SDCC Watch Day 3: Marriott Marquis Expansion and SDCC Implications

In yesterday’s SDCC post I mentioned the Marriott Marquis’ expansion, set to debut in June 2016.

You can read more about it here.

If you’re attending SDCC this year you’ll see the construction zone, which will no doubt impact traffic, as the site is butted up against the sidewalk. 

With the amount of conference and meeting space being added, it’s natural to assume that there will be implications for SDCC. Currently the Marriott hosts gaming central, featuring RPGs and LARPs, along with the Con Suite.

Will this expansion aid SDCC by providing more space?

Only time will tell.

SDCC Watch: Day 2 (June 9th)

In case you haven’t noticed, lately I’ve been making a daily trek to the Gaslamp Quarter and Convention Center to keep an eye on SDCC preparations. It’s early, of course, but I figure why not do it when I’m so close to the action?

Here’s what I saw today. (The Cisco convention is still going, and the weather is muggy and warm with lots of muggy humidity)

No line yet at Hall H!

Construction underway at the Marriott Marquis. The renderings look amazing and this will provide a ton of new space for SDCC in 2016.

Sky today…

Sky yesterday…

Keep watching for more SDCC prep sneak peeks!

It’s Almost Time for SDCC

I took a quick jaunt down to the Convention Center today. A month out from SDCC, and yet you can feel the excitement in the air in and around the Gaslamp Quarter.

An Interview with Debbie Lynn Smith, Creator of Gates of Midnight

In early March I had the pleasure of meeting Debbie Lynn Smith, creator of the amazing new comic series Gates of Midnight, at the Long Beach Comic Expo. We’ll be taking a closer look at this magnificent new series from Kymera Press in upcoming posts, but for now, let’s meet Debbie Lynn Smith.

 

Interview with Debbie Lynn Smith

Creator, Gates of Midnight

Interview by Sarabeth Pollock

Would you do us the honor of introducing yourself?  Can you tell us about your incredible experiences in television?

I’m Debbie Daughetee, but I write under my maiden name, Debbie Lynn Smith or D. Lynn Smith.  I was a television writer for many years (as Debbie Smith) and wrote for such shows as Murder, She Wrote; Touched by an Angel and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

You have mentioned that you could have published Gates of Midnight through major publishers, but you decided to self-publish through Kymera Press in order to maintain full creative control of your book.  What was this important to you?

I did have interest from several independent publishers but I felt strongly enough about certain issues that publishing Gates myself seemed the right thing to do.

Part of the mission of Kymera Press is to depict women as they are with realistic bodies.  I acknowledge the right of creators/artists to use the exaggerated hyper-sexual bodies common to some comics, but I didn’t want to have that in my comic.  If you publish through another publisher, you can’t control the ads that are placed in your comic.  I was on a panel at Loncon 3 last year with a man who said that he bought a comic book for his five-year-old daughter and was appalled to find a sadomasochistic ad for another comic in the book.  He used a black marker to draw over it so his daughter wouldn’t see it.  I didn’t want that to happen to Gates or any of the comics I help develop.  So I decided to start my own publishing company.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

That’s actually a funny story.  I’ve been writing since I was eight-years-old.  But I never thought about making it a career.  After doing some plays in high school and college, I decided to be an actress.  But when I moved to California and saw how my friends who had dedicated themselves to this goal lived, I quickly changed my mind.  Keep in mind I’d been writing all this time.

I then took a short story writing class through the extension program at UCLA taught by horror writer Dennis Etchison.  He brought a lot of writers in to lecture to the class:  George Clayton Johnson, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury and Bill Nolan.  Amazing, right?  Anyway, both Dennis and Bill Nolan made me believe I could be a writer.  They invited me to my first writer’s convention (World Fantasy) and showed me the ropes.  At that convention I met the man who would get me into television.

Talk about a few of the people who have inspired you over the years.  Who are your mentors?

As I mentioned above, Dennis Etchison and Bill Nolan were instrumental in making me believe in myself as a writer.  Charles de Lint is another writer who believed in my writing and was very supportive.  In television, Carol Mendelsohn took the time to educate her writer’s assistant (me) in what it took to write a television script.  So I had a lot of help from some really wonderful writers.

Who is your favorite author?

I really hate this question—no offense—because it’s so difficult to answer.  I have favorite books spread across the spectrum of writers.  One is Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern.  Both the Shining and The Stand by Stephen King.  And, of course Tolkein.

In comics it is the writer and the artist who create a good story so:  North 40 by Aaron Williams and Fiona Stapleton, Gotham Academy by Becky Coonan and Brenden Fletcher and Kark Kerschl, Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue Deconnick and Valentine DeLandro and Lazarus by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark.

Are there any aspects of your character in Raven’s character?

My father was a police officer in a small town in Ohio. There was always the threat of something happening to him.  So I decided to give Raven that trauma as the inciting incident in Gates so I can explore my own fears growing up.

What can we expect in future issues of Gates of Midnight?

Monsters, of course.  But also a look at different social issues we are facing.  I don’t want to make Gates into an issue of the month comic.  But I do like to acknowledge that there are problems in our society.  Like homeless vets and vets struggling with PTSD.  In issue #5 I introduce a homeless transgender character to explore the stereotypes and problems facing transgender people.  So we’ll keep exploring the theme of who are the monsters, the creatures coming through the gates… or us.

Given all of the hats you’ve worn, what do you love about working on a comic book?

I love the collaborative environment of the comic book.  Every artist brings something to the story that gives it a depth my words alone can’t give it.  I work with amazing artists who are dedicated to bringing my vision to life, even if I haven’t always visualized it very well.

Talk about your experiences as a comic creator at comic conventions.  What’s it like to talk with fans of the book? 

Gates of Midnight is our first title, so the Long Beach Comic Expo was the first convention where we actually had a dealers table.  We’re just building a fan base.  I will say that people have been very enthusiastic and supportive of our mission and of the comic.  I’m beginning to get letters from people who are suffering from PTSD telling me that they are happy to read about someone who has the same problems they do.  That is very gratifying.

Do you have a dream cast in mind should GoM make it to the big screen?

Ha!  You know, I haven’t spent any time thinking about that.  I’m so busy with Gates and our new title, Pet Noir, which will premiere at San Diego Comic Con, that I haven’t had much time for anything else.  That being said, I did use actors as models for my characters.  Raven was modeled on Audrey Hepburn. Alex, Keanu Reeves, Constance – a mix between Angelina Jolie and Uma Thurman.  Marie- Susan Sullivan.

Tell me about your creative team.  It seems like you have quite the dream team working with you!  Can you talk about the experience of working with an all female creative team?

I’ve love working with each of our artists.  Amelia Woo is always working to find a better way to present Gates.  She’s doing the covers starting with Issue #5, and they’re going to blow you away.  Unfortunately, Mirana Reveier, our colorist, has withdrawn from our project.  It was her work that gave Gates the distinct, gritty urban look.  Luckily I was able to find another incredible colorist, Sandra Molina.  She and Amelia are working together closely on Issue #5.  While Sandra is duplicating what Mirana did, she’s also bring her own unique talent to the pages and I think readers are going to be thrilled with her work.

Where did you come up with the idea for GoM?

Back in my other life as a television writer, Barbara Hambly and I came up with and pitched Gates as a television pilot.  This was the origin of Gates of Midnight.

Who is Raven Moon?  Is she based on a real life character?

I didn’t really base Raven on a real character.  I did have a few people in mind when writing her, people who had a characteristic I thought would suit her character.

Raven is a combat medic who served in Afghanistan and has PTSD as a result.  How important is her background, especially her military service, to her character?

