Another Robert Kirkman comic is on its way to the small screen. Based on the comic by Kirkman and Paul Azaceta, Outlast tells the tale of a man with an extraordinary amount of bad luck; Kyle Barnes’ entire family has a nasty habit of being possessed.
The Cinemax show will feature Patrick Fugit as Kyle and Philip Glenister as Reverend Anderson. It looks more straight up horror than The Walking Dead’s apocalypse tone.
It is due to release some time in 2016.
Big news! Spider-Man is FOR SURE going to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Straight from the big wigs themselves. Source: Marvel
This news has already caused a ripple in the release dates for four major films in the next couple years. Source: Marvel
If you know Hush, you know we love all things Breaking Bad. That’s why we jumped for joy when we found out that Better Call Saul had the highest ratings EVER for a series debut on cable television. You can read our reviews here. Source: EW
You knew the Joker was coming to Gotham, but now there’s a trailer to confirm it. Source: Comicbook.com
A trailer for the upcoming animated series, Batman Unlimited, has hit the web. Source: Cosmic Book News
Don’t cry, Walking Dead fans, Beth (highlight text for SPOILER) may be gone from the show but you can see Emily Kinney again on The Flash, where she will play the Bug-Eyed Bandit. I hope we see more of Kinney in the Nerd Verse. Source: Instagram
IDW Publishing and Hasbro have rekindled the fire and extended their contract, allowing IDW to create books based on the Transformers, My Little Pony, G.I. Joe, Dungeons and Dragons franchises, and more! Source: IDW
Looking for a much darker incarnation of Daredevil to appear on the Netflix series? You’re in luck! The series’ homepage shows that it will be rated TV-MA. Source: Netflix
Remember when Patrick Stewart said he wouldn’t be in X-Men: Apocalypse? Well, there was a catch. Seems that his best bro Ian McKellen will be in the movie. Yaaaay! Source: Oregon Live
Every once in a blue moon, The Walking Dead takes a break from the divergent path it has made from the comic books in order to really bring it back to the source material. While the first three episodes of this season have varied in characters, their likeness to the comic books is completely uncanny. Whether or not it has done Robert Kirkman’s story justice is up for debate. If you’re having a hard time hitting the nail on the head, why not just get a bigger hammer, right? Viewers who have not read the comic books are in for a special treat, but avid readers may not get as much out of this episode as they would have liked.
In some ways, “Four Walls and A Roof” translates the events of the issues it takes its materials from (Volume 11: Fear the Hunters) flawlessly. The writers are able to seamlessly blend the events of the comic books with what has already happened at Terminus – a concept that doesn’t exist in the books – and make it all flow together. Word for word, the entire “Tainted Meat” scene is taken from The Walking Dead #66, and was a horrifying, yet appropriate way to open up the episode. We knew Bob had to go after we saw him legless at the end of “Strangers,” but that doesn’t mean he can’t go out in style, because he said the line we were all waiting for, and went out like a true G.
The Terminians, as the show has branded them, have always been a smart group of people. I mean, how else would they have been able to take back their camp, survive for so long, AND get the upper-hand on Rick’s group? Their downfall, however, would be their ridiculous arrogance. Leaving themselves a trail like Hansel and Gretel to get back to Terminus (is there even anything left there?) is inviting anybody – say, Morgan for example – to follow them. Also, while painting a big bloody “A” on the church when they returned Bob was spooky, a notion to the group that the Terminians still had them trapped, but it gave themselves away too early on.
However, Rick and Co. prove that their arrogance would be their undoing, as a small group trick the Terminians into entering the church under the pretense that all the strong members were leaving the weaker ones at the church to ambush the Terminians, but were rearing back around to surprise them. It was all going well until somebody, once again, decided to bring the baby to the apocalypse party. I swear, Judith better have the cure to the zombie virus because she is a complete crutch at this point. The scene where Rick finally finishes off Gareth and the rest of the Terminians is pretty quick. There’s not nearly as much build-up as I felt there were in the books, and even the poetic justice of Rick hacking away at Gareth with the red machete is a bit cliché. I would like to think that if I am about to commit gruesome revenge murder on somebody who just ate my friend’s leg, that I would have come up with a better punchline than “I already made you a promise.”
