The Walking Dead, Season 8, Episode 9: Honour

It feels fitting to use Carl's image for this post, given that the one thing we all thought we knew is that though The Walking Dead creators have always maintained that anyone could die, we all really believed Rick and Carl to be the exception to that rule.  The mid season finale ended with the big reveal that in attempting to save Siddiq - a man Rick had denied sanctuary to, Carl was bitten by a walker. Much of the mid season premier was dedicated to Carl's tearful goodbye. 

When a character becomes the moral center on The Walking Dead, that's usually an indication that the end is nigh. We've seen this trend with Hershel, Dale and Tyreese. It's an attempt by the authors to humanise the character and make the death more meaningful.  This is becoming more and more difficult to do with each cast member that dies because in canabalising its cast, the writers have given us less reason to invest in the characters and their various story lines.  Who is going to die at the season finale and mid season finale has become a standard question leading to some speculation, but very little real investment. 

The other ongoing surety, is the juxtaposition between Rick and Morgan.  Rick and Morgan have been teachers to each other, as well as friends, rarely in the same place at the same time.  In this case, Rick and Morgan must deal with the result of their influence on the young men that they care about and how this will shape the war with the Saviours and Alexandria itself. I do think it's worth noting that in this case, Rick was clearly painted into the white knight role, while Morgan who is Black, in the negative and I find that to be extremely troubling.  

Throughout the season, we've been seeing little flashes into future of an older and wiser Rick. It turns out that these are visions of what Carl hopes the future will be.  Carl wants a world where there is no more war and people are refocused on rebuilding society. Carl's vision sees people like Eugene and Negan gardening and working in Alexandria, right alongside people from the Kingdom and the Hilltop; it's his personal utopia. Carl is careful to impress upon his father that this what could be if Rick returned to the man he used to be and when Carl in turn thanks Rick for making him who he is, Rick has little choice but to commit to Carl's vision of the future.  Even as Carl is dying, he's becoming the moral compass of the show and giving Rick reason not to give into his grief and fall apart, or commit even worse crimes in the name of revenge or keeping Judith safe. The problem is that unlike Dale or Hershel, we have no idea where this sudden spurt of morality came from and so can only assume that the writers have become overly committed to framing death the same way repeatedly. 

Unlike many of the other characters who have died, in the case of Carl, there was a enough time for him to actually say goodbye.  Carl took a picture with Judith, used paint to capture their handprints, and wrote letters to all the citizens of Alexandria, lest he run out of time to tell everyone how he felt. Carl stayed alive long enough to receive accolades from the normally silent Darryl about the people he saved and to call Michonne his best friend. Carl and Michonne's relationship is something that we've had to assume because we really haven't seen much evidence of the closeness he implied. Carl, the only born son of Rick Grimes, got the send off that few have ever had and he did it with a grace that doesn't remotely fit his character. 

Fear the Walking Dead, Season 3, Episode 7&8: The Unveiling/Children of Wrath

Much of this week's midseason finale focused on the looming conflict between the Broke Jaw Ranch and Black Hat Reservation. We did however spend a little bit of time with Strand.  Part of my ongoing issue with Fear the Walking Dead is its absolute refusal to bring its characters together for any length of time. Because Strand is seperated from the Clarke family, the sections of the finale that did focus on him felt like a distraction from the real story.  It's further troubling that in the time that we did spend with him, we didn't learn anything earth shattering. Sure, Strand did find his boat The Abigail again and have a conversation with a cosmonaut, confirming that the apocalypse is worldwide but was any of that even necessary?  Strand is too important of a character to be reduced to filler and that is what he became in the mid season finale. 

The action begins with Jake's big plan to meet with Qaletqa Walker and form some kind of truce.  Walker of course is not necessarily amenable to coming to terms with people he believes stole his land and murdered members of his family to acquire it. At this point, it's hard to be on the side Broke Jaw Ranch, particularly when we know that Jeremiah is as racist as it gets. Driven to defend his family, Jake points out that those charges were investigated and the survivalists were cleared.  Cleared in whose court Jake? Whose justice system adjudicated this? A zombie apocalypse is a disaster to the survivalists whereas for Walkers tribe, it's a chance to cleanse the earth of invaders of who have oppressed the "first humans". 

Though Walker does not feel any resolution can be made, he agrees to having Alicia stay behind while Jake returns to the ranch with Ofelia as his hostage. Yes, at long last the writers have decided to have Ofelia leave the plot box. But how exactly did Ofelia end up with Walkers people?  Ofelia was making her way to San Diego when she had a run in with none other that Jeremiah, and though he could see that she was in a bad way, he refused to take her back to the ranch because he didn't deem the ranch a suitable place for her kind (read: brown people)  Jeremiah left Ofelia for dead but fortunately for Ofelia, she was found by Walker, who brought her to the reservation and in the process, saving her life. Of course, when Jeremiah finally does meet with Ofelia again, he's keen to pretend that leaving her to die wan't such a horrible sin and that he's glad that she's survived.

At the reservation, Alisha is getting a chance to learn about Walkers people for the first time without the filter of the Ottos distorting the truth. Alisha learns that the tribe is filled with hard workers, many of whom are former military, who spend their time rebuilding military equipment.  Alisha pauses when she sees the helicopter that Travis was killed in and Walker offers his condolences because he sees the Clarks as getting caught in the crossfire between the tribe and the survivalists. 

Madison is freaked right out that Alisha is at the reservation and though Jake tries to assure her that he wouldn't have left if he thought that Alisha was in danger, Madison decides to take matters into her own hands.  This involves manipulating Troy into doing her bidding by goading Troy about who is actually in charge and when that fails, reminding Troy that he owes her for not revealing that he's the one responsible for the death of the Trimbols. Sure enough, Madison organises a raid to retrieve a stunned Alisha, in the process killing several people on the reserve and leaving behind several dead survivalists. It looks like Madison's silent leadership is going to prove deadly for both sides. Jake is pissed but all he can do at this point is deliver the agreed upon water to the reservation and return Ofelia.  To say that Walker is pissed when Jake arrives is an understatement.  Were it not for Ofelia speaking up, Walker would have scalped Jake on the spot. 

Later, Ofelia arrives at the ranch battered and bruised. Ofelia claims that she was beaten by the tribe and cast out. Because of the underlying racism of the survivalists and Madison's failure to understand that Ofelia is not the same young woman that she promised Daniel that she would protect, Ofelia is welcomed in. This proves to be a costly mistake because Ofelia slips poison into the coffee, effectively killing quite a few of Troy's men, causing a panic when they begin to turn.  Ofelia tries to make her escape but she is captured by Madison before she can drive off in a truck. Madison then beats Ofelia to find out what happened. 

With Nick's life now in peril, Madison drives Ofelia back to the reservation at gun point. Madison is pissed because she feels betrayed by Ofelia points out that she was helping her people. This further incenses Madison and she actually questions why the Clarks aren't her people given how much the Clarks had helped Ofelia and her family. Clearly Madison doesn't see the inherent racism in her response, especially because when placed next to Otto, she comes off as liberal. Madison isn't for a moment thinking about the ways in which race have affected Ofelia's decisions about who to side with because she's actively chosen to ignore race and the history of colonialism in this conflict. 

Madison is immediately taken to see Walker and she claims not to care about the feud between the Broke Jaw Ranch and Black Hat Reservation, and only about the survival of her son. This admission earns Madison some grudging respect from Walker. It convinces Walker to reveal that the powder used to poison the survivalists is anthrax, for which there is no cure.  Walker however does say that if Nick is strong, he'll survive. Later, when Ofelia balks at being the one to deliver the anthrax, Walker is quick to remind her that she volunteered for this duty. 