It’s essential.  Her boyfriend died in front of her eyes.  She was wounded.  She’s now suffering from PTSD and has lost the father who grounded her.  She’s angry and scared and somewhat at a loss at how to live life.  And then gods and monsters get thrown in the mix…

Is there anything you’d like to do that you haven’t done yet?

I’m not sure what you mean—personally or in the comic?  Personally, oh yes.  I’d like to travel more.  I have other projects I’d like to write.  In Gates, oh yes.  There’s lots to come.

How far ahead have you planned GoM?  Can readers expect story arcs in the future, or is there one main storyline that you want to follow?

I actually have 48 issues planned.  Yeah, I plan ahead.  I don’t know if Gates will go 48 issues, it depends on how it is received.  Every 4 issues will have some kind of arc.  The story continues past that arc, but I’ve written each 4 issue series so the arc is somewhat like the 4 acts of a one hour television show.  I want the reader to come back after the 4^th issue, but I also want the reader to feel satisfied that they got something out of each set of 4.

Kymera Press has the best motto ever: “We’re not asking for permission…”  How did that come about?

It’s sort of been the motto for my life.  When I was a teenager, my younger sister asked me how I got to do all the things I did.  I told her because I don’t ask for permission.  If I asked, my Dad would have said NO.  When I first got into television as a writer’s assistant, people kept telling me that it was impossible to sell a spec script.  I ignored them, and I sold a spec and launched my career.  Now I’m doing comics using an all-female creative team with women friendly content.  People are telling me I won’t be able to make it as a) a publisher and b) the comic won’t sell if it doesn’t have the kind of content that attracts teenage boys.  Quite frankly I think they are underestimating teenage boys, but regardless, I’m simply not asking for anyone’s permission to support female artists in this way.

In the first issue of GoM you spend some time at the back of the book talking about how GoM was originally a television pilot inspired by Johnathon Keel’s The Mothman Prophecies.  What was it about that book that inspired you to create GoM?

I loved the idea that there was a Gate that opened to another world and that there were creatures on the other side of that gate.  It’s as simple as that.  Just think of the possibilities.

“Kymera Press is proud to be making a place for women in comics.”  What is it like being at the forefront of providing an outlet for women in comics?  Do you feel any pressure in that role?

Quite frankly I don’t feel like I’m at the forefront at all.  So many women have come before me, blazing a path that makes what I’m doing possible.  There’s a wonderful documentary out there called She Makes Comics that interviews the women who have been active in comics from the past to present day.  I recommend anyone who thinks that women in comics is a new thing watch this documentary.  The only pressure I feel is the pressure all comic creators feel, the pressure to create a quality product that I can be proud of.

How important is it for you personally to be writing stories for women, given that women are the fastest growing demographic in comics?

I don’t know that I’m actually writing comics for women.  I’m simply writing about a strong female protagonist who has flaws.  I’m not using any kind of exaggerated anatomy and I don’t have graphic sexual content.  There are quite a few men out there who have read Gates and are enjoying it.

What advice would you have for young women writers and artists who want to break into the comic industry?

Oh, I’m so glad you asked.  Many woman are timid about displaying their work.  They either a) are afraid they’re not good enough or b) afraid to garner criticism.  I relate to both.  But the thing is, YOU CANNOT LET EITHER OF THESE THINGS STOP YOU FROM GETTING OUT THERE.  The difference between men and women is that men have a lot more self-confidence and don’t really worry about whether or not they’re good enough.  They don’t hesitate to put their work out there so it’s much easier to find men artists, colorist and letterers (especially letterers) than it is finding women.  So, get your art up on deviant art and other sites.  Listen to any constructive critiques you receive, chuck the rest.  Remember, you DON’T HAVE TO ASK FOR PERMISSION.

Are there any opportunities for people to get involved with Kymera Press? 

At the moment I’m stretched to the limit (and beyond) as is my budget.  If there’s anyone who wants to volunteer to help with social media, a kickstarter project or something along those lines, I’d love to talk to that person.  Also, we would love to have some guest bloggers.

What’s next for Kymera Press?  What projects are coming down the pipe?

Our next project is called Pet Noir, based on the novel of the same name by Pati Nagle.  It’s about Leon, a genetically altered cat who is a spy on a space station.  The first script is being tweaked as we speak.  All of my artists are hired and waiting in the wings.  I’m very excited about this property because it will have a much lighter feel than Gates.  It will also be more appropriate for a younger audience.

We’re also working on additional content for the first Gates of Midnight Graphic Novel, which will collect the first four issues in one place.  Our editor Valerie D’Orazio wrote a short script about one of our minor characters, and our artists for Pet Noir are doing the art.  I thought it would be a great way to introduce our Gates readers to our new artists, and give Valerie a chance to show off her writing skills.

You’re a very busy lady!  Can you tell us about some of the things you’re working on?  Will you be attending any comic conventions in the next few months?

Kymera Press will have a table at C2E2 in Chicago at the end of April.  We’ll have the first 4 issues of Gates of Midnight, along with T-shirts and art prints for sale.  This is our first big convention and we’re very excited about it.

I’ll be doing some smaller conventions in Albuquerque, Madison WI, another in Long Beach and some appearances here in Vegas.  We were lucky enough to get a small press table at San Diego Comic Con in July and we’re hoping our readers come by and visit with us.  After all, they’re why we do this.  Readers can sign up for our newsletter at Kymerapress.com for news of what we have going on and what conventions we’ll be attending.

A Rant: CNN, The WHCD, and the So-Called “Nerd Prom”

Can someone explain to me where CNN came up with the idea that the White House Correspondent Dinner is a “nerd prom?”

Exactly who, pray tell, are the nerds in attendance?

The journalists?

The celebrities?

The politicians?

I’m a card-carrying, banner-waving nerd, and I don’t think I like that CNN is calling the WHCD a “nerd prom.”  A “nerd prom” is something more akin to the “Enchantment Under the Sails” dance at San Diego Comic Con.  Listening to comedians lampoon Washington while celebrities pick at an overpriced dinner?  Not so much.

So come on, CNN, stop trying to create catch-phrases.  Just report the news.

The Walking Dead Season Finale S5E16: Conquer

The Walking Dead S5E16: Conquer

Original Airdate: March 29, 2015

Recap by Sarabeth Pollock

 

It’s the last episode of Season 5, fellow Walkers!  Who will live, and who will die tonight?

Morgan wakes up in the back of a burned out car in the woods.  He smiles when he sees the rabbit’s foot dangling from the rear-view mirror.  He makes breakfast.  Suddenly a man pops out of the woods with a gun pointed at Morgan and he sits on a rock.  Morgan asks what the W on the man’s forehead is for.  The man says that the original settlement of native people wore wolf heads until they defeated the invaders.  Morgan laughs and says that all will return to normal.  The W man laughs and says it’s nice to talk.  His group invades camps and takes over other groups.  He misses movies.  He tells Morgan to put his coffee cup down because he wants it, and he wants Morgan, too, but Morgan won’t be alive.  Morgan smiles at him and says that he won’t allow the man to take him away.  He won’t allow it.  Suddenly another man jumps out of the bushes and Morgan takes him out with a stick.  Morgan tells them to go, but they keep coming at him so he takes them out with a stick.  The gun, evidently, was empty.  Morgan puts the men in the back of the car and honks the horn.  He grabs the rabbit’s foot and takes off.

Yay, Morgan is back!!

Daryl flies down the road on his motorcycle.  Aaron follows behind him.  They stop off the road and head into the woods.

