The Walking Dead Review – “Here’s Not Here” S6E4

We were all thinking a few things during “Here’s Not Here”. What happened to Glenn? Why is this all about Morgan? Ok, this is actually pretty good. It’s a lot like The Karate Kid. The original. With Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. Not the remake. And it’s also sorta like Yoda and Luke. So we are getting a derivation of the Hero’s Cycle. This is good. And it is damn beautiful. This is a nice breather from the first three episodes. That was really good, but seriously, is Glenn okay?

Alright, maybe that wasn’t everybody, that was us, so let’s get on with the review of “Here’s Not Here”.

Pros:

EASTMAN!!!!: First and foremost, let’s take a moment to applaud the acting here. John Carroll Lynch, who just also happened to play Twisty in AHS: Freakshow, was just outstanding. This is also a testament to the writing; however, he had the most dialogue in the episode (and of most episodes for one man in the TWD universe), he had to embody a zen master, a man of the woods, a survivor, and a killer all in one person. It’s amazing, and we are sure there are too many other actors out there who could have brought the same ability to the episode.

As far as the character goes, what a guy! He is absolutely hilarious, for one. When he asks Morgan “What’s your name?” and Morgan replies “Kill me,” Eastman doesn’t drop a beat and says “That’s a stupid name.” What a way to get us to instantly side with this dude. The way his story is unfolded was just brilliant. There were a lot of misconceptions the viewers could have had about him just based off his looks. But as the 90 minutes went on, more and more of his layers were peeled back. This man had more character development in that short amount of time than most characters on TV ever do. Eastman alone made the whole “what the hell happened to Glenn” thing bearable.

MORGAN!!!!!!!: Oh so that is how Morgan got this way. It took a lot of coaxing and coddling and Aikido training to get him from “Clear” to “Here’s Not Here.” The strides he made in this episode alone were significant. Again, the acting here was superb. Lennie James has by far had to deal with the most changes in the shortest amount of time. This episode showed a pretty large scope of emotions for our beloved bo staff wielder. His zen-masterness is finally explained and it was a wonderful ride to watch.

Pacing, story, and character development: While some may have thought this episode was too slow, we thought the pacing was perfect. This was meant to be the full explanation of Morgan’s ways. If his full on crazy to zen master had been rushed, it wouldn’t have been believable. Additionally, the unfolding of Eastman’s story was perfectly executed. His interactions with Morgan and the way he slowly told him (and us) about his past life including Creighton Dallas Wilton, the man who murdered his family, were everything we needed for character development. This episode should be shown to writers who are looking to advance their own skills into how to develop characters.

Call backs: The amount of thought that went into the dialogue here was mind-boggling. The re-use of Morgan’s dialogue into Eastman’s dialogue was incredibly well planned. Practically everything Morgan has said since he resurfaced in season 5 came from his short time with Eastman. From “sorry” to “I don’t have friends” to “All life is precious” it became clear (see what we did there?) that Morgan’s character plotted and that his story is incredibly integral to the overall story.

Video Game Camera: Many people may have hated this, but we personally think it was a great way to make viewers feel like they were “in his head.” Morgan’s manic state was reflected well by the blurred and shaking camera. Thankfully, it was used sparingly.

It was damn beautiful: We are pretty big fans of montages, and this episode had some great ones. The scenes of bo staff training were just breathtaking.

Cons:

Eastman’s exit was wiggity wack: Here we have yet another plot hole we’re going to ignore because the rest of the episode was stellar. We knew Eastman had to die. There was no way a character that dynamic could live past the single appearance he was awarded, but the way he died just felt lazy. He just ran up on Morgan and shielded him like he had a gun pointed at him. He could have easily shoved the walker to the ground, or used, I don’t know, his freakin bo staff?? You could do better, AMC.

 

Easter Eggs & Other Tidbits:

TMNT: As Chris Hardwick pointed out, there are a lot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles references in this episode. Morgan has been called Donatello for a while now, but it is safe to say Eastman was the original Donatello. Additionally, Eastman is wearing a shirt with a turtle on it, and his name is Eastman, a.k.a. the co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kevin Eastman. It may have all been coincidental, but it had to be noted.

Tabitha: She has her own fan base ya’ll. Not kidding. She more popular than characters that lasted seasons.

The cheese does not wear me: This is a bit of a Buffy reference. All right, it’s a full-on Buffy reference, but if you follow Hush Comics, you know we love Buffy. There was an episode in the series called “Restless” which seemed like an episode that didn’t fit with the rest of the season, but included a lot of references to things in the past and in the future. “Restless” is a cult followed episode because of all the references (and the weirdness of it). In ways, “Here’s Not Here” reminded us of that episode because suddenly there was a lot about Morgan that made a lot of sense.

Wolf in the basement? Why does that sound familiar?: Morgan is (secretly?) hiding the lone Wolf in some random basement. We’ll ignore for now the fact that this will most definitely blow up in his face somehow and focus on the jailing part. It’s a clever parallel to what Eastman did to Wilton in the story, but it’s also a distinct Easter Egg to what Rick does to [some guy] in the comic books after winning All Out War. Neat.

It took Creighton Dallas Wilton 47 days to die?: At first this fact was a bit mind boggling. Would it really take 47 days to starve to death? Welp, it turns out that this number is surprisingly accurate. Gross. 

The Art of Peace: The book was written by Morihei Ueshiba who is the founder of the Martial Art Aikido. He developed the art because of three separate awakenings he had between 1925 and 1942. The Art of Peace is widely considered the book of Aikido and its spirituality, but can stand alone from the art.

Morgan is A-OK: We finally get a look at Crazy Morgan marking the trees that we see in the Season 5 opener. It makes me wonder what Morgan actually did before the apocalypse; he’s been asked a few times now and has redirected every time. What kind of normal man would go into full commando mode and exhibit the “clear” tactics Morgan did back in Season 3 (“Clear”).

Morgan and Eastman have a lot in common: Other than both being zen master badasses, of course. Morgan was for a long time a character everyone loved, but had appeared in only one episode. It wasn’t until years later we saw him again. Based off one episode, Morgan had quite the cult following. Nowadays, that title can go to Eastman. Don’t believe me? Just check out Tumblr. Below is some amazing fan art based around this following. You can see the artists whole page here.

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Hush Comics gives “Here’s Not Here” an A for an incredibly brilliant and beautiful episode. The way it was filmed, the pacing of story, and the character development created it’s own standalone movie, something all TV series strive for, but rarely attain.

All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.

The Walking Dead Review – “Thank You” S6E3

Okay, okay. Everybody calm down. This week’s episode of The Walking Dead was somewhat of a nuclear clusterf*ck. We cried. We threw beverages at the television. We cursed the names of Robert Kirkman (let’s be honest, it’s all his fault), Greg Nicotero and Scott Gimple, Angela Kang (rhymes with Krang, you evil lady!), and Sturgess (the event and the stupid ass character). It was quite an event. Well, the smoke has cleared, and our minds are processing everything that happened. More than anything, it was just nice to FEEL something about the show again. Six seasons in, and I look around at the handful of friends that are actually up to date on TWD and it makes me sad. Our living room used to be packed with a dozen friends all pining to see whether or not Shane would kill Rick (ha. n00bz). So cheers to the show that showed us it still has our hearts by the balls.

Oh, and by the way, there are SPOILERS. I feel like if you made it to this website without finding anything out so far, you are the Moses of the internet. However, I am Pharaoh, and I will not let your people go. This metaphor took a strange turn…

Pros:

Alexandrians are the Red Shirts of TWD: It may not have been nice, but Rick was right when he said that Glenn and Michonne needed to watch out for themselves first. The Alexandrians just keep getting picked off one by one, and that is okay. We have almost no attachment to any of them, and the don’t have the same family mentality our group has.

David was a brave motherfucker: David, despite being an Alexandrian, was amazingly stoic when he was bit. He did admit that he had been on the road before and that Aaron found him. It does feel as though he has been in Alexandria a while, but he didn’t forget “where he came from” so-to-speak. When he was bit, we were shocked but pleasantly surprised at the “I know what it means” line. And when it was time to climb the fence, he chose to go last because the rest of his crew was in better shape than he was. Brave motherfucker you were, David.

Daryl vs. Abraham: “That’s the mission”: Daryl and Abraham have both been soldiers. One if comfortable in that position, the other isn’t that comfy. It was a good reminder that Abraham will always do the job, especially with Rick as his leader. Daryl on the other hand is his own dude. Rick may be treating Daryl a little bit too much like Merle did. Daryl needs respect and isn’t getting it right now.

