Thursday, November 29, 2018

The Walking Dead Season 9 Epsidose 8 "Evolution"

Zombies walking in a field. Daryl and Dog join Aaron and Jesus. He reports that the herd appears to be between 130 and 140 walkers. The zombies are acting strangely. Jesus says their behavior is not normal. Daryl agrees but says they should go because a storm is coming. One zombie stops and looks up.

Gabriel says, "You are here. Aware of yourself. Just let it go. Don't judge the distraction. Accept it, consider it, and then release it. Just let it wash over you." He uses a stick on a singing bowl. He is speaking to Negan. Helping him meditate. Negan gives up. He knows that Gabriel and Rosita are together. Gabriel knows Negan wants help. Negan doesn't see any benefit to their sessions. He knows he is never leaving the cell. He thanks Gabriel for helping him but he has everything he needs. Gabriel tells him a life needs to have meaning. Negan mentions how people forget that he is there so they stand outside his window and he hears what they say. He heard Rosita the other day. He tries to bait Gabriel but Gabriel won't fall for it. The entire time Negan plays with a tennis ball. Gabriel walks out and sees the two messengers from Hilltop. They brought news that they found Rosita injured.


At Hilltop two men on horseback shout to everyone that riders are coming. Everyone runs inside the gate. When Michonne and her group arrive everyone is inside. Luke likes what he sees. His group is suspicious. Tara, Alden, and others run to the gate. Diane tells them six people are coming but then says wait. She gives Tara a look. Magna is ready for a fight. Diane asks them to state their business. Michonne says they are there to get Rosita. Michonne says the others are good people looking for a home. Michonne takes out her katana and other weapons and throws them on the ground. Siddiq follows suite as well as the new people. They walk in and Michonne asks Tara where Jesus it. Tara says he is out searching for Eugene. Michonne is surprised to find out Eugene is missing. Siddiq asks how Rosita is doing. Enid gives them an update. Tara says Aaron told them that Eugene was with Rosita. Michonne is angry to find out Aaron was there. They tell her he went with the others to look for Eugene. Tara tells the new people they will have to talk to Jesus when he gets back and they will be expected to earn their keep. Connie thanks them. Tara just says okay. Siddiq tells Michonne it's good that they are at Hilltop.

Magna thinks it sounds like a cult since their leader is called Jesus. Connie is sure it's just a nickname and Yumiko wants to prove they are worthy of staying at Hilltop. Siddiq tells Michonne he knew nothing about Eugene and Rosita. She is mad at him for not telling him about Aaron. He says these people are their friends not a back channel. Siddiq gets a hug from Carol. Michonne says she didn't expect to see her. Neither did Carol. She asks about the new people and they introduce themselves. She signs her name to Connie. Carol asks about the kids. Michonne says they are doing well. Carol tells her that Henry is becoming an apprentice. Michonne mentions she got Ezekiel's letter but she won't participate in the fair. She says they have had their troubles too. Carol says, "But we've all lost something. You and me, we both lost children. And we kept going. For each other. We've always been a family." Michonne says, "And we still are. But Kingdom is Kingdom, Hilltop is here, and Alexandria is there, and in between, there's a whole lot of broken world, and we cannot pretend otherwise. We've got to take care of out own now. It's just the way it is." Carol says, "That's a shame." Michonne agrees. She tells Carol to give Ezekiel and Henry her best.


Aaron says Daryl has been trading with Hilltop. Jesus says he used to come a couple of times a year but never stayed. But the gaps between visits have gotten longer. He assumes Daryl just likes it out there on his own. Aaron says that reminds him of Jesus. Jesus says they used to be explorers. Aaron reminds him that they used to go out looking for people and making them a part of something bigger. "Maybe showing those people a way forward is the next step in that." Aaron thinks Jesus would be a good leader if he just stopped fighting it. He says Daryl also needs to stop fighting the need to find people. Daryl says the herd is coming towards them. He sets an alarm clock and throws it out in the field. He tells them to go.

Diane wants to go back to Kingdom with Carol. She says Kingdom needs her more than Hilltop. Alden and Henry load supplies into Carol's wagon. Henry says he got an advance on his pay which he used to get her supplies to take back. She hugs him. Alden says he will take good care of Henry. He says he'll be back for the fair. He will make her proud. He already has made her proud. She waves goodbye as she leaves.

Jesus says the herd is now double what Daryl reported. Aaron thinks it could have merged with another herd. Daryl's alarm clock goes off and the herd follows the sound in the opposite direction. Henry works at the forge. Enid checks to see how things are going. Henry looks after Enid as she talks with Alden. She kisses Alden. Negan talks to Gabriel about smells. Gabriel tells him to shut up. Gabriel keeps trying to find a person deep down in Negan. Negan asks what happened. Gabriel tells him Rosita has been injured. He can't go help her because he has to stay behind and be responsible for Negan. Gabriel walks out. Henry eats by himself. Some kid calls out to him. He introduces himself as Gage. Gage remembers him from the war. There is also Addy and Rodney. They've noticed him looking sad. He says he just needs to get used to a new place. Gage and Addy have lived there most of their lives. They invite him to hang out with them in the woods that night. He agrees to go.

Michonne sits by Rosita's bed. Siddiq apologizes for keeping things from her but he is on her side. She says, "Coming here, I knew people would still be angry, but that doesn't make it any easier." He says it's not too late to make amends. She won't make amends the way they want her to. "I didn't make the choices I made because I thought they'd be easy." Rosita wakes up and they tell her that she is at Hilltop. They tell her that others went out to look for Eugene. She says she needs to help find him because they don't know what they are dealing with.