Rick wakes up.  His face has been tended to and he’s in a room on a mattress on the ground.  Michonne asks why he’s laughing.  He says that it’s like the train car, that after the whole situation he is still there.  Michonne explains that Deanna wanted him to be there.  Rosita cleaned him up, and Carl visited.  She asks him what he’s doing.  He stays silent.  She says that they have Pete in another house.  Rick says that he had to act quickly, and that he didn’t tell her about the gun because she wanted to be there.  “Well, we’re here,” he says.  Glenn and Carol arrive with Abraham.  They want to know where he got the gun.  Carol says it was stupid and wants to know why he did it.  Glenn says that Deanna is having a meeting about his fate.  Carol tells Rick to tell them a story about taking the gun to make sure Jesse was ok.  Carol says they’re children and they like stories.  Rick has a plan to take out the group if things go south at the meeting.  Glenn wants to know if Rick wanted to be there, and he confesses that he didn’t.  He tells them to leave so he can sleep.

Maggie goes to meet with Deanna to find out what is going on at the meeting.  She says that Rick was invited in with everyone else.  Deanna says that Rick had a gun and he pointed it at them, and even though Michonne stopped him, they don’t know what he would have done.  Deanna says that she will do what’s necessary.  Maggie leaves, and Reg goes after her and tells her that the cavemen were a tribe and they came together when they stopped casting people out.  He’s going to talk to Deanna and explain that to her.

Sasha patrols the wall and carries bodies away from the fence.  She has a huge grave for the bodies and she’s keeping house.  She stumbles into the grave and ends up lying down with the corpses, closing her eyes.

Daryl says that someone came through the path earlier.  Daryl wants to know about the people who had been sent away from Alexandria before.  Davidson was their leader, two men and a woman.  He brought them in and eventually had to cast them out with a day’s worth of food.  Aaron can’t make that mistake again.

Carol wakes Rick up and tells him that it’s good what happened.  She thinks that he did a good job of making a scene.  She hands him a gun and says that she didn’t tell Glenn and Michonne about the extra guns.  When Rick says he doesn’t want to lie anymore, and he doesn’t want to take the place, she shakes her head at him.  “Sunshine, you don’t get both.”

Carol has gotten really dark lately, hasn’t she?

Daryl and Aaron watch a man in a red coat as he walks through a field.

Rick goes outside and walks past three men who greet him.  He passes Deanna’s house and gives her a look.

Glenn is sitting on the porch when Maggie arrives.  Nicholas is watching them from around the corner.  She tells Glenn that she talked to Deanna and she’s going to talk to people to get them to see the truth.  Glenn tells her that he loves her, and she reassures him that they will work everything out.  Glenn looks up to see Nicholas scaling the wall.

Gabriel is off for a walk outside the walls.  He has God to protect him and he doesn’t need a gun.

Rick returns to his house and sees Carl.  Carl wants to know if this is home, and Rick says it is, but he doesn’t want Carl there because he might have to kill someone.  Carl says he has to make these people hear what Rick has to say.  He has to make them listen.

Aaron and Daryl scout the town and don’t find the man in red.  They find a group of Walkers in a fence.  Aaron says they’re fifty miles from home and there are bad people out.  Daryl says that’s all the more reason to find the good ones.  Aaron agrees but says they will need help and they’ll need food to feed the newcomers.  They kill the Walkers in the fenced-in area and approach the warehouse.  Aaron pries an Alaska license plate from a truck and says that the man in got away, but finding the cans was a good thing.  Suddenly the trucks open up and they’re full of Walkers with Ws carved into their foreheads.  Daryl and Aaron are quickly surrounded by Walkers, and they flee to a nearby car, where they are engulfed by Walkers.

Who put the Walkers in the truck!?

Daryl and Aaron are stuck in the car.  Aaron finds a note: “Trap.  Bad people are coming.  Stay away.”  Aw, crap.

There’s a knock at the door and Pete answers it.  It’s Carol.  She says that he needs to check on Tara, and he tells her to get out.  Carol pulls out a knife and says she could kill him and she could tell people he tried to hurt her.  Everyone would believe it.  “Come at me,” she taunts.  He holds his ground.  She says he has a chance.  He’s here, his wife is ok.  “You’re a small, weak nothing.”  She says that he might not have to die.  She hands him a dish of food and she tells him that she wants her dish back clean when he’s done.  She leaves, and he drops the dish and yells that it isn’t his house.

Glenn follows Nicholas into the woods.  As he’s looking around, he’s shot in the shoulder.  Nicholas runs out and looks around to see that no one followed him.

Rick goes to Jesse’s house.  He sees her black eye and she assures him that he didn’t do it.  Jesse says that people shouldn’t see them talking, but she does tell him that he was right.  Across the way, Pete watches furiously from his prison house.

The van is still surrounded and Daryl laughs to himself.  He says he came out because he felt closed up back in Alexandria and now he’s stuck in a car.  Aaron says he was trying to fit in.  Aaron had been watching Daryl and how he led the group to safety.   That’s how he knew that the group needed to come with him.  Daryl says he’s going to make a break for it and lead them away from the van.  He lights a cigarette.  Aaron says that they will fight together.  They have to.  They’re about to go when one of the Walkers is stabbed.  Aaron and Daryl jump out to find Morgan outside.  Once they’re safely on the other side of the gate, Aaron tells Morgan that they have a compound and he’d be welcome there.  They need to leave because that was a trap and the others will no doubt be on the way. Daryl asks why he saved them and Morgan says all life is precious.  Morgan says he’s on his way somewhere but he’s lost.  He hands Daryl a map—and it’s the one from the church.  Daryl sees Abraham’s message to Rick and stares at Morgan in awe.

Gabriel walks down the road, whistling.  He finds a Walker and says he’s ready….  Gabriel holds out his hands as the Walker approaches.  He decapitates the Walker with the noose around its neck and smashes its head.  He then kills the Walker on the ground nearby.  He breaks down into tears and cries on the ground.

Abraham arrives at the infirmary and Rosita says that Eugene is asleep at Tara’s bedside.  He creeps to the bed and she knocks over a pan to wake up Eugene, who looks at Abraham and says “good afternoon.”  Eugene looks at Tara and says that she saved his life.  She also got him thinking about how Eugene’s lie spurred Abraham into action and put his talent into motion.  That’s what saved them.  He thanks Abraham for saving them.  Abraham apologizes for almost killing him.  “Yes, there’s that.”

Spencer welcomes Gabriel back and asks him if he can talk to him later.  He needs to talk about Aidan’s death.  He needs to rush off to the meeting, and he asks Gabriel to close the gate.  Gabriel nods and shuts it carelessly, leaving it open.

In the woods, Nicholas kills a Walker and then Glenn jumps him.  They fight, and then two Walkers rush up and it looks like they are on top of Glenn.

Michonne asks Rick if he’s ready for the meeting.  He tells her that he, Carol and Daryl have guns from the armory.  They lied to her because they didn’t know how she’d take it.  Michonne says she hit him for his own good, not theirs.  She says they don’t need weapons there, and that they can find a way there, and if they don’t, she’s still with them.  She knows that something is about to happen, but Rick shouldn’t make something happen.  She leaves Rick and he grabs a knife and his gun and hears voices in his head about how nightmares end.  Rick looks out the window to see that the gate has been left open.  He hurries outside and sees that there is fresh blood on the gate, with a trail of blood leading inside.

Rick runs along the wall.

Gabriel walks into the church and finds Sasha inside.  She says she doesn’t know what to do.  She doesn’t know what’s in her head and she asks for his help.  “No,” he says.