Michonne tells it like it is: Michonne is a woman who has changed greatly on this series. There was a time that she wouldn’t speak. Now she is a leader. In one of her first moments leading, Heath gives her some attitude. (From Heath’s perspective, it does make some sense). Her speech to him about living and dying and surviving was one of her finest moments on the show. And gave us some serious goosebumps.

If we turn back, its because we’re afraid: One of Rick’s manliest statements. He has two kids back there, he hears gun fire, and tells the rest of the group that if they go back it is fear causing it?! Yeah, not many people would do that. Accidentally leading the herd back to Alexandria could be worse for the innocents back home. This was one of his best calls yet.

Simultaneous Arcs: There are a lot of actors on TWD. A lot of well-paid actors. The best way to slow down a story and not have to pay everybody to make an appearance is to run simultaneous episodes for each focal point. It’s effective, and elaborate if done correctly. Done too often, though, and it can get predictable, and frustratingly repetitive. So far, we aren’t in that territory.

A man and his gun: It was soooooooo “Nebraska”! Without all the hesitation. Rick took out not one, not two, but five Wolves. It was simply amazing, and made the episode that much better. He is the smartest, badassiest (it’s a word now, people) in The Walking Dead, and that won’t change.

All these feelings: It may not have been what anyone wanted to see or experience, but when a show can make EVERYONE feel so many things, it is a testament to how well written some of these characters are. It would be impossible to feel this way about our beloved pizza delivery boy if he wasn’t written and acted well in the first place.

Cons:

Where did Daryl’s fortitude go?: Back when Daryl and Rick had that moment – you know, the one where Rick tears that guy’s throat out with his teeth – he and Rick were equals. Brothers. So just when did Daryl become the pouty kid who runs away when his feelings are hurt? Would people even riot if he died anymore? Are those same people even still watching this show? This show (and Rick, honestly) needs badass Daryl back, and pronto.

The Alexandrians are kinda f’ed up: We’ll include Michonne in this. Annie was clearly not doing well with that foot. When she tripped again, everyone just looked back at her, mouths agape. They could have helped her. They had guns, swords, knives. And when David died, everyone just looked on as he screamed in pain. Put the dude out of his misery. and kill some walkers while you are at it. Ugh. With the whole “don’t leave anyone behind” theme, they sure did leave people behind. Talk is cheap, Heath.

Where’d all that blood come from, Heath?: You know when Heath looks at his reflection and see his face covered in blood? While poignant, it didn’t really make sense. It was a major goof by the crew. The last time Heath had reason for blood on his face was when he was shooting walkers at a close range to save Michonne. If you look at his face then, it isn’t that bloody. It keeps getting bloodier as they get closer to the water with no explanation.

Easter Eggs & Other Tidbits:

Round of appalls: That’s it. Rick has zombie AIDS! As badass as it was to see him dispatch that group of walkers on the road, he ended up shoving his hand into a machete that was buried into the chest of one a walker. He was holding his hand gingerly and losing a lot of blood. Does the infection spread through blood transfer, or is AMC just dangling one-handed Rick in our faces because they like to see us squirm?

The Crystal Ship: It’s about damn time the RV saw some action – and from the looks of it, will see more next episode. Here, we see Rick hop into the RV, and put a bunch of bullet holes into the side of it to kill some Wolves with some blind oscillating machine gun fire.

Remember Fear The Walking Dead? Yeah, me neither: It wasn’t a month ago when that abomination of a show made its way onto the television. We were so desperate for some TWD that we entertained the idea of it being an acceptable substitute for the real thing. Since legitimate shows have returned, I haven’t given a single shit in the honor of FTWD.

Morgan’s cheek-turning practices almost got Rick killed: Let’s pretend that Rick isn’t the post-apocalyptic version of Rambo. By Morgan letting that group of Wolves go – along with that pistol – he openly invited them to kill Rick. Looks like Morgan is gonna have to learn some Hard Knocks if he wants to survive with a group.

Glenn-isms: There are a couple callbacks when Glenn is getting ready to head out with Nick. Over the radio, he calls Rick a dumbass, the same endearing term he radioed to Rick in Atlanta for the Pilot episode. Tears. Just so many tears. Also, in telling Michonne that “we all have a job to do,” he echoed Maggie’s last words to Beth. They really went out of their way to make it sound like he was saying goodbye.

Keep movin’: It is said several times by Glenn, Michonne, et al that they just need to keep moving. Is this the writers way for subliminally telling us that we need to keep moving? Despite what is going on? We think it could be.

Rick is kinda always right: Seemed weird for Michonne and Glenn to just shrug Rick off when he told them to leave stragglers behind. THEY AIN”T ABOUT THAT LIFE, you guys. Why save people who aren’t capable, resourceful, or at all damn useful. No matter how messed up Rick seems to be getting mentally and how dark his plans get, he’s always got a valid point. And that drives the “decent people” on this show crazy. Not me, though. I’m jaded as f*ck.

Insulation: Call it P.BrBa.S.D., but I can’t help analyze every single frame and think there’s a bigger meaning to it. When Glenn’s group was in town checking the abandoned vehicles, there was a notable white truck with the text “Insulation” across it. I want to say that it was code for Glenn using Nicholas’ harvested corpse to curl up and hide in, not unlike Luke used the Tauntaun to stay warm… but it’s an obvious reach.

Predictions:

Glenn: It started as a prediction, and then we found out that the entire internet felt the same way.

Another Win if you think Glenns still alive is they have this photo with him & Jesus #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/Feiw1KoPQi

— Ryan The Lion™ (@HerculesHandy) October 26, 2015

There are so many ways that Glenn could come back. It is still hard to believe that even if the walkers are just eating Nicholas (yeah, yeah, Nicholas fell on top of him and intestines aren’t in Glenn’s chest), that Glenn would make it out alive with walkers surrounding as far as the eye can see. Maybe he’ll use his flare? Maybe he will cover himself in guts and they don’t smell him? Maybe someone will come along and distract? Maybe it was all a dream? At this point, whatever the internet thinks, none of it matters until we see him again. We just hope that with Scott Gimple’s statement, that seeing “some part” of Glenn again doesn’t wind up being that he is the new ghost for Rick, a la Lori.

Rick: So Rick is pretty screwed. There is a part of a herd coming toward him. Where did they come from and how can he get out of this without being able to start the RV? Well he does have a walkie, so that is good. We will have to wait and see, but it is looking grim for our hero.

Questions:

Why leave the pocket-watch in the bag?: Glenn makes it a point to leave Hershel’s pocket watch in the bag. When he and Nicholas are in the town, Glenn is holding onto the bag, so what was the point?

Why not light the trees on fire?: They are more flammable than buildings.

Why let Nicholas lead?: We understand Glenn’s moral ground, but Nicholas is way too much of a loose cannon. As proven at about minute 45 of the episode.

Why not split up to try to take on the herd?: The town is basically a main street. If they had split up in two different buildings to try to split the herd to make it smaller, and then killed them that way, could that have worked?

Why not go up the stairs?: When Glenn and Nicholas are in the town, you can see that almost every building has stairs leading up to roofs. The last time we saw a walker go up stairs was in season one. They could have used their flare on the herd itself from above.

Why make us think Glenn is dead?! It’s a cruel, cruel world, and we don’t like all these feelings!

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Hush Comics gives “Thank You” an A for use of sequencing, character development, and allowing the audience to feel in a constant state of fear.

Before we go, here is tribute to one of Glenn’s finest moments, ya know, in case he really is dead:

All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.

The Walking Dead Review – “JSS” S6E2

ERMERGERHD! This week’s episode truly outdid it self in the “badassery” department. Forget Donald Trump Halloween costumes. It’s all about the Carol costumes now. No really. Co-Owners of Hush Comics, Adrian and Sherif, both plan on being Carol this year. And maybe forever after that. Watch out world, because are baking some serious casseroles.

Pros:

Carl got some balls!: Carl was the 2nd most badass character this week. Not only did he do good work with some good ole killin’, but he started to encroach on some dangerous pre-teen crush territory. Good work, kid.

Alec Rayme as Shaved Head Wolf and Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes – The Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Father Gabriel is really trying: For some, it may be too little, too late. But Father Gabriel talking to Carl about forgiveness seemed genuine. And starting with the machete? A preacher with a machete sounds pretty cool. Added to which, there was all that foreshadowing for what was about to happen to Alexandria.

