What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Aaron walks through the woods with Grace. An unmasked Whisperer with a W carved on his forehead asks if they’re lost. Grace says she’s scared, but Aaron says it will be okay, and to stay close. They hear whistling, and another Whisperer comes out with a gun, one more with a knife. A real zombie joins them, and Aaron kills it. He calls for Grace, but she’s gone. He’s surrounded by Whisperers and zombies, and they close in, hacking at him. He wakes, and sees Grace sleeping peacefully.
Jerry quietly steps over some sleeping kids to go to the bathroom. He looks out sees a zombie, and yells, breach inside the wall! Everyone scrambles around, and Aaron tells Grace to head downstairs to the basement and stay there, like they practiced. Does she have her whistle? He leaves.
A zombie is eating a random guy in the street, and everyone is running toward a section of the wall that’s been pushed down. Carol, Aaron, and some others try to put the panel back in place, but the zombies aren’t making it easy. One grabs at Aaron, who’s trying to block what’s left of the opening. Jerry finally whacks it in the head with a hammer. They get the wall back in place and fortified.
At the Commonwealth, Eugene and company watch a welcome video. Director of Ops, Lance Hornsby, says if they’re watching this, they’ve made it through the rigorous screening process, and are on their way to becoming part of the community. He explains they’re under the leadership of Pamela Milton, and they’re 50,000 strong. Each person is assigned a job best suited to their skillset in order to keep the community thriving. This orientation will give them a taste of what’s in store. The future starts here. We see an ice cream truck and a sack race, and Lance says, community. We see some happy old people, and he says, care giving. We see the stormtroopers under a banner that says, Fight the Dead, Save the Living, and he says, security. That’s the Commonwealth way.
Yumiko says, Pamela Milton. Wow. Princess smiles and nods. Am I supposed to know who she is? A man gives each of them an envelope, and Eugene says he’s in the high school teacher pool. Princess takes out her $2 bill, and says it’s a good sign. Eugene asks what this is, and the man says, their job and housing assignments. Eugene says taking up permanent residence wasn’t their intention, but the man says, if there’s a problem, take it up with their case supervisor. Eugene says, they’re not there to work; they came to get help. Princess wonders if they can’t stick around. She got a retail position, and maybe there’s a mall. Ezekiel says, he got animal control, and thinks the positions were based on what they’d done before. Yumiko says, hers isn’t an assignment; more like an invitation. It’s from an Edmund Widgeway, to meet and talk about opportunities in the community. Princess says, sounds fancy; it must be the accent. Eugene they have to leave asap, before these entanglements usurp their Plan A. He’s supposed to meet Stephanie, and Princess says she’ll go with him, since she wants to see more of the city. Ezekiel tells Yumiko, maybe whoever gave her the invite can help. Yumiko goes over the man’s desk, and he tells her to see her case supervisor, but she says she doesn’t have one. She only has this letter. He looks at the letter, and seems impressed. He asks how he can help, and she says she was inquiring about a family member she thinks lives there, but hasn’t heard anything. He says he’d be happy to help with that.
Zombies gather outside Alexandria. Rosita says, the wall is fragile since it broke, and Aaron says, they need a long term fix using updated tools. Rosita says, they’re back to square one soon with the food, and Aaron says, it’s nasty (if you remember, it’s horse), but it’s going fast. Maybe they should check Hilltop. Carol says they could make a run, and see if there’s any game along the way. I find it difficult to believe there isn’t even a bird or squirrel around. And again, nuts? Berries? Roots? Rosita says, what if there’s nothing left? What if they can’t make it safe? They need to look into other options. Aaron says, this is their home, and he’s not ready to abandon ship. They’re going to try and make it safe first.