Aaron, Jesus, and Daryl make it to the barn at night. Daryl sends Dog ahead. Dog points to a pile of straw. They kick it and call out for Eugene. Eugene replies affirmative. He was hiding underneath. He tells them he dislocated his knee. Eugene tells them that the herd that followed them is going to come back. It's not a normal herd. They are looking for him. The zombies were whispering to each other. He knows it sounds crazy but Rosita heard them too. Dog barks and they see the herd coming back. They help Eugene to his feet.

Henry and the kids play and listen to music. They offer Henry some booze and he takes a drink. They go outside of the gates and show him a zombie in a pit that has been shot with arrows. They throw ropes tied in a circle at the zombie. It is their game. Henry jumps in and kills the zombie. Gage calls him an asshole and asks why he did that. Henry says if he had to explain it Gage wouldn't understand.

The herd follows the rescue team. Eugene says that zombies are evolving. The zombies may be dead but their brain is still alive. Jesus says if they can learn to talk they can learn to hunt. Eugene says they have to leave him behind because he is slowing them down. Jesus tells him they came out there to rescue him. Jesus orders Aaron and Daryl to get Eugene back to the horses while he distracts the zombies. Daryl says if anyone is going to stay it will be him. Jesus agrees and Daryl and Dog go off while they help Eugene. A storm is coming. Negan plays with a tennis ball in his cell. It bounces out of his cell. He looks at his cell door. He walks towards it and pushes it open. It is unlocked. He walks out.


Tara and Earl walk down to their prison. She tells Earl that Henry threw up on her boots. Henry sits in the cell and apologizes.  Earl says he thought Henry was too tired from his trip to do anything that night. The guards found him outside the gate asking to be let back in. Henry won't rat out the other kids. Earl says he can go back to Kingdom. Henry says he knows he screwed up but many people are counting on him. He says he saw his mom cry that day. He now realizes his apprenticeship is a big deal. He didn't want to think about it for a while. Earl says he has been there (figuratively and literally). Earl says he will speak to Jesus on his behalf.

The herd walks down the road. Daryl lights some firecrackers to divert the herd. They move towards the sound. Dog barks so they will keep coming towards them but the herd goes back to their original path. Daryl tells Dog to be quiet. Eugene stumbles and screams in pain. They can hear the zombie herd coming towards them. They keep going. They climb over a fence into a graveyard to try to lose the herd. Jesus tries to open the gate to get out but can't. They try to push Eugene over the wall but they can't. The herd is now there with them. They get ready for a fight in the foggy graveyard. Aaron and Jesus start killing zombies. Even Eugene pitches in. Michonne calls Eugene's name. She is trying to open the rusted gate. Magna shows up with Yumiko. They are there to earn their keep. They help Eugene open the gate. Jesus orders Aaron to get Eugene out. He continues to fight the zombies alone. Aaron calls to him. One of the zombies fights back and stabs Jesus in the back. He whispers in his ear, "You are where you do not belong." Jesus falls dead. Aaron and Michonne go to help. Several armed zombies come running towards them. Daryl joins them as well as the new people. Aaron cries. Michonne looks at the zombies' weapons. Daryl calls her over. He looks at one of the zombies. It is not really a zombie. It was someone wearing zombie skin mask. They hear more "zombies" talking. They are surrounded.


Final Thoughts
- I'm glad it turns out the zombies aren't really zombies. They needed a new enemy to fight. I'm looking forward to seeing them fight The Whisperers.
- Won't the Whisperers get sick from wearing zombie flesh masks?
- Did someone accidentally leave Negan's cell open or was it on purpose?
- At least Jesus went out fighting.
- Will Tara be Hilltop's next leaders now that Jesus is dead? Will Maggie come back before the end of the season?

R.I.P. Paul "Jesus" Rovia

Saturday, November 24, 2018

The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 7 "Stradivarius"

 Rosita runs through the wood. Zombies can be heard saying,  "She's dead. But we're getting closer to her. Don't let her get away." She is alone and is bleeding form her head. She passes out.

Daryl takes Henry and Carol back to his camp. Carol warns Henry to be careful where he steps because Daryl has traps everywhere. His camp is by the river. Carol asks if he's fixed his boat. No response. A dog comes up to him and sits by him. The dog has brought back a hand. When Carol asks when he last ate he says the dog ate the day before.

Michonne takes the new group to Hilltop. Siddiq is glad Michonne changed her mind about the new people but thinks she should have let them stay in Alexandria. He says she likes the new people. She doesn't trust them. Magna complains that they still have her knives. Her people want her to chill. They want to see what this new place will be like. Magna is not happy. She wants her knives so she can have options. Yumiko apologizes for Magna to Michonne. She says Magna is still upset about losing Bernie. Yumiko asks what Hilltop is like. Michonne says she hasn't been there in a while. Hilltop appears to be prospering. Large amounts of crops. A working forge. Enid appears to be their doctor. Tara overlooks the community She has a clipboard and appears to be inspecting things. Jesus listens to a record on a gramophone. Maggie sent a letter. Apparently she is with Georgie. Tara tells him several people want to speak to him. He has her tell him what is going on. Looks like Jesus is in charge. She tells him the issues he needs to deal with and tells him he was reelected as leader of Hilltop. He refuses to use Maggie's office. She says he is pretending the situation is still temporary.

Daryl shoots a snake. He kills a zombie. Carol says he's been out there longer than he said he would be. He says he likes it. It's quiet. He asks about Ezekiel. She tells him she is taking Henry to Hilltop. He wants to know why she is there. She wants him to go to Hilltop with them. she wants him to accompany Henry. Henry is an idealist and that can be dangerous. Daryl says Henry has to learn just like everyone else. Like they did.