Fear The Walking Dead, Season Three, Episode Six: Red Dirt

What's easily the most fascinating aspect of the season is watching as the Clarke family manipulates the Otto family.  It really is a case of divide and conquer. Madison has become close with Troy even though he is clearly the most dangerous and unstable Otto. Nick has bonded with Jeremiah and of course, Alicia with Jake.  While the Clarks don't necessarily talk about the manipulation, it's clear that this is an agreed upon tactic to benefit their family.  The Otto's were nowhere ready to deal with the Clarks. 

The big issue this week is the threat that Qaletqa Walker and his people pose to the survival of the ranch. After Madison, Troy and his men return from their forced march back to the ranch, the men are so stunned by what they've been through, they don't listen to Troy as he orders them to wait until they're alone with Jeremiah to reveal what happened to them.  The men make it clear that they are afraid of the Indigenous people and are certain that they will be killed if they don't abandon the ranch. 

The fear that the community collectively feels has a different effect on each Otto. Troy is angry when people start to leave because he feels abandoned.  Troy is particularly resentful when people take supplies like flour and gas with them because he feels that these supplies belong to the community. Naturally, Madison keys in on this and Troy's desire to fight for what he feels is his. Madison even winds up Troy by encouraging him to defy Jeremiah and ensure that no one leaves, no matter what he has to do.  Like his father, Troy keenly feels betrayed by those who are leaving but he feels particular rage at Mike Trimbol. 

In contrast to Troy, Jeremiah is downright apathetic about the threat.  He rants to Madison about the Indigenous people being all welfare cheats, drunk and ne'er-do-wells who live in a dump and are incapable of mounting any kind of real attack upon the ranch.  Jeremiah is particularly resentful of any Indigenous claim to his land saying that his family purchased it fairly and that in the history of humanity, the ownership of land always passes to those who are victorious in any kind of conflict.  When Madison rightfully gives Jeremiah a look, he calls her a bleeding heart liberal and asserts the veracity of his claims.

As much as Jeremiah isn't concerned about the threat, he is extremely heartbroken about what is becoming of the community which he views to be his legacy. With the man who died in the fire last week and with the Trimbol departure that leaves Jeremiah as the last "founding father" and it weighs heavily on him. Unlike Jeremiah, Vernon has finally reached the point where he can realise that violence begets violence and is sure their days of oppressing the Indigenous tribe are coming back to haunt them. Vernon chooses to prioritise his family which feels like a betrayal to Jeremiah and so Jeremiah suggests that because Vernon is a father that he is behaving like a woman. Gotta love how even at the end of times, racism and sexism are still alive and well. Jeremiah clearly wants to see Jake take over when he dies but now he is actively wondering if he is going to have a legacy to leave his kids.  It's Nick that a drunken Jeremiah turns to in despair.

Fear The Walking Dead, Season Three, Episode Five: Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame

As predicted, with the problem at the damn handled, it's time for a road trip. When Strand first saw Daniel, in order to convince him to let him out of the jail, Strand lied and claimed that he knew where Ofelia was.  Well this week, that lie has consequences.  I know that Daniel proved to Strand that he could be a very scary man but it doesn't make sense to me that Strand didn't admit to lying before they even got on the road together.  It doesn't make sense that he didn't even admit that he was no longer with Madison and her family.  Why wouldn't he tell the truth?  Strand tries to delay the journey by waiting out a small herd of zombies instead of driving through them but Daniel is quick to declare that he has no time for delays.

The moment they arrive at the hotel, it's clear that something has gone desperately wrong. All of the lights are out and there's no one guarding the gate. Strand is quick to point out that this isn't right but this just encourages Daniel to move forward in the belief that if Ofelia is indeed in the hotel, then she needs his help right now. Strand doesn't actually come clean about what happened at the hotel until they are inside the lobby, after it becomes clear to him that Daniel intends to search it.  An irate Daniel rings the front desk bell which brings out the zombies and then takes off leaving Victor stranded.  I don't doubt for one moment that Strand will find a way out of his predicament and that this isn't the last time these two men will be in conflict with each other. 

It's also worth noting that this further splits up the cast.  We still don't know where Ofelia is for certain and now Strand and Daniel are traveling separately. Why is it so damn hard to get this cast to one location together?

At the ranch, Madison leaves with Troy and his men to find the people who shot down the helicopter. Madison is doing this because she wants justice for Travis and to prove her worth to the community.  This little trip will also come with the bonus of getting to undermine Troy.  From the moment they arrived on the ranch, Madison has been busy playing mind games with Troy.  Troy's so far out of his depth and completely unprepared with how to deal with a woman like Madison, who completely has his number.  Having dealt with Nick's addiction, as well as working as school guidance counselor for years, Madison is uniquely prepared to psychologically torment Troy. 

Madison, Troy and the other volunteers come across a prison bus and this is the first opportunity Madison has to prove to the others that she can carry her own weight.  Having been trapped on the ranch since the start of the apocalypse, Troy and his men have no idea what someone like Madison would have had to survive to make it this far.  Madison acquits herself well and begins earning the respect of the men.  This should have caught Troy's attention but he's too busy wanting to know how long it took the team to take out the walkers. 

Fear The Walking Dead, Season Three, Episode Four: 100

The adage in The Walking Dead universe is that if you don't see a body, the person isn't dead and is likely appear again, if the writers have already invested some time with the character.  When we last saw Daniel, it was last season and he appeared to be lost in the fire at the commune which scattered the cast.  It was easy to believe that Daniel had perished given the ferociousness of the fire but then - we didn't see a body.

Daniel popped back up in the beginning of this season, a possible ally to Strand, who found that his familiar charm had fallen flat.  Now that the audience knows that Daniel is alive, the writers must explain exactly where he has been all of this time and how he has survived. Though this explanation is necessary to reintegrate Daniel into the series, a lot of what happened felt like filler.  Having a filler episode in only the third episode of the season does not bode well.  

One of the defining features of Daniel's character is his guilt.  It's clear that in the course of his life that he has killed many men in the service of his government at the behest of the US government.  He may have been a retired killer turned barber when Travis met him, but he was perhaps better suited for a zombie apocalypse than any other character.  Everyone else had to adjust to what it means to kill for survival and fight for their life, whereas; for Daniel this experience brought about flashbacks.  His break down if anything was a sign of untreated trauma and PTSD.  It's why he fell apart while the others were able to simply shoulder on with surviving in this hard new world.  

Daniel has always had the skills but burdened with the memories of what he has done, his hands are already so soaked in blood that this new world in which killing is no longer problematic simply drove him over the edge.  Despite everything that Daniel has done however, it seems that the universe (read: the writers) are determined that Daniel survive.  Daniel is first saved by a dog when a zombie tries to bite him and then by Efrian, who gives him water and gets Daniel medical treatment for his badly burned leg.  Efrain and Daniel form a duo for a time, scrounging for supplies and giving mercy to walkers. 

Daniel ends up in a much better mental place then when he burned down the compound; however, he still thinks about what he did and worries about the fact that he and Ofelia are seperated.  Finally, when Daniel can no longer hide from what he has done and filled with worry for his daughter, he decides to confess to Efrian.

Daniel makes his way away from Efrain on foot but when he comes up against a zombie, with no weapon to protect himself, Daniel falls to his knees and begins to pray.  Instead of being eaten, he is knocked unconscious when the zombie is struck in the head by lightening.  While it was an awesome scene, I couldn't help but think that the writers were laying on Daniel's temporary plot armor a little to thick.  It's like they decided to do the lightening strike simply because this is something they always wanted to do and thought it would look cool.