Maggie and Negan fight a zombie together in the woods, and bring it down. Negan tells her, the only way this works is if they trust each other. She asks why she’d ever trust him, and he says, he doesn’t know. Maybe she wants to stay alive, the same as him. Maggie says she’ll stay alive in spite of him, not because of him. He says, if that’s how she feels, he doesn’t understand why she hasn’t put him down yet. She flings a knife toward his head, and he ducks. It lodges in the head of a zombie behind him. He says, sh*t, and she says, she asks herself that question nearly every day. She walks past him, and he says, no sh*t. He follows her.
Aaron, Carly, and Jerry ride to Hilltop, which is a burnt out mess. Aaron says, it’s been picked clean. There are some zombies toddling around, and Jerry says, heads up. Those are our people. A zombie writhes on the ground close by, and Lydia says, that’s Troy. Carol says, let’s just get it done, and Jerry looks sad. They walk around, dispatching the roaming zombies, and Aaron stabs Troy in the head without looking at him.
Back in Alexandria, Judith teaches the children the art of fighting zombies, using wooden swords. They see some teenage kids teasing a young zombie who’s poking his head through an opening; putting their hands close to his mouth to make him snap, and banging on the wall. Judith strides over, and says they shouldn’t be doing that; it’s dangerous. The tallest kid tells her, calm down. They’re just having fun. Judith says, if they don’t stop it, she’s going to tell Rosita. The boy says, she talks too much. No wonder her mother abandoned her. Judith tells him, what did you say? and he says she’s such a baby. Her mother must have gotten tired of her whining. Judith puts a knife to his throat, and tells him, say it again. I dare you. Grace comes over, and asks her to come away from them. The boy says, stay away, psycho, and Judith walks off with Grace.
On the road, Maggie and Negan walk into a suburban area. They go inside a house, and Negan says, it doesn’t look like anybody’s been here. She says, so they wait, and he asks, how long? She ask how long he’d want someone to wait for him, but he says, the longer they stay, the more likely those lunatics will catch up to them. They should just take the food from there back. It’s not a lot, but it’s something. She says, it’s nothing. They need to feed a whole community. He says, she needs to know when to cut her losses, and she says, those losses are her people. He says, she still has people; she still has Herschel. She asks if he doesn’t know that’s the reason she’s doing this. He says, she can’t. That’s his point. He knows he doesn’t get a vote, but here it is anyway. They should give it until sundown. If they others don’t show by then, they should go.
Yumiko looks in a bakery window. She goes inside, and smiles. A baker comes out and asks how she’s doing. They have a fresh batch of donuts. She says she’s looking for someone, and another baker comes out, carrying a cake. He says, ready, boss, and sees Yumiko. She says, hi, Tomi, and he drops the cake.
Aaron and the others go through Hilltop, and Aaron says, it’s all gone. Jerry says, a lot of them are still standing; remember that. Carol says, it’s war. They need to take care of the stray zombies before they keep searching. They see a group of zombies walking like they’re pushing the wheel in Midnight Express, and Lydia tells them, look at the way they’re moving. They’re being herded. Aaron says, Whisperers, and they run toward the zombies, Aaron using his metal mace arm to smash heads. One falls to the ground, and it’s a Whisperer. Jerry rips its mask off, and Lydia says she knows him.
And ice cream truck plays music from The Sting, which is better than that crappy music they usually play. Eugene waits by the sidewalk, and Stephanie brings him a cone. He takes a lick and approves. They walk, and he tells her, if she doesn’t mind him saying it, this place has creature comforts he didn’t know he missed. It’s a fine day for him. She says, it’s a fine day for her too. She’s glad he’s here. He sees a woman pushing a stroller, and Stephanie asks where he is. He says, his people. Back where he’s from, there used to be a place like this. He could be content indefinitely, but he wouldn’t be the man he is if he didn’t do what he came there for. He can’t stay. He has to help his friends. Since there’s significant red tape to become a citizen, does she have any advice on how to cut through it? She wishes she did have some, and they sit on a bench. She looks up at the radio tower, and he looks at her. She says she bets he’d feel better if he could talk to his people. It’s not in her realm of responsibility, but she wants to help. Ezekiel and Princess join them, and Ezekiel says, the deputy superintendent said it would take five weeks to see the boss. It might as well be five years. Princess asks if there isn’t an unofficial version, and Eugene hands Princess his ice cream cone. They all walk toward the train station where the tower is, as Mercer watches.