Smoking Kills. as do machetes: There was a point in this episode where we thought, “God, I hope this one isn’t slow. Last week’s episode was balls to the wall the whole time. And this week all we are getting is ladies bickering about kitchen ingredients.” Then the smoking lady got killed with a machete, and we were pleased. Don’t judge that sentence by itself. It sounds really bad. Anyway, Smoking Kills, as do machetes.

The horn was Alexandria’s fault: After the horn went off last week, we hoped it wouldn’t be predictable that some dude was just sitting in the woods holding onto the horn. But as it turns out, the wolves just crashed into the Alexandria wall with a semi truck. It makes sense, and it wasn’t predictable.

We miss violence on TV… Jessie goes in: Honestly, up until this point, Jessie seemed pretty damn useless. Who needs a hairstylist when the world ends? I never thought that her profession would be THAT useful. The sheer amount of unadulterated violence she displayed on the wolf was magnificent. Just fucking brutal. Yes!

Marcelle Colletti as Feral Wolf and Alexandra Breckenridge as Jessie Anderson – The Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Fucking Carol: The star of the night was most definitely Ms. Peletier. She is always willing to do what no one else wants to do, but should. Cream of Celery?

Casseroles: How hilarious was it that Carl is baking casseroles after just shooting some guy in the face? I’d make a white people joke, but really, if there’s any baked food (other than cookies) to survive the apocalypse, it’s casseroles. In all seriousness, this just goes to show that murdering fools is business as usual for our group, and they look like a bunch of badasses for it.

Cons:

JSS: Kind of overwhelmed with the meaning of this ominous phrase that Enid kept throwing around. “Just survive somehow” was much less exciting than our proposed “Jumping Sex Snakes.” Plus, Enid’s flightiness makes me think she might be involved with the Wolves as a scout or something. That would be a letdown.

Tara: She was such weak sauce in this episode! Her only purpose seems to be to make other people feel bad for what she is too inept or sheepish to do. She could have offered any kind of help to Denise, but instead just whimpered and pouted that Denise was a coward for not picking up surgery. It’s not like riding a bicycle at all, Tara!

Can’t these people die in silence!?: That is now TWO Alexandrians that had to die because they couldn’t keep their trap shut and die with dignity. Seems like Rick and Carol have a lot more in common than they used to. They should totally bang.

What kind of hippie farm has Morgan been on?: Morgan’s “turn the other cheek” mentality just doesn’t hold up in this world. Sure, maybe when you’re a lone wolf (no pun intended) and you have the option to move on and only fend yourself you can spew that nonsense, but when you’re protecting a community against butchers and rapists, you need to kill or be killed. I would’ve thought enough time out in the world would make that abundantly clear.

Lance Tafelski as Horseshoe Mustache Wolf and Lennie James as Morgan Jones – The Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Easter Eggs & Tidbits:

TV Denise < Comic book Denise: Another notable character from the books makes her debut. Denise was already a well-established doctor in the community by the time we met her in the books. She was sharp and witty, and never went through the panic attacks and trauma that she’s going through in the book. If this show followed the books, I’d say to look for her to have a budding romance with Heath soon.

Carl has a new toy: Carl finally gets to use that big ol machine gun he’s been lugging around! While his TV counterpart Chandler Riggs is 16 years old, comic book Carl was just a preteen when he decided to sneak into Negan’s camp and unload on the Saviors with this gun (Issue #104). Thankfully so, because in this episode, Carl had no problems putting a clip in one of the Wolves.

Train car A: It’s subtle, and I don’t know if it was on purpose, but after Carol puts a knife in the back of Erin’s head, Carol notices a red marking on the steps next to her. It’s the same letter that was on the train car that the group was corralled into at Terminus. No matter where they go, they are trapped. That shit is so deep, AMC!

B team: In the whole episode, there was no Michonne, no Rick, no Daryl, no Glenn, and no Abraham or Sasha. “JSS” relied on the under-billed stars to carry it, and I feel it largely did a great job. This disproves the theory that F*** the Walking Dead was crappy because it didn’t have stars. No, it was crappy because it was shitty TV. Shame on you, Robert Kirkman.

Predictions:

Morgan’s friend is still Jesus: Prove me wrong, AMC. I dare you! Morgan learned all those moves from a cheesemaker? You mean carpenter?? Paul Monroe has been cast and will appear this season. There’s no reason to have characters ask him that question if you’re not going to have this character premiere.

Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier and Lance Tafelski as Horseshoe Mustache Wolf – The Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Lost opportunity at infidelity: Well, Holly died before Abraham could bone her. Comic book continuity ruined. There’s other people that Abe can get nasty in front of Eugene with, though. Our top candidate is Sasha right now. Although, I’m honestly not getting the feeling like Abraham and Rosita are even together, so maybe they’ll avoid it altogether.

Love triangle… OF DOOM!: There’s some weird stuff going on between Carl, Enid, and Ron. For some reason, Enid is always sneaking off with Ron while Carl handles business – whether it’s babysitting, casserolling, or shootin Wolves in the face. At the end of the day, we know Carl is the alpha teenager on campus. But he’s still soft, and emo Ron might shoot him in the face. That’d be kinda cool, but Denise needs to step her surgery game up if she’s gonna fix this up:

The Walking Dead #83

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Hush Comics gives “JSS” an A- for use of sequencing, character development, and allowing the audience to feel in a constant state of fear.

All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.

The Walking Dead Review – “First Time Again” S6E1

This summer, the only thing we had to pull us through the TV slump was Mr. Robot. Fear the Walking Dead, Arrow, and The Flash have all been disappointing at best. But The Walking Dead brought back some quality television. It seemed impossible to follow up Season 5, but the episode not only succeeded, but stayed on a par with the level we ended with last March. Without further adieu…

Pros:

Thank God F*ck the Walking Dead is over: The sense of excitement, chaos,  absolute gore, music, color scheme, and terror the perfect introduction after the severe disappointment of Fear the Walking Dead. And all of that just took place in the first five minutes. Can we also talk about character development, story sequencing, and the use of suspense to create terror? Fuck you, Fear the Walking Dead. I hope you are all dead at this point in the ‘pocalypse.

Still the good guys?: It’s beginning to become clear – much more so than in the comic books – that Rick is not a good guy. Sure he went off all half-cocked and beat the shit out of Pete in front of the whole community, but that was a victim of passion. In this episode, he’s plain cold-hearted. Refusing to bury the guy you shot in the face? He’s not even making friends amongst his own people anymore.

Rick is a total Shane: While Morgan has gained a sense of calm “after” via the bo staff and meditation, Rick has spiraled into an aggressor. Morgan is the Season 1 Rick Grimes while Rick is now the Season 2 Shane. Additionally, Rick makes comments that seem like what The Governor would say.

Hair game proper: It was funny, but note, Eugene: Dreadlocks are much different from your mullet. There is no game whatsoever in a mullet.

Real talk with Morgan Jones: “I’m a killer, Rick. I am and you are, too.” The ability for Morgan to call out Rick is a rarity in this series. The problem is that any time any one from “our” group has called out Rick, he has turned out to be right. Morgan “knowing” Rick but being a group outsider will hopefully allow for a voice of reason in our anti-hero.

Protein Bars: One of the best moments in the episode was the exchange between Michonne and Morgan about his last peanut butter protein bar. Not only did it break up the tension, it was true. Michonne did actually take Morgan’s protein bar.

Tara/Nick parallel: Glenn saves people. That’s all there is to it. Tara would be prison chow if Glenn didn’t go out of his way to rescue her from her miserable situation. And same goes for Nick. Although, Tara was much more caught in a bad situation than Nick, who created bad situations, but when you’re a good guy like Glenn, you just save people. Shoot, even Rick Grimes owes his life to the pizza boy.

Use of black and white for flashbacks: From the first scene of the replay of Rick’s crime switching from color to black and white, and the use of black and white a color through out to signify time was a brilliant use of medium. Even more so, it was absolute fan service (in a good way) and a great homage to the comics, which are all drawn in blacks and grays only.

This plan is kinda stupid, but it was forced to be: The first go-through, it was a little unclear about why the plan of driving the walkers out 20 miles was even a plan. And while that was the plan all along, upon the our second viewing, we realized that when Rick and the Alexandria compound groups showed up, they did not expect to have to herd the herd that very minute. Carter yells, “This was supposed to be the dry run!” and Heath says “This was supposed to be a dry rehearsal.” With the latter line, it was pretty clever for Glenn to say “And I’m supposed to be delivering pizzas.” It’s a pretty good metaphor for life, pre and post zombie apocalypse. We are all supposed to be delivering pizza, but instead we are doing what we need to do to survive.

