It’s always a wonderful thing, when a television show or a movie franchise, goes above and beyond for its fans. Because it just goes to show that the folks behind the scenes appreciate the folks that tune in and stick with the franchise through thick and thin, and of the handful of franchises out there that show proper appreciation to their fans, one that stands out often for its efforts is The Walking Dead. For time and time again, the cast and crew have always been gracious and welcoming to the fans they meet at conventions. Plus, this show makes great efforts to provide fans of the comic book with wonderful re-imaginings or outright recreations of this story’s biggest printed moments and above all else, it strives to offer up incredible and moving stories.
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But truly, the finest example of how far this series is willing to go in order to thank its fans, came about earlier this year, when it was announced that the show was going to offer up six brand new bonus episodes. Because the show didn’t have to do that in the slightest, since a vast majority of fans were understanding of the fact that the grand delay of the finale of the Whisperer War was Covid related. But the powers that be felt it best to make sure that the fans felt rewarded for patiently waiting for that finale and offering up as much TWD as possible before the 11th and final season gets underway, is an appropriate reward for certain. But while we are all excited to know that more zombie related goodness from our favorite horror show is on the way, thus far… the details on what to expect from these bonus episodes have been pretty light. Until today, that is.

Because AMC announced earlier today that these six extended episodes will make their debut on February 28, 2021 and if by chance you have AMC+, you can see them starting on February 25, 2021. And as an added treat, the network was also kind enough to provide Nerds That Geek with a quick synopsis of what we can expect thematically from these bonus tales, along with their titles and a brief description of what they are about. So, without further ado, here are the details in question… courtesy of AMC.

In these six new episodes, we find our survivors trying to pick themselves up by their bootstraps following the destruction the Whisperers left in their wake. The years of struggle weigh upon them as past traumas surface, exposing their more vulnerable sides. As they question the state of humanity, the state of their collective community, and the states of their minds, will they find the inner strength to persevere with their lives, friendships, and group intact?

EPISODE 1017 – “Home Sweet Home”
Maggie (Lauren Cohan) has returned with a story she is not ready to share, even when her past catches up to her. Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan,) safety is at stake again. Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Maggie fight an unseen and unknown threat.

Director: David Boyd
Writers:  Kevin Deiboldt & Corey Reed

EPISODE 1018 – “Find Me”
An adventure for Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) turns sideways when they come across an old cabin. It takes Daryl back to the years when he left the group after Rick disappeared as he relives a time that only the apocalypse could manifest.

Director: David Boyd
Writer: Nicole Mirante-Matthews

EPISODE 1019 – “One More”
Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) search for food and supplies to bring back to Alexandria. Small tragedies lead to bigger tragedies as faith is broken and optimism is fragmented when they are put to the ultimate test.

Director: Laura Belsey
Writers: Erik Mountain & Jim Barnes

EPISODE 1020 – “Splinter”
Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Ezekiel (Khary Payton), Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), and Princess (Paola Lázaro) are captured and separated. Princess struggles with memories of her traumatic past and tries to escape one way or another with the help of Ezekiel.

Director: Laura Belsey
Writers: Julia Ruchman & Vivian Tse 

EPISODE 1021 – “Diverged”
Daryl and Carol come to a fork in the road and head their separate ways. Each going into their own type of survival mode, the easiest of challenges become much harder. Will their individual journeys be the tipping point needed to mend their friendship or is the distance between them permanent? 

Director: David Boyd
Writer: Heather Bellson 

EPISODE 1022 – “Here’s Negan”
Carol takes Negan on a journey, hoping to minimize the increasing tension.  Negan reflects on the events that led him to this point and comes to a conclusion about his future. 

Director: Laura Belsey 
Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

So, as you can see, we are in for some supremely intimate stories. The kind that are clearly going to address some of the lingering interpersonal issues that The Whisperer War brought about and that’s just wonderful. Because those issues need resolution, and what’s truly amazing is that the wonder of this announcement doesn’t end with those juicy details. Because we also came to learn that some awesome guest stars are going to be featured in these bonus episodes. Such as: Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Perry Mason, Scorpion) as “Mays” and Hilarie Burton Morgan (One Tree Hill, White Collar, Friday Night In with the Morgans) as “Lucille,” along with new co-star Okea Eme-Akwari (Greenland, Cobra Kai) as “Elijah,” among others.
 
Either way, this is just a wonderful announcement through and through and truly, it is safe to say that we will all be counting down the days until February when we can finally get our hands on some delightful new Walking Dead episodes, to tide us over until the final season gets underway. But before we go off to speculate on what surprises await us in these bonus episodes, we leave you with one final parting gift from AMC and The Walking Dead; a new table read clip from ‘One More’. Which features Ross Marquand, Seth Gilliam, and Robert Patrick and is narrated by Josh McDermitt.

​My, how reality television has changed over the years. I remember when it was just a camera crew and someone talking into the camera about their experiences, but now it is so much more, now it resembles a drama. Knowing that most of the reality shows are scripted, I quickly drew away from the programming since the twists that are being shown are not real and the shows are just trying to market on my ignorance. There might be a couple of shows that are still real, but the more you watch and listen to some of the lines, you know deep in your soul that it is nothing other than just a cheap drama that is meant to keep you glued to your television set.