Fear The Walking Dead, Season Three, Episodes One and Two

Okay, Fear The Walking Dead is back and once again our merry band of survivors are seperated.  It seems to be a thing with Fear The Walking Dead, the writers  cannot seem to keep its cast together.  I just hope that this time we don't spend the entire season until they are reunited.

When we last saw Travis, Alisha and Madison, they had been captured by the same group who had also taken Luciana and Nick captive. Travis is immediately seperated from Alisha and Madison, who are taken to an office and locked up. It's quite luxurious in comparison to Travis, who is measured, weighed and then locked up in a room filled with people. Travis is treated more like an animal than a person.  This is when Travis is reunited with Nick and Luciana. It's not a happy reunion at all. Nick and Travis try to talk about what to do, as they hear soldiers laughing about killing other captives. 

Troy Otto enters the room where Alisha and Madison are being kept and offers them each a cup of hot tea.  Dude is seriously offering hospitality and claiming that all he needs to do is clear them. It's obvious right form the start that Troy is offering Alisha and Madison a measure of charm based in their gender and race. Travis, with is dark brown skin, is immediately understood to be "other" and therefore a threat. The group of survivalist look with suspicion on anyone coming across the Mexican border. When Travis declares that he is not in fact Mexican, but Māori, Travis calls him "warrior stock". Naturally, Troy has no problem passing Alisha and Madison but he has more reservations regarding Travis, who at this point Troy does not believe will turn into a zombie like white people. Oh the racism is thick with this one. 

Having confirmed that Madison and Travis are a couple, Troy decides to seek out Travis. When Travis points to Lucinda and suggests that they get her medical care, Troy makes it clear that the only relief they have to offer is death. Travis, Lucinda, Nick and another prisoner are taken to another room where they see the experiments first hand. It seems that the prisoners are being killed and then the soldiers document how long it takes them to turn. Travis of course calls this demented and suggests that what the soldiers are doing is pointless, even as the soldiers argue that they are doing this for the sake of scientific research. When it's clear that he's about to be shot, Travis attacks and Nick and the other captive quickly join in.  The four manage to make it outside to a sewer grate. Nick and Lucinda hop into the sewer while Travis stays behind to try and find Alisha and Madison.  Travis is promptly found and thrown into a pit with walkers. 

Troy returns to see Madison and Alisha only to be attacked. Never let it be said that these women aren't tough as fucking nails.  Madison manages to get a spoon into Troy's eye socket and leads him outside demanding to see her family. Alisha takes off to see if she can find Travis.

Nick and Lucinda make it to the end of the sewer only to run into a herd of walkers, forcing to double back.  Unarmed, Nick quickly finds himself attacked by a walker but thankfully, Alisha hears him yelling through the grate and throws down her knife. It's Luciana who takes the walker out with the knife, just as Alisha is captured by the soldiers. 

Madison is completely surrounded by armed soldiers  as she hold Troy captive with the spoon in Troy's eye. Tory screams for his soldiers to get out of the way and not to interfere. Jake steps up and introduces himself as Troy's brother.  Jake says that Troy probably deserves exactly what is happening to him now. Jake promises to allow Madison to reunite with her family, if she lets Troy go and explains that Troy wasn't supposed to be doing any of this. Madison is taken to Travis who has killed all of the zombies in the pit and the two are reunited. Madison and Travis are joined shortly afterwards by Alisha, Nick and Luciana. 

Jake reveals that they are from a survivalist ranch and invites Madison, Travis, Alisha, Luciana and Nick to join them. At this point, there aren't many good options in terms of safe lodging but given what they have been through thanks to Troy, Travis is not inclined to trust the survivalists.  It's not just that Troy is bent, it's that all the people went along with what Troy was doing without concern.  As much as Madison, Travis, Nick and Alisha are not keen on traveling back to the ranch, our merry band of survivors find themselves out of options when a swarm of zombies attacks the base.  Once again, they are seperated with Alisha, Luciana and Travis getting into a helicopter with Jake and Madison and Nick getting into a truck and joining a convoy with Troy. Troy assures Madison and Nick that they are all headed to the same place and that she will be reunited with her family. 

The helicopter is just twenty minutes out from the ranch when it gets shot at. Travis is shot through the abdomen and the bullet exists from his throat.  By any measure, Travis is a dead man.  All out of options, because of his wounds and the fact that the helicopter is going down, Travis takes off his seat belt, as a shocked Alisha watches.  When Travis starts to open the door, Alisha gets out of her seat to beg him not to do this.  Travis and Alisha make eye contact before he jumps out of the helicopter. Good Bye Travis, you had a much shorter run than I anticipated. 

The Walking Dead, Season Seven, Episode Fourteen: The Other Side

This episode should have been called the other side of nothing because absolutely nothing happened.  With only three episodes to go, did we really need a place holder to drag out the oncoming war any further?  I suppose that the writers are determined that the big battle be the season finale and therefore we have to deal with every single monotonous preparation for Rick's big confrontation with Negan. How long exactly has Sasha been sharpening that knife?

Rosita has arrived at the Hilltop and is busy training the people how to fight while Sasha works on the plans for the Saviours compound, hoping to give them an edge with their raid.  Jesus doesn't say much but he's clearly aware of what is going on and he hands Sasha plans for the compound based on what he remembers of the place.

Maggie has really stepped in as the leader of the Hilltop but at the same time she's also settling in. Maggie's eating healthy fruit and vegetables and seeing an ultrasound of her her unborn child. Maggie is content.  Maggie even builds on her relationship with Jesus and it's Maggie whom Jesus comes out to. That makes it official, the writers have made Jesus gay in the comics as well as on the show. Jesus's revelation of his sexuality is really rather low key and it makes me wonder if the writers will ever go anywhere with it?  There's a trend in the media of making a character LGBT and then never mentioning it again.  

The Saviours show up for an impromptu visit.  This is enough for Sasha and Rosita to use the opportunity to sneak away and send Darryl and Maggie into hiding.  Gregory does his usual bit of sucking up with Simon, who seems to just love having Gregory jump through hoops.  Simon hasn't arrived at The Hilltop for more supplies this time.  Since Negan foolishly killed the doctor at the Saviour compound by throwing him into an oven, the compound now needs to replace their doctor.  Gregory being the coward that he is, has no problems handing over Dr. Carson.  Naturally, Dr. Carson is not the least bit thrilled when notified of his pending change of location.  Carson however is given no choice when Simon using his pornstache facial expressions explains why Carson will be relocating. 

Gregory does manage to pull Simon aside to talk because he's worried about how the removal of Carson from The Hilltop will look.  Gregory heavily implies that he's being challenged for power at The Hilltop and adds that this would be a shame because he works so well with the Saviours.  Simon decides to throw Gregory a bone and promises that should Gregory show up at the gate of the Saviours compound after being challenged for leadership that the Saviours will be happy to back him up. Gregory will of course bring a bottle of tequila as a tribute. 

Maggie and Darryl are forced to hide in the root cellar, not having had time to make it to the secret tunnel that Sasha built.  What a ridiculous place to choose to hide given that the Saviours routinely take food from The Hilltop.  At any rate, unsurprisingly, a Saviour makes his way to the root cellar and Enid tries to head him off.  The Saviour is not waylaid for long and for her trouble, Enid loses her knife. The Saviour make his way into the root cellar and starts to look around and Maggie has to stop Darryl from killing him. When his curiosity is satisfied, the Saviour leaves.  Maggie confronts Darryl about his move to kill the Saviour and questions the fact that Darryl has failed to look her in the eye, or speak to her since arriving at The Hilltop.  It seems that Darryl is ashamed and blames himself for the death of Abraham and Glenn; however, Maggie is quick to absolve him of guilt.  Maggie says that they just have to be patient and then they can get the person who is responsible. 