Alexandria is full of pussies: Rick may have been a tad bit of an ass, he is also kinda right about the people of Alexandria and their quest for survival. His power play of showing that A) the people of Alexandria don’t know how to handle walkers and B) that Rick and group do (and so well) is proof that they need Rick as much as he needs those walls.

Building the Walls (AKA Character): We could go on and on about the use of black and white, but one final piece about it: The black and white flashbacks provided great character insight and therefore development. Something we sometimes lack when things are too fast-paced is development, so the quiet moments paired with the action and how people react allowed for a lot of great reflection. Additionally, when Rick had a gun to Carter’s head, he admitted that the community was about him. He has used the other group member’s name for so long, but rarely admitted that this is about himself. Finally admitting that was a big thing for him and a show of self-awareness.

Cons:

Where’s Carl??: Our only mention of Carl is when he is sitting with the Wolf girl and Ron looks on. While I understand that we are supposed to gain sympathy for Ron because things keep getting taken from him (he family unit/dad, his girlfriend, his community), The Walking Dead is the story of Rick Grimes. Most of what informs Rick’s decisions are based around Carl, Judith, and the safety of both. It needed to be mentioned why both children were virtually missing this episode.

Daryl’s passive-aggressive response: After such a strong bonding moment last season (ya know, where Rick took a bite out of that one dude’s throat?), Rick and Daryl should be like THIS. The way Daryl handled the situation was super childish, especially considering he missed the opportunity to call bullshit when Rick said that people out there need to learn to survive on their own. Excuse me, Rick??

The Wolves are not a priority… At all?: There have clues dropped for a half-season now. Massacred bodies, truckloads full of corpses, decimated communities… not normal shit. But also not really a concern to the group. I can understand that there is a more pressing matter at hand, but shooting off dozens of flares when you know they’re nearby is moronic.

Where were they leading the walkers?: 20 miles out? And then what? Were they going to be just corralled there until they all escaped again? What is their plan as far as Daryl on his open bike and 1000’s of walkers? It doesn’t make sense.

Easter Eggs & Tidbits:

A budding romance: With both Abraham and Sasha bonding over the previous tragedy, it seems like they are getting close in more than a natural way. I mean, just a bit ago, Sasha was lying in a pile of bodies. And now they’re giving each other winks and smiles. This could be the affair from the comic books that split Abe and Rosita. By the way, where was Rosita? That’s okay, we don’t care either.

F*ck Wit Dre Day: Welcome to the show, Heath! Viewers may recognize actor Corey Hawkins from Straight Outta Compton, where he played Dr. Dre. Heath is a big deal in the comic series, so look for him to stick around a bit, unlike that Noah asshole.

The Crystal Ship: Whoo! A BrBa reference! While it wasn’t the exact model of Walt and Jesse’s methmobile, it was a reminder that AMC does/did other stuff than TWD.

“That isn’t the only reason”: The f*ck’s that supposed to mean, Maggie?? We think she’s preggo. That would sure fit in with the comic book storyline. It’s also uncomfortably close to the demise of one beloved character… Too soon, AMC!

Father Gabriel’s new purgatory: As big of a dickbruiseface as Father Gabriel was by narcing on the group, you can’t help but feel bad for him. He was confused and afraid, but those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Let’s just say that Gabriel gets shit on a lot this episode. Deanna tells him he was wrong about Rick and Rick straight-up dismisses him when he asks if he could help out.

Morgan’s friend: Who is Morgan’s friend? Who taught him all those fancy moves? Well, you can bet your sweet ass it wasn’t Donatello. All signs point to it being none other than Paul from the Hilltops… Or Jesus as he is commonly known as. That would open A Larger World to fill in the gaps.

 

Eugene, world’s worst spy: Have you ever like Eugene more than you did in this episode? He is a buffoon, but he is our buffoon. In the books, it’s Glenn (much less adept and clumsy Glenn) that stumbles upon the conspirators in the book. In the comics, Nicholas (coincidence? I think not) beats the crap out of Glenn and goes a bit ballistic on the town before Rick arrives and gives his speech.

Predictions:

Carl turning a blind eye: Ron got that super creeper look on his face. Maybe he figures that if Rick takes his dad away (useless piece of poo that he was), Ron will get back at Rick by taking Carl away from him. Of course, Carl now has the power of puberty on his side, but all signs are pointing to him getting shot in the face.

Wolves at the gate: There’s no way that The Wolves aren’t the ones causing issue for Alexandria at the end of the episode. It’s pretty obvious that they’re the ones that set up the trucks, and I’m guessing they were prepared for the truck to topple. Maybe they were using the walkers for bioenergy? Who knows?

Wolves used quarry for “safe keeping”: Heath said there were “maybe a dozen” walkers last time he was there. Plus, the only other time we have seen semi trucks in the series was when Daryl and Morgan got caught in the semi truck trap. Was this whole plan devised by the Wolves? Including the horn?

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Hush Comics gives “First Time Again” an A for use of sequencing, character development, and allowing the audience to feel in a constant state of fear.

All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.

The Walking Dead Review – “Conquer” S5E16

Another great seasons in the books! The 90 minute format for the season finale was spectacular, and I hope that AMC will continue to present finales like that in the future. I know that AMC likes to borrow inspiration from the comic books, but this episode’s core story (Rick vs. Alexandria) was almost ripped panel for panel from issue #77 of the comic books (we’ve included the panels below). The events in Alexandria up until Jesus arrives (issue #91) are regarded as kind of boring, but this episode showed that there are more than a few ways to make the subject entertaining until then.

Pros:

Still the good guys: The take-away from his whole kerfuffle is that our team is still “the good guys.” Sure, Rick went off the deep end, but there were several opportunities our crew had to completely slaughter the Alexandrians and the chose the high road – notably Glenn.

TV Morgan > comic book Morgan: Another great separation between the book and show is Morgan’s character. No longer is he the frail insane man we met earlier. He is a Transcendentalist now. He must have found Walden somewhere on his trek from Crazy Town. And he’s a freakin’ ninja.

Minor characters made the big difference here: While the finale focused on the big showdowns (Rick vs. Everybody, Glenn vs. fuckboy Nick, Sasha vs. Gabriel), it was words and small actions by the characters who had the least screen-time that made the difference. It was Michonne and Carl’s words that made Rick decide not to go all “Option 3” on everybody. It was Rosita that brought Abraham and Eugene together again. Jessie was the only one from Alexandria to speak in Rick’s defense. And it was Maggie’s reassured hands that led Sasha and Gabriel together in prayer – arguably the most powerful moment of the show to me.

Raise your hand is you saw this coming.

 

FINISH HIM!: Mortal Kombat fans will be plenty pleased with this episode’s creative fatalities. Whipping a chain to lop off three heads? Check. Decapitating a mofo with an Alaskan license plate? Hell yeah, license plate collecting just gained a whole new generation of collectors. And then there’s my absolute favorite: sticking a gun all the way up inside the rotting head of a corpse and pulling the trigger, while the insides shower you from above. It’s pretty disgusting, but in a creative way.

“Like at Terminus”: No, Rick, not like at Terminus. This is “Option 3” from Gotham all over again. Why is the next step to grab the leaders and threaten to cut their throats? You saw how well that worked at Terminus, and those were actually the bad guys. Rick has been finding a reason to overtake the camp since day one, and I’m glad Glenn could put it in perspective for everybody.

What did the five fingers say to the face??

Abraham, the eloquent: I don’t know how he does it, but Abraham Ford knows just the right words to tug at heart strings and make me laugh uncontrollably. When the mood gets too harsh, Abe reminds the citizens that there is a “vast ocean of shit that people don’t know shit about. Rick knows every fine grain of said shit… and then some.”

Eugene and Abraham bury the hatchet: Abraham repeatedly slapping things out of Eugene’s hands has become a household joke here at Hush. There was even a cosplay idea to just follow one of us around and continuously slap water out of Eugene’s hands. But in all honesty, it was really good for the show to have them finally take a moment and talk things through – especially after the transformation Eugene has gone through lately.

The Morgan-Rick dynamic: As happy as we were to see old friends reunited, Rick and Morgan have taken on completely different paths since they last saw each other – not only in skill, but in psyche. Morgan’s zen-like approach to the Wolves at the beginning (we’re assuming he trapped them in the car to buy himself some space, but we’ve heard other theories, too) is so far left of Rick’s presumed response of “kill them all, brutally.” I can’t wait to see how that plays out.

Donatello still lives on!

