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The Walking Dead: The Lost and the Plunderers (2018)
Pleasant Surprise
Simon is as charismatic and terrifying as ever, the conversation between Rick and Negan was amazing, the trash people were eradicated, and finally we heard Jadis speak like a normal human being. The only complaints I had were the 1970s dramatic zoom-ins (seriously, what is up with those this season?) and the fact I don't even know what's going on with Oceanside. Still, this was the best episode in quite a while.
The Walking Dead: Say Yes (2017)
Quintessential Filler
This episode is one of the best examples of filler that we occasionally get on The Walking Dead. That's not to say it was altogether bad; the episode had a lot of good moments. It was nice to see Michonne's reaction to Rick's apparent death and how much she cares for him. It was nice to see Tara struggle with the weight of her secret and the possible consequences if she were to break the vow she made. It was nice to see Father Gabriel's input to Rosita. However, many of the scenes in this episode did nothing to advance the plot. At minimum, they should have been trimmed and more content should have been added to provide a more worthwhile hour.
My vote is seven.
The Walking Dead: Last Day on Earth (2016)
Viewership over Quality
This season was going so well. Other than Dumpstergate and two iffy episodes in the first half, season 6 was on track to become the best and most consistent in the series long tenure. And then the finale happened.
Now don't go me wrong, a majority of the finale was great. Carol and Morgan's subplot came to an end, with Morgan finally breaking his code to protect someone he loved. Father Gabriel and the Alexandrians cemented their place as true fighters finally. And the game of cat and mouse between The Saviors and Rick's group was awesome yet nerve- wracking to watch. Every actor brought their A-game. The episode was going great...until the last minute. I'm not sure whose decision is was to end on a cliffhanger, or what drugs he or she was on, but I can undoubtedly say that was the worst mistake in the series' 6-year history. The tension leading up to the cliffhanger was off the charts, and had they shown the victim I do not doubt the scene would have gone down as one of the best in TV history. But instead of delivering the full emotional impact of the scene, showrunner Scott Gimple and co. decided to fade to black in an attempt to increase ratings for the season 7 premiere.
But cheap gimmicks will not work on an audience as smart as The Walking Dead fandom, and the premiere episode certainly will not break records like they had hoped. In fact, pulling such a stunt might create the opposite effect come October. They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they found out...they're screwing with the wrong fans.
The Walking Dead: Here's Not Here (2015)
Great Episode with Amazing Performances
After an explosive start to the sixth season of The Walking Dead, the writers decided to slow things down a bit this week as we jump back in time to witness Morgan's transformation from psycho to warrior.
Beginning in present day, we see Morgan walking into a cell room and exchanging words with a character off screen, who we later learn is the wolf that Morgan met in the season 5 finale and again in JSS. To anybody paying attention to Morgan's new philosophy, the reveal that the Wolf is not actually dead is not a surprise. I loved how Morgan echoed their exchange back in "Conquer" after the Wolf wanting every last bit. That serves as an excellent transition from present day to the past.
Over the course of the episode, we see Morgan even crazier than where Rick has gone in this series thus far, killing anything that gets close to him. Eventually, he stumbles upon an old wood cabin, complete with a wooden spear perimeter to protect from walkers...and a goat?? Things get even more bizarre when a guy named Eastman approaches Morgan in what appears to be a bathrobe. From there, Eastman attempts to train Morgan, recounting his backstory about how he was once in a mindset similar to Morgan's. The story at the table about the psycho that killed his family is among the darkest and heart-wrenching in the entire The Walking Dead series. Eventually, after Eastman is bitten by a walker and put down, Morgan stumbles upon a set of train tracks and discovers a sign that reads "Community for all, Sanctuary for all, Those who arrive, survive." We all know the horrors going on there. And thus, our understanding of Morgan's journey from season 3 to season 6 is complete.
Even this late in the game, The Walking Dead finds ways to invent creative new episodes; The Grove, What Happened and What's Going On, and this episode are the most prominent examples. And in this episodes, one thing is constant: the amazing performances and great writing. You know you've done a good job when the audience can relate with the plot in a heart-wrenching fashion. I've admired Lennie James as an actor since first meeting him in Days Gone Bye, and it's safe to say this is his best performance yet. If he doesn't get an Emmy for this episode, then I'm at a loss for what it will take for these actors to finally get the recognition they deserve.
I'm giving this episode a 10/10. Yes, you could argue that it was a bad decision for this episode to come right off the heels of three incredibly action-packed episodes, especially the latter of the three which delivered several cliffhangers, but it's important to realize that this newfound mindset of Morgan will affect the storyline moving forward. It's not a waste like the Beth/Daryl standalone episode in season 4. Of course, I'm sure this review will be followed by dozens of angry reviewers claiming it absolutely sucked. But it's one of the best standalone episodes in the series to me.
The Walking Dead: Forget (2015)
Slow but Good
In last night's episode of One Tree Hi--I mean, The Walking Dead--we saw our characters continuing to acclimate in this supposed utopia they have found themselves in, the Alexandria Safe Zone. I would not consider this a filler episode, as it certainly progressed the plot as we inch closer and closer to the season finale.