The townspeople gather at the meeting.  Deanna wants to start even though Maggie points out that Rick and Glenn aren’t there.  Deanna wants to talk about how he has a gun he stole and pointed at people.  Carol says she’s sure they can work this all out.

Nicholas is wandering in the woods.

Rick is out running between the houses.

Sasha says that she wants to die.  Gabriel says she doesn’t deserve to live after what she did.  He says that Bob was mutilated because of her sins.  Tyreese died because of his sins.  She screams and lunges at him.

Rick finds Walkers in the streets.

Michonne tells the group that they will learn to be like Rick if they’re lucky.

Sasha and Gabriel fight.  The gun goes off.

Glenn tackles Nicholas and knocks him out.

Carol says that people like her are alive because of people like Rick and that although it was scary last night, they need him.

Rick kills the Walker with his bare hands.

Abraham gets up and says that Rick knows everything about the shit that’s out there, and then some.  Deanna’s people don’t know anything.

The men who attacked Morgan bring the man in the red coat to the gates of their trap.  They slit his throat and then watch as the Walkers line up at the fence.

Maggie tells the group about her father and how he respected Rick.  Rick knows what he has to do.  They’re all family now, and Rick was the one who started it.  She tells the group that they will want to be a part of it, too.  Deanna says that she would like to share something in the spirit of transparency.  She says that Gabriel told her that the new group was dangerous and a day later the shit hits the fan.  Jesse says that Gabriel isn’t there, and she asks if Deanna taped it.  She says that Rick isn’t there either.

The two men use music to lure the Walkers back into the van.

Rick drops a Walker at Deanna’s feet.  The group stares at him.

Glenn decides not to kill Nicholas.

Maggie finds Sasha with a gun pointed at Gabriel.  He says his people died because of him.

Rick says that there were no guards at the gate.  Spencer says he asked Gabriel to close it.  Deanna sends him off to watch it.  He tells everyone that the Dead and the Living will always try to get in because they’re inside.  Rick says he isn’t going to kill anyone to save their lives.  The people inside the walls need to change.  They aren’t ready, and they have to be. Luck will run out.  Pete runs in and screams that he isn’t one of them.  He has a knife, and he slices Reg’s throat open.  Abraham tackles him.  Reg dies in Deanna’s arms.  She looks at Rick and says “do it.”  Rick shoots Pete without hesitation.

Of course, Rick looks up to see Morgan standing there with Daryl and Aaron.  Morgan stares at Rick as Rick stares at Morgan in shock.

Michonne sheaths her sword.

The man in the red coat is now a Walker, and he’s wandering inside the trap.  On the van is a message: “Wolves no fear.”

And that’s it, ladies and gentlemen.  Tune in this summer for full Walking Dead coverage from San Diego Comic Con!  See you in October!

The Walking Dead Recap S5E15: Try

The Walking Dead S5E15: Try

Original Airdate: March 21, 2015

Recap by Sarabeth Pollock

 

We’re down to the last two episodes of Season 5.  Can you believe that?  It’s almost like we’re back at Season 1, what with Rick’s freshly-shorn baby face….

A Walker comes through the woods and steps on a photo.  In a dark room, Deanna, Reg and Spencer play Aidan’s “run mix.”  They’re in shock.  The music is hard, pounding.  Perfect for running.  Or frustrated people.

Carol is busy cooking.  Her kitchen is immaculate.  Judith can be seen napping on the baby monitor.  Carol writes out a note, but then Sam taps on the window.

Sasha is out hunting Walkers.

Reg sobs, Deanna hugs a pillow, and Spencer turns off the music.  There’s a knock at the door.  Deanna sees the casserole dish that Carol left with a note: “We’re truly sorry for your loss.”  She leaves the dish outside and takes the note.  She burns it and drops it onto a plate.  This, of course, doesn’t bode well for Rick’s group.

A Walker approached the fence.  Sasha takes it out.

In a field, Daryl takes out another Walker.  Aaron says that more walkers are around than before.  Daryl points at a light in the distance.  Someone is out there in a cabin in the woods.  Aaron and Daryl stare at it.  (Is it Morgan?!)

Deana rewinds the tape where Nicolas tells the story of Aidan’s death.  He says that Aidan was trying to save the group but Glenn distracted him.  Deanna asks about Tara, and Nicolas was going to save her but the group was going to leave her behind.

Glenn tells the real story to Rick.  “I watched him die,” Glenn says.

Deanna asks Nicolas why they came back together.  Spencer interrupts them and she says that they shouldn’t do this right now, but Deanna says that she has to do it.  Nicolas doesn’t think Deanna understands what he’s saying; he thinks that Rick’s group is evil and needs to leave.  Deanna watches the recording on her laptop.  She says she sees more than people realize.

Glenn tells Rick that he was trying to save Noah but he couldn’t.  These people don’t know how to survive.  Rick tells Glenn that they don’t have to live by their rules, but Glenn says that they are all one and the same now.  Noah believed in that place.  They have to make it work.

Carol watches Sam from a distance.  Carol tells Rick that she sent Deanna a casserole.  She tells Rick that Sam told her that Jesse put a bolt on the inside of his closet and she sends him inside when things go bad.  Last month Sam found his mother unconscious while Pete sat on the porch.  Rick asks why Carol cares, and she gives him a look.

Rick sees a boat in the pond with a balloon tied to it.  (Where did they find helium?)  He’s about to shoot it when Pete comes up.  He’s drunk and stumbling.  “Keep walking,” Rick growls.  Pete is confused at first, but he complies.  Rick is intimidating!

Michonne wakes up.  She’s in a bed, but she’s fully dressed in case she needs to make a quick move.  She contemplates her sheriff’s uniform when Rosita knocks on her door. Tara is stable, but Sasha spent the night in the tower. The women go out into the woods to find her.  (Michonne isn’t in her uniform)  It’s their first time outside since their arrival and Michonne feels the difference already.  She points out that Noah is dead and she feels like she was asleep inside the walls.  Rosita points out that she didn’t bring her sword.

Deanna stares at the graves.  Rick walks up and apologizes for what happened.  She’s not holding up well.  Rick says they have a problem with Pete.  Deanna says that she’d hoped it would get better.  She knew about the abuse, but he’s a talented surgeon.  Rick says they can separate them, and if he refuses they will kill him.  Rick says that exiling him won’t work, because he’ll come back.  She says that this language is not to be tolerated inside.  She says if it came down to it, she’d send him away, too.

Michonne and Rosita find Walkers with wounds in the back of their heads.  “She’s hunting them,” Michonne observes.

Enid calls out when she hears Carl approach.  She wants him to leave, but he says that two people just died and they shouldn’t be out on their own.  He asks what she does out there, and she runs off.  He chases her, smiling for the first time in a long time.  Eventually they come across Walkers in the woods.  Enid starts a kitchen timer and throws it.  When it goes off, the Walker is distracted.  They run off.

Glenn finds Nicolas cleaning the van.  He tells him that the four people’s deaths are on him, as is Noah’s death.  He says he was lucky to find this place when the walls went up, but he’s not fit for going outside.  In fact, it won’t happen anymore.  Nicolas thinks it’s a threat, but Glenn says he’s saving him.

Enid says they’re supposed to be outside, that they shouldn’t forget what it’s like.  Carl admits that he dreams about it.  Carl asks if Ron knows that she comes out there, but she says he wouldn’t understand.  Carl wants to know why he scares her.  He just does.  He compliments her knife, which belonged to her mom.  He wants to know what happened to her, but before she can answer, they hear Walkers so they climb into a hollowed out tree.  “It’s their worlds.  We’re just living in it,” she breathes.  He moves to touch her hand, and she notes that he’s afraid of her, too.  One of the Walkers bears a W on his forehead.