 

Cons:

The hype: I know the stars have to do something to hype up the season finales, but this one was a bit much. Nobody important died. I didn’t need to bring my Kleenex. The anticipation of somebody dying (it could have happened multiple times with multiple characters) altered my expectations of the episode change, and so, when nothing happened, I left feeling a tad dissatisfied. It’s like when the people ahead of you in a roller coaster tell you it’s going to be the most terrifying ride ever – even if it’s scary, it’s still not as good as if you had no pretext.

How have the wolves not been mentioned yet?: So it’s not just me, but multiple people in the group have had run-ins with the aftermath of The Wolves. Mutilated bodies, desecrated communities. You would think that somebody would have to mention that “hey, there’s a roaming band of psychotic assholes out there” to Alexandria. Or even to each other.

Oh yeah! And there’s a group of people mutilating bodies not too far from here.

Still a better love story than Twilight: Jessie and Rick are the most boring story on the show right now. The connection between them doesn’t feel nearly as organic as in the comic books. He wants to play alpha male and take the most attractive female as his mate. Meanwhile, Jessie just wants the R. It’s not romantic, therapeutic or entertaining. Bleh.

What is this, Survivor?: Too much pre-apocalyptic television is to blame for this malarkey. The one-by-one story defense on why they shouldn’t vote Rick off the island is just dumb. It took the town hall thing a little too seriously. It looks like it worked, though, and both Pete and Reg were voted off in Rick’s stead.

Come at me, bro: Carol’s complexity has turned her into a frighteningly-unpredictable character. After throwing Rick under the bus like that in front of the group, I’m not so sure that she’s not playing double agent. If she’s turning into a sneaky two-timer, her stock will plummet for me.

The Walking Dead #77 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

Sasha is so emo right now: How sad and dead inside do you have to be to lay down in a pile of corpses? We get that she’s really sad about Bob and Tyreese – I mean, Rick went bonkers for half a season… But Sasha isn’t Rick, and watching her incrementally break down with PTSD is just as scary as it was with Rick.

Life is pain… I think I’ll lay next to some corpses.

 

Glenn and Maggie are a couple, right?: In the books, Glenn and Maggie are inseparable. They are the Jay-Z and Beyoncé of the zombie apocalypse. In this show, they barely speak to one another. It’s a letdown, as there aren’t really any other couples left in The Walking Dead (aside from Aaron & Eric and Abraham & Rosita) aside from our power couple, so why is the show afraid to let love in?

Easter Eggs & Tidbits:

Morgan’s staff: Just as Michonne flicks the blood off her katana after a fresh kill, Morgan tries to do the same by cleaning off his bo staff. However, he finds it much more difficult to wash out the blood, which is perhaps a metaphor about how each stroke affects the characters. Because of Morgan’s past, wiping the sin clean is a more difficult thing to do for him. Also, Michonne’s sword has now slaughtered two close human characters, Herschel and now Reg.

Pete’s drunk murder: Long, sharp objects are not toys, and when Pete stumbles in drunk to get angry with Rick, he accidentally slashes Reg’s throat, almost an exact parallel of the comic book murder of Douglas’ wife Regina’s murder.

The Walking Dead #77 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

The Walking Dead #77 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

 

Alexander Davidson: The origin of Alexandria began with this man right here. Aaron mentions him by name and details the story of how he was exiled for his manipulative rule over the community. It’s a theory that The Wolves are led by Davidson, as they follow similar scouting tactics as Alexandrians do.

Father Gabriel shirt: During Father Gabriel’s stroll, which included a walker kill, a good cry in the fetal position, and a tussle with Sasha on the ground, his shirt stays white. There’s no way that was an accident – these writers are too clever. I played around with the idea of purgatory, that God is mocking him by keeping his clothing pure and white. I don’t know; I’ll leave that metaphor up to somebody with a better theological point of view.

I don’t need my sword here: Michonne played around with the concept in the book, and that’s just what it turned out to be: playing. As much as she wanted Rick to blend in and accept the new system, there had to be a part of her that knew the world outside the walls were still as dangerous as ever.

The Walking Dead #80 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

 

Face full of Band-Aids: If you’re thinking to yourself, “there’s no way Rick needs that many Band-Aids,” then you would be right. However, after the scuffle with Pete in the books, both Rick and Pete must have shared a toilet paper roll between them to put their faces back together.

The Walking Dead #77 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

 

Predictions:

Domino effect of bad crap: There was a lot of shitty things set into motion here. If the TV show continues to directly follow the comic book lore like they have been, it would appear that The Wolves are going to be the group of DC Scavengers found around issue #75-80. Their tactics are congruent with those of the Wolves, and they even use the same “you got it, I want it” mentality. Engaging with them also brings on a massive horde of walkers to Alexandria, killing several key players (including Douglas) and giving Carl a big ol hole in the head in the process.

However, in the TV show, they are much more frightening and sadistic. Also, the wall is much shorter in this rendition of Alexandria, and The Wolves seem much more intelligent and sneaky than in the books. Knowing that AMC wants to drag out The Walking Dead forever, we know that they will want to make The Wolves the main antagonists for the first half of Season 6, but there’s also a lot of The Saviors (Negan’s group) in this group of bad guys, so blending the two stories together seems logical since not much happens between the DC Scavengers and meeting Jesus.

The Walking Dead #75 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

 

The Walking Dead #78 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

 

Glenn is going to regret not killing Nicholas: Once a snake, always a snake. Glenn has turned the cheek too many times. He may have bought whatever coward’s loyalty he gained from not killing Nick this time, but he’s bound to switch sides on The Survivors the first chance he gets. In the comic books, his coupe for power is met with “Do you have any fucking idea who you’re talking to?” and a good punking, but things were pretty close to going the other way, too. Watch out for that guy…

Steven Yeun at Emerald City Comic Con 2015

Music from the Episode:

The song that made the walkers boogie oogie oogie into the food trucks was “Love and Mercy” by Gazelle Twin. You can find it on the upcoming Season 5 soundtrack, here, but below is the original Brian Wilson track.

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Hush Comics gives “Conquer” a A- for doing the phrase “season finale” justice without needing to go over-the-top with a key characters depth, and showing us that The Survivors are still the good guys. It just could have done without so much fluffing.

All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.

The Walking Dead Review – “Try” S5E15

Pros:

Michonne punches out Rick: Hey! He had it coming. It’s just too bad she didn’t get there sooner – or that no one else from the group decided to jump to the plate.

Sasha, Michonne and Rosita vs. every Walker in Virginia: Despite Sasha’s bad choice, the battle scene where the three women take on the walkers was sick. I’m going to go a little 90’s here and declare this was absolute Girl Power. The difference between the 90’s and 2015 is that two of the women are black and one is Latina. My favorite part of the whole thing was when Rosita kicked the walker’s leg to break it, and then stabbed it in its head. I just thought this was brilliant because it is unlikely a woman her size would be able to pull off mass zombie murder with zombies at full capacity. Also, I’m glad Sasha isn’t the only one with PTSD. Michonne exhibited flashbacks that A) proved that our group belongs in the wild and B) reminded us of the brutality Michonne is capable of.

Carl and Enid standing in a tree, H-O-L-D-I-N-G … hands: I am about to ‘ship Enid and Carl, I swear. Enid tells Carl that they belong in the wild, and obviously I couldn’t agree more. When a small hoard of walkers comes their way, Enid finds a hollowed out tree. Even though Chandler Riggs admitted he was uncomfortable with the scene, the two young actors were really able to pull off the chemistry. The characters are both young, both smart, both strategically inclined, and both mysterious to one another. I just hope (like REALLY hope) Enid doesn’t turn out to be evil. By the way, am I the only one who sees the connection between Carl and Enid a hell of a lot more than the one with Rick and Jessie?

Daryl, as usual, is so damn cool: Arrow through the walker eye and finding the freshly Black Dahlia-ed chopped up walkers. I just hope that his lack of scenes lately don’t mean the finale will give us lots of screen time and then…you know. 

Sam hides behind Carol: When the fight is going on, Jessie and Pete’s son, Sam, hides behind Carol. I thought this brief scene showed us a lot about the family dynamic; he didn’t hide behind his mom or older brother, but rather the day with the guns because he knows she can protect him.

Glenn is straight to the point: Unlike Nicholas, who I call “pussy boy” now, Glenn cares about people, and in a really messed way, he cares about Nicholas. But still hates his guts. Glenn’s speech about staying inside the walls was the nice version of Carol’s cookie speech, yet still chilling. Go Glenn! 