Michonne and her group arrive to where the new people where rescued. The zombies destroyed their rig. Their belongings are strewn all over the ground. Magna cries. She rifles through Bernie's belongings. Yumiko tells her she should take something. Siddiq finds a recorder. He tells Michonne it was his first instrument. But after a week his mom decided that he like painting better. Luke is looking for something. Connie says he like rescuing musical instruments. Connie says Luke has a musical fetish. Michonne orders her men to collect the weapons they find. Magna wants to keep their weapons but Michonne won't take them armed to Hilltop. Michonne will not be accompanying them all the way to Hilltop. She says they have a choice. They keep their weapons and are on their own or they give up their weapons and are escorted to Hilltop. Luke, Connie, and Yumiko are all for Hilltop. Magan and Kelly are not. Yumiko gets her people to agree to go to Hilltop.

Jesus rides his horse down a road when he is attacked. Aaron tackled him off his horse. They fight a friendly match. Aaron has a fake arm. He punches Jesus and apologizes. Jesus heard Aaron coming so he wasn't surprised by the attack. Jesus is finding it harder to leave Hilltop. Tara wouldn't be happy knowing he's gone that far without a security detail. Michonne would not be happy knowing Aaron is breaking protocol to be out there. Jesus is not participating in the fair. Michonne voted it down as well. Jesus says the fair is important. All of the communities need to get back together. Aaron knows but Michonne doesn't know about Maggie. Their conversation ends when they see a flare. They find Rosita sitting by a tree. She shot the flare. Aaron asks her what happened. He asks what happened to Eugene and she says she left him at a barn. Jesus point out that a several zombies are coming at that it will be dark soon. Eugene will have to wait until morning. They are taking Rosita to Hilltop.

Daryl makes a soup. The dog brings him a piece of a foot. Carol says it's nice of him to cook for them. He says there are people at Hilltop that know how to cook. Henry realizes why they are visiting Daryl. He's not happy. Later that night Carol cuts Daryl's hair with a knife. He says he knows that she thinks he is still looking for Rick. He never found a body. She tells him he has to let it go. They eat dinner. Henry asks Daryl how he got the scar on his face. Daryl doesn't respond. He just calls for the dog whose name is Dog. Siddiq and the others sleep in an abandoned building.

Michonne is on guard duty. She hears something and draws her katana. She walks towards the noise. She finds Luke rummaging through the bags and tells him to drop what he has in his hands. He says he can't. She goes at him with her sword and he screams. The others come to see what happened. She destroyed a violin.

Henry wakes up when he hears Daryl walk past his tent. He follows him but finds a zombie instead. Daryl comes up behind him. He tells Henry to go back to camp and kills the zombie. Daryl follows the sound of the dog barking. It is tied to a tree and surrounded by zombies that are stuck because of Daryl's traps. Daryl calls the dog down and unties it.  One of the zombies pulls Daryl down by the leg. Henry tries to help but Daryl tells him to stay back. Daryl deals with the zombies himself. One of the trapped zombies breaks free and is about to attack Daryl but Henry kills it before it can. Carol was in the woods ready with her bow and arrow.

Tara gives Jesus an update on Rosita's condition. She's resting and suffering from dehydration. She asks what Aaron and Jesus were doing out there. Jesus has been training Aaron, keeping the lines of communication open, and just making sure they are still alive. She asks if he is doing this to avoid being at Hilltop. He says he is doing it so that Alexandria will join the fair. Tara says they won't. He says the fair is important. She tells him people are noticing his absence because they need him since he is their leader. He says they shouldn't have made him their leader. She tells him to stop pretending that he is just temporarily their leader. Everyone's counting on him. She tells him to stay. She will go look for Eugene in the morning.


Daryl takes off his shirt and we can see scars on his back. I can't tell if they are new of from his childhood with an abusive father. He has an x on his back like Michonne. Henry reads by the campfire. Daryl tosses him something that is good for infection. He tells Henry that the dog checks the traps. That's how he knows if he has a zombie problem (hence the zombie body parts the dog keeps bringing him). He thanks Henry for his help. Henry thanks him for saving his life. He asks that Daryl not tell Carol. He says the traps are not for animals they are to keep the zombies out. There are more and more each day. Carol has told Henry that Daryl is her best friend and she misses him. She worries about Daryl. Daryl says she knows how to find him. Henry says she shouldn't have to look for him. Daryl asks if Henry wants Daryl looking over his shoulder all the time. Henry says it's not about him.

Luke looks at the broken violin. He tells Michonne it is an original Stradivarius. They've been traveling with a collection of instruments. Siddiq wants to know why. Luke says it's art. He talks about the reason humans defeated Neanderthals. A flute was found in a cave. Humans shared their lives through storytelling, painting, and music. As humans grew and spread Neanderthals died out. Music is what separates us from the animals. Michonne wants to know how he can believe that after everything he's been through. He says yes. She has no response. The next morning Siddiq asks her to come with them to Hilltop. She won't. He tells her she doesn't have to worry about Maggie. She says they can't risk it because they don't know what will happen if Maggie sees Michonne. He tells her Maggie is gone. She left with Hershel. Jesus now runs Hilltop. They are interrupted by zombies. Magna wants their weapons but Michonne runs ahead. Magna grabs a brick and kills a zombie. Michonne ignores everyone. DJ has the weapons and hands them out to everyone. They split up. The new people are good with their weapons. Michonne realizes it's the same herd that attacked the new people because zombie Bernie is there. He approaches Magna and Michonne kills him. They make it to the wagon. The new people in shock.

