Squawking Dead

Whether it's janky T-45 Power Armor or the first Deathclaw, humanity's (see: The Enclave) mistakes (see: experiments) persist, like poltergeists, in The Wasteland. Lucy Maclean and The Ghoul role swap. The Brotherhood Of Steel basically destroy themselves (with no help from Thaddeus or Maximus). No big deal. You belong here. You are loved.

We went from civilization needing a tweak in the last episode to wondering whether our institutions still existed if its building blocks are missing. An avalanche of parallels are drawn between the civil war brewing amongst the Brotherhood Of Steel and Caesars Legion. All themes are tied in a knot with Charlie Whiteknife's speech: if your path is just, on behalf of those you love, it'll have been worth it.

The hive isn't evil: it's just natural. It has biological imperatives over desires, yet loves survivors equally (while equality isn't derived from nature, only hierarchies). Maybe all Carol Sturka needed was another change of heart to find her way back to saving the world with Manousos Oviedo (or fry trying).

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In the wasteland, everybody is doing unto others that which they expect to be done to them. We get a little more insight into Hank Maclean's former/present motivations. Norm Maclean is giving Super Manager. Lucy Maclean spins her rather kind wheels. Maximus gets a lesson on the drawbacks/advantages of factions.

I don't know who was more impressed with the Hive Mind, us or Carol Sturka! Their love for her seems genuine. Who could blame Carol after being in isolation? And it's real hard to blame the Collective Consciousness after reigniting more than just Carol's passion for writing...!

As Hank MacLean stomps across The Wasteland into New Vegas, Lucy MacLean is figuring out what bringing him to justice looks like and The Ghoul/Cooper Howard seems more like a father figure than Hank ever was. Stephanie Harper giving anyone else a Fear Boner? And Norm Maclean is really embracing Fallout Main Character vibes.

Would you, like Charlotte Hanlon, return to Derry?! Like our queen, we, too, would succumb to Pennywise's Flatulence of Forgetfulness. This finale artfully sets up future seasons while backfilling and even improving Stephen King's original lore. And even though earlier earlier generations of The Losers Club never vanquished Pennywise The Clown, they might not have all been wiped out, either (maybe even beat him, too)! But what do you think?

While Manousos Oviedo ultimately fails to close the gap between he and Carol Sturka, she fails to widen it between herself and the Hive Mind. The Collective Consciousness merely allowed them get in their own way. Though He and She are so alike, this episode showcases their stark differences.

Wow, was this a difficult episode to get through for a variety of reasons. Was this your favorite episode of Welcome To Derry? We learn a lot more about IT / Pennywise / Bob Gray than we bargained for, including some absolutely insane and unexpected twists at the end of the episode.

Koumba Diabaté is Locutus of Borg? The extent of Carol Sturka and Manousos' loneliness/ostracization. Oh, we see you, the individual formerly known as John Cena. Things are about to get real crazy, real fast, as at least Koumba & Carol are on the assimilation countdown.

Pumpkin. It's me, Papa. Oh, How I've missed you all these years. No, No... Don't be scared. I can explain everything. Just open the door and let me in.

Hello, Carol. This is a recording. At the tone, you can leave a message to request anything you might need. We'll do our best to provide it. Our feelings for you haven't changed, Carol; but, after everything that's happened, we just need a little space. beep

Although we never see him again, we're introduced to an even more extreme, Paraguayan version of Carol Sturka in the form of Manousos. And - Please, Carol - why is it so hard to root for you, sometimes? We endeavor to answer that question throughout our discussion.

We finally get an eyeful of Pennywise The Dancing Clown, but we find ourselves wanting more of Dick Hallorann and how he becomes the Richard Hallorann from The Shining. And though we know this Losers Club doesn't succeed in defeating Pennywise, that doesn't mean crazy stuff ain't coming our way!

Some shows keep a tight lid on their mysteries. Not this one. Their thought process must be, "Let's flood them with so many answers, it'll only inspire far more questions." We see what The Shining looks like with Dick Hallorann. We have a better understanding of Pennywise's reach and limitations. And we may have even discovered some major easter eggs!

Our conversation delves into the concept of the hive mind and its implications, particularly in relation to extraterrestrial beings and their potential desires for earthly resources like gold. Questions are raised about the future of human labor in resource extraction and the broader impact of collective intelligence.

The proto Losers Club sees "IT", but is it as scary as it has been? Regardless, now they also "see" the proof they need to vindicate Lilly Bainbridge and Hank Grogan (for now). Dick Hallorann also stumbles into (peeling back) Pennywise's lair(/layers).

We unravel the delicious (shared) universe Vince Gilligan has created with Apple TV's PLUR1BUS! Rhea Seehorn kills it, yet again, as one of Gilligan's classic antagonizing protagonists, Carol Sturka. The show's collective is Invasion Of The Body Snatchers meets The Walking Dead meets Star Trek's The Borg, only resistance actually hurts them, nobody was viciously torn apart, and their consciousness isn't replaced but shared by the world's population.

We've coined a term for what General Shaw is trying to get Leroy Hanlon to do: #WeaponizePennywise. Speak of the devil: it's crazy how Pennywise managed to orchestrate the worst possible outcome for Lilly Bainbridge and Ronnie Grogan's father, Hank Grogan. With every episode a bigger blockbuster than the last, what will we see next...?