The kids are all running around the house, when Judith comes in. She finds a handprint thing that Carl made for her, and she asks who broke it. She goes up to the bully kid, and asks if it was him, but he says, no. She says, don’t lie, and he tells her not to pull another knife on him. He said he didn’t do it. Grace says she can help fix it. RJ says, he can too, and Herschel says they all will.
Judith sits outside with the broken piece, when Rosita comes by. She says she remembers when they made those. She was so small, and Carl wanted them to have a memory together. Judith says, now it’s broken, and Carl is gone. Everybody is. Rosita says she misses them all too, and Judith asks if it gets easier. Rosita says she’d be lying if she said it did, and Judith says she’s worried she’s going to start forgetting about them. Rosita sits next to her, and says she never really knew her dad, and her mom died when she was a little older than Judith is now. For a long time, it was just the two of them. They moved a lot, from job to job, but her mom always managed to keep them going. She didn’t know it then, but her mother was teaching her to survive on her own, so Rosita would be okay if she wasn’t there. Carl and Judith’s dad did the same for her. She’ll always be able to get through tough times. Pieces wood are nice, but she doesn’t need that to remember how much they love her. Rosita adds that she’s really good at fixing things.
Aaron asks the Whisperer his name; and no Alpha/Beta garbage. The guy says his name is Keith, and Aaron asks what he’s doing there. He says he’s not hurting anyone. The herd scattered, and those who weren’t killed or burned, they all left. Aaron asks why he’s keeping the walkers, and he says, protection… comfort… old habit. Jerry asks what Aaron thinks, and Aaron says, he’s never met a Whisperer who wasn’t a liar. Lydia says he believed Mary, and Aaron asks how she knows Keith isn’t lying. Why is she so certain? She says he wasn’t part of her mother’s inner circle; he was afraid of her. Aaron says, all that proves is, he’s got eyes, and Keith says, during the long winter, he took care of Lydia. Does she remember? She says she’s not sure, but it doesn’t matter. Aaron says, he’s hiding something, and Carol says, Aaron is right. They need make sure he’s not a threat. Aaron says they’ll put him in the cellar until they decide.
They go down to the old jail cell, and Jerry says, dude… Aaron asks, what is it? and Jerry says, nothing good. Four people are crouched along the wall, and Aaron says, he’s not alone. Let’s see what else he lied about. Aaron digs around the cell, and finds a mask. He asks, how many more? and Keith swears that’s it. Aaron says, Keith just led to him, and Lydia tells Aaron, look at them. They’re scared. They’re just trying to be people again. Aaron asks how they know they’re not a threat; hiding in plain sight before they get ambushed. She says, they weren’t all monsters, and Jerry sees a scarf. He said it belonged to Nabila. They were in Alexandria. They burned down their home. Carol asks Aaron what they’re going to do, when Keith grabs a knife. Lydia yells, look out, and Keith lunges at Aaron, slicing him. The others run out during the distraction, and Aaron says, his turn, and knocks Keith out.
At the Commonwealth, Stephanie leads Eugene into the train station. Remind me not to let these two spy for me. They’re so nervous, it looks obvious they’re up to something. Ezekiel sits in the waiting area, and Eugene and Stephanie go upstairs. Princess watches everything.