The Walking Dead, Season Seven, Episode Thirteen: Bury me Here

Every once and awhile, The Walking Dead decides to tell a story centering one of the characters.  It is usually done to indicate a massive change in the winds and Bury Me Here, fits the bill. When Morgan lost his son Duane, his entire reason for living disappeared.  He lost himself and became nothing but a killing machine. It didn't matter whether he killed zombies or living people, for Morgan everyone had to die. He really devolved to the point where his grief erased his entire personhood. This all changed for Morgan when he met Eastman, a man who also was haunted by demons. Since being with Eastman, Morgan has dedicated himself to avoiding conflict where possible and to try to save life rather than take life.  Prior to this episode, the only person Morgan killed was a man attempting to kill Carol and so while he took life, it was absolutely in defense of another.

Many of the characters have expressed exasperation with Morgan's determination not to kill and in fact, it was a major point of contention between Morgan and Carol. Carol and Morgan in many ways were the antithesis of each other. It's only when the killing became too much for Carol and she retreated from Alexandria, that they became close.  For the first time, Carol could see things from Morgan's perspective.  Together they created a détente, as Carol craved an escape from the unrelenting violence and Morgan respected her wishes enough to understand where she was coming.  Morgan went as far as to shield Carol from the knowledge that Glenn and Abraham are dead and that Alexandria is in real trouble with the Saviours.  Morgan didn't even reveal to Darryl where Carol was living.  

Despite the threat that the Saviours pose, Morgan has remained steadfast in his belief that the peace between The Kingdom and The Saviours must be maintained. He has never been in denial about how dangerous The Saviours are but is determined that violence not be the first response.  Morgan very quickly became a member of the Kingdom and even had a protégé  in the form of  Benjamin.  It's Morgan who trained both Benjamin and his younger brother Henry to use the staff - a defensive weapon.  Clearly, a relationship had developed, and Morgan became invested in another in a way he has not been since Duane was alive.  

Though Ezekiel has done his best to shield his people and hold onto the peace, things have become increasingly difficult.  Ezekiel has been pressured by Rick, Darryl and Richard.  At each meeting with the Saviours, Richard constantly steps right up to the line but doesn't cross it.  The Saviours, and Jared in particular, seem to have developed a problem with Richard but as long as Ezekiel enforces compliance they are inclined to simply threaten and let well enough be. 

More than anyone in the Kingdom, Richard has been vocal about finding a way to take out the Saviours because he doesn't trust that the peace which Ezekiel has forged will last.  Each time Richard speaks up, it falls on deaf ears.  Richard even went as far as to attempt to create a situation which would force the Saviours to kill Carol, but was stopped by Darryl.  In that moment, his desperation became evident.  

Richard has a new plan and this time, instead of sacrificing anyone else, he plans to sacrifice himself.  Richard creates a roadblock that the people of Alexandria will have to navigate on the way to their meeting with the Saviours.  He even goes as far as to dig his own grave with a cardboard sign which reads, "bury me here".  Richard assumes that since the Saviours indicated that if something else went wrong that he would be the one chosen to die that his grand sacrifice would finally lead to the confrontation that he believes needs to happen.  As with all plans of mice and men, things didn't quite work out the way that Richard planned.

When the Saviours discover that the tribute is short one cantaloupe, Gavin orders  everyone to hand over their guns.  Ezekiel agrees to do so if Gavin agrees to return Morgan's staff but Gavin makes it clear that they are not in a position to bargain.  It's Richard who is the first to suggest that they should comply, which is certainly out of character for him. Ezekiel does finally give the order to hand over their guns and is informed by Gavin that there has to be a penalty paid for being short on their end of the agreement.  Jared aims his gun at Richard, who promptly steps closer and tells Jared to do what he needs to do.  Jared responds not by killing Richard, but by shooting Benjamin several times.  

Up until the moment that Benjamin gets shot, I don't think Morgan even admitted to himself just how much Benjamin had come to mean to him. The people from the Kingdom become frantic to get Benjamin some medical aid but Jared forces them to stop and listen to him. Jared makes it clear that tomorrow, they are to return with the missing cantaloupe. 

Benjamin is rushed to Carol's because her home is the closest place with medical supplies. Despite their best efforts, Benjamin dies on Carol's table.  When Benjamin dies, Morgan is taken right back to the man he was when Duane died and his grief overwhelms  him. Morgan takes off, unable to deal with the grief that he is feeling.  Morgan doubles back to the roadblock and actually climbs in the grave considering killing himself.  We get flashes of Clear (Morgan's kill everything that moves mode).  Morgan then discovers the cantaloupe and together with the grave, he realises that this was set up.

Z Nation, Season Three, Episode Eleven: Doc's Angels

This week's episode feels very much like a twist on the Clint Eastwood movie The Beguiled.  It begins with Doc chasing down the signal he is picking up on the radio, desperate to get a hold of Citizen Z, so that he can get a message to Warren about Lucy's kidnapping.  Doc manages to track the signal to a radio tower in what appears to be some sort of castle but is quickly attacked by zombies for his trouble. Doc fires his gun but gets nowhere because the zombies have been bedazzled which just happens to act is effective armour.  Yes, bedazzled zombies.  Fortunately for Doc, it seems that zombies are more interested in pestering him than eating him.  

Doc passes out and when he awakes he finds himself in a comfortable bed, surrounded by three women.  Sarah, Linda and Camilla decide that Doc is their guest of honour.  Doc clearly is uncomfortable but decides to go with the flow of things.  The women take Doc to their radio and he tries to send a message to Citizen Z, completely unaware that the radio is disconnected.  When the power goes out, the women encourage Doc to spend the night and try the radio again in the morning.

The guest of honour treatment continues through the evening with Doc being fed what he believes to be vegan food which we later learn in anything but. After dinner, the ladies decide that it's time to feed their pets and that is when Doc learns that the women have taken cat lady to all new level because they have domesticated the zombies.  One of the ladies has even bedazzled the zombies.

From what I've written thus far it must be clear to you that Doc's Angels is yet another filler episode. The one thing that has become true of season three is that it has absolutely become dependent upon Doc for comic relief.  Z Nation has always floated back and forth between a serious treatment of zombies and glorious cheese.  Some episodes have been more successful than others but this season, I think it would be fair to say that Z Nation has lost all clue of what it is or even what it intends to be. At this point, throwing in a Doc episode to hide the fact that there's no discernible plot is not working anymore. Sure, Russell Hodgkinson is fun to watch but it's too much to ask that he carry this show on his back.  

Predictably, Doc ends up in bed with the three women though he acknowledges that this isn't going to end well.   When Doc wakes, he hears Kaya calling out to Operation Bite Mark, causing him to rush to the transmitter hoping to make contact.  It doesn't take long for Doc to realise that the wires aren't connected but before he can do anything about it, Linda enters the doorway. Doc takes off running and this is when he learns that the women have decorated their home with human hair, skin and bones. The weed they smoked the night before was somehow grown out of a dudes head and that the women are keeping male prisoners.  Doc manages to free the arms of one of the prisoners and is warned to run while he can.

Z Nation, Season Three, Episode Seven: Welcome to Murphytown

After a nasty sojourn in a mental hospital, Z Nation is back on track.  Doc and 10K are reunited with Warren, Addy, Sun and Hector. This is when Warren finally learns that Murphy has taken up residence in Spokane and is busy making his society of Blends.  Quite unsurprisingly, Warren is disgusted with this.  Warren and Sun discuss the injections that 10K is carrying with him, wondering whether it's a version of the virus that Murphy was injected with it.  Sun and Warren both feel that it's imperative to get to Murphy so that Sun can get to work on some kind of cure.  10K is not at all forthcoming about what the injections are and in fact, he steadfastly refuses to admit that he's been bitten despite Doc's advise that he come clean.  Warren continues to question him and it's clear from the look on her face that she knows that something is up with 10K but she gives him space, waiting for him to tell her.