Nicolas goes out to the woods and finds the gun that Rick had hidden before they arrived in Alexandria.  So.  He’s the one who took it.

Sasha takes out several Walkers.  Michonne and Rosita find her and she says she’s sick of playing offense.  She starts shooting as a huge herd approaches, and while she shoots them, Michonne has a flashback to the woman she was.  We see her in her hood with her pets and her sword.  Rosita goes into action with her knife, and then Sasha’s gun jams.  She falls to the ground and drops her knife, but Michonne shoots the Walker.  Sasha says she had it under control.  She doesn’t need their help.  Sasha wants them to leave.  Michonne can’t help her.  Sasha breaks down and says that she told Noah he wouldn’t make it.  She walks off and Rosita follows, but Michonne looks at the gun in her hand.

Daryl and Aaron wait til the next day to explore the field and the house.  They find more Walkers who have been chopped into pieces.  They’re fresh, too.  Aaron follows behind Daryl, gun drawn, as they search.  They come upon a woman who has been tied to a tree and flayed alive by Walkers.  There’s a W on her forehead as well.  She’s newly dead, too, because she is in the process of turning.  Daryl puts her out of her misery.

Rick finds Jesse smoking in her garage.  Rick gets to the point and says that he knows Pete is hitting her and that it has to stop.  She says it will and blames things in the past.  It was going on before and he stopped.  He’ll do it again.  She doesn’t think Rick can help, because throwing him in jail will make things worse.  Jesse wants to know why Rick cares.  He has everything he needs now, why is he bothering.  She says she’s married and she can take care of it.  They all have to take care of themselves.

Rick leaves and watches the town with a new focus.  He sees the elderly couple on their porch, and a woman reading, and a boy with a balloon.  He turns and goes back to Jesse’s house and tells her that Sam asked for a gun to protect her.  Rick says that it’s the same out there as it is in there: if you don’t fight, you die, and he doesn’t want that to happen.  He can keep her and her boys safe.  All she has to do is say yes.  Jesse asks him if he’d do this for anyone else, and he says no.  “Leave us,” she says.  Pete walks in and asks what Rick is doing there.  He tells Rick to leave and Jesse intervenes.  “Excuse me?” he slurs.  “You need to leave,” she tells him.  He can’t believe this.  He rushes Rick and the men fight.  Jesse screams.

Sasha watches as people inside the walls start running.  Inside, Rick and Pete have taken the fight to the street and everyone in town is watching.  Someone calls for Deanna.  Pete is on top of Rick and Jesse tries to pry him off, but he punches her.  Sam runs to Carol.  Rick gets on top and Carl tries to grab his dad, but that only distracts Rick long enough for Pete to land another punch.    Deanna arrives and tells them to stop.  Rick gets up and points a gun at them all.  Sasha is in her tower shooting the Walkers at the wall.  Rick tells them all that their way of doing things is wrong.  Deanna says that is very clear to her.  Rick says that he isn’t going to stand by and let it happen.

Michonne steps up and knocks him out.

Well, that was intense.  What can possibly happen next?

The Walking Dead Recap S5E14: Spend

The Walking Dead S5E14: Spend

Original Airdate: March 15, 2015

Recap by Sarabeth Pollock

 

Tonight’s episode starts out with Gabriel and a Bible.  He’s in his priest’s uniform again, but he’s agitated.  Gabriel walks into the church while the town is quiet.  He goes to the makeshift pulpit and sees that someone brought him a bowl of strawberries.  His Bible is ripped so he prepares to fix it, and then he stops.  He tears a page from the Bible, and then he tears another and another until he finally rips a whole section out, then he slams the book closed and fights his tears.

Daryl is back on a motorcycle, and he rides out the gate, followed by a car.

Reggie apologizes to Noah for being late to their early morning meeting.  The power is out.  Noah wants to start meeting in the mornings so that Reggie can teach him.  He doesn’t want to just be an architect; he wants to make sure the walls stay up.  He’s afraid that they’ll fall in someday.  Noah wants to learn how to keep houses functioning, and how to build buildings.  Reggie pulls out a notebook that he uses to document things that are noteworthy.  He pulls out a few pages, and then he hands it to Noah and says he should start doing the same, because there will be a new start and it should be recorded.  That, and he needs to write down all that Reggie will teach him.

Abraham looks at his reflection in the mirror.  He’s pensive this morning.

Noah hands Eugene a gun, but Eugene doesn’t want to take it.  He tells him that the items he needs are the same everywhere, and he’ll install them and get the power grid operational again.  Noah makes him take the gun.  Evidently he’s not exempt from this little trip.  Aidan says goodbye to his parents, who clearly love him despite his cockiness.  Maggie gives Glenn a goodbye kiss.  Deanna thanks Glenn for everything he’s doing to keep her son in line.   Tara wants to know the story with the girl that Noah was talking to.  Just then, Aidan starts the van and a techno beat fills the cab.  Even Glenn has to laugh.

Rick finds Jesse cleaning up her sculpture in the garage.  Evidently someone destroyed her owl.  Rick promises to keep an eye out for her.  He tells her about the “broken window theory” that keeps society in check.

The team arrives at the warehouse.  Glenn proposes that they scout the perimeter just in case.  A Walker approaches and Noah efficiently shoots it.  Nicholas scoffs, but Aidan agrees with Glenn.  Eugene and Tara walk around the building and Eugene says that he got them to Alexandria, that without him and “his vision” they never would have gone there.  Tara calls him a coward, which he agrees with.

Glenn praises Noah’s aim.  They come across a huge herd of Walkers in the front of the building, so the front exit is not an option.

The group reconvenes and enters the warehouse.  Glenn and Aidan lead the way.  They can hear Walkers in the distance, and Glenn surmises that they’re being blocked by something.  They find the Walkers behind a chain-link fence.  Other than that, the warehouse is full of supplies.  Eugene and Tara find what they’re looking for.  Aidan is off on his own when an armor-wearing Walker approaches.  Aidan shoots at him until he falls down, but he fails to notice the grenades on its suit.  Glenn shouts out a warning but it too late.  The place blows up.

Glenn gets to his feet.  He finds Aidan impaled on the shelf.  Noah finds Glenn, and Eugene cries out for them.  He’s with Tara, but she’s horribly wounded.  A Walker approaches Eugene but he’s too afraid to shoot it.  He gets an assist from Noah and Glenn, and then they rush off to help Tara before the escaping Walkers can get to them.

Carol finds Sam rifling through the pantry looking for cookies.  His power is out and someone destroyed his owl statue, so he came to Carol’s.  He’s proud that he hasn’t told anyone about the guns.  Carol shakes him and says that none of these are actual problems.  She doesn’t want to make cookies for him, so he asks if she’ll teach him how to do it himself.    This catches her off guard, so she tells him to steal the chocolate from Olivia as a start.  What is her game?

Eugene says that Tara is losing a lot of blood.  They need to get her back to Alexandria.  That’s when they hear the cries, and it turns out that Aidan is alive.  He’s impaled, but he’s alive.  Eugene tells the three men to go save him, because that’s what Tara would do.  They leave, and Eugene stays to protect her.

Abraham and some townsfolk go out to get supplies to make the walls stronger.  There is a whole construction site for their use.  Abraham is struggling with his demons and he takes a moment to collect himself before helping out.  One of the townsfolk runs back, trailed by dozens of Walkers.  In the melee, Francine, who had been up in a forklift as a lookout, falls from her perch when someone lets go of the lever.  She falls into the herd, and everyone is about to abandon her when Abraham rushes in to save her.  They’re surrounded, so he puts her in the cab of one of the big machines and then faces the Walkers.  “Mother dick,” he says.