While the scene that unfolded in the comic books was not as visually vile as the one on the TV show, I felt an inane sense of horror reading it. The reaction that Rick, Sasha and Michonne get from the others is half-surprise, half-disgust. From the get-go, Maggie, Glenn and Tara have always known Rick’s group to be the “good guys,” which definitely challenges the idea of Rick gutting Gareth like a pig. Could that have been an influence for them to immediately join Abraham’s group in traveling to “Washington DC?” It seems as though Glenn has become the voice of reason in the group, and while Rick is not talking into disconnected telephones anymore, he sure doesn’t seem level-headed. Glenn even has to use his balls of steel to tell Rick to stand down.
With another episode of The Walking Dead in the books, we lose another group member in Bob. Bob’s character has gone through quite the transformation, going from the drunkard that Daryl almost through off a roof to a solid member of the team, and the only one able to crack the ice cold persona that Sasha had. The actor behind the Bob, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., has always been a Hush favorite. His place on the show has always been an auxiliary one, not one of great importance. Hey, at least he lasted longer here than he did on The Wire.
Speaking of that timeless show, the guy who really stole the show here was Seth Gilliam (Ellis Carver in The Wire), who plays the timid Father Gabriel. Under the confession-influencing blade of Sasha, Gabriel spills the beans about his cowardice when his congregation came to him at the start of the outbreak. Gabriel’s teary confession was both chilling and sad, making us really feel for him as a character. Gilliam plays the character to a T, really exploring the depths of his acting ability and making him instantly recognizable as the same character in the books. Although not necessary “useful” in the traditional sense of murdering scores of the undead, his spiritually-driven words will ground Rick Grimes, who seems to be teetering off the edge of normalcy.
Aside from the fact that the episode is primarily taken directly from the source material, there are a few Easter Eggs that the show refers to that might be of interest:
Hush Comics gives “Four Walls and A Roof” a B for its solid adaptation of one of the most brutal chapters in this now over a decade-long series. The episode has effectively transformed Rick’s group into cold-hearted killers, where the role of the “good guy” is extremely subjective. The acting in the episode was phenomenal, from Andrew J West as Gareth to Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel. However, I feel like comic book fans got the raw deal here. Where the show largely succeeds is its variation from the source material, and what he got here was a complete reenactment of what we already knew would happen. We would have liked to see a bit more originality and suspense. We do know that next week’s episode “Slabtown” will at least give us that much, as we get to see just what the hell Beth has been up to. #praythestrainaway?
We might be fresh off the flight back from Emerald City Comic Con, but we are determined to watch The Walking Dead Season 4 finale and review it for all you lovely readers. The finale, “A,” is a thrilling and insightful ride from start to finish. We get a better look at Terminus and some closure between Rick and the band of merry assholes, but there’s way more questions asked than answered here. If you’re somebody who hates being left hanging on the edge of a cliff for a half-year, you’re going to be furious at the end of this episode – but the only thing you can get mad at is that “A” just isn’t long enough.
We start off with a Scott Wilson AKA Herschel Greene reappearance! The flashback that we get throughout the episode is a nod to Herschel’s attempt to domesticate Rick. And this wasn’t just for Rick’s sake, but for Carl’s, as well. At the time, Carl had just cold-heartedly terminated a scared young man without prejudice, and Herschel was needed to steer Rick towards setting a better example: “You have to show [Carl] the way. Which way are you going to show him?” While Herschel helped Rick regain his sanity after Lori’s death, I can’t help but feel that he hindered Rick by giving him the allusion that he doesn’t have to put his feet to the fire to make things work in this world.
It seems as though the can on a string security system is catching fire in the zombie apocalypse. Where are they getting all these cans and string? Who knows? Rick is trying to teach Carl how to trap a rabbit, which is painfully foreshadowing of what happens at Terminus. I’d also like to point out how awkwardly Rick stuffs the rabbit corpse in his messenger bag. Yeah, I get that it’s probably some plushy prop, but haven’t these people learned anything from “Infected?” You can’t just carry around rabbit carcasses in the same bag you keep your comic books! I digress.