At a sidewalk café, Yumiko tells Tomi that she’s good with a slingshot too. He says, not bad for a barrister. He tells her that she’s changed, and she says so has he. How did he find this place? He says he fled Chicago after it first started going bad. He ran out of gas about 20 miles from there. He was lucky enough to find good people, and they walked there. It was early on, and they had just a few secure blocks when they first started, but they expanded. He almost forgets what’s going on outside the walls. She says, he’s been there the whole time making cakes? and he says he likes baking; it makes him happy. She says, he could save people, and he says she’s still trying to run people’s lives. She says she just wants what’s best for him, and he asks, when was the last time she saw him happy, truly content? She says she can’t remember. Maybe now. He says he likes his life the way it is. It’s the one gift he got out of the world falling apart. Don’t ruin it for him. She says, of course she wouldn’t ruin it, but tell her one thing. Is it as good as it seems? He says, better. She says, if she wanted to get help for her people, could she do that there? He says, anything is possible, as long as she follows the rules. Does she want some cake? She says, hell yeah.
Princes sees Mercer coming up the steps to the train station, and runs out. She says, fancy meeting him there. She admires his muscles, and says, clearly, they’ve got a gym. He asks her to excuse him; he has business inside. She says she wanted to thank him, and he says, for what? She holds up the $2 bill, and says, for making sure she got this back. He says, no need to thank him. He was returning her property. Is there something else? She says, yeah… He has really beautiful eyelashes.
Keith hangs by his arms, and Aaron says tell him where the others went. He holds a zombie on the end of a stick, close to Keith, and says, how many more? Answer him. He brings the zombie closer, and it bites at Keith’s jacket. Keith yells for Lydia to help him, and Aaron asks, where are they? Keith says, the Alexandrians pretended they were better than the dead, but dead is honest. His friends are better off dead. Aaron lets the zombie bite Keith, and Lydia is clearly disturbed. Aaron says, the clock is ticking. Does he feel better off? He can help Keith by cutting off his hand before the infection spreads, but they don’t have much time. Where are they? Keith says he doesn’t know; he swears. Aaron asks if the Whisperers are still a threat, and Keith says, no, but Aaron says, stop lying. Lydia says, enough, but Aaron says he needs answers. Lydia says Aaron wants something else, and she won’t be there to watch. Jerry, who’s holding Keith’s arms up via a pulley, drops Keith closer to the zombie, and Aaron says, tell the truth. Keith asks what Aaron wants him to say. There were more, but they’re gone. He doesn’t know where. Carol shoots the zombie in the head with an arrow, and Aaron asks, what the hell is she doing? She says, she’s stopping him from doing something, but he says he’s doing what he has to, to keep safe. She, of all people, should understand. She says, not like this, but he says, look around. They’re standing in the ashes of what the Whisperers destroyed. Grace is hungry because of them. There’s a world full of people beyond saving, and he’s not waiting for them to show up on their doorstep. Carol says she knows how it felt after Henry was murdered, when she let it take control of her, and take her down a dark path. Now with everything she does, she carries it with her. It’s a path he doesn’t want to go down. Let him go. Jerry drops Keith, and Aaron says, he can cut Keith’s hand off, or he can do it himself. The choice is his. He drops a knife in front of Keith. Geez, not even an ax.
Rosita fixes the handprint thing, and hears Eugene on the radio. She asks if he’s okay, and says it’s good to hear his voice. He says, they’re all safe, and yes, he’s doing okay. How are things there? Rosita says, the war is over. Alpha and Beta are dead, but Alexandria is trashed. They’re running out of food. He starts to break up, and she asks if he’s still there. Where is he? Judith says, he’s gone.
Eugene says he lost the feed. Something is haywire. Mercer marches in, and tells him, hands up. He tells some guys to search Eugene, and says Eugene is under arrest for unauthorized use of company property. Eugene is taken away.
Negan puts stuff in his bag, and Maggie asks what he’s doing. He says he’s leaving, and she says, not with the supplies. Their mission isn’t finished. He says, it is for him, and they struggle over the bag. He tells her, get over it, and she pushes him. They look at each other for a hot minute, and she pushes him again. They hear someone about to come in, and get in position, grabbing weapons. Elijah brings Gabriel in, and Maggie says, he made it. Elijah says the found each other in the woods, and Gabriel says he didn’t know if he’d survive. He knew they would be there, but what about the others? She tells him that Duncan, Cole, and Agatha are dead, and Alden is holed up in a church; she doesn’t know about the rest. Gabriel says, so we wait. Maggie nods, and says, we wait. She looks at Negan, and he sits.