Abraham leads the Walkers under the tractor and shoots them, then he grabs a hammer and starts swinging.  Francine helps shoot Walkers as well.  The townsfolk are amazed that Abraham is still alive, and one of them hurries to help even though his other neighbors don’t.

Rick gets a visit from the good doctor, who brings beer as a thank you for helping Jesse earlier.  Pete’s already drunk and teases Rick for always being on duty, though he saw Rick drinking at the party.  Pete’s not upset about the owl, and he transitions from the owl to Rick losing his wife.  Pete says that they have lost things as well, even if Rick’s group doesn’t see that.  Then he tells Rick to bring the kids in for a check-up.  And then he wants to be friends with Rick.  And then…Pete has left the building.  Rick watches him leave.  He’s suspicious.

Eugene tells the unconscious Tara that he told them what he was, but no one listened.  The lights go out, so Eugene picks her up and runs.

Glenn and company reach Aidan and try to pry him from the bars.  He screams.  He’s impaled in two spots and it’s impossible to free him.  Nicholas says something in Aidan’s ear before running off, then Aidan grabs Glenn and tells him that there were people there before, but then they did it.  It was a very important message, but it was jumbled given Aidan’s blood loss.  He tells Glenn to go, and then Aidan is eaten by Walkers.  It’s an incredibly prolonged death scene, where we see Aidan’s agony as his innards are liberated from his stomach cavity.

Abraham has beef with the guy who was going to leave them behind.  He punches him, as does Francine.  Abraham takes over the job site, and the people jump to attention.

Nicholas runs for the front door, but we already know that the front door isn’t an option.  Glenn and Noah are close behind but Glenn is out of ammo, so they barricade themselves in the revolving door.  Walkers surround them on both sides.

Deanna and Reggie listen to the defunct job site leader who says that Abraham’s actions saved Francine, and that he’s a better leader than he is.  Maggie looks on with a hint of pride in her eyes.  Deanna listens and decides that she’ll approach Abraham about being in charge.  The man knows she won’t regret it.  Deanna reflects that she has put another one of Rick’s group in a position of power, and Maggie says that’s why she brought them there.

Sam returns with the two chocolate bars.  She says that she won’t do this for him again.  He wants to know if she was always a good cook, but she says they aren’t talking.  He says they don’t have to be friends, but it doesn’t have to be quiet.  Carol reveals that cooking helped her forget bad things.  Sam says that he breaks things when he’s sad.  Carol asks if he broke his owl, and he did.  He asks why she stole the guns, and she says it was to protect herself.  Sam wants a gun, which makes Carol stop when she sees the haunted look on his face.  She wants to know who the gun is for, but he runs off before he tells her.

Glenn and company are stuck.  Miraculously, Eugene pulls up and distracts them with the music from the van.  Glenn tells Nicholas that he’s going to break the glass.  Nicholas has his own plans and runs from the revolving door, allowing Noah to be grabbed by the Walkers on the other side.  “Don’t let go!” Noah screams, but Glenn can’t hold on.  Noah is thrust against the door and he stares at Glenn as he’s eaten alive.

Eugene stops when Nicholas runs up to the van.  He says they’re leaving, but Eugene refuses to get out.  Nicholas pulls him out and tries to start the van, and Glenn arrives and pulls him out and punches him several times.  Eugene asks about Noah, but Glenn shakes his head and says that they need to get Nicholas in the van.

Carol knocks on Pete and Jesse’s door.  Pete answers and is acting very suspiciously.  Jesse is in the background, telling him “don’t.”  Carol knows what’s happening.

Glenn drives the van while Eugene rides shotgun and keeps his attention on the back of the van, on injured Tara and unconscious Nicholas.  He has his gun drawn.

Deanna answers her door.  It’s Gabriel.  He comes inside and tells Deanna that Satan disguises himself as angels of light.  He tells Deanna that Rick’s group is evil, and that they’ve done bad things to get where they are.  Deanna says that they’re survivors, and that they had to do things to survive.  Gabriel doesn’t relent, and though she tries to get him out, he keeps talking about Satan.  Maggie has come upstairs and hears the whole conversation.  Deanna closes the door, looking lost in thought.

Carol goes to Rick’s house and tells him that Pete is hitting Jesse.  Rick wants to know how she knows, but Sam didn’t have to tell her.  She can see it.  She says that there’s only one way this can go down—Rick has to kill him.  Okay…

Clearly, Gabriel is losing his mind.  If only Deanna knew what Gabriel did to his parishioners.

Well, we have two weeks left, which is plenty of time for things to go south in Alexandria….

 

The Walking Dead Recap S5E13: Forget

The Walking Dead S5E13: Forget

Original Airdate: March 8, 2015

Recap by Sarabeth Pollock

 

Sasha lies awake staring at pictures on the walls.  She’ sleeping on the floor, but she can’t sleep.  The next morning she goes into town and Olivia allows her to take a gun to go outside of the fence.  Olivia has a request: a boar’s leg, for prosciutto.  She loves curing meats.  Sasha looks stunned at her request.  As it turns out, Sasha’s intention is to do some target practice.  She uses the aforementioned pictures as targets, but she keeps hearing noises all around her.  She continues to shoot, but the noises get louder.  Her aim is impeccable, but she was only imagining the noises.  Clearly she’s staying sharp in case things go south.  “Come and get me,” she says to the empty forest.

Two Walkers are dead on the ground.  Rick, Carol and Daryl are scouting the house outside of Alexandria, planning to stash some guns at the house in case things go awry.  Carol can leave the window open so they can grab some.  Rick says that the town is lucky that they came along to protect them.  Right now things are good because the town doesn’t suspect them of doing any planning, but they are.  So they have to be careful about their secret meetings.  A Walker approaches and Carol, dressed in a pretty flower sweater, shoots it.  Daryl notices a W carved into the dead Walker’s forehead.  He isn’t amused.

Michonne tries on her new police jacket.  She has made some alterations, including a lace-up back.  She still has her sword, though. Rick walks in and says that he doesn’t know why they are so quick to give authority to strangers.  Michonne believes that Deanna is smart and has a plan, for the future and for now.

Daryl is still out in the woods when he comes across Aaron in the woods.  He claims to be hunting rabbits, and he’s surprised that Daryl knows the difference between humans and Walkers.

Deanna explains that Rick and Michonne need to play the role and keep the peace.  Her people will believe in it.  She says that one day there will be a government in Alexandria some day, with industry and commerce.  They need a police force, and she wants Maggie to help with planning.  Rick pulls Deanna outside and says that they need to patrol the walls to make sure people stay out.  Sasha walks up and volunteers to be a look-out.  Deanna admits that there aren’t any look-outs.  This is unacceptable.  Deanna says she’ll put Spencer up top first, then Sasha can take over.  She wants something in return, though.  She wants them to go to her party later that evening.

Carol is getting recipe tips from neighbors when Rick comes up and they agree that they will try to take some weapons that night.  They can’t use Daryl because he stands out like a sore thumb.  Carol smiles.  She’ll do it.  The best thing about Alexandria is the ability to stay invisible again.

Daryl and Aaron encounter a horse in a meadow.  Aaron has been trying to catch him for months.  His name is Buttons.  Daryl takes a rope and tells Aaron that his group has wrangled a horse before.  He approaches quietly but the horse has attracted Walkers.  Buttons takes off running while Aaron and Daryl take them out.