The theme of this episode is identity; from the get-go, Carl asks “Who Are We?” It’s too bad that we didn’t see the same level of acting from Chandler Riggs in “After,” but he raises a question worth asking, as all characters are far cries from who they were before everything went down. We find out soon just who Rick and his lieutenants are. One of the biggest turning points of the entire series happens when Joe and his merry band of misfits catch up to Rick. From the way that Rick and Michonne were sitting around the fire and Carl was sleeping in the car, I was instantly reminded of a scene in issue #57 of the comics, where Carl is attacked and Rick pretty much loses his god-damned mind to save him. I swear, if the book wasn’t in black and white, Rick’s skin would have turned bright green.
The scene, and the few others following it, are borrowed directly from the issue. It’s the type of pay-off that fans of the comic book love to see in the show. Don’t let that discredit the commendable acting by all parties involved. The dynamic that Carl and Michonne have here is spectacular. We finally get to see that they’re all survivors, and to survive means becoming a monster. Michonne is able to open up to Carl in a way that she just can’t to anybody else. We get some insight as to how her armless, jawless pets came to be. It added some deserved depth to her character and it’s actually a better story than in the comic books. Then there’s Rick and Daryl – Rick’s declaration that he considers Daryl a brother is one of Stewart-McKellen proportions. Both have had previous considerations of brotherhood in the show – Rick with Shane and Daryl with Merle – but both were highly toxic relationships whose investments weren’t returned.
During the Daryl and Rick conversation, when Rick asks about Beth, Daryl tells Rick that “she’s just gone.” It’s really odd to me that Daryl doesn’t elaborate, and that Rick doesn’t ask him to. What really matters is that the Alpha group is back together. Daryl, Rick and Michonne (and Carl, I guess) just win at everything when they’re together. They really know better than to just stroll through the front door, for at least the first few minutes. They awkwardly stroll through the back, and right into the people of Terminus, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of being stealthy in the first place.Thanks a lot, Albert. Their initial travel guide is Alex, which might be an homage to the comic book version of Terminus, called Alexandria.
Terminus is, however, NOT Alexandria. It’s a TRAP! Just like Rick’s rabbit trap, Terminus was designed to herd: The Ringleader, The Archer and The Samurai into a big shipping crate. There is one set of freaks that we haven’t met in the comic books thus far, and that is the cannibals. The cannibals make their comic book appearance during Volume 11 of the trades (right around issue #62) and they are a scary group of people. However, just as in the comic books, Rick lets everybody know that these people are out of their league when they mess with Rick Grimes. In the book, this is one of the more gruesome scenes, so I’m excited to see how the show chooses to portray it – especially as Season 5 opens.
It might not be the finale that fans wanted, but it’s the one we deserve. Or something like that. Hush Comics gives “A” an… A (heh). The dynamic dialog and excellent cinematography throughout was a precise ode to the comic books and an inclusive wrap up for what has been quite the journey of a season. There’s way too much left unraveled for this to satisfy me for the season finale, but I’m sure, one day, we’ll look back at this one Netflix and laugh as we play the next episode. I hope you guys can put up with the seven month wait. The Walking Dead returns October 2014.
Thanks for catching our reviews! We’re looking to fill the gaps with another show (possibly Game of Thrones, but we’re not nearly as well-versed there)
All media credited to Image Comics and AMC Television
The mythical A+: Classic comic book material. Belongs next to your copy of The Notebook and The Joy of Cooking.
A: Would definitely recommend to all comic book readers. Even more so to fans of the genre or characters
B: Enjoyable read. Fans of the genre or characters will especially like.
C: Non-essential read. Can be enjoyable for fans of the genre or characters, but likely for only one or two events in the books.
D: Unenjoyable book. Read at your own risk. Might find satisfaction if major flaws are overlooked.
F: Please don’t buy this book. Donate your money to a local comic book writer’s workshop instead to inspire future generations to write something better than this trash.