The Paranormal Mysteries television show has not been honest with its audience over the years, even the main producer admits to it when the team’s last footage was found. Being ridiculed for adding jump scares during the editing of the show, none of the legit shows are willing to give it an ounce of credit for what it does. Even when the final footage was found after the team mysteriously disappeared during an investigation, it just seems like something that they have done before. But getting more experts on the subject of aliens and animal mutilations to chime in, they find out that there might be more of a cover-up than they have ever seen in previous years.

While getting set for their investigation in the San Luis Valley to find out who or what is behind all of the cow mutilations that have taken place over the years, the Paranormal Mysteries team has left nothing to chance. Being able to get a local rancher to tell his story on camera, along with having him keep a camera on him at all times just in case something happens again, they know that there will be some great footage either way. The team of Eric (the talent), Dave and Matt (camera men), Andrea (talent and gag specialist), Claire (researcher) and Rob (the producer), have some ideas on how to make the final shot something special for their viewers, but little do they know that they are entering a place unlike anywhere they've been before.

With the assistance of Rose, a local officer liaison to police their actions, the group has been given more access to the area than anyone has ever had before. Conducting interviews with the locals, the Paranormal Mysteries team has made themselves noticed and they are not too well received in the small community. Sneaking around to get the shots that they need, Dave starts to develop feelings for his liaison and lucky for him, she is feeling the same way. Not being granted access to the main ‘commons’ area where all the mutilations take place, Dave is able to get the group a little extra access with his new relationship, but what they find in the dead of night will change everyone’s outlook on the mutilations for the remainder of their days. Trying to make up a gag UFO, the group stumbles across a cow that has been carved up by a strange invader and they quickly find out that they are not the only ones roaming around the off-limits area.

This was just a fun look at a paranormal show that is only looking for ratings and gets burned because of it. With all of the hatred towards the group for what they have turned into a mockery, their final footage has been seen by many and while there is doubt that it really happened, the lack of the crew making it back to L.A. to get paid speaks volumes. The group dynamic is fun and watching as some of them have feelings for one another, the stars always get what they want without question. Dave is really the main character of the movie and while he goes from girl to girl to find a happiness, Rob was really the character that I could see being the true to life producer on a reality show to make sure they get all of the shots necessary to get the ratings that they need to go on. With some fun fake group scares, and then the alien actually hunting them down, you will be left wondering if this is just another episode of their show or did something really happen to them. Stay Scared.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the penultimate episode of ‘Supernatural’. Also, to revisit Episode 1518, ‘Despair,’ click here.
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With dual writers Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming on board, 15.19: ‘Inherit the Earth’, gives us tons of satisfying scenes, a few returning characters and some well-deserved just desserts while still leaving a handful of questions unanswered. Which is exactly what a penultimate episode is supposed to do, am I right!?! Wanting to take an analogous approach to Meredith Glynn’s writing style and my tribute recap of her work in 15.17: ‘Unity’, I thought I would discuss this second to last episode in a similar fashion. This time with four titles – each addressing what I feel are important areas for the Supernaturalverse as a whole. So… before you can say “Death Starter Kit” (LOL!!), let’s dive in, shall we?  

Diving right in to the climax and the final fall of our Biggest Bad, I have to say seeing Chuck (Rob Benedict) being forced to live, virtually as a human no less, is undeniably flawless. I mean. For months I’ve been trying to decide how he would be defeated while still allowing balance in the Supernaturalverse and to see him basically helpless is better than death. His enormous ego reduced to that of a mere mortal makes all the rest - saving people, hunting things - SOOOO worth it!! Especially after he preys on our boys with his “I’m cancelling your show” humor!! The dog Miracle is a particularly fierce “DAMMIT CHUCK” moment too, am I right!?!

And speaking of egos. His children!! His self-centered, constantly striving for daddy’s approval, offspring definitely do not disappoint. First up… Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) and his delicious humor! An absolute joy to see one last time, Mark and his portrayal of the devious Prince of Darkness, has always been one of my favorites. Right down to his Castiel (Misha Collins) fake-out intro, the little Devil (*wink*) brings his A-game from the get. I also loved Betty the Reaper and short lived (LOL!) new Death (Kimberly Sustad) who previously played Amanda Willer several years ago in 7.11: ‘Adventures in Babysitting’. Yay for more past actor cameos!

As for Michael (Jake Abel), even though I expected to see him again, the twist that he’s STILL seeking Daddy’s approval, just like his brother, makes complete sense. With Adam, the fallen Winchester, blinked out of existence like all the rest of the world, Michael pretending to want revenge for everything his father put him through fits right in with the ‘turnabout is fair play’ theme. Abel is spectacular! Most notably, him bickering with (LOL), and ultimately killing Lucifer (WOW!). Absolute perfection!! Oh, and I can’t forget to mention, upon learning of his half-brother’s end, Dean (Jensen Ackles) saying poor Adam can never catch a break, speaks directly to the fans and memes the world over, am I right (LOL!!)? Overall, it’s quite clear that God and his children constantly forgo the importance of The Family Business for selfish ego strokes and power (insert eyeroll here!). But not our boys.