10K is absolutely shit at keeping his cover despite not wanting to tell Warren that he has been bitten. Twice, 10K speaks up in defense of Murphy.  We all know that 10K has always had a contentious relationship with Murphy, so the very idea that he's saying that Murphy isn't such a bad guy and defending his desire to make Blends really stands out.  This tells us that the effect of Murphy's bite really isn't effected by distance.  Murphy may not be there to directly control 10K, but 10K is very much changed and is moving in a sort of zombie mode.

The man arrives in Spokane.  Season three started with a flashback for the express purpose of introducing this new antagonist, so when he shows up, we know that he is there to do some dirty work for Zona.  At this point, I don't think we really know a lot about Zona, except that its run by some powerful pre apocalypse people.  The man lines up with all of the others to take the vaccination, since Murphy is no longer biting people, given that he's having some trouble controlling himself and his skin is peeling again.  After being ordered around and sought after, Murphy believed that Spokane would be his dream. He does after all have a throne now.  It turns out that the dream isn't exactly what Murphy thought it would be. Sure, he has a group of sycophants willing to do whatever he wants but it also means that he cannot have an honest conversation with anyone.  He clearly didn't think that he would miss that despite the contentious relationship he used to have with 10K and Warren.  Now, when he tells a joke, whether or not it's funny everyone laughs as though it's the most hilarious thing they've ever heard.  It's an uncomfortable scene and reminds the audience how important honest communication is. Everyone, no matter how much power they have needs someone to be honest with them.

The man is quick to ingratiate himself with Murphy, who's rather quick to let his guard down. Murphy's big plan is to get the lights back on and get some brains supposedly for the purposes of research. The man pretends that he wants nothing more than to serve Murphy and his happy to kill one of Murphy's sycophants and even eats brains to prove his loyalty.  The Man pretends to eat all the brains but his happy to supply Murphy with more when he asks.  Later, we see in a flashback that The Man hasn't actually eaten the brains and in fact, didn't get vaccinated because he used a fake arm.

Z Nation, Season Three, Episode Five: Little Red and the Wolfz

I know that I've complained a lot about Z Nation this season, but I think it's finally made a turn around. Little Red and the Wolfz is much deeper storytelling than I have come to expect from Z Nation.  I still think the writers owe me for the first four episodes; however, this is certainly a good down payment on the debt.

Unlike Merch, 10K had managed to escape Murphy's stronghold but unfortunately, Will is fast on his heels.  When we first met Will, he was traveling with his wife and daughter who was bitten and he begged Murphy to bite his family.  Will is pretty good at keeping close to 10K despite all of the tricks 10K uses to evade capture.  Throughout the episode, 10K  has visions of Red and 5K,  as he runs through the woods desperate to escape.  Due to an injury, 10K is losing blood and hallucinating. We met Red and 5K in the season opener flashback episode. As 10K runs through the woods, it's Red who acts as his guide, steering him away from Will, waking him in the rapids so that he doesn't drown and warning him away from the zombie wolfz (zombies dressed in military gear)

When 10K is caught, he tries to explain that the only reason Will wants to return to Murphy is that he's bitten and therefore is not acting of his own free will. Will however makes it clear that he asked Murphy to bite him and that he considers himself free.  For Will, freedom means being able to finally move throughout the world unafraid of the zombies, or feeling that death is imminent. 10K argues that this means allowing Murphy to control him; however, Murphy has a very different relationship with 10K than he does with Will. There is no real need for Murphy to actively control Will because Will has actively consented to it all and sees this as a worthy trade whereas; 10K has repeatedly shown his disdain for Murphy and his blends since the beginning.

It's easy to simply take 10k's side, particularly because he's been a character on Z Nation far longer than Will but the fact is, both men are right. Will's truth is a hard truth but a truth nonetheless.  Every decision that 10K makes is based on fear of dying, so how free is he really when there's always a compelling reason behind each decision? Will made an informed decision and when we consider that to some degree, all of our behaviour is restricted as part of the social contract.  The conflict between these two men is compelling and highlights the space between Murphy and Warren. It all really comes down to what each person believes freedom to be.

Z Nation, Season Three, Episode Four: Escorpion and the Red Hand

This is the week I guess the writers decided they had to explain Escorpion taking over for Vazquez on Z Nation. I say taking over because they so clearly replaced a Latino character with another just as they exchanged an Asian character for another. Yep, there's a train running on Z Nation. Unfortunately, the explanation really didn't go well because it didn't make much sense.  Part of the problem with this season is that Murphy is off building his new Blend Empire while the rest of the cast seems to be just twisting in the wind. Yeah, their big plan is to get Murphy back but they're nowhere near doing that and it feels like Roberta and company are wandering randomly about the place.

This week, the group comes across an over pass with zombies hanging from it.  On the wall is the word thieves in red and a painted red hand. Can you guess what this means? Yep, another faction is about to raise its ugly head.  To me this is a sign of just how confused Z Nation is this season. The supposed thieves cut down the zombies intent on burying them but in the process drop them around the Warren and Co, who take them out as an act of self preservation.  It's then that Warren and Co learn that the zombies were strung up by the Red Hand which is led by someone calling themselves Escorpion.  Well, given that Hector gave up his bad ways when he saved Warren, we know that he's not off leading some new faction.

Learning that his identity has been stolen leads to Hector spending the episode complaining about how he cannot get away from his bad acts and how people close to him always die. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't his redemption train just start a New York minute ago? What's the deal with him thinking that announcing that he's good suddenly makes him good?  After a big showdown with the Red Hand which ends with the two thieves dead, Warren explains that she wants to work with Hector because he is a killer.  Warren feels that Hector can use his skills to help them get the cure and this puts him in a unique position.  I suppose it works as an explanation for now but the implication that Warren can trust Hector when he has yet to earn it beyond saving them does not work for me. People survive better in groups in a zombie apocalypse and so by taking Hector in, Warren and company are doing him the favor.

At some point in the melee, Addy, Doc and Sun get separated from Warren and Hector. Addy isn't doing well because she has an infected tooth and the infection is spreading.  The only way for Addy to survive is to get the tooth pulled but she resists because losing teeth somehow symbolizes the end. Yeah, losing teeth when you don't have access regularly to a tooth brush (can you imagine the halitosis in a zombie apocalypse) toothpaste, or mouth wash is a sign of bad dental hygiene and nothing else.

Fear The Walking Dead, Season Two, Episode Twelve: Pillar of Salt

Francisco and his family decide that it's time to leave the Colonia. To do this, they sneak through the streets while everyone is sleeping.  They get to the infamous bus and Francisco lures a zombie inside so he can slather zombie blood on himself, his wife and his family.  Yes, they're using the get out of jail card again.  I find it interesting that everyone of Fear The Walking Dead, seems to constantly slather themselves in zombie blood; whereas, it's something we haven't seen a lot of on The Walking Dead. Yeah I think that this means the writing is lazier on Fear the Walking Dead than The Walking Dead.

Francisco and his family manage to get free of the Colonia but are stopped down the road by Marco. It seems that Marco did not get his drug delivery on time since Francisco decided to leave and he demands to know where his oxy is and where the Colonia is.  Francisco goes mute in response and uses his body to attempt to shield his family, as Marco waves a gun around.  When Francisco refuses to answer, Marco decides to take Francisco and his family back to the factory.