Superior Spiderman #30 – A
We knew the end of Superior Spider-Man was approaching when an all-new Amazing Spider-Man was announced late January. However, the details of how it would come about were still up in the air. This issue unveils that mystery, and in spectacular fashion. Otto does the only thing he feels he can to end the terror of the Goblin. There are a lot of heart-felt, you-had-no-idea-this-was-coming moments, which makes it a tad unbelievable, but genuinely moving at the same time. The series wraps up in next issue, so don’t miss the thrilling conclusion to Superior Spider-Man where we find out who really is Superior. – S
Blackout #1 – B+
A suit that lets you travel through shadows and dimensions?! Now that’s a sweet concept. And that’s exactly what readers get with Blackout #1. What I really like about the start of this new Dark Horse series is that it’s not a cliché superhero comic. It’s just an average scientist using a supercool suit to do supercool stuff. Kinda like Ironman, but a lot more complex in premise. Blackout is already shaping out to be one of Dark Horse’s more interesting series. – T
Tomb Raider #2 – B-
The story of the video game continues with the island coming home to haunt Lara. There is really no major indication of what the heck is going on but I assume that it will continue with the progression of Lara from beginner to seasoned adventurer. The part that I find most disappointing is that after years of her being a badass and for that matter a badass by the end of the game, she has regressed to an unknowledgeable non-badass that clearly contradicts what we have come to know. I am assuming and hoping that Gail Simone’s plan is to show her evolve into the badass we expect her to be. – R
Injustice: Year Two #3 – B
Just because a series isn’t canon doesn’t mean it can’t have impact. Superman’s totalitarian regime is just starting to dig its heels in to the rest of the world and there’s really nobody standing in its way – unless you count the entirety of the Green Lantern Corps. As the rest of the world falls in or out of favor with the Man of Steel, everything is getting real. Fast. I was pretty disappointed in the Batgirl/Oracle and Jim Gordon reveal, especially when Barbara was moments away from revealing herself in Batgirl. – S
Rocky and Bullwinkle # 1 – A-
The first of a four-issue Rocky & Bullwinkle special was great. If you have ever seen the classic show this issue will really bring back some good memories. The whole time I was reading it, it felt just like watching the series with updated jokes to include modern culture; on top of the two part Rocky & Bullwinkle story in this issue, we get a short story for Dudley-Do Right where he has to thwart his nemesis Snidley Whiplash for the 349th time, supposedly. The style of Rocky & Bullwinkle lends itself to comics very nicely and makes me hope they extend this series beyond the four issues planned. It would be great to see shorts of Aesop’s Fables and Fractured Fairy Tales, as well, but I believe Dudley Do-Right is the main focus besides the title characters. Definitely a good read for anyone needing a laugh, anyone who enjoys classic animation, any comic aficionado, or any kids alive today. – JR
X-Files: Conspiracy #2 – B-
It is the final issue of the X-Files: Conspiracy series and it all goes out in a bang, well almost. Only one of the properties that had been included in this series makes an appearance in this issue, which was a bit of a let down. We only see the man possessed by the Crow show up but it would have made me squeal with glee if we could have seen Egon, Michelangelo, Optimus Prime, and The Lone Gunmen together. Despite the absence of the other properties, this issue seemed rather simple. The conflict ends half way through the issue and gives us a look at an alternate reality. In doing this, it was rather upsetting because we had to see some people go through things I never wanted to see again… But hey, it was in a different reality so no worries, I guess. Ultimately, I feel this series was hyped up and looked way better than it was, but it is worth a read – and seeing The Lone Gunmen save the world once again is always a plus. – JR
Image Comics:
Deadly Class #3 – B
Deadly Class #3 was a good issue and I like that we gained more background story on a few of our characters; however, it doesn’t hold up to the standard set by the first two issues. There were minor story developments that got me excited to read the next few issues. I still believe that Deadly Class has been a great new comic and I hope it continues down the path set by the first 3 issues. – E
The Walking Dead #124 – B-
Has anyone else noticed that there a now two guys named Carson in TWD? The Hilltop is under siege by Negan and The Saviors. Rick is rushed to Doctor Carson after being shot by Dwight’s arrow. Eugene and his group are desperate to get back to help in the fight and he even kills his first man. The battle continues, Rick and their combined forces fight desperately to free the kingdom as Jesus and Michonne make a shocking discovery. – JS