Watching the boys’ despair with things like Sam (Jared Padalecki) blaming himself, Jack (Alexander Calvert) even more mopey than usual and Dean a hung-over mess, succinctly adds to the beauty of the final reveal. Not to mention Sam and Dean initially surrendering to Chuck only to have him deny their plight in his typical me, me, me fashion, gives us all the hopeless feels! Therefore, seeing the tables turned, placing Chuck on the receiving end of his own wrath: “Eternal shame. Suffering. And loneliness” – was EPIC!! A real “page turner,” FOR SURE!! Right down to Chuck trying to spin his fated death as glorious at the hands of the Winchesters’, in effect, becoming the HAHA moment I didn’t even know I wanted. Nay… NEEDED!! I spit out a mixed combination of relief and laughter as Dean says: “It’s the ending where you grow old. You get sick. And you just die.” Followed by Sam: “And no one cares. And no one remembers you. You’re just. Forgotten.” F&%K YEAH!!! As they turn to walk away, Chuck never seems to know when to shut up (LOL!) as he pleads with them to wait. Seeing the Impala kicking dust and dirt in Chuck’s face while he’s begging and trying to scramble to his feet, only to fall despondent and crying is… SO OMC SATISFYING!!!  
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I truly felt that every scene spoke to the essence of the show. And by defying Chuck until the very end, Sam and Dean do exactly what the fans expected, though in a new and surprising way. THEY WIN!! And boy did I LOVE IT!! Looking at the span of the entire series, it’s always been this way. It’s why THIS Sam and Dean have always been Chuck’s favorites. OURS, TOO!! It’s also why Chuck’s grand design to give his creations free will turns out to be his undoing. And particularly, why the Winchesters’ never gave up. Because, coming full circle, it’s who they are – to their core!! Not only did they see Michael’s betrayal coming a mile away (NICE!!), they used it coupled with God’s own ego to their advantage. Our boys even anticipated and benefited from the physical beat down (OUCH!!) they knew Chuck wouldn’t resist. Talk about a painful distraction… LOL!! And to keep getting back up when Chuck tells them multiple times to stay down is some good old fashioned Winchester magic to say the least! Stronger than any of Chuck’s punches, that’s for sure!! KAPOW! Serving up the diabolically dual purpose of sidetracking, not only Chuck, but US, from what was to come… JACK!!

I think it’s safe to say that most, if not all of us, never truly wanted Jack to die, no? But after his return from The Empty (Rachael Miner), his place in the final story seemed murky. Portrayed as seemingly powerless, or at the very least, quite confused about his own strength, turns out, Jack was actually absorbing energy the whole time. WHOA!! I loved this take for so many reasons! Namely, because it shows that our boys TRULY needed Jack to prove that God doesn’t control the entire narrative. Adding another full circle moment: “Family don’t end with blood.” NICE!! And, parallel to Chuck not being able to read his own Death Book, the whole Jack storyline shows that Team Free Will still has the power to change the story. And change it they do!! Not only does Jack reduce Chuck to a mere man (HECK YA!!) but, he uses all of God’s absorbed power to restore Earth’s missing inhabitants, too (WHEW!). But before all that, his strength is cleverly used to throw us off the trail. Because, as Jack causes plants to die in his despair, the audience is led to believe, that regardless of his warm soul, Jack may still end up going Dark Side after all. Revealed later that Sam and Dean picked up on Jack’s power absorption early on makes the whole thing tricky for all the right reasons!! Not to mention, beautifully executed as well. And my personal favorites come in the end! Jack creates a harmonious balance with Amara (Emily Swallow), which is EXACTLY what she ALWAYS wanted in the first place, basically wrapping up the cosmic balance arc with a warm fuzzy bow, am I right? And looking outward, as if speaking to both the real world AND the series ending, Jack, having pretty much become the new God, gives a fantastic speech about being a part of everyone and everything. **CALM SIGH**He goes further to explain that Chuck’s mistake was putting himself in the story. Taking a more hands-off approach, Jack says he learned from Sam, Dean, his mother and Castiel that: “When people have to be their best, they can be.” AWWW!! The whole scene is moving from start to finish. Including seeing Miracle again. **BIG GRIN** And now… CHUCK IS FINALLY GONE!! But what about Cas?​

Presumably still in The Empty, our beloved Castiel was only mentioned in passing. I was left scratching my head as to why Dean barely discussed his sacrifice with Sam and Jack. You? And though it made perfect sense that Chuck would deny Dean’s demands to bring Cas back. Why didn’t Jack? Then, there’s the absolute bombshell of making #Destiel Canon without actually confirming anything on screen. Though Misha did acknowledge Cas’s pre-sacrifice confession was that of actual, not brotherly, love for Dean, I for one am still wondering how this would work should Castiel be restored. I mean. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the fact the writers pay such tribute to the decade long fanfic ship of Dean and Cas. However, I want Cas to survive!! And for me, 15 years of Dean’s character as a COMPLETELY straight man, with only one episode to go, would make for too much unexplored awkwardness, no? While I’ve seen plenty of posts and arguments to the contrary, simply saying Dean could be gay, or even bisexual, just doesn’t hold up. Maybe… and this is a BIG MAYBE… if the series spent time building towards this, I could see it. Additionally, many have argued that passing glances and unspoken moments between the two, are examples of a relationship. However, I will always maintain that this, at the very least, is a bromance with Cas experiencing deeper, yet unrequited, love for Dean. Regardless, as it stands, even with murmurs of spin-offs or future episodes, we’re at the end and I just can’t see it. One can only hope the final episode in the series will bring closure on Castiel’s journey, including the controversial Destiel ship, because we certainly didn’t see any here. **FROWNY FACE** I know I’m not the only one that feels Castiel’s 10-year arc shouldn’t end this way, right??
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Completing the episode with a 15 year compilation of memorable moments and characters topped off with a final symbolized “We got work to do,” closing of the trunk felt truly like the end of the series. It seems they just about covered all their bases. Though, I definitely didn’t see Cain (Tim Omundson) in the mix! Nor the forgotten Cambion Jesse Turner (Gattlin Griffith). Hmmm??? With only one more episode left, what predictions or questions do you have? Where’s Eileen (Shoshanna Stern) and the rest of our beloved hunters, both Earth and Apocalypse world alike? What about Heaven, Hell, The Empty and everything in between? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or reach out to me @obi_juanita on Twitter and for one last time… GO TEAM FREE WILL!  