Cons:

Rick Grimes Decision Making: Wanna know the difference between Season 5 Rick and Season 1 Shane? At least Shane thought Rick was dead before he tried to bang the wife. What made Rick think going to Pete and Jessie’s home when Pete wasn’t there was a good idea? And why doesn’t Rick just leave when Pete gets home? Dumb. Also, bringing the fight to the street (albeit it is in the comic), was over the top and silly. And then for Rick to pull his gun on the people was a sure way to get kicked out.

Jessie’s need to feel special: When Jessie asks Rick if he would protect anyone else like this and he tells her “No” (gag), she is willing to go with him. Um, wouldn’t you want the police officer of the town to take care of everyone, not just you? Double gag.

Nine Inch Nails Montage: Did anyone else burst out laughing when Nine Inch Nails was playing while there was a montage of Carol baking a casserole? It’s just silly.

Easter Eggs:

The Fight: Rick and Pete really do fight over Jessie and end up flying out the window into the street for all to see.

Michonne punches Rick: Michonne did punch out Rick in the comics to get him to calm down after he pulled the gun on the people of Alexandria.

Predictions:

Daryl, Carol, or Glenn will bite the dust: One of these three will die in next week’s finale. There are too many hints to this happening. And it makes me sad.

Other Things and Stuffs:

-Is there a window repairman in Alexandria?
-If so, where does he get the glass? Or does he blow it himself like a colonial in Jamestown?
-Who does laundry? Do they have washers and dryers? Do they do their own laundry?
-Why is every decoration on the wall in each home really creepy?

Music from the Episode:

The song that played while Aiden’s family mourned him and Carol baked furiously was Nine Inch Nails’ “Somewhat Damaged.”

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Hush Comics gives “Try” a B for all the emphasis on the power on the female, but for downgrading this power by giving Jessie a damsel in distress persona and for Rick feeding into that.

The Walking Dead Review – “Spend” S5E14

Pros:

Noah, in it for the long haul: I still think Noah is the reason Tyreese died, but he redeemed himself as a human being a lot this episode. He was a pretty good shot, saving the group many times. He joked about wanting to practice shooting on Aiden, which is pretty relateable. He asked about learning to be an architect. In general, he did pretty good things. His death was unnecessary, unless you count the fact the actor, Tyler Jesse Williams, got another acting gig. His notebook with the line, “This is the beginning” just added to how Noah was just about to make a break through and is gone too soon.

Abraham the Builder: Abraham was a BAMF this time around. He has had a rocky past, but this episode, and his new job, put him back in his element. He saved Francine (new lover alert!) when Tobin was a total puss, he got the rest of the group to follow him, and now he is in charge of building the wall. Bonus points for proclaiming “Mother Dick” before his major carnage scene, which may I add, included a mace. Ah, yeah.

Eugene the Coward: Eugene may be a total idiot, but he was an endearing one in “Spend.” He admitted he was a coward, but got some balls and got an ailing Tara out of danger, shot walkers on the way out, and basically saved Glenn (and Nick by default). He also refuses to leave without his group, despite the threat of death from Nick. Fuckin’ Nick. Eugene, you are an ok guy.

Sam the Sage: Sam, the little boy who has quite the sweet tooth, is pretty smart. When he keeps trying to talk to Carol and she won’t have it, he says “We don’t have to be friends; it just doesn’t have to be quiet.” I like that. I like it a lot.

Glenn: Glenn was a great leader. He tried. He is my favorite in the show right now, so maybe I’m biased. Noah’s death will surely have an effect on him. Poor Glenn.

Cons:

Too Much Gore: I’m sorry, but this episode was too bloody. I have never complained before, but I just thought it was cheesy this time. Ok, I’m not really sorry.

The whole run scenario, really: The run to get the Micro Inverters in general pissed me off. Why not try to kill the walkers while they were behind the gate? In the comics, stabbing walkers through a chain link fence is employed more often than not. If they had done that from the beginning, they may not have lost so many people in the warehouse. Aiden was a dumbass who got instant karma for continuing to shoot the Army walker. And Nicholas is a little selfish bitch baby. Boo.

Rick Grimes, defender of owl statues: So Rick’s patrol includes him finding Jessie cleaning up the remnants of the broken owl statue. His first question is if she has any enemies. He may have been flirting, but it sure didn’t sound like it. It is so obvs he likes her, which seems like a bad move being the new guy in town and all. When her husband, Pete, comes to pay Rick a visit and pretty much says “I know about you and my wife” without actually saying it, Rick toys with taking his wedding ring off. Later he does, and it feels a little soon to fall that quickly for this woman. All she did was cut his hair and hold his baby. I guess it is slim pickins in the apocalypse.

Kill ‘Em All!: Ok, maybe not all, but Carol’s first suggestion about Pete beating up Jessie is to kill him. Um? That is the first option? Not divorce? Couple’s counseling? A makeshift jail for domestic violence. Nope. Kill him.

Carol in general: Carol was a total b-word this episode. And for kind of no reason other than she is still salty for getting caught. Sam is just a little boy who wants cookies. Her attitude toward him was uncalled for.

Father Gabriel: Eat your strawberries, Judas. I cannot get over this guy. Does he not realize he would be dead without our group? Ugh. Maybe I’m bitter because he doesn’t turn on everyone in the comics.

Easter Eggs:

Abraham at the Wall: Abraham really does save a lady at the wall building that Tobin leaves behind. Her name was Holly. Then they banged and Rosita was sad. Bound to happen here, too.

Predictions:

Deanna doesn’t believe Gabriel: I’m sorry, but if someone knocked on my door and started telling me that Satan disguises himself as the Angel of Light out of the blue, I would tell them to take a hike. Deanna is nicer than I am, but she didn’t seem to really believe what he was saying. Let’s hope that is case. What she will do about it, I don’t know.

Carol: I think Carol might die. She is getting a little out of hand. She is the bad guy. I’m surprised Daryl hasn’t said anything yet. When he gets back, he might have to take matters into his own hands. I’m not saying he’ll kill her, but maybe a stern look.

Pete: Yeah, Pete will die though.

Other Things and Stuffs:

-Did we need a 3 second shot of Daryl and Aaron leaving to recruit? Can’t decide.

-In the song playing in the van, the woman says “You’re going to die” as the shot cuts to Noah shrugging. Yeah, I shoulda seen that coming.

-If you can’t shoot a walker in the head, shoot them Eugene style! First in the crotch, then in the head.

-What was that weird yelling when Father Gabriel leaves Deanna’s house? That was strange.

-I can’t tell if Deanna is mad that our group is better than hers, or if she regrets letting them in.

Music from the Episode:

The terrible dub-step song that Aiden played in the van on the way to the run is called “Internet Friends” by Knife Party.

https://youtu.be/luJJBeCFeM0

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Hush Comics gives “Spend” a C+ for too much gore, making “us” the bad guys a little too much, but for still making me care about people the second before they die.

All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.

The Walking Dead Review – “Forget” S5E13

Pros:

Carol, Harbinger of Nightmares: Honestly, she could have just said to me that I would be outside the wall and tied to a tree. I would have said, “Hey, Lady, you’re secret is safe with me. Now can I have the whole batch of cookies?!” I would have also peed and wept. But she kept going… and going. She is the Energizer Bunny of causing nightmares for curious little boys who might be a little too attached to their mommies. And I like it.

I brought cookies!

Daryl-centric episode: While Rick and Carol had their fair share of screen time, I really thought this episode was all about Daryl. The scenes with Daryl and Aaron outside the walls were particularly profound. I loved the line, “The longer they’re out there, the more they become what they really are.” He was referring to Buttons, the horse (RIP), but I really liked how much that line reflects on Daryl and our group. Daryl tried to get the horse to come to him and said, “You used to be somebody’s now you’re just yours.”

While the comparisons to Daryl and the wild horse were uncanny, what is even more uncanny is the amount of women in America who are now fantasizing Daryl the Cowboy… or Horse Whisperer? I’m not sure. Anyhow, Daryl being the other recruiter seems like a good fit for him. He can be out there without having to be out there. The problem with the horse is that he always ran – when he stopped running, that’s when he bit the dust. Daryl can’t do that so running via recruiting is a great option. Also, his table manners are great.

Aaron and Daryl: They work really well together. As long as all goes well, it will be cool to see the “outsiders” of Alexandria working outside the walls to kill the walkers and save the people. Aaron also seems to be one of the few people to get through to Daryl and his sensitive side. The moment when Aaron told Daryl that he can tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys was a pivotal one for our biker redneck hero.