Well, there are only two more issues of All Out War; so far, the twelve issue run hasn’t really produced anything. All relationship building has been put on hold. A bunch of people have kicked the bucket, and the Negan has dropped the F bomb more times than The Wolf of Wall Street. I really do hope something happens here that will inspire me to keep reading past this arc. I never thought I’d say this, but the future of the book is in Dwight’s hands. Is the Two-Face looking gentleman a double agent, or just that much of a pussy? – S
The Revenge #2 – C+
This comic is just plain weird. It’s full of blood and boobs and dwarfs with horns… I don’t know. No matter how weird and strange it is, there are some pretty cool things about this comic. Based off some of the dialog from this issue, I am semi-confused about who is going to backstab who, but I don’t believe it really matters at this point. Overall, this comic is crazy and I am fairly interested to see how it progresses in the future. – E
Sex #12 – C+
The plot continues to stagnate to the point where I’m wondering when the hell something is actually going to happen. If the Armored Saint doesn’t show up in the next few issues I can’t see myself continuing to be interested in where this is going. If you are buying this for the sex scenes then I feel sorry for you because I am sure there has to be better stuff out there. As for this issue, the foreplay continues. There was finally some action but it didn’t come from the person we are all waiting to see. It is time to step it up or they are going to start losing readers. – R
Real Heroes #1 – C
In the first issue of Real Heroes, we are introduced to the super hero team The Olympians, or at least the actors that portray them. This seems to be a basic story that has been done before of the mistaken heroes being thought to be real. The story so far seems to be a super hero version of the film Galaxy Quest with heroes that seem to mimic famous ones, almost to a tee. Although the originality of the story and heroes is incredibly small, the villains and the set up are both very original. I feel this series may have a rocky start, as many people will give up on it due to the fact it has been done before, but ultimately it will likely end up becoming something so much more. It was hard to give this a C grade as it just seemed so bland so far, but just like every origin story you have to get past the hump to fully respect the material and the universe jumping, the huge brained aliens, as well as what seems to be the depiction of real actor types had me engaged despite the plot and idea behind it all. – JR
All-New Ghost Rider #1 – B+
I actually enjoyed the first issue of the All-New Ghost Rider. I appreciated how they developed a solid background history, and story line for the new character Robbie Reyes in such a short amount of time without making everything feel rushed. I can already tell by the way the first issue ended that there is going to be much more to come from this story and I’m actually pretty excited to read the next issues. Seeing that it is only the first issue, it has a lot of potential to be great or terrible; hopefully it will turn out to be a solid character and story. – E
Honestly, the story was just too short to really get the good debut that it definitely could have. We get to see the relationship between Robbie Reyes and his brother, and then we see Robbie’s character, and then somewhere in there his face melts off and he becomes the Ghost Rider. The art team did a great job; All-New Ghost Rider has a unique identity in color and shape, giving off a graffiti vibe. I’m really excited for #2, I just wish that there was more happening in #1. – S
Origin II #4 – B+
Talk about an interesting plot twist, I didn’t think this issue was going to go anywhere but by the end I was left a bit speechless. This issue we are finally given a little advancement on the plot, and not a moment too soon seeing as we only have one issue left after this. They still haven’t really let on to what the purpose of this origin sequel is but I heavily suspect that it shows the beginning of the eternal feud between Sabertooth and Wolverine. With only one issue to go I’m not sure how it’s all going to end but I look forward to the epic conclusion. – R
Amazing X-Men #5 – B-
Once it was announced that Nightcrawler was coming back in hi own series, I knew that his tenure in Heaven was to be short-lived. With that in mind, I still readily enjoy any time an X-team comes together to kick butt. The issue is a bit predictable, but Jason Aaron’s lucid writing keeps the story going, and fills in all the gaps with some truly funny quips. – I can’t wait to see the boy in blue again. – S
Hawkeye #18 – B