For some people, life is nothing but sacrifices, at least that is what it seems like to them. Providing care for a child could be considered one of the greatest sacrifices anyone could ever make, but most of the time it is beneficial to both the child and the parent. There is much to be said about taking care of yourself first, since you are the only one that can control what you do, yet there are people that still think that others are controlling them, even when their sacrifices have ended.
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Young Tommy was born on the local slaughterhouse floor and has known nothing else after being raised by the Hewitt family. Returning to cut meat when he was old enough, there is nothing more that Tommy knows how to do, but when the meat packing plant goes under Tommy is forced to leave and move on with his life. After being insulted by one of the former workers, Tommy takes his pound of flesh out on the foreman who used to be his friend and kills the man for the pain losing his job has caused him. The local Sheriff heads over to talk to Charlie Hewitt and let him know that Tommy will be arrested for the murder in the dying town, but Charlie has something else on his mind and shoots the Sheriff in the head. With a fresh body and a boy that knows how to carve it up, the Hewitt family has been granted the greatest gift of all, to never go hungry again.

Preparing to head back over to Vietnam, Eric is getting his mind set once again to take out anyone that gets in his way, but not for himself, but to keep his younger brother Dean safe. Even though Chrissie is upset that her boyfriend is leaving for another tour, there is nothing she can do to stop Eric from fulfilling his brotherly duty, but Dean has other plans. Talking with Bailey in their hotel room, Dean is planning on running south of the border to avoid the draft and not die across the ocean. Needing to break this to his brother at some point, Dean is looking for the right time to bring it up, but sooner may be better than later.

Heading down the road, the group stumbles upon a roadside shop and the girls want to stop and take a look. After a quick talk, Chrissie finds out Dean’s plans from Bailey and applauds the move but knows the two need to speak up soon before they make it to the recruiting office. Running into a gang of bikers, the girls are ready to leave, but little do they know that one will be following them on their drive to freedom. Trying to burn his Draft Card in the back seat, Dean’s problems seem like next to nothing when an armed biker is quickly headed their way. With a gun in the glove compartment, Eric tries to eliminate the threat, but when he takes his eyes off of the road to shoot, the jeep plows through a cow that made its way onto the road. Waking up in a daze, Eric sees that Chrissie is the only one not accounted for in the car and tries to find her, but instead finds his worst nightmare.

Sheriff Hoyt (previously Charlie Hewitt) has spotted the crash and is ready to figure out what the heck happened on his road. Killing the biker that was following them, Hoyt throws Eric, Dean and Bailey in the back of his cruiser and takes them back to the house.  Seeing what happened to her friends, Chrissie tries to locate the gun that Eric lost in the crash but finds herself being towed back to the house by Uncle Monty who cleans up the scenes. With nobody knowing that she is there, Chrissie tries to run back to town to get help, but runs into another biker instead, but this one wants revenge for what happened to his girlfriend on the road. Following the biker, Chrissie quickly finds out that she will be fighting the battle to free her friends alone, or at least with whatever she has left in the tank as the Hewitt family seems to have all of these young people on their menu for survival.

I am not a huge fan of prequels that come out after originals or remakes, but you know what, this one kind of caught me off guard. I must admit that seeing the rise to power for Sheriff Hoyt was rather cool and getting R. Lee Ermey for this was the greatest choice any casting director ever made. Watching as Eric and Dean try to battle for each other was a great show of brotherly love and when it is revealed that the only reason Eric was going back to Vietnam was to look out of his little brother was pretty nice. I wish Bailey had a little more story as she always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Chrissie really was the star as she was able to make her way throughout the house to try and free anyone inside, yet when she had a path to freedom, she chose to stay behind and help. That might not have been the wisest idea, but it really does make her the hero. But the story has taken a shift from the other Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies, making Tommy (Leatherface) the victim in all of this. Being raised by the Hewitts, he will do anything to defend his house and anything that Uncle Charlie (Sheriff Hoyt) tells him to do. That might be the most frightening story of all in the movie, especially since he does not know any better.  Stay Scared.

Additional note: This will not change how I view the previous movies, because Leatherface is the baddest of the bad and no one escapes his chainsaw!

Starting a new career is never easy, especially if you don’t know anybody or have zero support in doing so. So many people have a hard time changing jobs for this fact, where they do not feel like they will have the proper backing that they need. It is a hard thing to do, but if you are going to a business where the team must succeed to make money, there will always be someone there to make sure you know what you are doing. If it is an individual career however, you may get the basic training that you require, but everyone else is out there to take that business away from you as quickly as they can.