One of my main complaints with this episode is Sasha. After losing her boyfriend and her brother in the span of a few weeks, it is understandable that she would enter a state of shock and distance herself from the rest of her group. However, these losses are meant to add development to her character, something we have not yet seen. I hope we see this in subsequent episodes. I will say, however, that I liked her meltdown at Deanna's party. The residents of the ASZ are so oblivious to the outside world; their ignorance is going to lead to a lot of deaths sometime soon.
Otherwise, this episode set up several potential story lines moving forward. Daryl and Aaron, two people that I thought would never become close, bonded a lot in this episode through exploring outside the walls. RIP Buttons. It looks like Aaron will serve as a gateway through which Daryl becomes more comfortable with the ASZ and does not resemble an "outdoor cat" as much in previous episodes. Rick's feelings for Jessie were made unambiguous this episode--kissing a married woman is not cool though. On the surface, Pete seems like a nice guy, but it is pretty obvious he is putting on a facade that will breakdown by the season finale. The best performance of the night goes to Carol, whom demonstrated to poor little Sam that she is not all rainbows and unicorns like most of the people at the ASZ believe. I am interested to see if what Carol set to Sam gets back to his mom at one point or another...
There were also two very important easter eggs throughout. At the beginning of the episode, Rick, Carol, and Daryl come across a walker with a "W" carved into its forehead, the same marking we saw on the severed bodies of the walkers near a destroyed Shirewilt Estates. Something tells me a group with bad intentions is getting increasingly close to the ASZ. At the end of the episode, when Rick hears the walker beating on the wall, the street sign above his head reads "Morgan Street." I have a feeling we will be seeing that guy soon.
9/10 is my rating.
The Walking Dead: Remember (2015)
A New Direction
A few weeks ago in an interview, Andrew Lincoln described season 5, episode 12 of The Walking Dead as sort of a new pilot for the series. After watching one of the strangest episodes, and also one of the most entertaining episodes, in recent memory, it's not hard to understand why.
The scene opens with our group entering Alexandria. Carl notices a girl in a burnt building, whom we will later learn goes by the name Enid. Meanwhile, as the group is approaching the gate, a possum runs through a pile of trash and Daryl shoots it with his crossbow, exclaiming, "We brought dinner." Nicholas, a new character who didn't find Daryl's remark funny, later asks the group to hand over their weapons if they plan on staying. A walker approaches from outside the gate and Rick calls out to Sasha, who turns around and shoots it right in the head. This is Rick's way of proving who this group is messing with.
Throughout the episode, we see a majority of the characters interviewed by the leader of Alexandria, Deanna, and we see how they are interacting with preexisting members of the community. And although all of these interviews were interesting to watch, I have to say that Carol's by far was the best. She has grown into such a smart woman over the past 5 seasons, and attempts to downplay herself so that if the group ever runs into danger, they won't be expecting her to step up. Carl meets the other teenagers, Mikey and Ron, who seem completely oblivious to what is going on outside the gates. He also speaks for the first time to Enid, who seems a bit mysterious (sneaking out of the community by climbing over the walls? hardly speaking to anyone?). Carl is going to have a hard time adjusting to a life of video games and music after having to shoot a reanimated Shane, killing his mom, almost getting raped, almost losing his dad to cannibals, and killing an unknown count of zombies.
Toward the end of the episode, we follow Noah, Tara, and Glenn as they go on a run with Nicholas and Deanna's son, Aiden. On the way outside the gates, Aiden says he can be sort of a douchebag--and boy did we see just how. I could not have been happier when Glenn knocked him to the ground. It will be interesting to see how relations between him and the rest of the group change over the coming episodes or seasons. Meanwhile, back in their assigned houses, everybody relaxes while Officer Grimes tries on his new uniform. It's been a while. After walking outside, Carol expresses how she is concerned the group will get weak; Rick says they won't, and if Alexandria isn't able to function normally, they will just take it from them. This is a great line that shows how the group is not all that different from The Governor and his people or Terminus and their people--all three groups started off helping others, but this world has made them indistinguishable from who they once were, some more so than others.
Overall, this was another great episode that I rated a 10/10. The prospect of an actual safe community has not been explored yet on The Walking Dead, and I'm excited to see where this heads for the rest of the season and in following seasons.
The Walking Dead: The Distance (2015)
Another Great Episode
I don't have too much to say about this episode other than it was another good one. Michonne and Glenn really shined tonight with their dialog between one another and between the others within the group. It's been fun to see how Michonne has evolved since she was found at the prison gates in season 3, proving that it IS possible to keep humanity while also realizing that there's things that need to be done (i.e. killing The Governor). It's nice to see -- although maybe not for Aaron -- that Rick was being mistrustful of the prospects of a safe zone after Terminus and Woodbury. And to top it off, the scene where Rick, Glenn, Aaron, and Michonne stumble across a herd of walkers was really tense and action packed. Now, to see if Alexandria is truly the safe zone it's rumored to be...