After a spectacular animal-centric issue in #17, we join Hawkeye Kate as she uncovers something fishy going on in Los Angeles. I’m usually a bit weary of issue built around here, but so much crazy stuff goes down, I couldn’t help but get sucked in. Trouble is a’brewin, as Kate has kicked the hornets’ nest. – S
Survive #1 – B
The world is in mourning in the wake of Galactus. Ultimate Cataclysm left us with Reed Richards branded as a terrorist, Monica Chang blamed for the loss of human life and the deaths of Thor and Captain America. Most of this issue sat us in the back row of Steve Rogers’ funeral where Tony Stark delivered a heartfelt, although forced, eulogy. I personally expected Stark to deliver something a bit more grand to honor his Avenger brethren, but it served its purpose. The speech inspired new heroes to form, and by the end of the issue we are introduced to The Young Ultimates. – JS
Silver Surfer #1 – B-
To be honest, I found this issue somewhat boring. I felt that a lot of it was very bland and there wasn’t much about this issue to keep me entertained. There was indeed action; however the way it was drawn and colored made the action panels look boring or dull. I didn’t feel much excitement from much of this comic. There were some interesting and cool things about this comic, though. With the introduction of a new “plant” and the story line that is about to develop is just enough to make me want to read more. Hopefully future issues will prove to be better. – E
All New X-Factor #5 – C+
If it wasn’t for amazing artwork and a story focused on a small core of fan-favorite mutants I would have but this series down three issues ago. But something keeps pulling me back every few weeks! All New X-Factor has developed into a story with two plots – one involving the interworking’s and secret motives of Serval Industries and it’s CEO Harrison Snow, the second being pure Marvel mutant action & adventure. On the second front, I’m completely lost, BUT totally captivated due to the really engaging battle and action sequences. My patience is wearing somewhat thin on the first front. Die hard X-Men & Marvel fans are sure to love this, but an average Joe like me is struggling a bit. That said, I’m still looking forward to the next issue. – T
Iron Patriot #1 – C
Tony Stark’s substitute teacher is back for another go. Admittedly, it was difficult to get excited about this title. As Iron Man hype dies down we are still well aware that his is the only hero arc we REALLY care about in his universe. James Rhodes is a less compelling character but this book seeks to change that perception. Iron Patriot vows to the world to “limit my involvement in military operations to those occurring on American soil.” The powers that be see this as a threat and plans are set in motion to put James and his niece Lila in harms way. – JS
Deadpool #26 – C-
I go back and forth with this series a lot. On one side, you gets arc like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Deadpool vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. that make you believe that maybe there is some merit to a character like Deadpool. And then some months, you get crap like fighting MechaHitler with a time machine. Shames me to say it but this was actually a bit enjoyable – like smelling your own farts enjoyable. It seems like it’s only gonna get worse, as we go back to a groovin’ Wakanda next issue. This is why Deadpool fans can’t have nice things. – S
DC Comics: 1 B, yielding a 3.00 (really?? one book? )
Marvel Comics: 1 A, 6 B’s and 3 C’s, averaging out to a 2.80
Independents: 1 A, 5 B’s and 3 C’s, averaging out to a 2.78
All images taken from ComiXology app and the credit for them goes to the respective publishers; thanks to IDW Comics, image Comics, Dark Horse, Boom! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, DC and Marvel for putting out great books.
Written by Sherif Elkhatib, Evan Lowe, Adrian Puryear, Taylor Lowe, Robert Michael, John Soweto and Jacob Robinson
March Madness is in full effect right now! The Quicken Loans $1B challenge for the perfect got eliminated before the first round was even over. How busted are your brackets?
So, The Boondocks are coming back for Season 4 – starting on April 21st. There’s a catch though – the show will be without creator Aaron McGruder. This will be the final season, and likely the last time we’ll get to see Huey, Riley and Grand-dad in this medium. McGruder seems to have been supportive of the new season via social media, but will the magic be lost without him? We think not.
This is no penny stock scam; The Wolf of Wall Street is being released on Blu-Ray and DVD on Tuesday, March 25th. If you’re still having doubts, check out our review here.
Far Cry 4 sits at number three on my most wanted video-game list (right after Arkham Knight and Watch Dogs). More announcements have been made; the game will take place in the Himalayan Mountains, complete with rideable elephants and Yeti hunting! It will be released next year.