Arriving in LA to start the next aspect of her life, Jesse comes out of a killer photoshoot covered in blood. Being greeted by Ruby, Jesse sees that she might have made her first friend in the business. Inviting the young model to a party, Jesse meets Ruby’s friends Gigi and Sarah who are also in the industry and wonder what the young girl has that they do not. Being able to get into a model agency meeting with Roberta Hoffmann, the older woman sees that Jesse has ‘it’ and no matter her age, she must always tell everyone that she is nineteen, since it is the golden age for the industry.

Being able to book her first big name job, Jesse beats out Sarah who is not taking the loss well at all. Taking out her frustrations in the bathroom, Jesse shows concern for her friend, but Sarah wants something more from the girl. Slicing her hand with a shard from the broken mirror, Sarah attempts to drink the blood of the young model who has no idea what is going on. Getting back to her apartment and letting her new boyfriend Dean in, who is willing to help out with whatever she needs, Jesse has everything that she wants, but the list of those who desire her quickly continues to grow.

Booking job after job is not a problem, but Jesse is having a hard time in her apartment when she hears the landlord Hank looking for a good time in the middle of the night. Escaping to Ruby’s house for the night, Jesse is come on to by her friend who wants to be so much more with the girl. Not knowing what to think about the advance, Jesse is able to shrug it off, but she knows know what she has become for those around her, along with those in the industry. As each photographer wants her for their shoots, she is what everyone else wants her to be, but her beauty is too much for anyone to avoid, and she finds out that everyone is willing to go the extra mile to just get a taste of what she has.

When watching this movie, I must admit that I was far from blown away, but while writing this review, I think I liked it much more. While I only focused on Jesse in the review, there are other great characters that take you through this artistic journey. I was blown away by Ruby’s character, showing how many jobs she is forced to take to make ends meet while working in the big city and with her intentions shown on the screen, you know there is something much deeper flowing through her. I kind of wish that this same story took place with Gigi and Sarah as they are part of her crew and while you get to see the breakdown moments for each of them, they only seem to follow the leader throughout. Hank was interesting, but I only think it was because he was played by Keanu Reeves, yet he steals some scenes, and the character seems to get off on renting out rooms to the younger crowd. I was taken aback by the self-discovery scene by Jesse during her final show, the moment she found out who and what she was, her character changed on a dime and was ready for anything that could be laid out before her. The way this movie was shot, it could have easily run well over three hours and even though I am against the long running movies, the storyline could have made it work since it really seemed too short. Stay Scared.

Taking a camping trip with your friends can be one of the greatest adventures you can ever go on, but you all need to be willing to have a little give and take. Often times some of the group will want to do something while the others do not. There can be a happy medium when it comes to this, but most times the group gets divided and everyone starts to get upset with each other. There are ways to get the group back together, mainly with booze, but that should never be the sole reason to get together in the first place. So, remember, even if you don’t want to do something that could be great with your friends, it can be better to stay with the group since you never know what the outcome is going to be.

Heading up the Devils Racecourse for a great camping trip, the group is giving Brad a hard time since he does not know where he is going. Finding a place to park, Brad is forced to defend himself, even though he has never been to the camping spot before in his life. While the group gets ready to make their trek up the trail, everyone is challenged to keep up with Brenda who is ready to lead the group, but it is apparent that Wendy is not going to be able to keep up the pace that is being set. With the late start, Brenda, Mar, Brad and even Susan do not want to wait for their slower member and leave her behind to get everything set up in camp.

Needing frequent stops since she is not in hiking condition like the rest of the group, Wendy sets her bag aside and goes off the trail to relieve herself. Being snuck up on by a stranger, Wendy is shocked that it is the FBI agent that has been shown on the news for killing his family. But Hillar did not do those things as he explains to the young woman and he also informs her that the government is trying to hide the truth from everyone. Being a part of a cleaning crew, he has been doing plenty of things that nobody knows about but has a thumb drive that can prove what is happening in the shadows. With the man hunt being able to find his camp site, Hillar is forced to give up his information to Wendy who is now the target of a hit squad that will stop at nothing to keep the government’s secrets away from prying eyes, even if it means killing anyone that may remotely be involved.

Seeing a couple more hikers making it to the camp site, Susan starts to wonder what has happened to her girlfriend. With nobody in her group willing to take the trek back down to find her, stranger Craig will lend a hand, even though he does not know the situation. While Brad and Mar make their way down to get water for the group, they get side tracked with a little nookie in the woods, but it is short lived when bullets fly their way. Brenda stays in camp with the other stranger Sammy, who brings happy tidings of alcohol. While Craig and Sammy talk to their new friends, they find out what has been happening with the group, along with why there is so much tension between them all during their trip. But these two have alternate motives as the remaining members of the group quickly find out and Hillar’s thumb drive is the only thing that matters this day in the woods.