The story moves to Ofelia. Yes Ofelia. I for one am glad to see her back.  It seems that Strand is correct, Ofelia took took the truck. Ofelia has lost all of her softness as she pulls up to a hotel. Now she's wearing jeans and a bomber jacket instead of the baby doll dresses she's been known for.  Ofelia marches into the establishment and promptly takes a hammer to zombie's head. Who is this woman?

When did she get so damn tough?  Ofelia walks to back of the establishment and sees an ocean front patio.

Then we get a flashback to Ofelia sitting outside at an ocean front patio with her boyfriend. The boyfriend proposes to Ofelia by having a ring placed in a drink. I get that this is supposed to be romantic but what if she had just started drinking without looking at the glass? Putting shit in people's food or drink is never a good idea.  Ofelia is absolutely stunned. particularly given the fact that he is moving to New Mexico and wants her to come with him.  It's clear that Ofelia wants to go but she stalls for time saying that she is going to talk to her mother about the proposal. Back in the present, Ofelia checks out a map and siphons some gas.

Things are going great at the hotel.  They have begun planting and the place is secure.  Madison works on the generator with..... Strand takes his place behind the bar and uses the freshly made ice to make a drink. Yep, that's living large and in charge apocalypse style.

Hector is teaching Alicia how to surf on the sand. Ummm, given that they led the zombies into the ocean, how exactly is Alicia going to surf?  When Alicia jumps into a standing position she falls over. This leads to a conversation about her childhood with Nick and his reckless ways. Alicia admits that she misses who Nick used to be.  Hector brings up his brother and it's clear that Alicia and Hector just might have a lot in common when it comes to siblings. The conversation ends when Madison arrives with two glasses of ice water, asking for a moment alone with Alicia.

Fear the Walking Dead, Season Two, Episode Eleven: Pablo and Jessica

The first question this episode seeks to answer is exactly how Strand and Madison escaped after being stupid enough to make enough noise to attract walkers.  Victor screams for them to head to the lobby and Madison ducks down into what looks like a kitchen when she hears Alicia scream. Hands reach for Madison and she's trapped, so she grabs a bottle, takes out the walker and slathers herself in its blood. Madison then coats Victor and he's clearly not impressed. Together they make their way outside to discover the car is gone. Victor is certain that this means that Ofelia and Alicia left them behind because the dead don't drive; however, Madison is not convinced.

They head over to the next building which is empty.  Victor forces Madison to drink some water and once again the debate begins about what happened to the girls. They stop to catch their breathe in a stairwell and Madison defends her position by saying that it wouldn't be like Alicia to leave.  Victor however argues back Alicia would if it meant surviving because she's independent and self reliant. Madison admits that she made Alicia that way. This is when they hear a knocking sound and shouting. As they get closer, Madison recognizes Alicia's voice. The mother and daughter reunite and Strand, who always has his eye on the ball, demands to know who the hell Elena and Hector are.

So, Nick is walking around his community and he sees the little girl who lost her father crying. An old woman approaches the child and comforts her. Nick heads into the hospital where he finds Alejandro. It seems that Nick feels remorse for putting the community in danger and has come up with a way to make up for what he did.  Nick, thinking like the junkie that he is, wants to cut the oxy with the powdered milk so that they will be able to stretch the oxy that they trade for food and water.  Nick argues that the junkies won't know the difference and will be happy because they will get high faster.

So it's time for the Jessie Pinkman/Walter White moment and the two work together to make the new pills.  Alejandro is impressed with Nick and Nick asserts that this will give the colony some hope. Nick turns the conversation to Alejandro surviving a walker bite. Alejandro asserts that Nick doesn't believe his story (yeah well he's a junkie not an idiot.) Alejandro suggests that Nick is having trouble because acceptance requires a leap of faith and that is something Nick would have trouble with.

Madison decides that they need to make a partnership with the other residents of the hotel. It's really smart actually.  Madison tells Ilene and Oscar that they need each other and when they balk, she reminds them that they haven't left the hotel. Madison thinks they should clear out the dead and then use the land for crops.  Interestingly, Strand is pretty silent during this and allows Madison to lead. It makes me wonder if Fear the Walking Dead is going to actually allow a competent woman to lead a group for a change?  Is that being too hopeful? Unsurprisingly, both Oscar and Ilene want Elena to leave but Madison argues that Elena did what she had to do. You know damn well that if Elena had done that Alicia and Nick, Madison wouldn't be so quick to be understanding and forgiving. Finally, Madison points out that others will come to the hotel and they might not be as peaceful as they are.

Victor and Madison head into the hallway for a tête-à-tête.  Strand is convinced that Ilene will not live peacefully because she is being driven by grief.  I think that Strand has read this situation correctly. Madison however is worried about losing their new home.  Strand makes it clear that he doesn't see the hotel as his home and that he lost his home when he was forced to shoot and bury Thomas.  I really like that they brought up the fact that Strand is still mourning the loss of the man he loved, even if I haven't forgiven them for killing off Thomas in the first place.  Strand does however agree to help Madison clear out the hotel.

Fear The Walking Dead, Season Two, Episode Ten: Do Not Disturb

Last week in the ballroom where Madison and Strand were stupidly making far too much noise, we saw what appeared to be the remains of a wedding.  This week, Fear the Walking Dead decided to give us the backstory of the wedding. Elena watches as the wedding festivities are underway.  The bride and groom prepare for their first dance while in the corner, the father and mother of the bride argue about leaving the wedding early.  The father leaves to be with his daughter and the mother decides to discuss the illness which is spreading like wildfire with Elena. Elena however is unconcerned, confidant that the hotel is well secured.  Elena's confidence is not enough to calm the mother of the bride who is concerned that the U.S. is closing its border.

On the dance floor the father of the bride collapses.  People familiar with this universe know exactly what is going to happen. Predictably, as the daughter bends over her father's corpse, he turns and makes a snack of her face.  The room turns into pandemonium and Elena responds by locking everyone in the ballroom. So yeah, I guess that means that the hotel remains secure.

In present day Fear the Walking Dead turns to the Travis and Chris road trip. Travis is struggling to walk but he keeps moving ahead. Things still aren't great between father and son but who can blame Travis given that Chris has gone full on creeper.  They come across a car and a taco place across the street. Travis starts to hotwire the car, attempting to teach Chris how but Chris is more interested in checking out the taco place for supplies.  Chris has to cajole his father and promises to return if he gets into any trouble. Chris heads into the restaurant and sees some water and canned goods but he hears noise coming from the back.  Chris starts loading up his bag and a guy comes out from the back and he is attacked by a walker.  Chris takes out the walker thus saving the guy but then he hustles back to his father and the car. Chris doesn't waste anytime in encouraging his father to take off, fully aware that he stole from whoever was in the back of the taco place.

Father and son are on the road and Travis's foot isn't getting any better and that is what finally induces him to let Chris drive. In a moment of normalcy, Chris fiddles with the radio but of course picks up nothing. They talk about the future and while Travis retains hope that someday they will be able to return home, for now the plan is to find somewhere secure to hold up. Travis gives Chris driving instructions and for a moment it's as though the apocalypse hasn't happened.

The car runs out of gas and so Chris and Travis decide to make camp for the night. Chris suggests that they make their way to the border so that they can have access to water but Travis is quick to nix this plan believing that water will draw in people. They don't get to enjoy their campfire for long because the guys Chris stole the food from show up. Chris fesses up as to what he did and hands his father a crowbar but Travis refuses it. Travis and Chris hide briefly but it's not long before Travis announces their position.  Yeah, Chris may not be right but Travis is still far too trusting. At any rate, introductions are made and after a lot of mistrustful looks, they all agree to camp together for the night.