 

The next morning Daryl asks Carol how she slept. He tells her to be ready in ten minutes as he packs his bike. She smiles. On the way to Hillotp Michonne tells Yumiko she knows what's it like to take care of your family and protect them. Yumiko wants a safe home and Michonne tells her she will get that. Siddiq tells Michonne that Maggie is with Georgie helping at a new community far away. The reason he didn't tell her earlier was that he promised someone he wouldn't. He still wants her to go with them to Hilltop. She says she kept her promise to Judith. Siddiq asks, "What about Carl? What about your promise to him?" She says, "It's not that simple." They hear hoofbeats and two men with spears approach. She asks if they are from Hilltop. She tells them she is from Alexandria. They came to deliver a message. They have Rosita and she is injured. Connie sees something in the woods. It looks empty but they wait. She says it's nothing.  It looks as if someone was watching them from the woods.

Carol, Henry, and Daryl arrive. Henry asks if Enid is still there. He is taller and bigger now. Carol teases him. Daryl hugs Tara. Carol hugs Tara. Jesus is happy to see them. Carol tells them that Henry wants to apprentice in blacksmithing. Aaron and Daryl hug. Aaron tells him about Rosita and Eugene. Aaron asks for Daryl's help. Daryl looks at Carol and she tells him to go. Jesus says he knows where to look so Tara says she will stay. They go off to look for Eugene.


Final Thoughts
- Is this how Maggie exists the show? I know the Lauren Cohan has a new show and wasn't going to stay on but I expected a farewell episode for her.
- What happened between Maggie and Michonne to cause a rift? Is it still Negan?
- Why did the communities stop dealing with each other? Or was it just Alexandria.
- Are Aaron and Jesus just friends or something more?
- What do the x scars mean? Could it be for those looking for Rick? Who else has one?
- It's sweet and sad that Daryl is still looking for Rick. Will Daryl be in the upcoming movies with Rick?

Saturday, November 17, 2018

The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 6 "Who Are You Now?"

Michonne talks to herself/Rick. She says life hasn't gotten any easier. Daryl wakes up in a dilapidated tent. He fishes with a pole. On a cracked wall is a quote by King Ezekiel, "At Time We Crack, Only to Let the Light In." Carol looks at it from her bed. She has long hair now. She smiles at a sleeping Ezekiel. She looks down at Kingdom that is prospering. Michonne continues, "Try to find where you belong. Try to look ahead to a better future. But the truth is the path ahead has only grown darker. You can feel so lost. So alone, so desperate for something, anything that might show you the way. But even now, after all this time, surrounded by darkness there are still flashes of light, tiny beacons that shine out, calling to us." She rides down a road. She finds an abandoned van. She looks inside and finds a box. Inside she finds a figurine that looks a lot like Rick. "It's not enough to light the way ahead but its' enough to keep going. Keep trying. Keep fighting. Keep dreaming." Daryl comes across a walker stuck in a tree. a bird eats a worm off the walker. He follows the bird and watches as it feeds the worm to its babies. He walks away. At Kingdom Carol gardens. Carol smiles when she sees a flower growing. "So that's what I do. Every second of every day, for you, for us. I haven't given up, and I never will." She smiles sadly and gets back on her horse. She was at the bridge that Rick blew up.


Rosita calls for Judith along with Aaron. They call her Jude. The people she helped walk towards them. She tells Aaron that they needed her help. One of the men says. Our rig, it got overrun by sickos." Judith gives them water. Rosita says they can't help them. Judith disagrees. The man says that he dabbled in the culinary arts. He offers to make osso bucco out of the deer Eugene is carrying. Eugene says they make stew because it feeds more people. Judith begins to explain that they have a large community with walls when the adults stop her. One woman signs to another explaining what Judith is saying. Zombies approach and Eugene walks up and starts killing them with his knife. Judith says the new people need food, water, and, medicine. "If they don't go. I don't go." Rosita gives Aaron a look. Aaron tells the new people to follow them.

Carol looks as people are repairing buildings at Kingdom. She asks Jerry is there is any part of Kingdom that isn't falling apart. He replies, "Our loyalty to you my queen." She laughs. He says she has to accept it. They hear a bang and go running. A water pipe has burst. Henry is trying to fix the pipe. They tape it. Ezekiel arrives and Carol explains what happened. Henry says they are holding things together with plastic and tape. They need better tools and someone who's trained.  Ezekiel warns him to watch his tone. Henry apologizes.  Henry practices with his stick as Ezekiel looks on. Carol says that Henry's right. Kingdom is getting older. Carol says Henry just wants to fix his home. Ezekiel says Henry is needed at Kingdom. Carol says Ezekiel will always need Henry. Ezekiel wants Henry to be safe. He doesn't want to send Henry to Hilltop to be trained by Earl. He says Hilltop is far away. Carol says, "But sometimes you have to let the cracks happen to let the light in." He laughs.