Carol and Olivia talk cookies.  Carol shares her special recipe while Olivia tells her that the storage room is hers.  Two men enter to do a project for Deanna.  One man, Tobin, asks Carol if she has ever used a gun before.  She plays coy with him as he offers to teach her a few things.  She manages to open the latch to the window without anyone noticing.

Aaron and Daryl have a heart to heart about being outsiders.  He and Eric have heard plenty of hateful things just because they’re gay.  He tells Daryl to let the people get to know him so that they’ll build trust.  Daryl doesn’t want to go to the party.  He’s not afraid of anything.

Deanna welcomes Rick, Carl and Judith.  Deanna envies Judith, who will grow up in their brave new world in Alexandria.  Abraham and Rosita look on at the party.  Abraham doesn’t like the scene, but Rosita points out that there is plenty of beer.  He’s in.  Deanna introduces Rick to her husband Reggie (the architect).  Reg has been watching the interviews and thinks Rick is remarkable.  Everyone in the group had so many nice things to say about him.  Rick is equally impressed with the wall Reg designed, but Reg plays it off.  It’s just a wall.  Rick has him beat.  Deanna diplomatically calls it a tie between them.  Reg tells Rick to get a drink, but Rick finds it hard to relax.  He eventually relents and grabs a drink.  Jesse arrives with her family.

Daryl and Aaron are still looking for Buttons when they are ambushed by Walkers.  Daryl pulls them away from Aaron while Aaron takes a shot at one (which, incidentally, leaves blood splattered all over the camera lens).  Meanwhile, Buttons lets out a cry.  The Walkers have got him.

Geez…first the dogs and now a horse!?  A horse named Buttons!?

Daryl and Aaron kill the Walkers that killed Buttons.  Buttons is still alive, so Aaron puts him out of his misery.  He’s stunned at killing the horse.  “He always ran,” he says.  Daryl says he didn’t run because this time we were trying to help him.

Glenn and Maggie find Noah at the party.  Noah doesn’t like scene and wants to bail, but Maggie says he’s there with family.

Aaron finds Daryl on the way to the party.  Aaron is ditching to care for Eric.  Daryl was going to try to go to the party (he even got dressed) but Aaron persuades him to come over for dinner.  He makes a mean spaghetti.

Jesse introduces Rick to her husband Pete.  Pete wants to thank Rick for taking over the constable position.  He offers to take a look at Rick next week, and then awkwardly explains that he’s a doctor.  Pete goes to refill their drinks while Jesse makes small talk with Rick.  She admires the view and comments that things are normal in their little world.  She says a lot of bull shit went away with their old lives.  Things are different now.  They all lost things and now they have something back, which is better than nothing.  Rick sees Carl interacting with Jesse’s boys and smiles.  Jesse’s youngest son complains that the cookies are gone, so Rick bends down and says that he knows the cookie maker, who can make more.  Sam puts a stamp on Rick’s hand—a big letter A—and declares him an official resident.

Sasha arrives and greets Spencer, Deanna’s son.  He tries to make her more comfortable by offering to stick with her through the party, but instead he makes things awkward.  Apparently Mrs. Niedemeyer wants a pasta maker in case Sasha ever sees one while she’s out on a run.  She leaves quickly as he watches with a strange expression on his face.

Aaron and Eric smile at each other while Daryl inhales (and slurps) his spaghetti.  They wipe their mouths with napkins while Daryl uses his sleeve.  Eric mentions the pasta maker for Mrs. Niedemeyer, which elicits a very strange look from Daryl as Eric continues that they have tons of dry pasta.  Eric gets a look from Aaron, who thought there was something already done.  Aaron shows Daryl the garage full of motorcycle parts and says he needs a bike.  He had asked Deanna not to give Daryl a job so that Daryl could be the other recruiter.  Aaron doesn’t want to risk Eric, and he admires that Daryl knows the difference between a good person and a bad person.  Daryl agrees.

Abraham pokes fun at Michonne, who is outside on the porch gazing at a plastic cocktail sword.  “You live by it, you die by it, you poke potato puffs by it,” he laughs.  He’s hoping they don’t have to use weapons any more, but he prays they don’t fall out of practice, either.  She asks him how much he’s had to drink.  He laughs and says he’s a big guy who had enough beer.  Things have worked out well for him.  Michonne says she put on the dress.  “Try again,” he says.

Carol goes into the storage locker and starts to load guns into a bag.  Little Sam followed her hoping that she was going to make cookies for him.  She offers to make him a batch of cookies if he doesn’t tell anyone.  He says he has to tell his mom because he tells his mom everything.  Carol backs him toward a wall and says that if he tells, he will wake up outside of the wall tied to a tree and the Walkers will eat him alive while he feels everything.  Or, he can not tell anyone and he’ll get cookies.  Holy crap.  Carol is scary.

Jesse is holding Judith.  It’s been a while since she held a baby.  Rick says that Judith and Carl are why he’s still going.  He says that Jesse is right, that “here isn’t that bad.”  Jesse hands the baby back to Rick and their close proximity give them both pause.

Deanna goes to Sasha and invites her to join in the conversation.  She looks around and listens to the residents talking about their trifling issues.  She flashes to images of Bob and Tyreese as they lie dead.  One of the residents offers to make Sasha her favorite food.  She’s doing it for all of the newcomers.  She is worried about being able to get the recipes just right.  “That’s what you’re worried about!?” Sasha shouts.

The next day Deanna meets Sasha at the gate.  Deanna has a gun.  She says she’s trying to figure out what it is, exactly.  Sasha says that none of this is real.  Deanna takes offense, saying that while she’s been through a lot, “that’s bull shit.”  She hands her a box of ammo and Sasha leaves.

Daryl, Carol and Rick are back at the house.  Daryl questions whether or not they need the extra guns.  He points out that Rick wanted him to try, and so he’s going to try.

Michonne puts some nails in the wall above the mantle.  She hangs up her sword and then stares at it in reflection.

Rick, Carol and Daryl return to the town and go off in separate directions.  Jesse and Pete greet Rick as they pass, but Rick notices the way Pete scoots her along.  He puts his hand on his gun.  Once they’re one, Rick goes to the wall and hears the Walker on the other side.  He puts his hand on the wall and sees the red A on his hand.  He stands there and reflects.

With three episodes to go, what will happen now that the group seems to be “nesting” in the strange town of Alexandria?

The Walking Dead Recap S5E12: Remember

The Walking Dead S5E12: Remember

Original Airdate: March 1, 2015

Recap by Sarabeth Pollock

 

We’re finally inside the fence!

Aaron and Eric lead the group into the camp.  There’s a double-steel gate that they must pass through, but Rick and Company are reluctant.  A trash can moves and an opossum rushes out.  Daryl shoots it.  “We brought dinner,” he says.

They move inside and are asked to drop their weapons.  That’s part of the deal.  Aaron suggests that they will be more trusting if they can speak to Deanna, the leader.  Beyond the gates, a Walker approaches.  Rick motions to Sasha, who turns and shoots it in the head with deadly precision.  “Good thing we’re here,” Rick mutters.

Rick waits for Deanna in a beautiful living room filled with every luxury imaginable.  When Deanna appears, she asks Rick if she can film their meeting for posterity.  This is a new beginning, after all.  Rick agrees.  Deanna is a middle-aged woman who ended up in Alexandria after she was stopped by the military on her way back to Ohio to help her district deal with the crisis.  She’s a legislator.  The neighborhood they live in now was being touted as the most modern development available with solar power, its own water tanks…all for the low $800,000s.  Her husband is a professor of architecture and he helped design and build the walls, which were made from the construction materials at a job site for a new box store.  They have never dealt with what’s going on outside the walls.  They need people who have lived it, which is why they’re so interested in Rick’s group.  He tells her that he didn’t know the people in his group before the change.  But they’re his family now.  Deanna reveals that she exiled three men who didn’t work out.  That’s like killing them.  She wants Rick to help her group survive.  She can read people…if she didn’t win reelection she would have played poker.  She offers Rick a chance for his family to grow up in a safe place.  Deanna tells Rick that it’s 3:37pm so he winds his watch.  Rick reveals that he was a sheriff, which makes perfect sense to her.