Back at the hotel, things aren't looking for Alicia.  Alicia heads into the hallway and quickly finds herself surrounded by walkers. With no few choices left, Alicia forces the elevator door open only to find that the elevator is a few feet down.  With time running out, Alicia leaps into the shaft and grabs a hold of the chords.  It's a great move. Hand over fist, Alicia pulls herself up only to see  flashlight above her. Yes, Elena has managed to survive.  Elena helps Alicia out of the shaft and then puts an axe to her throat demanding to know where some mysterious he is.

Allison Hewitt Is Trapped (Zombie #1) by Madeleine Roux

Allison Hewitt was hard at work in a bookstore when the zombie apocalypse broke out.  Now she's trapped in the store room with her boss, a few coworkers and a couple of the store's regular customers. For now, things seem okay because they have a few supplies but Allison knows that they cannot afford to stay in the store room.  As she and her compatriots look for someplace safe to live, Allison cannot stop thinking of her mother who has cancer.  When Allison learns that her mother may have moved on to a place called Liberty Village, Allison must choose between staying with her fellow survivors or heading out on her own to find her mother.

What drove me to read Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, is the fact that the book is written in a series of blog posts.  For me, this amounted to a unique device to tell a story.  Unfortunately, the blog concept didn't really work and left me wondering if Roux had actually read a blog?  If you are writing a blog post about something which happened, it should read like a recollection and not like the events are current. Furthermore, writing about past events should evoke some kind of personal introspection which these supposed posts were absolutely lacking.  The only way in which Roux stayed true to the blog format was by having comments at the end of each entry.  The comments became the only real representation of a blog post; however, they also served to pull me out of the story because they included brief snippets from what I would call less than side characters and their peril.

It has to be said, Allison's ability to keep her laptop safe and continue to find free wifi to post as the world falls apart really made no sense to me whatsoever.  Why would someone prioritize this as a form of record keeping in a zombie apocalypse?

Chick-lit is a guilty pleasure of mine but after reading Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, I'm not sure that it lends itself well to a dystopain zombie setting. The very nature of a zombie apocalypse means darkness and suffering juxtaposed to Allison's upbeat attitude really felt at odds; it made this apocalypse seem so sanitized.  I was particularly irked by Allison's love life.  She doesn't know if her mother is alive or dead, is fighting for food and shelter, yet somehow she manages to fall in love with an older married man.  Given the threat to her life and safety, am I really supposed to find her drama as the other woman believable or even interesting? Every time Allison went on about how much she hated Collin's wife, I couldn't help but shake my head. Who the hell would be worrying about this shit now? Worse still, Allison stopped just short of wishing his wife dead on several occasions and then had the nerve to wonder if she is a bad person.

The Walking Dead, Season Five, Episode Nine: What Happened and What's Going On

The Walking Dead opens with someone shoveling dirt, a framed picture of a house, and Stokes giving a funeral sermon.  We see flashes of the prison and two twin Black boys.  Later, Noah talks to Rick about his plan to head home with Beth.  Rick talks to the crew, telling everyone that the place Noah is from was secure when he was last there and that Beth wanted to make sure Noah got there.  They decide that though it's a long trip, if the place is secure, it's the last long trip they have to make. 

We get a flash of Lizzie and Mikah smiling and one says, "it's better now."

The group splits up into two groups, with Rick, Noah, Tyreese, Michonne, and Glenn, in a car.  Rick contacts Carol by the radio and Carol promises to come and look for the group, if they don't check in in twenty minutes. Noah tries to assure Tyreese that the trade for Beth was the right play but Tyreese is convinced that it all happened the way it was supposed to. When they get close, Rick asks Tyreese to pull over, adding that they will go in on foot just in case.

They make their way through the woods, with Michonne in the lead and Glenn taking up the rear. When they arrive, it quickly becomes apparent that all of the people are either dead or gone.  Noah quickly hops over the fence and Rick et all have to run to keep up with him.  In the center of town, Noah stops when he sees the ground littered with bodies and a walker making its way towards them.  It's Tyreese who offers his condolences, as Noah cries and Michonne who takes out the walker.  As Noah continues to cry (badly at that because Tyler James Williams is a horrible actor ) Rick suggests they look around for anything useful and head back.  Glenn agrees that they can make a quick sweep, and Tyreese agrees to stay with Noah.  Rick contacts Carol to tell her that the location is gone.

Rick tells Michonne that they will figure out and though she says yes, it's clear Michonne is filled with doubt.  Rick and Glenn talk about how he knew that Dawn mean to kill Beth but he wanted to kill Dawn anyway. Rick makes the point that coming here was for Beth.

Noah continues to weep, as Tyreese stands guard.  Tyreese explains that he wanted to die for who and what he lost, then brings up the time he stepped into a crowd of Walkers.  Tyreese believes that because he kept going, he was able to save Judith and reunite her with Rick.  Tyreese tells Noah that this isn't the end.  Noah slowly rises to his feet with Tyreese's encouragement, then takes off running again, forcing Tyreese to follow him. 

Glenn brings up Terminus and the guy in the storage container.  Glenn says that after the prison he got Maggie back and things went okay.  Glenn picks up a bat and brings up the lose of Washington and finding Beth dead so soon after finding out she was alive.  Glenn declares that he would have shot Dawn dead, right or wrong.  Michonne interrupts the men to say that they need to stop because one can be out here to long.

Tyreese chases Noah to the front lawn of his former home, telling him that he doesn't want to go in there but Noah is insistent.  Tyreese pulls a knife and takes the lead as they approach the house.  Inside, they find a rotting carcass of a woman on the floor and I assume she is Noah's mother.  Noah gets on his knees and draws a blanket over her head, saying that he is sorry it took him so long to return.  Hearing a noise, Tyreese starts to make his way through the house.  Behind a closed door, the shadows move and it's clear that a walker is trapped in a bedroom.  Tyreese makes his way into what was clearly Noah's twin brothers room and looks at the pictures of the boys on the wall.  What he doesn't realise is that a walker is sneaking up on him.  The walker bites Tyreese in the arm and he tosses it across the room.  Noah comes in an puts a toy airplane through the head of the walker, promising Tyreese that he will be back with help.

Z Nation, Season One, Episode Ten: Going Nuclear

At Northern Light, NSA Command Center, Citizen Z  is searching for the team.

In the Black Hills, South Dakota,  Warren leads the team, who are tired and frustrated.  They pause when they see that Mt. Rushmore has been defaced and Murphy simply says that this is why they cannot have nice things. Doc is certain that it's the same people who defaced the liberty bell.  Murphy is frustrated and demands that Warren admit that they are lost.  They come across an installation of some sort and Doc uses a crow bar to open one of the buildings for the team.  Cassandra makes it clear that she is not at all comfortable.  Murphy finds a bottle of water and drinks it despite Doc's concerns.  The team are forced to hide when a glow in the dark zombie starts to make its way towards them.  Unfortunately, Murphy farts and this attracts the zombies attention.  Doc swears that if he dies because Murphy farted, he will take the zombie with him.  Doc manages to take out the zombie but it's not long before they realise the zombie was not alone.  Warren moves to shoot but finds her gun is out of  bullets.  Two people burst in the door and start shooting and warn the team not to touch the zombies because the zombies are radioactive.

The team follow Wilbur and Amelia outside, to see a leaking nuclear power plant.  Doc simply says, "it looks like it's going be another one of those days."