Eugene says that they are violating the security protocols. Rosita says she knows as she takes the hood off of one of the new people. They arrive at Alexandria. The new people mention Jones Springs and Coalport. They apparently had bad experiences at those communities and seem a little hesitant about Alexandria. Judith promises that they will be safe. She offers her hand to one of the women. The woman takes her hand and Judith leads them in. The new people stare in awe at Alexandria. They now have a windmill and new buildings. They have many crops that seem to be flourishing. Gracie runs towards Aaron and calls him daddy but he tells her to stay where she is. Siddiq and several others run towards them. Rosita tells Siddiq they brought in another new person with head trauma. He will take her to the infirmary. One of the new women wants to accompany her friend but she is stopped by an Alexandrian. Michonne arrives and asks what's going on. An Alexandrian replies, "Five unknowns, all clean one headed to the infirmary." Michonne stares at the new people. She pats down one of the women. Eugene says they surrendered their weapons and were frisked. Michonne wants to know why there are in Alexandria. Aaron says it was his call. She tells him it's not his call to make. Judith says she decided. Michonne reminds her she knows the rules. They all know the rules. Aaron says, "Look, no disrespect, but maybe their fate is something we should decide together." Gabriel says it will be dark soon they can bring them before the council in the morning to vote. Michonne agrees. She orders them to be put in holding. Judith finds the figurine that looks like Rick lying on the floor.


Ezekiel hugs Henry and then shakes his hand. Henry is going away but will be back before the fair. He tells him to be respectful, responsible, kind, and safe. He wishes he and Jerry were accompanying Carol and Henry. She says he needs to prepare for the fair. He says, "If we could bring the communities back together as full partners, it would  change everything." She reassures him. Ezekiel says Henry is a dreamer. Carol says the world could use more dreamers.

Gabriel speaks to the new people. He sits at a table with Aaron, Michonne and a few others. Gabriel says, "We're a fair community of decent minded people but we are not soft. And that's not going to change today." He asks for the identity of their leader. They all look at the woman with tattoos but she says the don't have one. They did not know each other before the zombiepocalypse. The man explains how they met. He mentions they lost one of their group yesterday. There were others but they didn't make it. He cries as well as one of the women. Aaron asks who they were before all this. The man, Luke, was a music teacher. Tattoo woman, Magna, waited tables at a truck stop. The deaf woman, Connie, was a journalist. Her translator and sister, Kelly, was in high school. Gabriel asks, "Who are you now?" A fighter. A guardian angel. A music teacher. He says education never ends. Gabriel asks, "What did you do to survive?" Magna replies, "What I had to, anything I had to." Kelly answers for her sister and herself, "She never gave up, but me, I grew up." Luke says, "I don't think I did anything special. I don't know what I did to deserve it. At first I was just lucky, I was in the right place at the right time, and then I met the right people." They don't have anything in common except that they are all breathing and that is a lot these days. Michonne says they want to be kind and generous but this decision comes with a heavy price. She asks Magna to show her left hand. She inspects it and we see that she has a prison tattoo. Magna says she can explain. Michonne asks her to put the knife on the table. Magna undoes her belt buckle and pulls out a knife.  Michonne tells the others to vote and walks away. Magna wants to ask Michonne a question but Michonne refuses and walks away.

Gabriel uncovers several radios and transistors. He turns them on. Rosita walks in. She thought he gave up on it and he says he did. He turns it off. "I just keep thinking that there are still people out there, people that we don't know about. Those survivors? I think Michonne's wrong. I think they're good people." Rosita doesn't think that prison matters. She says the new people will stay until their injured friend gets better so there is still time for Michonne to change her mind. Gabriel was talking to Eugene. Eugene thinks they could boost the signal by setting up a remote amplifier farther out. They know Michonne will consider that a security breach. Gabriel wonders who else might be out there. She tells him to stay and help the new people. She and Eugene will deal with the new relay box. She kisses Gabriel. He says she's amazing. Michonne is talking to Rick again. Judith overhears her. She is talking about Carl. She wants to protect her people like he protected Carl. She knows it's not part of the plan. Judith walks away and Michonne hears her. She tells Judith it is almost time for her lesson.

Henry says they missed the turn off for Hilltop. Carol says they are not going to Hilltop just yet. They hear a woman call for help. Henry gets out of the wagon and goes to help. Carol calls for him to stop but when he doesn't she follows him. He finds a group surrounding a woman. It is Regina with some Saviors. They point their weapons at Henry. Carol comes with her bow and arrow and tells Regina to drop her weapon. Jed and some more Saviors come up behind them. They point their weapons at Carol.



Rosita and Eugene are on their way to set up the remote amplifier. Eugene says that Rosita must really like Gabriel if she is willing to violate security protocol. He says there are other men besides Gabriel for her to choose from. She can tell he is referring to himself. They stop when they come upon tracks left by hundreds of zombies.

Siddiq cares for the injured woman, Yumiko. He tells Magna that Yumiko could be back on her feet by the next day. Magna asks if she should be out and about. He says it's not for him to say. Magna looks out the window at Michonne training Judith. Luke asks Siddiq about his story. Siddiq says he was a stranger they took in but things were different before. Luke asks for the reason things changed. Siddiq says there is a reason for everything and walks away.

Regina says they saw Carol and Henry coming a mile away. They are looking at the supplies in Carol's wagon. Jed says times have been tough since Sanctuary went bust. The Saviors use zombies to pull their wagon. Carol says the Saviors could have joined one of the other communities. Jed replies, "That ain't really my bag either." The Saviors laugh. "You spare me back in the day so I'm gonna offer you the same courtesy. Keep your wagon, your horses, your lives. . . Everything else is ours, and that'll make us square." Carol agrees. He wants her ring as well. Henry grabs his stick and hits Jed. Jed knocks Henry down but Carol gets in between them and gives Jed her ring. He puts it on. He tells her he likes her hair and walks away.