Eugene paces in the office, where Ezekiel and Princess wait with him. He asks, where’s the young woman who was with him at the train station? and a man says they’re being charged with unlawful trespass, reckless endangerment, and illegal communication with a foreign entity, according to article whatever, and section whatsis of the Commonwealth criminal code. They’ll have a hearing before a judge, and if found guilty, they’ll be dropped in a zone far outside the Commonwealth walls, and banished from the community forever. Princess asks if they can’t talk to a lawyer, and the man says, they have an attorney? Ezekiel says, a fancy one. If they like rules so much, they need to have one. The man says, they’re asylum seekers, not citizens, and Eugene asks again about Stephanie. He says, she’ll be charged separately as a citizen, and Eugene says, they weren’t doing anything wrong. He says, tell it to the judge, when Lance walks in with Stephanie. He tells the man, let them go, but tells the group, don’t move. He’s going to find Mercer. He leaves, and Ezekiel says, was that…? Princess says, the video guy. Eugene thanks Stephanie, but she says, she might have stopped them from being banished, but they’ll have to pay in one way or another for what they’ve done.
Keith tells Lydia that he understands. Alpha would have done worse. Carol gives him some mushrooms as sustenance for him and the others, and he thanks her. He tells her that they’re not all like Alpha; some of them just want to survive. Lydia tells him, don’t ever look back. The group loads up their wagon, and Keith says, they don’t think he’s changed. Jerry tells him, that’s not for him to say, and Keith says he can prove it. Jerry asks, how? and Keith says he saw one of their people. She came out of the cave where Alpha kept the horde. The cave collapsed, and she was all alone. She looked hurt, but alive. Carol asks when he last saw her, and he says, in the woods by the screaming cave. Carol asks if Lydia knows where that is, and Lydia says she does. Carol says, they’ve got to go. Connie is alive. Aaron says, it will be dark before they get back. They’ll go at first light. The group heads out, and Aaron looks back. The other four Whisperers come out, and go to Keith.
Next time, Kelly says, something’s not right; and Connie is trapped by someone.
😱 How Much Is That Zombie In the Window…?
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton’s son Gus did a zombie cameo in tonight’s episode. Giving us proof that you can’t escape bullying even when you’re dead.
👶 Old News…
Does anybody even care about Shane anymore?
https://www.insider.com/is-judith-ricks-kid-cailey-fleming-response-2021-9
🗯 Everybody Has an Opinion…
Why shouldn’t Rick have his own ending?
https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-show-andrew-lincoln-unused-ending-perfect/
⚰️ Save the Date…
The new season of Fear the Walking Dead begins October 17th.
https://www.tvinsider.com/1008292/fear-the-walking-dead-season-7-apocalypse-survivors-preview/
🌄 And While We’re On the Subject…
Walking Dead: The World Beyond starts it’s second and final season October 3rd.
https://www.tvinsider.com/1008293/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-season-2-preview-rick/
🏆 For the Win…
Tonight’s Emmy winners.
https://ew.com/awards/emmys/emmy-awards-2021-winners-list/
And the most important part – the fashion.
https://www.eonline.com/photos/33272/emmys-2021-red-carpet-fashion
Some of the worst. Although I actually like the thing with the charms hanging from it, and the humongous belt buckle.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10001837/The-worst-dressed-stars-2021-Emmys.html
🍃 Making Like a Tree…
Funny how another Monday happens every week. Or how meaningless the word Monday is to those who have abandoned calendar living altogether. See you for soap and on shenanigans on Deck tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay being your bad self in a good way, and stay not letting anything take you down a dark path. Not even a zombie.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 