A story of trust and survival when all is said and done. While the group does not seem to be getting along at all, they do try to come together for the greater good, or at least to find Wendy who is being chased throughout by a government hit squad. I do like how the story took a turn when Sammy was tired of playing nice and revealed his true intentions. Susan goes in depth with her life and what happened in her past that drew her to Wendy, who always seems to need help with everything that she does. From the opening of the movie, I never thought anyone in the group was going to get along throughout the movie, and while there was a little bit of love being shared, it really did not seem like it was the right time for any of them to be stuck out anywhere together until they finished their quarrels. Stay Scared.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’.
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If there is one particular act that all of us attempt to do emotionally as we grow older, it is to abandon all the dark parts of our past, so that we can move forward in life. Because unfortunately, life is a difficult ride at times and some of the decisions we make and the experiences we undertake, don’t end in a preferable manner and the resulting pain that comes from those unsavory moments, hangs over our heads and our souls for ages on end. Which is why we are eager to try and abandon those feelings and those memories and sadly… this is something that is downright impossible to accomplish, regardless of how much effort we put into it. Simply because, the past is something we cannot escape.
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For we are not computers, and there is no button that allows for us delete the images from our mind the same way we can from our cameras or our social media feeds. No instead, what truly needs to happen in order for us to find peace in regard to the parts of our past that we aren’t proud of, is to face everything head on and reconcile the meaning and the impact those moments had upon us. Because if we cannot learn from our past and how those moments shaped us into the person we are today, we will forever be haunted by it, and it just so happens that this particular exploration served as the focal point for the next episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond.

For a little downtime in ‘Truth or Dare’ prompted Hope and Huck to ponder upon yesterday for fascinating reasons. In Hope’s case, it was simply because she was still struggling to deal with the fact that she murdered Elton’s mother in cold blood and the longer she carried this troublesome secret, the more she began to realize that she would have to do something devastating in order to be free of its pain. Such as telling Elton the outright truth about what happened on that fateful and unfortunate night and that would likely cause him great emotional harm, and that revelation left her lost and looking for answers and it fell to Huck to guide her on the right path. 

Because an encounter with a zombified soldier, put Huck in a strange place as well, one where she took a little time to reflect upon her journey. Because before she settled at the Campus Colony she served her country and was of course called into service the instant the dead began to return to life and well, she saw some horrible things during this time. In fact, not only was she asked to face the dead head on and figure out how to keep her men in line and calm, she was also asked to murder innocent people when Operation: Cobalt kicked into high gear. But rather than go with the flow, she opted to put her fellow servicemen down and save as many civilian lives as possible and the decision to turn her back on people she trusted and kill them in the name of a better cause was difficult for her to reconcile as well. 

But eventually, she came to realize that making that decision, made her a better person. For she chose the high road in that moment and despite the difficulty that comes with taking a life, she saved so many more and gave them a fighting chance. And while her rough journey doesn’t quite compare to Hope’s situation, the lesson embedded her in her path was quite clear. In that… while our past is indeed filled with dark moments and sometimes outright sins, how we atone for those moments is what matters more and by doing good and keeping people safe, Huck is now working to make a wrong, right and if Hope can continue to be good to Elton and keep him safe as well, then she’s offering his dead mother quite the penance for certain. And it was just wonderful to see this particular lesson on display in a story about walking corpses that straight up eat people. 

But while that made for quality storytelling and a smooth way in which to explain how Huck became so wise and so Zen, there were more important moments to be found in this particular tale. Such as the fact that Percy and Tony helped Iris figure out exactly where her father is located in New York. For this Uncle and nephew duo, came to realize that the blank maps that the CRM use, aren’t as empty as one might think. For their soldiers all carry filters that reveal locations on a map and after toying with those filters for a bit, Iris was able to figure out that Ithaca, New York was where her father went to help this mysterious organization. A discovery that sent the group’s spirits soaring, since they could now quickly make their way there in that stolen CRM truck. 

But alas, the wonder of this discovery didn’t last. For eventually, a stop on their way east ended in outright disaster. Because shortly after Iris came to realize that Percy wasn’t going to show up to explain the romantic setup, he assembled for her in the back of the truck, she came to discover exactly why he was missing in action. For something horrible happened in the silence of the night, since it would seem that Silas murdered Tony in cold blood and wounded Percy in the process and well, that’s where this story leaves us. With a grand cliffhanger that has us questioning whether or not Silas snapped because the status quo of the group was shaken up by Percy and Tony’s arrival or if he went into a jealous rage over Percy putting the moves on Iris, or for that matter, if he even committed this crime at all.

Time will tell of course, but that is definitely one hell of a way to end this particular tale. But while this one does leave us wondering exactly what happened in the middle in the night, it’s best we focus on its more positive messages. Because what it had to say about the past was downright brilliant and it was nice to have this series once again find a way to teach us something positive in the midst of this nightmarish world and sadly… this might be the last time that happens. Because clearly, that ending signals quite the shift in tone and design storytelling wise and that likely means that these intrepid and brave characters are going to be forced to apply what they’ve learned thus far in a hasty manner, as this cruel world begins to challenge them like never before. Until next time.   