Judith reads her math word problem about airplanes out loud. Negan listens to her. She asks if he is going to help. He asks if she has every seen an airplane or ever will. She says no. He says math problems are supposed to apply to the real world. She looks down at the figurine. She tells him Michonne is going to make the strangers leave. He says she wants to help. He tells her when he was little he used to bring home stray dogs. One day a stray dog killed all of the other strays and chewed off half of his mother's ear when she tried to stop it. "The thing is, that dog seemed just as friendly and grateful as the rest of 'em." She asked if he ever brought another dog home. He says no. He wised up. She replies, "And look how great everything turned out for you." She packs up her stuff and says she only wanted his help with math. "Because it doesn't matter if you're a good or bad person on the inside. The numbers don't care." She walks away.

Eugene sets up the amplifier on a water tower. He turns it on and tells Rosita he going back down. He starts to climb down when he sees a herd of zombies. He warns Rosita. She tells him to get down. He  drops his bag and that spooks the horses and they run away. Rosita grabs some things from the wagon as Eugene makes his way down. He accidentally knocks over the ladder and has to jump down the last bit. He hurts his knee. Rosita grabs a shovel for him to use as a crutch.

Carol and Henry camp out for the night. He doesn't understand why she didn't try to fight the Saviors. She says there is no point. He says, "No, there's right, and there's wrong. You stand up for what's right, and you fight what's wrong. You taught me that. And I remember when you did. What happened?" She replies, "You." She looks down at her hand where there is no longer a ring.

Magna apologizes to her group. She says Michonne set her up. Connie says that Magna should have ditched the knife. Magna says she didn't know how things were going to play out. She wanted options. Luke asks her to hand over Yumiko's necklace.  She takes it off and we see it is two sharp blades. She says they need supplies or they will die out there. He says like they always do. Connie tells her to not be an asshole. She tells them Bernie would have wanted them to have this place. She wants to fight like they always do. Connie tells her to leave Michonne alone. Alexandria had their own Coalport and they survived for a reason. If they have to leave then they leave. Magna says they need this. Luke tells Magna to listen to Connie. There are children in this community. If she wants to fight debate style that's fine but but fight fight is for someone who deserves it. He asks Connie and Kelly if they agree. They do. He tells Magna to sleep on it.

The Saviors sleep. Someone takes the match out of Jed's mouth. He wakes up. He sees Carol light the match. She says, "The ring I could let go. But that stuff belonged to people I knew, people who went out and never came back." He says they found the stuff. She says he hurt her son. He promises she will never see him again. She says she knows. She drops the match and they all catch fire. I assume she covered them in fuel while they slept.

Michonne is being watched through the windows of her house. Magna has the blade necklace. Michonne says RJ and a little boy in pajamas runs into her arms. Magna looks at her. Michonne opens her door when someone knocks on it and finds Magna there with the blade knife. She closes the blades and hands Michonne the necklace. She says, "You missed one." Michonne stares at her warily but takes the necklace and thanks her. Magna says, "You're right about me. I've done things. Terrible things. If I had all this, I wouldn't trust me either." She walks away. Michonne says, "We've all done things. Or else we wouldn't be here. It isn't always that easy to live with. " Magna replies, "It's better than losing everything." Judith sits on the stairs with Rick's gun. She says, "You said Dad would've wanted me to have it to protect myself and the people I love." Michonne replies, "Yeah, he would, but I'm the one that supposed to be protecting you." Judith wants to know if that is why she is kicking out the strangers. Judith says, " 'Cause I think Dad would have wanted me to do what I did yesterday, too." Michonne smiles and says, "He would've been proud. Your brother too?" Judith wants to know why she won't help the strangers. Michonne tells her she will understant some day. Judith tells her she knows Michonne speaks to Rick and Carl. She is starting to forget their voices. They are fading away. She puts the figurine down. She hopes Michonne can still hear them.

Rosita and Eugene run from the zombies. Eugene tells Rosita he is holding her back. He is about to confess something but she tells him to stop making things weird. They run. Henry apologizes to Carol. He notices she has the ring back on her finger. He asks where she is taking them. She says she knows where they are going. Daryl walks up to them. She offers him a ride.  Michonne takes off her robe and we see a scar on her back in the shape of an x. She dresses in one of Rick's shirts. Judith walks up to the strangers as they are getting ready to leave. Luke thanks Siddiq, Gabriel, and Judith. They walk towards the gate and Michonne rides up to them. She says, "Change of plans." She will escort them to another community that might take them in. Siddiq and Gabriel look at each other. Siddiq asks if she is taking them to Hilltop. She says he is coming too so he can keep an eye on his patient. Connie thanks Judith. Judith and Michonne smile at each other. Rosita and Eugene run through the woods. They slide down to some muddy water and cover themselves in mud. The zombies apporach as they lie down. A zombie says, "Where are they?" Another zombie says, "They must be close."  Another says, "Don't let them get away." The herd walks past them.



Final Thoughts
- I am done with Negan. He just seems like a distraction.
- I am interested by the new characters. I don't know if Maggie will accept them. But I am concerned that the addition of new characters will slow down the storytelling making this season boring.
- I understand that they are trying to make the zombies scarier by making them sentient. I feel that if that had happened in earlier seasons it would have worked. But at this point I feel there wouldn't be many zombies left. They would be too decomposed after the 10 or so years since the zombiepocalypse.

Friday, November 9, 2018

The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 5 "What Comes After"

  What's Your Wound?
 
Rick tells himself to wake up. "It's time to go." He is speaking to season 1 Rick lying in the hospital bed. He hears Morgan ask about his wound. He looks down and sees the blood on his side. Now season 1 Rick is telling him to wake up. Rick wakes up and sees the zombies coming towards him. He tries to get up but can't. He is stuck. He takes off his belt and uses it to pull himself free. He gets on his horse as the two herds converge. They follow him.