Set your DVRs to record, people! Bryan Cranston AKA Walter White AKA “Heisenberg. You’re god-damn right” is going to be on The Colbert Report on Monday night.
Community‘s Alison Brie will be producing a TV Land show Teachers, based off the web-series of the same name. Watch a couple of them and you will be sold, especially if you’ve worked in the education industry.
The man, the legend, Chris Claremont will return to X-Men writing duties with Nightcrawler #1. The book debuts April 9th.
Turtles in Time is back, this time, as a mini-series by IDW Comics. A common Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme has been sending them back in a certain time period to tackle new problems. The mini-series will be drawn by Ross Campbell, who drew the recent Northampton arc. So excited!
Keep an eye out for our The Walking Dead “Us” review later tonight. We’re all one step closer to Terminus.
“The Grove” follows a similar formula to the last few episodes; where we slowly build a journey for each of the groups that have split after the mid-season finale. It’s served a good purpose of individually developing the characters, but it hasn’t pushed the story along at all; you’ve either loved the past six episodes or you hate them. It’s a style that’s heavily popularized Game of Thrones, where multiple parties push towards an inevitability (Terminus/Sanctuary in TWD‘s case), but the journey there is what drives the inching story.
Starting out the episode is a lot of small talk: Tyreese’s cut on his arm, Lizzie playing I Spy, and a lot of commentary about how Mika doesn’t have a “mean bone in her body.” We even get a bit of comedic relief by watching a walker fall down. Really though, this week’s episode of The Walking Dead stank of death from the moment it started. We join our makeshift Brady Bunch (Tyreese, Carol, Lizzie and Mika) as they settle down for a while inside of a house right off the tracks to catch their breath. Yeah, that worked out greeeeat, guys.
To spoil or not to spoil…. ugh such a tough decision. SPOILERS, it is! We’re gonna toot our own horn here, as we called the dramatic outcome of this episode a month ago. Lizzie has just become such a handful emotionally to deal with, and the resurgence of Carol and her “do what has to be done” attitude spelled certain doom for Lizzie. After she almost murdered baby Judith in “Inmates,” there are so many things that foreshadow the death of Lizzie and Mika. Hindsight is 20/20, but here are a list of the times, in this episode alone, that spelled R-E-D-R-U-M for Mika:
Even baked pecans cannot quell Lizzie’s bloodlust. Her twisted, constipated mind believed that walkers were people inside. And she went to abhorrent measures to make her point. What I love about the scene – sorry, that is a poor choice of words; there is nothing satisfying about the scene… what I appreciate about the scene is how well it mirrored the scene in the comics books. Aside from the Michonne/Governor scenes, these were the most horrifying pages in the entire series. In issue #61, brothers Ben & Billy were in a similar situation – they had lost their father (Lizzie and Mika lost their father, Ryan, in “Infected“), had been adopted by Dale and Andrea, and had ended with Ben standing over Billy’s massacred body.
The reaction that Carol and Tyreese have is much different from the book, and all the more powerful because of it. The comic book parents, Dale and Andrea, have no idea how to deal with the slaughter, sheltering Ben from the rest of the group (not well enough). However, the show takes the most difficult road possible, and “does what has to be done.” It’s an especially strong move seeing as Tyreese is standing nearby, holding a baby and watching on as Carol did the deed. The actual mercy-kill is one of the most saddening things in the whole series. The complete Of Mice and Men inspired execution of Lizzie was a poetic ending for a misunderstood, but dangerous, character.
The conversation between Tyreese and Carol in the woods was a poignant moment in the episode. While it is a nice sentiment that one day this will all be over, Tyreese sees the it for what it is. The world is haunted, and there is nothing they can do to change that. The walkers will be there when they die. And it will be hard to forget all the things people did and had to do in order to survive. It was an appropriate reflective moment about survival and afterlife for the show.
Carol has grown more than any other character in the series – from battered wife to emotional rock. Overwhelmed with it all, she even decides to tell Tyreese the truth about Karen and David. She slides Tyreese the pistol and tells him to “do what he’s gotta do” – it’s kind of a theme here. Tyreese, of course, forgives her. They head off together down the tracks and back on the route to Terminus. This was definitely a growing issue for Carol, and hopefully whoever left the Peletier bandwagon in the mid-season can hop back on.