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 606 of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’.
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When we think of stories that revolve around a person who is at their absolute breaking point, we tend to believe that said story is going to be pretty darn bleak in nature. Because when someone reaches that particular point, they’re ready to snap and when they do so ugly things happen. Since the anger that’s been building inside them explodes in an epic manner and anyone in their path pays the price for what the world has done to this poor soul. And while that kind of violent and dark journey does make for some compelling and powerful storytelling for certain, it isn’t the only route that someone can traverse when they’re at their wits end. 
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Because sometimes, reaching our breaking point is actually a healthily thing. Because it allows for us to take proper inventory of where our lives are currently at, and what we need to do in order to move toward some semblance of happiness. Which in turn, can motivate us to make big and wonderful changes to our lifestyle so that things do indeed get better for us. Or reaching that frustrated finish line, allows for us to finally stand up for ourselves in a situation where we are constantly being pushed around and most important of all, reaching the breaking point, could in fact motivate us to rise up and do something brave and beautiful and inspiring that helps others, and well, all of this is relevant to today’s discussion, simply because this aspect of the breaking point, served as the focal point of last night’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead.

Because ‘Bury Her Next to Jasper’s Leg’ saw several characters in this series reach their breaking point and react to it in a fascinating manner. But before we dive too deeply into that particular part of the story, it’s important we take a moment to discuss the fact that this story also took a plot thread that’s mostly been hiding in the shadows and thrust it square into the spotlight. For this episode revealed that the strange and mysterious group that seems to be interested in chaos and the key that Morgan has around his neck, have infiltrated Ginny’s communities and that has her terrified. Because they are eager to cause trouble in the name of their cause and are also ready to die for it and plugging that into the story immediately helped set the stage for several important and poignant moments later on. 

Several of which, involved June and John Dorie. For these were the characters that had reached their respective breaking points. John was at his, for obvious reasons of course, but June… well her problems with life at this particular moment were a tad more philosophical. Because she was tired of not being able to help people anymore thanks to the fact, that she and her medical team were spread super thin, and the mounting losses of life surrounding her, made her wonder if by chance that this was even worth her time anymore. A concern that John pounced upon when the moment was right, to try and convince his wife to escape with him and return to their cabin. An idea that actually didn’t sound that bad to her, but alas… it would have to wait. For that mysterious group of troublemakers went for broke and that led to the exploration in question. 

For it turns out that this strange group, attacked the oil fields that everyone worked so hard to secure in season five and well, their assault on the place left it in ruins, and left a fair chunk of Luciana’s proud workers in poor health. Which meant it was up to June and her team to save the day and surprisingly she received some help on this rescue mission, by way of Ginny. Because she knew immediately that this was the work of her newfound enemy and that a hands-on approach would give her the best chance to finally get some intelligence upon them, provided of course she could find someone willing to talk and sadly, that made a bad situation, ten times worse. In large part because Ginny quickly got in June’s way while she was trying to work. Since Ginny constantly tried to interrogate anyone she thought might be of suspicion.
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But what really brought about the trouble in question, is that Ginny’s desire to get to the truth in that moment, led to a lot of good people dying from their wounds and that in turn meant the living dead were suddenly everywhere in this facility. And to complicate matters further, the fires burning in the oil fields finally caused a massive explosion that forced Ginny and June to take cover and well, being trapped with an ailing Ginny, since she was bitten shortly after they found shelter, is what finally motivated June to indulge her breaking point for all the right reasons. Because Ginny’s life was in her hands now and that allowed for June to finally express her frustrations and concerns over how Ginny handles things and make a few demands before amputating Ginny’s infected hand, effectively saving someone that the group hoped to either escape from or see expire.

Which is why her decision was met with shock from her friends… since she had a chance to free them all from this tyranny. But once that surprise wore off for them and the audience as well, June’s decision made outright sense. After all, it takes a monster sometimes to hunt down other monsters and Ginny’s survival will allow for her to deal with these infiltrators and it will also allow for June to finally do some good in this community. Because Ginny agreed to build a hospital for June, so that she could finally save some lives and while that is indeed a happy-ish ending for this bleak series, June’s decision to stay and fight and do what’s right, was not without its consequences. Because her beloved husband simply couldn’t take living under Ginny’s thumb anymore after what happened a few weeks back and when the opportunity was right, he indulged his own breaking point and made a run for it.

A move that will undoubtedly cause harm to his wonderful relationship with June and potentially cause trouble for him as well since Ginny isn’t good with deserters and well, in the end, all of these elements made for one fascinating episode. Because it really was refreshing to enjoy a story where a character indulges their breaking point for the greater good. Since these stories love to focus upon the darker aspect of that instead, and this episode also deserves serious props for finally making the big bad of this season a focus of the story as well. And now that his particular ride has come to an end it should be interesting to see where this season takes us next. For trouble is now brewing everywhere in the communities. Plus, they’re out of gas and John Dorie is on the run. Which means we should enjoy every good vibe that this story sent our way, since ugly ones are clearly gathering on the horizon. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two finale of ‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’.
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Over the course of its past two seasons, Eli Roth’s History of Horror has done a phenomenal job of exploring every single aspect of the horror genre. For this dynamic series has shown us how these movies and stories prey upon our darkest fears, all while finding new ways to stay relevant to the world we live in, by offering all kinds of themes and commentary on modern society and some of the issues that it continues to face. In fact, this journey through scary stories has been so thorough, that one has to wonder if there is anything left to explore within this incredible genre. And as it turns out, there most certainly is, since the season two finale of this magnificent series opted to examine a unique corner of the genre. 