Wilbur and Amelia welcome the team to the tiny uninhabited town.  When Wilbur starts to cough, Amelia reveals that he has radiation poisoning.  Wilbur says that he is fine and offers to check the team out and give them some food.  Later, Amelia hands out iodine pills.  Wilbur assures the team that where they are is safe in terms of radiation but adds that the reactor is heating up, and it could lead to a blast, which would kill everything within a 300 mile radius.  Murphy being Murphy, announces that they have places to be and starts to gather his things.  Wilbur informs Murphy that every vehicle in town is gone. Murphy suggests they start walking but Wilbur informs Murphy that he won't make it because the reactor is going to blow within 40 hours.  Warren questions why Wilbur and Amelia are both still there and Wilbur explains that there is still a good chance to stop the reactor.   Wilbur adds that he is already a goner, looking at his hand.  Amelia explains that she is staying around to help her father and because she is a pilot, she can fly them out of the hot zone.  Wilbur is quick to point out that there is only room for one passenger in the plane and that he has bullets for all of the team, instructing them not to get any ideas. Warren tells Wilbur and Amelia that Murphy is the only survivor of a zombie bite, making Murphy the last best hope for humanity.  Wilbur laughs, so Murphy opens his shirt to reveal his scars.  Doc tells Wilbur that a lot of people got killed getting Murphy this far and Warren asks for instructions to cool down the reactor.

Outside, Wilbur explains that he needs to get to the control room to figure out why the cooling rods aren't dropping down. Wilbur explains that he hasn't been able to get in there because it is surrounded by zombies.  Wilbur explains that the team will be safe for two minutes of interacting with the zombies but warns that they are to keep the zombies far away because of the threat of contamination.  Warren orders 10K to stay behind with Murphy, to get him to California if they don't make it.   The team enters the cage and starts killing zombies, as Murphy limps his way through.  Warren kills a zombie with her sword, in a method that even Michonne would have been jealous of.  The team makes their way into the building, with Cassandra dragging Wilbur along.  They escort Wilbur to an elevator and he informs them that they are out of time and must return to the safety of outside.

The team head outside, as Amelia gets on the radio to encourage her father to keep going.  In the background, the warning siren continues to wail.

In the arctic, Citizen Z continues to send an automated message looking for the team.

Wilbur, still limping, makes his way outside and collapses in front of Amelia.  Wilbur tells Amelia that he is not going to make it before dying.  Seconds later, Wilbur turns into a zombie and Warren is forced to kill Wilbur.

Later, the siren continues to wail and Doc asks what they are supposed to do about it.  Cassandra points out that they cannot run because they are still within the blast zone.  Warren suggests that they head in but Doc argues that Wilbur was the only one who knew how to fix the reactor.  Warren calls Wilbur a good man and asks if Amelia can shut the reactor down, if they protect her and Amelia reveals that Homer is the only guy who could shut this down.  Homer however has been hiding in the woods since the apocalypse.  Warren asks how they can find Homer but Amelia is adamant that Homer won't talk to them.

Later, Amelia leads the team into the woods and tells them they have to stop because Homer has the place bobby trapped.  Warren consults 10K, who explains that Homer's traps are designed for Z's, suggesting that if they keep a sharp eye, they should be able to avoid the traps.  The team heads in, after dividing into two.  It's Warren, Doc and Murphy who find Homer.  Homer knocks Doc to the ground and points his gun but is stopped by 10K, who puts a cutlass to Homer's throat.

The Walking Dead, Season Four, Episode Four: Indifference

 

In the prison, Rick is wrapping a bandage around his hand.  Carol is standing outside the quarantine area when Lizzie appears.   Carol tells Lizzie that she is going on a run with Rick because they lost all of the food in cellblock D.  Lizzie reports that no one is dead yet and suggests that they get to come back.  Carol reminds her that the zombies are not who they were. Lizzie assures Carol that she is not weak.  While Carol is talking, Rick is picturing Carol killing Karen and David.  Carol reminds Lizzie that if it is her life, or her sister's life, that she shouldn't be afraid to kill.  Outside, Rick looks over the knives.  When Lizzie calls Carol mom, Carol tells her not to.  Lizzie says that she is not afraid to kill, just scared and Carol encourages her not to give up and to fight it.  Rick waits outside by the fence for Carol.

Tyreese is washing the blood out of his shirt when Darryl tells him that it is time to go.  Tyreese still doesn't move and Bill calls to him to say that there should a town a few miles down.  Tyreese is concerned by how long they have gone and adds that he believes Sasha might be dead.

In the car, Carol tells Rick that Maggie wanted to come but he says someone had to watch over things. Carol asks if he means someone he trusts and adds that Karen and David were a threat and she was trying to save lives.  Rick replies, "maybe" and keeps driving.  

Darryl and Michonne are in he lead and Darryl stops and picks jasper.  He quips to Michonne that if you stay in a place for awhile that it is surprising what you can pick up. Well, now Darryl is showing his snark.

Carol and Rick are out of the car looking for anything which can help Hershel.  Rick says that they get in and then they get out.

Bob, Tyreese, Michonne and Darryl stop when Darryl sees a car covered by bushes.  Darryl tries to hotwire the car but cannot get it to start.  They start to hack away at bushes and Darryl advises Tyreese to go easy because they don't know what they are dealing with.  Tryeese accidentally cuts the lock to a door, which is holding back zombies and ends up being saved by Darryl and Bob.  

Rick and Carol make their way into a house.  Rick quickly empties the medicine cabinet and makes his way into the kitchen.  A walker falls down the stairs and Rick has to pull Carol out of the way. Two people appear at the top of the stairs and Rick points his gun at them, though they try to offer him fruit.

Carol starts to clean the wounds on the couple.  Sam has a dislocated shoulder and Carol pops it back into place as Rick watches.  Apparently, they were hiding in the bathroom for a few days and Carol and Rick are shocked that they were not able to defend themselves because they had guns and knives.  Sam says that they just keep moving, not waiting for a place get bad.  Rick asks the couple how many walkers they have killed. 

Now inside the gas station, Darryl finds the battery that he needs to start the car. Outside, Michonne and Tyreese continue to hack away at the bush.  Michonne asks Tyreese if he is trying to die and adds that he has every reason to be angry. Michonne argues that anger makes you stupid and stupid gets you killed.  Tyreese brings up the governor and Michonne says that she is not angry but she was.  Tyreeses does not buy that and questions why Michonne is still looking for Philip. Michonne has no answer for this.  Clearly despite all of the smiles we have seen Michonne from the start of the season, are to cover the anger she still feels.

Inside, Bob says that everybody makes it until they don't, when Darryl points out that the walkers they just fought, committed suicide as a group. Darryl looks at pictures on the wall and recognize one as a zombie caught under a desk.  Bob makes quick work of the zombie.

Carol and Rick say it's time to move on. Rick tells Ana and Sam that they are from a prison and are dealing with a flu that's bad. Rick suggests Ana and Sam sit tight and promises to circle back before dark but Carol tells them to help search the houses.  The couple argues that they can help, when Rick says no.  Carol suggests that they will cover more ground with help and Rick agrees. Rick hands the couple a gun and says that if they fire a shot, he will come running. He also gives Sam a watch and adds that they are to meet up in two hours.

Darryl is working on the car and he asks Bob about the group they were with before. Bob reveals that when he was found on the road, he almost kept walking because he was the last one left standing of two different groups. Bob admits that he drank a bottle of something just to shut his eyes at night.  Bob reveals that he went on the last run to get a bottle and put the bottle down so hard it took down the shelf.  Bob blames himself for Zack's death and Darryl tells him that it is bullshit, before sending Bob to start the car. Bob gets the car started and Darryl whistles for Rick and Michonne.