The Scarlet Letter: While Jessie’s husband has a red “A” stamped on his hand, it seems more significant that Rick gets the stamp on his had from her son. At the end of the episode they flash their “A”s at each other with big smiles, and then Rick goes to the wall and stares at his hand while listening to a walker. Jessie and Rick deserve the scarlet A for Adulterer, but neither of them is your regular Hester Prynne. I just like the imagery here.

Sasha: Sasha had some pretty important scenes this episode, too. She’s going through some serious PTSD. Which honestly, it seems a little weird that more of our group isn’t going through this. Anyhow, Sasha takes some random family’s pictures out and practices shooting, freaks out at the party about her favorite meal, and volunteers to stay in the clock tower as a lookout. After everything this girl has been through, I don’t blame her. I also love that they are making her the “Andrea” of the group, since this is the route Andrea takes (Because she isn’t dead in the comics. See the Easter Eggs for more!).

Dub-ya: The walker Carol killed with the “W” on it’s forehead was a nice way of continuing that mystery without making it overkill. I like that I am guessing on this one.

Cons:

No Father Gabriel or Eugene or Tara: It’s not like the are really integral characters, or that I’m too hurt by it, but can you imagine Eugene at that dinner party? Because it would be pretty funny.

Michonne and Abraham: Ok, the whole conversation was pretty good on the surface. Michonne and her sword are an amazing partnership, and Abraham talks about that extensively. But the whole thing seemed a bit.. sexual? I don’t know, but there was chemistry there, and I don’t approve.

Ricktatorship: Rick Grimes is the bad guy, people. I don’t care how sexy Andrew Lincoln’s scruff is, or how sexy his come hither look to Jessie was, Rick is bad! He has a stolen gun on him, which he is semi-flashing around town by always holding onto it. And he grabbed for it when he saw Pete and Jessie walking away. You can’t just kill a guy to get some punanny, Rick. That is wrong so wrong! Also, him saying the Alexandria community is lucky now that they have him…ew.

Deanna: I don’t know why, I just don’t like her. Maybe it’s because her tiny face always looks too squinty. But also because she isn’t that smart. How is it that she doesn’t understand why Sasha isn’t dealing well in this situation? It totally makes sense, so for her to question it is silly. She seems to be a big picture person, which is always needed. But for her to think in terms of industry and commerce is a little too far in the future. Additionally, her “return” for Sasha being the lookout is to come to her party because then “she’ll see.” She’ll see what? And what kind of return favor is that? I just don’t trust this.

Easter Eggs:

The Sword: When Michonne finally starts feeling comfortable, she does hang her sword above the fireplace in her home in Alexandria. She also talks to her katana.

THIS IS WHAT YOU WORRY ABOUT?: This scene was very similar to one is Issue 72 where instead of Sasha (because she doesn’t exist in the comics) Michonne freaks out on a group of ladies in Alexandria.

Sasha the Sharpshooter: Andrea and Sasha have a lot in common. They both lost their siblings and lovers in the apocalypse. In fact Bob was taken out the same way Dale was in the comics. And since Dale was Andrea’s much older boyfriend in the comic, this makes sense. Additionally, Andrea and Sasha are pretty damn good shots. Sense we don’t have Andrea in the show anymore, I really am digging this Sasha as her replacement thing.

Spencer: Spencer, Deanna’s son, is a “lookout” in the tower. He technically isn’t assigned there, but now that Sasha is, he will be. In the comics, he is the charismatic son of the politician Douglas Monroe. He also likes Andrea and gets a little pushy with her, but Andrea lets him down gently, a lot. It looks like the same relationship is already forming with Sasha, aka the New Andrea.

Pete and Jessie’s Relationship: Pete is pretty curt with Jessie about going to get the drinks at the party. There is some tension going on there, and this will continue, as it does in the comics. And now I shall stop for fear of spoilers.

Tobin: Tobin is the man who offers to teach Carol how to shoot a gun. In the comics, Tobin is an Alexandria community member. He is part of the construction crew and cares more about himself than others, as he is the cause of death of several people when he is too worried about his own hide.

Noah: While Noah isn’t in the comics, Glenn and Maggie seem to take him on as a son/ parent relationship. Since Carol is dead in the books and Sophia is alive, Maggie and Glenn take Sophia as their daughter. Maybe Noah is her replacement?

Predictions:

Rick vs. Pete: This is still going to happen. Fight! Fight! Fight!

The Wolves: I don’t know who the wolves are, but there are too many references for this not to be figured out THIS SEASON. I capitalize this because I can’t be left wondering who The Wolves are from March to October. I think the walkers with the “W”s carved in their heads are being hunted by Enid’s group, who was mysteriously not in this ep.

Other Stuff and Things:

-I want to cut everything with a katana now. If Michonne can cut her tassles of her corset jacket, so can I.
-Also, Michonne telling Deanna that people will listen to her because she is in a windbreaker is pretty damn funny.
-Maggie looks totally different, and now she works in “government” with Deanna. I hope this doesn’t make her weak.
-Deanna’s husband Reg is a total dweeb.
-Mrs. Neudermeyer really knows her priorities.
-Rick looks weird in a white shirt. Sexy weird. And yes, I know the white is representative of a clean image.
-Carl laughing is weird, too.

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Hush Comics gives “Forget” a B+ for making Daryl even better than he already was, for Carol making me pee in fear, but for Rick being a little too macho.

All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.

The Walking Dead Review – “Remember” S5E12

Pros:

The Glenn/Aiden fight: It was the best scene of this episode! After a run gone badly with Deanna’s son, Aiden, Glenn and Aiden get into a tiff about how runs should work. Aiden shows off for the rest of Alexandria, but Glenn is able to duck and punch Aiden square in the jaw. Our group comes to Glenn’s aid, proving no chance for Aiden, and Deanna is thankful that Glenn knocked Aiden on his ass. Go Glenn!

All the existentialism: Particularly in the recording that Rick makes for Deanna Munroe, we get a powerful speech about what survival is now. This season has been full of reminders of the past, before Terminus, before the prison, and before the outbreak. People are what we have to watch out for, and Rick makes it clear that people will use each other for their own benefit. This was always the way things were, it’s just more apparent now that the world has gone to shit.

Carol: If I wasn’t all about Carol before, I certainly am now. From acting like she was too weak to take off her gun, to saying she misses Ed and that she is a real people person, to dressing like Betty Homemaker to keep up appearances. When Carol and Carl search their second home, she admits she thinks it is strange these people would just give them mansions. She is so BAMF even when wearing khakis and a blue cardigan. She knows they need to have a back-up plan in case things go badly. Carol is the back-up plan.

Daryl: Sure he acted ornery this week, but that is Daryl. He had some great lines though. “We brought dinner” after he killed the possum was classic, and “You look ridiculous” to Carol in her cute little outfit was hilarious. Also, you know Daryl wasn’t about to shower. And he openly smokes now.

Sound Production: Comic fans know that Alexandria turns out to be sort of okay. While I am still not convinced of that in the TV series, the sound production was perfect for raising tensions and questions about what is really going on in this place.

Remember: Again, we are getting a big dose of the past in this episode. Who Rick was before the outbreak is very important to Deanna. We know being a police officer is integral to how Rick thinks. The things Rick thought he would never get back, like showers and haircuts are normal in Alexandria. But there are things in Alexandria they have that no one in our group ever had, like granite countertops for instance. But living in a place too comfortable will make them weak and forgetful of what they have learned on the road. Rick, Carol, Daryl, and Carl make it known they will not become weakened by being comfortable.

The Significance of Time: Deanna tells Rick what the time is. More than likely it is because sundown would be quickly approaching and he needed to make a decision. But Rick changes his watch, letting Deanna and himself know that he is ready to be a part of civilization again.

The other interviews: I really liked the back-and-forth of our group getting interviewed on tape. Michonne and Glenn said similar things; that they may have been out there too long and that they need this. Michonne held Crime and Punishment as she spoke (Crime and Punishment is noted for the dangers of Utilitarianism and Rationalism). Carl talks about Lori wanting a place like this and how he killed her. And Daryl is… Daryl. He clearly doesn’t want to be here, but sees why Carl and Judith might need it.

Father/Son bonding: Despite Carl not staying in the house (GET BACK IN THE HOUSE CARL!), Carl finds his father and they kill the hell out of some walkers. And they enjoyed it because it is what the know how to do together. The look of satisfaction on their faces was priceless.