For there are horror films out there, that simply don’t fit the standard mold, which isn’t a bad thing by any means since this genre is designed to tell stories that buck convention. But these movies are so intelligent and so unique that they don’t fit into the standard sub-genre classifications and it just so happens that ‘Nine Nightmares’ highlighted nine films that meet this standard. Which made for quite the epic finale for certain, since so many different types of films were highlighted. Something that should have made for a hodge-podge of storytelling. But as this series is wont to do, it found a way to spotlight the underlying themes of these movies in order to spotlight exactly how they fit into the horror genre and everything that it works to accomplish

Take Us and American Psycho for instance, a pair of films that seemingly have no ties since one features doppelgängers, while the other features a serial killer. But upon closer inspection, it quickly becomes clear that these movies are about societal class and the various struggles and privileges that come with that, making them welcome additions to the genre, despite their lack of a proper sub-genre classification. Plus, this episode also took the time to spotlight the wonder of folk horror by way of The Wicker Man and Midsommar; two movies that explore so much more than isolated places that are filled with people eager to kill. Since these movies speak to the power of the disenfranchised and the lonesome and how they choose to revert to horrible behaviors in order to feel as though they belong to something more.

Yet while those unique explorations could have carried this finale for the entire hour, there was still more for this episode to dive into. For it turns out there are a lot of outlier horror films that explore the cruelty of man in some supremely unique ways. For Pieces looks at misogyny in an over-the-top manner. While Dressed to Kill examines our struggles with sexual identity and how mankind’s desire to shun that can lead to trouble and of course, the sheer savagery of who we are is featured in movies such as The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Cannibal Holocaust since those movies put the worst parts of us on display in every way imaginable, making for quite the visceral experience for certain. And of course, the wonder of anthology horror and a reminder of how horror can be fun was spotlighted by way of a quick reflection upon Creepshow.

If anything, this rapid-fire examination of some quality horror films, really did make for a supremely fascinating finale when all is said and done. Since the show packed in a great deal of discussion on each of these movies before moving onto the next one, prompting a re-watch of this episode for certain, and also perhaps… a marathon of our own to revisit each one of these unique stories and everything they have to offer and really, in the end, it’s a wonderful thing that the series took the time to spotlight these outliers. In part because they deserve attention and recognition for everything they accomplish, but also because… this really does demonstrate just how deep this documentary can go. For some of these films were likely new to horror fans that were watching, and now that we’ve come to the end of our second tour of duty through the genre, all we can do now is hope that AMC brings another season of this delightful documentary to life. So that we can continue to dive deeper, into a genre that explores every fear known to mankind. Until next year.

Let’s get real here for just a minute, everyone has a little fear of the dark. Since the day we are born and the light hits our eyes, we feel safe because we can see our loved ones surrounding us, but when the lights go off, we have no idea what is there, giving us fear that our loved ones are gone, and we are vulnerable to attack from something that we cannot see. This is a common fear and the reason why there are so many night lights out there. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you're afraid of the dark, looking under your bed or checking the closet before you go to sleep, gives you reassurance that the boogeyman or whatever is not there so you can enjoy a good night's rest.

Young reporter Richard Clark is looking for something new to do at the paper since he has been put on the obituaries for some time now. Asking his boss for a better assignment, lead reporter Scoop pushes his way into the meeting and finds an old story about people being killed in closets from a couple of weeks ago and urges the boss to give the story to the young gun. Not knowing all of the details, this is the assignment that Richard has been looking forward to and he is ready to make his mark at the paper. 

Arriving in Chestnut Hills, Richard waits to talk to the police chief and finds a young boy who seems to be interested in all of the sounds going on around him. Letting young ‘Professor’ Bennett record him buying a candy bar, Richard finds out that he is the son of a close-minded Professor, Diane Bennett. Hearing that the professor has strange ideas about what is killing the people of the town, Richard is invited to see one of the crime scenes where the Closet killer has recently struck. Not finding anything out of the ordinary at that crime scene, another opportunity opens up across the street as another man is killed. Seeing the carnage in the closet, Richard finds what appears to be a claw on the floor and knows that it must have something to do with what just happened.

Only knowing a few people in town, Richard takes the claw to Diane to investigate and finds out that Doctor Pennyworth is more than happy to check it out. The old doctor is happy to see his young protégé taking interest like this and Diane invites Richard to dinner at her house. While young ‘Professor’ Bennett wants nothing more than to show Richard the project he is working on, the two hear screaming out in the street as the Closet Killer has struck again. With the sheriff and all of his men on scene, they will not let this psycho get away again and surround the house. The monster complies with all of the orders that the sheriff lays out, however there is nothing that can stop it and now it is roaming free in the closets of a three-block quarantine zone that the military set up. Going house to house to find the monster is the plan, but Doctor Pennyworth is able to discover an attractant for the monster that might be more beneficial since the study of such a beast would mean volumes to the scientific community. 

If you are looking for a horror movie that is a little hokey and a lot of fun, look no further. This is one of the things I like about older Troma Entertainment movies, in that they were willing to bring a low budget horror movie to light, without taking it too far. I love the monster in the movie and when searching for a closet, it must find the right one, or it will continue to move on. With some fun characters and some names, you know now, but may not have back then when the movie came out, it is great to see how careers were built. The key takeaway that I get from this story, is that if there is a monster in the closet, don’t open the door and if it keeps showing up in your closet, you might have to take the next step and not have a closet at all. Stay Scared.