Anne drives an RV. It stops working. A man on the walkie asks her to confirm her location and status of the "A." She says she has an A and gives them a location. They know her people abandoned the landfill. The man asks if it's a trick. She says it isn't. She is desperate to leave. Rick rides down the road. He is bleeding profusely and struggling to remain conscious. He says to himself, "I need to keep 'em safe. I need to stay awake. Lead 'em away. Some . . ." He looses consciousness. He sees zombies and an empty hospital bed. He wakes up and looks at the herd behind him. He urges the horse on but he is in too much pain to keep up that pace.

Maggie and Diane ride their horses towards Alexandria. A zombie comes towards them and Maggie kills it with a crowbar. She hits it more times than is necessary. Rick rides on. He rides towards a cabin. On the door of the cabin are the words, "Come face me assholes." Rick walks around to the side of the house to an open door. He uses a piece of cloth to bandage his wounds. He finds a couple of skeletons. It looks like one killed the other than himself. Rick falls asleep.

Rick rides his horse towards Atlanta. The herd of zombies follow him. Rick voice over, "I'm looking for my family." Lori asks, "What's your wound?" That's the same thing Morgan asked him. He rides in the city towards a police car. Shane sits inside the car.  Shane says, "God damn, cowboy. You look like shit." They sit in the car eating burgers just like the beginning of the pilot episode. Rick asks Shane what this is. Shane responds, "What is this? Come on, Rick. Look around. You know what this is." Rick notices the overturned car with the two idiots they were chasing before he was shot. They talk about the third man. The third man changed everything (he shot Rick). Rick says he is looking for his family. Shane says, "Well, see that's not entirely true. One could argue it's my family you're looking for. Right? How is my baby girl, by the way? Got my eyes, doesn't she?" Rick responds, "She hasn't got your nose." They both laugh. They talk about how they each think the other one is an asshole. Shane talks about how he turned Rick into an asshole. Out in the field the night Rick killed Shane. Rick took a page out of Shane's book. Shane says, "I'm glad you did it. You stepped up brother." Rick says, "It had to be me. Still has to be me." Shane says Rick is wrong. It has to be Shane. Shane says, "The only way this gets done, Rick. I want you to think about how you bit that piece of shit's throat out. Asshole in the church with the red machete. That's what I'm talkin' about. That's the shit that I need from you that I always knew you had in you. I knew you had it in you, Rick, and it is time. You want answers? You wanna know what this is all about, this right here, you and me? So now I'm gonna tell you and I want you to listen carefully. It's time, Kneel down. Dig deep. Find it, Rick, the rage, the hatred. Find it. The loyalty that's in there, find it. It's in there, Rick. It's the only way that this gets done and this has to get done. You understand me? You can do it, brother." Rick says, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to you." Shane tells him he needs to forget about that. He yells at Rick to wake up. Rick wakes up to find a zombie going for his face. The zombies followed him to the cabin. He breaks through a wall and crawls outside. They follow him. He gets back on his horse and rides away.


Michonne makes notes while Judith makes a bracelet out of shells. Scott knocks on the door and tells her Maggie has arrived. Judith smiles and says, "Aunt Maggie." Michonne is surprised. Maggie goes to the cell and finds Michonne blocking her way. Maggie tells her to get out of her way. Michonne says, "You're willing to turn this into something else? For him? " Maggie replies, "Not for him, for me. For others. For Glenn." Maggie says that Negan should have died. Michonne tells her it's done. Maggie doesn't care that Rick decided it was done. She walks towards the door. Michonne tells her to step back. Maggie says that Michonne saw what Negan did. Michonne asks, "Do you think Glenn would want this? For you to go through me to him?" Maggie replies, "I don't know what he'd want. I dunno, because I never got to say goodbye." Michonne says, "He wouldn't want it, Maggie. You father wouldn't want this. You know this." Maggie says, "The only thing I had, the one thing I had was knowing I was gonna see Glenn's murderer die and you took it from me." Michonne asks, "So takin' it back what the hell is that gonna do?" Maggie says, "It's gonna start things over." Michonne says, "No. It's gonna start something else." Maggie says if it had been Rick instead of Glenn, Michonne would have killed Negan a long time ago. Maggie can't turn it off. She asks Michonne how. She can't keep living like that. Michonne can't help her. They both cry. Maggie says, "'Cause there's nothing you can say. There's only what you do." Michonne asks if she can live with what comes after and Maggie says she has to. "Can't live with it now." Maggie puts out her hand and Michonne hands her the keys.

Maggie walks into the cell and Negan chuckles. "She got the blade but you got the fire. My money was on you." She asks if he remembers her and he does. She tells him to get on his knees. "I remember how much I broke you breakin' open your husband's head like that." She says, "Glenn. His name was Glenn." He asks if she's come for revenge. She is there for justice. He tells her he enjoyed killing. He kneels and says, "Kill me. It was worth it." She wants to see him in the light. He tells her to kill him. He won't move into the light. He cries for her to kill him. She opens the door and throws him out towards the light. He keeps asking for her to kill him. He wants to be with his wife. "I should be dead. I have to be dead. It's supposed to be you. It has to be you because I can't do it. I can't do it. I've tried. I can't. I can't be like this. Please, please, don't make me stay like this. Settle me. Kill me. Please." He sobs. She orders him to get back into his cell. He says no and asks why. She says, "I came to kill Negan, and you're already worse than dead. That settles it." He gets back in his cell and says, "It wasn't supposed to be like this." She locks the door and leaves.

