps a stiff upper lip, and doesn’t want to deal with it. She doesn’t want get to the deep feelings. Kyle is feeling weirdly guilty. They had a conversation about Dorit, but no one is saying anything. I guess bringing up inappropriate topics at parties is the norm now. She says they probably don’t want to put Dorit in a bad situation. If you get the reputation of not caring for an animal, you’re screwed.
Mauricio does some grilling. LVP and Denise talk kids. Denise adopted another one, but she thinks Charlie is her dad. LVP sits on the porch with Camille. She asks if Camille is excited to get married. We see a clip of her showing off the ring. It’s stunning. LVP says it’s been eight years. She should have gotten married a few times by now. It’s Hollywood for God’s sake. Dorit and Teddi’s boys play together. In her interview, Teddi says her past with Dorit isn’t good, but the kids don’t care. They want spend time together, so figure it out, moms. Ken snoozes in the living room. It’s probably one of several living rooms. LVP talks about her car having been stolen, along with Charlie Sheen’s, and the cars going over a cliff. I’d like to hear more of that story.
The ladies, minus LVP, talk about how it was a different time when they were teenagers. Teddi says Boone’s Farm (a way too sweet, disgusting wine cooler) was their thing. Teddi uses the word winning, and everybody laughs about how Charlie used that word. In Teddi’s interview, she says, who knew saying winning would make her look like a loser. Thanks, Charlie. Erika announces that Teddi’s kid is peeing in the pool like a champ. LVP Hollywood kisses Kyle goodbye, but she’s wearing a wide-brimmed hat that gets in the way. Kyle says she can’t get near LVP, and LVP says the hat is intentional. Kyle sighs.
Next time, Kyle says somebody is hell bent on getting the story about Dorit out there, and the text says the real story is more shocking. This season, there will be a trip to Europe, more performing from Erika, Denise gets married, Brandi (ugh) is back, Teddi makes it rain, Camille calls LisaR a mean girl, and Kim accuses Denise of lying.
🗽 The new season of The Real Housewives of New York City begins on Wednesday, March 6th, at 9 pm.
🎀 In Wrapping It Up…
Hoping that the hour doesn’t reflect in the editing.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 