The run: With the theme of “Remember”, we got a little bit of that with the run. Aiden and his friend have tied up a walker who killed their group members in the past. When they get to him, they start taunting him, nearly killing Tara in the process. This is reminiscent (and not in a good way) of what The Governor and the people of Woodbury did to walkers.

Cons:

Where was Father Gabriel?: I didn’t see him once all episode. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s unsettling not to see one of our group members!

Easter Eggs:

Deanna Monroe: Deanna Monroe is the head of Alexandria. In the comics, it is a character named Douglas Monroe. Both characters were congress people in the 15^th District in Ohio. Douglas also had a son, Spencer, but he wasn’t a total dickhead like Deanna’s is.

Aiden: Aiden isn’t in the comic books. So this isn’t really an Easter Egg, just a point of fact.

Jessie, Peter and Ron: The woman who cuts Rick’s hair is Jessie Anderson. She does exist in the comics, along with her husband Pete and their son Ron. In the show, Jessie mentioned having two sons. Pete was a surgeon, which is mentioned to Noah at the end of last week’s episode. Pete sitting on his porch in the dark was pretty ominous and telling of what could be happening in future weeks.

Mikey: Mikey is another young kid from Alexandria in the books. He and Carl have a few interactions, but nothing significant.

Wolf Fight!: In the mid-season opener, we see a sign that says “Wolves not far.” This week, we see Carl pick up a comic book. On the back it says “WOLF FIGHT!” This could be a tie-in. Especially since the book turns out to be Enid’s, the girl who isn’t actually from Alexandria.

Rick and Michonne, the Constables of Alexandria: Yup, they really were given this task very soon after they arrived in Alexandria in the comics.

Predictions:

Daryl is gonna be a liability: Daryl tried to play it cool, but let’s be honest, he has NEVER lived like this. Daryl was probably gutting all sorts of animals anywhere he wanted back home. He is a country bumpkin, and living high on the hog isn’t going to change that. His lifestyle may not fit in with the rest of Alexandria.

Peter vs. Rick: It’s pretty obvious that Peter doesn’t like Rick. They will have problems, especially now that Rick is the constable with the power.

Other Things and Stuffs:

Michonne and her sword: After Michonne’s shower, she comes downstairs holding her toothbrush and her sword. It’s pretty funny that she took her sword with her to shower. Also, isn’t a sword a weapon? They are asked many times to hand over their weapons, but the katana doesn’t count? Hmmm.

Deanna is a real politician: Whenever Rick asks her questions she never actually answers them. Right after he talks about people playing an angle, she plays the angle of his children now being in safety. We will see if she is honest or not, but politicians rarely are. Also, her whisper about being a poker player made me laugh really hard.

The Blender Gun: Who has the Blender Gun!? It’s gone god dammit! Was it you Enid? I’m watching you.

Owls: Jessie and her kids were building an owl sculpture. She also has one tattooed on her arm.

PTSD: Rick has a little bit of PTSD about losing his kids. He really lets this show when he can’t find Carl and Judith. Turns out, they were just with the old couple who like babies.

Sweet-Ass Biscuits: Aiden calls the six shooters he gives our group “sweet-ass biscuits.” Um? You do realize our people came in with machine guns, right?

Rick the bad guy: Rick may be remembering life before, but tells Carol and Daryl that if shit hits the fan, they will take Alexandria. It seemed pretty villainous.

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Hush Comics gives “Remember” an A- because Alexandria “seems” nice (as Rick said), and the writers gave us enough to realize that things here aren’t perfect. There wasn’t too much packed in the hour, but I felt that TV fans and comic fans got what they all wanted.

All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.

The Walking Dead Review – “The Distance” S5E11

Pros:

Michonne gets a voice: It has been rare in the television series that Michonne has had a major part. Sure, she has her cool sword, but what does she think? Well after this week we know. She thinks that maybe Rick needs to back down, and she is right. Quickly becoming the voice of reason, Michonne let Rick, and the rest of us, know that the fight can and will turn on us.

Surviving vs. living: This season has played more with that existential concept. What is this all worth if we are just surviving? What does being alive mean? What is living? Can you really live if all you do is survive? This episode was no exception to these questions, and with the prospect of really living right in front of them, the group was split on if that was something they could really handle.

Symbolism…again: Last week gave us some amazing symbolism. This week the one thing I noticed was just as good, but it was quick. No matter how reckless it was to have Judith hanging out in the back seat with nothing to buckle her in, she made a significant move… rolling over. I am certain the writers didn’t put that in for any wow factor. But rolling over is a significant step in a child’s development, signaling more growth to come. It’s a good thing! Perhaps Alexandria is as well.

Abraham and Rosita: The two haven’t been featured all that much, but they were able to talk about there past in a positive way this episode, which is a huge step for Abraham. And they finally got to Washington. Awwww.

Maggie standing up for what is right: Maggie has always been a vocal farmer’s daughter. This week, she reminded us of that. When Rick questioned Aaron, Maggie questioned Rick. When Glenn said they shoot on sight, Maggie questioned that decision. Even though Maggie had a tough time dealing last week, she still has her head on straight.

Aaron is funny: The best line of the week definitely went to Aaron, when talking about joining his group he says, “Audition makes it sound like we’re some kind of a dance troupe. That’s only on Friday nights.”

Aaron and Eric: It is rare to see affection in this show, even if there are a lot of different relationships. It was nice to see two people who still love each other, even in the world they are in. Aaron’s reaction to the flare gun and Eric’s broken ankle was proof enough these two have a deep connection. Eric getting Aaron a license plate for his collection was just the cherry on top.

Reminiscent of the first and second season: The RV reminded me of Dale. A lot. Even though things were bad then, the world was a little simpler. Our group wasn’t as jaded. The RV shows some hope for the future. Glenn being able to fix the RV was a lot like the first seasons, too. It will be nice to have the old Glenn back.

Rick admits things and stuff: Rick admits to Michonne that nothing will convince him Alexandria or Aaron are for real. After 40 minutes of his distrust, this is nice to hear. It also makes sense that he wants to absolutely ensure his kids will be safe there.

Cons:

Rick: Ok, I get it. It’s ok to be overly cautious. If Woodbury and Terminus has taught us anything, we should be cautious. But Rick was cautious to the point he was villainous. His reactions to Aaron were only half-way warranted. Punching him in the face was not. And purposefully taking Route 23 North over Route 16 just because he still didn’t trust the guy put his whole group in danger. The additional lines of the canned food being Rick’s canned food proved he is the bad guy in this situation. The whole thing was very drawn out. It may also be because comic fans (like myself) know the truth about Alexandria, so this whole thing seemed like an hour of filler. The interesting thing will be if Rick can live with himself and the things he has done once he is in “safety.”

Aaron not eating the applesauce: This scene felt like a lot of filler. I already like Aaron for his dance troupe line. I don’t need to hear about his mother’s cooking. And him not eating the sauce just made me roll my eyes.

Glenn trying to be ruthless: When Glenn said they should shoot on site, I just about ralphed. Glenn has never been cold-hearted, why make him that way now?

The whole car scene: It started out great with Michonne wavering on her trust and asking the three questions. But when Glenn careened off the road and it was just a bloody mess of walkers being hit over and over again, it felt like overkill. Pun intended. It was blood for the sake of it. And Glenn wiping off the bloody windshield with his bare hand? More blood for the sake of it. And Michonne clearing the hood of walker arms? More blood for the sake of it. Lots of filler here, people.

Easter Eggs:

Survivors: The group at Alexandria refer to themselves as the “Survivors.” Aaron let’s Rick’s group know they are survivors. It seems obvious they will be integrated into the larger community at Alexandria.

Pete the surgeon: When Noah and Aaron talk about Noah’s leg, Aaron mentions a surgeon named “Pete” in Alexandria. Pete is one of the head doctors at the Alexandria Safe-Zone.

Aaron and Eric: Aaron and Eric are the scouts for the Alexandria Safe-Zone in the comic, too. They look for people to join them, and they gather supplies.

Predictions:

Rick vs. Rick: The Alexandria Safe-Zone is a place where survival isn’t on your mind 24/7. Will Rick be able to handle getting to know himself well? I don’t think so. The rest of the season seems like it will be a time reflection more than anything else. And Rick has a lot of reflection to do.

Kill of the Week:

Flame on!: The walker who got shot in the eye with the flare gun, hands down, gets the Kill of the Week!

Hush Comics gives “The Distance” a C for pushing us in the direction the comics are in, asking the big picture questions, but for making the main character one I don’t want to root for.

All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.
The comic image belongs to Image Comics.