I am not the first to note that this show has been made up of bottle episodes (episodes that follow only a single story-line) more often than not lately. The show has become notorious for it. This method of storytelling, particularly when combined with a slow pace, becomes irritating rather fast. This has led many people (myself included) to decry the show as boring and poorly paced. However, every once in a while, an episode comes along that uses the format very well, and manages to be riveting. The most famous example from this show is the highly acclaimed episode "The Grove". It earned much praise with its dark twists and focus on character. This episode is praiseworthy for the same reasons. Some of the twists were obvious to me, but the last one really shocked me. Karl Makinen delivers a fantastic performance here. Despite how little time he has had on screen, he has managed to develop a rich, fascinating character. This episode also pushes Morgan and Carol into new phases.
In conclusion, I think this is one of the best episodes of The Walking Dead to come along in a while. Some may call it "boring" for focusing on character and only taking place in one location, but these were among the things that really made this one work for me.
In conclusion, I think this is one of the best episodes of The Walking Dead to come along in a while. Some may call it "boring" for focusing on character and only taking place in one location, but these were among the things that really made this one work for me.