The Walking Dead: Them (2015)
"We Are The Walking Dead"
This was another great episode in another great season of The Walking Dead. Going into tonight, I had several questions: how was the group handled the losses of Beth and Tyreese...more specifically, how have Daryl, Maggie, and Sasha handled those deaths? How is the group cooping with life on the road? How can they continue on this pace? All of these questions were answered tonight. The desperateness of their situation was made painfully obvious, with Daryl resorting to eating ground worms and the group resorting to eating a feral pack of dogs. That was brutal. Additionally, we actually got to see a storm for the first time in five seasons! The entire barn sequence was really well done. But the best moment of the night undoubtedly goes to Rick's speech, in which he says, "...We are The Walking Dead." Roll credits.
The Walking Dead: What Happened and What's Going On (2015)
Among the Best The Walking Dead Has Offered
The Walking Dead is known for making dramatic, heart-breaking, and all- about great episodes, and the season 5 mid-season premiere is no different. In fact, I can say confidently that this is one of my favorite episodes of the series to date, up there with No Sanctuary, Too Far Gone, The Grove, and Pretty Much Dead Already.
So first, let's talk about the opening sequence. It begins with a funeral, presumably Beth's, and cuts to several other sequences featuring a blood-covered picture, a chalk-drawn sun on the sidewalk, and the creepiest of them all, Lizzie and Mika covered in blood saying "it's better now." The overall feel from this opening scene reminded me of The Grove. It's clear that everything is not as it seems.
Once the credits roll, we skip forward to present day and watch Rick, Tyreese, Michonne, Glenn, and Noah head toward Richmond, Virginia, the place Beth wanted to go with Noah. Carol, Sasha, Carl, Daryl, Abraham, Eugene, Rosita, Tara, and Judith are apparently a bit behind them. After some conversation between Noah and Tyreese, they arrive at "Shirewilt Estates" only to find that it has been overrun. The facial expressions from Glenn and Michonne upon finding this out tell the story well; they've journeyed 500 miles only to find out that this world really is gone. Noah breaks down over the loss of his family, and Tyreese...the new voice of hope after Beth...tries to console him by telling him not to give up. Everybody knows you never want to be the voice of hope in The Walking Dead.
After the speech, Noah leads Tyreese to the home he used to live in, and the two maneuver through the house. Tyreese finds one of Noah's twin brothers lying on a bed dead and begins to focus in on a clipboard with several pictures of the children pre-apocalypse. At this point, I believe Tyreese gets too caught up in the images, perhaps because seeing the twins reminds him of Lizzie and Mika. Regardless, this proves to be deadly, as the second twin brother comes up behind Tyreese and bites him on the arm. Noah, which I'd say has the kill of this episode, grabs a toy jet and stabs the walker in the head before running to get the others.
As the virus begins to spread throughout Tyreese's body, he begins to have hallucinations of those he feels guilty about: Lizzie and Mika, Martin, Beth, and The Governor. It was really awesome to see all these characters again; I never expected to see The Governor in an episode again. Anyways, Tyreese gives an absolutely amazing and heartfelt speech, saying that he's not giving up and it's not over.
On the other side of the community, Rick, Michonne, and Glenn are arguing about whether to stay at Shirewilt or move on to Washington (as that's the place that has the best chance of surviving people according to Eugene). Eventually, Rick decides they'll head toward Washington. It's at that time that the three hear Noah's screams for help. They run toward the sound and fight off several walkers trying to eat Noah. All four of them head back to Noah's house to try to save Tyreese as they cut off his arm and get him back to the vehicle. But it's clear that it's too late. After riding for a bit, they pull over and it's implied that Michonne takes her sword through his skill to prevent reanimation. The episode ends with all of our characters laying a shovel-full of dirt on Tyreese's grave to honor him. Poor Sasha.
The way this episode was directed and shot was incredible to say the least. Because of the circumstances, we were led to believe that the funeral at the beginning was Beth's. It was actually Tyreese's. This was the second time they used this technique, the first time being when they showed Shane shaving his head in season 2. There were several intricately-placed "clues" (for lack of a better word) throughout the episode, such as Tyreese looking at the clock lying in the middle of the street to represent time's up. The radio in the bedroom Tyreese is bitten is stuck at 5:09, as in season 5 episode 9. The radio broadcast itself details the events at the beginning of the apocalypse; the amazing thing is that it also represents our group's journey to date. The radio lists cannibalism (Terminus), the burning of Prisons (The Governor), the wholesale destruction of entire villages (Woodbury), people being chopped with Machetes (Gareth), and people being burned (Karen and David).
I cannot even begin to understand why this episode has been given so many harsh reviews. It was an emotional and well-written episode for sure.
The Walking Dead: No Sanctuary (2014)
You're the Butcher, or You're the Cattle
Wow.
This episode is up there as one of the best, if not the best, in the Walking Dead series. It sends you on an emotional roller coaster, from fear when you first see Gareth's brother, Alex, being sawed on the table, to panic when one of the butchers is about to knock Glenn out with a baseball bat, to amazement at Carol's intricate plan to free Rick and co., to excitement when the Termites are being killed, to overwhelming joy when Daryl is reunited with Carol, Rick and Carl are reunited with Judith, and Sasha is reunited with Bob. So many good performances from all the actors, especially Mary, Carol, and Rick. I rated it 10/10.