The group relinquishes its weapons.  Deanna says that the guns can be checked out when they go outside of the walls, but they can’t be present while inside.  Carol unloads her impressive arsenal.  She smiles at Rick.

Aaron offers Rick two houses for his group.  He says that Deanna has ordered the community to give Rick and his company space as they adjust.  He lives four houses away.

Inside the house with better curb appeal, Rick and Carl see the furnishings that have been provided.  Everything is modern, along with running water.  Rick takes a shower for the first time in who knows how long.  He sees his appearance and grabs some scissors.  Pretty soon Rick is back to being the clean-shaven guy from the first season.

There’s a knock at the door and a woman from the pantry has brought food.  Her name is Jesse.  She offers to cut Rick’s hair.  “You don’t even know me,” he says.  She laughs.  As she cuts, she reveals that she has two boys, and one is Carl’s age.  He can’t believe how nice it is to have a shower.  She can sense how emotional he is and jokes that haircuts were never going away.  She gives him a mirror and he sees himself the way he was before.

It’s Daryl’s turn to meet Deanna.  She asks if he wants to be there.  He says that Carl and Judith deserve a roof over their heads.

Outside the house, Daryl guts the opossum while Carl and Carol watch Rick carry Judith.  Everyone is clean and…clean.  Carl can’t believe the mansions they’re being offered.  Carol remarks that they’re just giving them away.  After Daryl and Rick scout the perimeter of the two houses, they agree that everyone should share a house for the night.

Carl goes upstairs and pulls his knife when he sees a closed door.  Inside is an unfinished room full of tools and books.  Someone has been camping there.

Later that night, the group gets ready for bed.  Judith has a crib for once.  Michonne emerges from the bathroom after brushing her teeth for twenty minutes.  She has never seen what’s under his beard.  There’s a knock on the door.  It’s Deanna, come to see how they’re doing.  She laughs when she sees that they’re all in the living room together, but she says they’re playing it safe.  It amazes her how so many people from so many backgrounds can come together and coexist as a family.  She has jobs for everyone, but she hasn’t revealed them to Rick or Michonne.  She’s close to finding something for Sasha and she’s still trying to figure Daryl out.  (He’s sitting at Judith’s crib with a knife in his hand)   Deanna bids them goodnight.

As everyone sleeps, Rick lays awake toying with his wedding ring.  He hears a noise and grabs a knife from the kitchen.

Michonne reveals in her interview that the group is ready for “this.”  They’re not all there yet, but they’re close.

Rick tells Daryl that they should explore.  Daryl wants to stay behind.  Rick remarks that he and Lori used to drive through neighborhoods like this and think of the future.  Rick loses sight of Carl and takes off running.  He knocks over something and Jesse hurries out to see him.  She assures him that Carl is fine.  He’s with an elderly couple who are fawning over Judith, since they had a dozen grandchildren.  She asks if Carl can come over so her son Ron can meet him.

Ron tells Carl that they go to school, only it’s held in a garage.  He introduces Carl to Mikey and Enid.  Carl shows them they comics he found and they reveal that they go to that house to listen to music.  The boys are much more boisterous than Enid, who is content to read sullenly on the bed.  They apologize to Carl for coming on so strong about playing pool and hanging out, but Carl snaps out of it and says they can play video games.

In Carl’s interview, he tells the camera that he didn’t lose his mother.  He killed her.  And he had to be the one to do it.

Rick goes into Carl’s room to find out how it went at Ron’s house.  Carl is lying on the bed staring at the ceiling.  Carl asks his dad what he thinks about this place.  Rick thinks it’s nice.  Carl likes it here and he likes the people, but they’re weak, and he’s afraid that they’ll lose their strength by being there.

That night Michonne finds Rick staring out the window.  She tells Rick that Deanna hasn’t given her a job yet.  He knows that by signing the papers they are giving in.  Rick leaves to take a walk.

Outside Rick finds a man who knows who he is.  It’s Jesse’s husband.  “Welcome to Alexandria,” the man says from his porch.

Rick awakens suddenly from his sleep.  Was that interaction a dream?

Carol talks about her family life in her interview.  She misses her stupid, wonderful man.  (Oddly enough)  She sees herself as a den mother to the group.  Deanna wants to know where Carol sees herself, and she sees herself with a Junior League of some kind.  Later she emerges from the house in a smart outfit.  She tells Daryl that she’s off to cook for the elderly and to meet people.  She tells Daryl that he needs to shower or she’ll hose him down in his sleep.  They need to keep up appearances.

Glen says that they need Alexandria to work.  He says they were almost out there too long.

The gates pull back and Rick steps outside.  He has his gun again and he walks the perimeter of the fence.

Carl watches as Enid sneaks through the field to the fence.  She climbs the fence with a backpack on.  Clearly she has done this before.

Aidan, Deanna’s son, meets Glen, Tara and Noah.  He was ROTC before all of this happened.  He knows that Glen is an expert at supply runs.  They want to do a dry run to show the group the terrain.  They proudly hand off some “sweet ass” guns.  Glen and Company aren’t impressed.

Carl tracks Enid through the woods.  He loses sight of her.

Rick comes upon a Walker but doesn’t kill him.  He continues off to the shed where he hid the weapons, only to find that his cache is gone.  So who took them?  He notes that there are more Walkers approaching.  He drops his bag and grabs a knife, then he spots Carl.  Together, father and son tackle them together.  When a Walker grabs Rick’s leg from under a pile of rubbish, Rick takes a metal rod and starts to impale him, but Carl asks to do the honors.

Aidan leads Glen, Noah and Tara out into the field and explain that they lost four people the month before because they didn’t follow orders.  Aidan knows that he’s a douchebag.  But his orders reign supreme.  They caught the Walker who killed their friends and strung him up as a reminder.  Glen is appalled.  Aidan flips out when he sees that the Walker is gone from its chains, so they start calling for it.  Soon the Walker appears and Aidan tries to chain it up but he loses control and it comes after Tara.  Glen and Tara manage to kill it, which enrages Aidan for disobeying his orders.  They stalk back to the camp and Aidan gets into Glen’s face when Glen says that it’s not his group that isn’t ready for runs—it’s Aidan’s group.  Aidan pushes Glen and tries to antagonize Glen into getting physical.  By now a whole group of people has gathered, including members of both sides.  As Aidan takes a swing at Glen, Glen ducks and punches Aidan.  Daryl tackles the other guy and Rick arrives in time to pull Daryl off.  Carl notes that Enid is back, too.  Deanna arrives and tells Aidan to back down.  He’s in trouble.  She names Rick and Michonne as the town’s constables and she tells everyone that Rick’s group is equal to everyone else now.  She thanks Glen for knocking her son on the ass.

Rick comes down the stairs in a sheriff’s uniform.  His household smiles at him.  Outside, Daryl asks if this means they’re staying.  Rick says that they’re trying it out for now.  Carol comes out and says that while she likes the place, she’s concerned about becoming weak, echoing Carl’s fears.  Rick says that they are never going to become weak.  If anything, they will remain strong and if the others are too weak to survive, then they will take the place over.

Ah…so that’s his plan….