The zombies follow Rick. He says, "I need to lead 'em. Gotta find my family." He flashes back to when he woke up in the hospital. He falls forward onto his horse. We see the barn on Hershel's farm. A woman asks, "What's your wound?" We see Hershel standing on the second floor of the barn where Rick and Carl used to talk. Hershel tells him to look at the view. He says it is beautiful. They hug. He apologizes for what happened to Hershel, Beth, and Glenn. For everything Maggie has lost. Hershel says, "My girl, she's strong, and my grandson, he'll only make her stronger. You ain't gotta worry about her." Rick says, "I need to find my family. I need to keep 'em together." Hershel say, "No, you don't. You only think you do. I know it's been hard." Rick says, "It has. What she wanted for me, for Carl. It hasn't been easy. We've been tryin'." Hershel finishes, "But we'll get there. All of us." Rick says, "I'm tired, Hershel. My family. Maybe I can find 'em here." Hershel responds, "No, Rick. You have to wake up." Rick wakes up. He collapses on his horse again. The zombies keep coming.

He wakes up in the hospital from the pilot. Abraham asks, "What's your wound?" He goes to the door that says "Don't Open Dead Inside." He opens the door and he light pours in. He is standing outside among a field full of dead bodies (not zombies). He sees Daryl, Maggie, Rosita, Jesus, Shane, etc. Sasha stands up and smiles at him. Rick looks at her and says, "They, they're all dead." She knows. It's okay. He asks how can it be okay. She says, "'Cause you did your part, like I did mine, like the others did before us." He asks how. "They gave us the strength that we needed to do what we had to do for the others, and the others draw strength from us. We change each other. We help each other. We make each other better. And it never ends." He says it feels like it's ending. She says, "Little things do end, but it's never the end of everything, because we don't die. It's not about you or me or any one of us. It's about all of us. And I don't think it just evens out. I think it always crosses over toward the good, toward the brave, toward love. Your family, you're not gonna find them because they're not lost. And you are not lost. What you need to do is wake up." He falls to the ground. He has fallen off the horse and now the horse has run away. He wakes up at the bridge campsite. Dead bodies lie everywhere. Zombies walk towards him. They are people from the camp that have reanimated.


The zombie herd is beginning to arrive. Rick stands up and walks towards the bridge. The falls to the ground at the foot of the bridge. He is starting to lose consciousness again. He hears Daryl call his name. Daryl and several others show up and begin killing the zombies. Michonne goes to him and says he is going to be okay. He says, "No, you take care of them. I can't. I can't."  She says, "You will. It's not over. We don't die." He nods. She holds his head in her hands. She say, "You wanna know why I fell in love with you? Because you're a fighter and you never give up. So fight, Rick. Fight for me. Fight for all of us." They look at the others. Rick says, "You're my family. I found you. But this, this isn't real." She says it is, kisses him, and tells him to wake up. He wakes up and is alone on the bridge.

He walks onto the bridge with the zombies following. Blood drips from his wound to the floor. He crosses the bridge. When he gets to the other side he turns to look as the herd comes towards him. He says, "No, No. It's gonna hold. I can't. I can't." A zombie comes up from behind to bite him and an arrow kills it. He turns to see Daryl with his crossbow. Michonne and others join him. Rick just stands there as another zombie approaches. Maggie, Carol, and some others come from the other side. She doesn't understand what Rick is doing. Michonne calls out that he is hurt. Daryl says, "That herd that went right through Hilltop. He's trying to bring down the bridge." Michonne says no and pulls out her katana. Maggie says they will turn the herd around. Carol orders the other to fire their guns. Rick says, "No, don't do it, not for me. It's too many. No." Their plan isn't working. Daryl reloads and kills zombie after zombie. Zombies knock over a box of dynamite. The others run to help Rick. Rick nods to Daryl who has stayed where he is and shoots arrows at zombies. Rick raises his gun and fires at the dynamite. He says, "I found 'em." The bridge blows up. They look on in shock. Daryl cries. The herd falls into the water and is swept away. Michonne is held back by Maggie and Carol. Daryl stands alone crying. He walks into the woods alone.




Anne makes her way to the river. A helicopter is heard overhead. She sees Rick lying by the river. She calls over to the walkie that he has a B not an A. The helicopter approaches. She calls over the walkie, "He's hurt but he's strong. Can you help him?" The man on the walkie says, "I warned you there'd be consequences if you tried something." She's says it's not a trick. She drops her gun and says she's trying to save a friend that saved her. She asks if they have a deal. No response. The helicopter lands. She tells Rick she's going to save him. He is on the helicopter with her. They fly away. A girl fights zombies. She calls bask to others to run. Several people fight their way through a herd of zombies. They stand back to back to fight the herd. Gunshots ring out and a girl calls out to them that the way is clear. A little girl stands in the woods. She has a gun in one hand and a katana on her back. She asks them their name. When they ask for hers she picks up Rick's sheriff's hat and says her name is Judith. Judith Grimes.


Final Thoughts
- I really liked this episode. It will probably be my favorite episode of this season. I loved being able to see old characters (and actors) show up to help Rick on his way. I'm surprised Carl wasn't there. Maybe Chandler was unavailable?
- So Rick's last episode isn't the end of his story. There will be three movies which he will star in. For more detail I have provided a link to an article discussing the future of The Walking Dead franchise: https://tinyurl.com/yca996gt
- I'm not sure how I feel about TWD being made into a franchise. Only time will tell. I'm concerned the story line will suffer. I found last season very boring and frustrating. With the exception of this episode I have found this season to be very boring.  
- Can we be done with Negan already? I am done with that character. Let's move on. 
- I'm interested in seeing what happens with the time jump. I am intrigued by older Judith.