The loss of Mika hit extra hard, as she had been indirectly and directly compared to Sophia throughout the fourth season. She is now 0/3 in keeping children alive, so I’m hoping this brings out a badass-ness in Carol we haven’t gotten to see in some time. Judith has Tyreese and Carol, but who will take Griselda Gunderson? Doesn’t this world already have enough orphaned dolls?
Hush Comics gives “The Grove” a solid A. The emotional maturation of Carol and Tyreese gives Walking Dead fans something to chew on until we all reach Terminus in the finale (I mean, what else could the finale be alluding to?). Where previous episodes have straddled the line between filler and fundamental development, “The Grove” remains safely on the correct side. The Walking Dead also continues to push the envelope with sick new ways to show off walkers, this week with walkers that have been char-broiled from the house fire (we can only assume it’s the same house that Bethyl set ablaze in “Still“). With only two episodes left, we will turn our attention to “Us” next week. Just like in the first half of Season 4, I’m fearing that they will speed up everything, sacrificing for a logically consistent finale. We’re optimistic, though, that the road to Terminus will keep us on our toes.
All Walking Dead media credited to AMC Television.
Photo from Of Mice and Men film credited to MGM Studios.
written by Sherif Elkhatib
The next time you’re at a post-apocalyptic slumber party, remember to always make claimsies to the bed you were going to sleep on. If not, you might end up getting choked out and left for dead by your supposed buddies. As we sat on our couch and watched The Walking Dead this week (no choke-outs occurred… tonight), we were expecting more of a scattered view of the ensemble cast, similar to “Inmates”. Instead, “Claimed” focused in on two distinct groups – Abraham/Glenn and Rick/Michonne. We’re gonna skip around here in the interest of staying with a certain topic.
We still can’t stand Carl. Sorry, Chandler Riggs, don’t hate us! This kid couldn’t act his way out of a tub of chocolate pudding, which admittedly might be harder than it sounds. We’ve been fooled throughout the series into thinking that Riggs plays a good Carl because he only gets a few lines every episode, usually in childish rebellion. This season, when we got a real good look at him as an individual, his story has completely failed to come across as a genuine coming of age tale. We’re not completely turned off of Caaaarrrrl, but it’s gonna take some major convincing to get us to care about this kid again.
“Claimed” depicts Michonne in a new light; we are exposed to a part of her that we had all but confirmed of her past – Michonne had a son, and his name was Andre. Carl spends the episode prying information from Michonne about her personal life and it’s convincingly heartfelt. Hush is extremely torn as to whether or not this new, sensitive portrayal of her is a good or bad thing.
On one side of the coin, Michonne transcends gender. She’s a badass with a katana, and there is no gender associated with her. Men (and pugs) dress up as Michonne. Just an episode after she murders a herd of walkers, Michonne is brought to her emotional brink by a pink (pink… seriously?) room full of dead people who were once a family. Which to some may seem like a way for the show to make her seem weak just because she is a woman. However, others in the Hush family feel that Michonne’s reactions were not weak, but rather essential character development. Michonne is a bad-ass. There isn’t a woman (or man) who watches the show and doesn’t want to go buy a katana. But Michonne is more than that. She is a mother, a lover, a fighter and a protector. She is multi-faceted and utterly human. It would only be in her nature to see that room that was more than just pink, it was the story of family who could not handle the world crumbling around them. It was a family who lacked the strength Michonne has. If Michonne had seen that room and not had an emotional reaction, she may not get empathy from the audience due to a lack of believability.
Let’s talk about the legend, the end-all, be-all solution to the zombie apocalypse. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Eugene Porter. This motherfucker right here… This mullet-rockin dweeb in cargo shorts that haven’t been acceptable since 1998 is humanity’s last hope. It sounded a little far-fetched when I first read about it in the comic books, and I was skeptical. Now that I’ve heard it out loud, I can’t believe that Abraham and Rosita would ever believe him in the first place.
That’s not to say that Abraham and Rosita are unconvincing in their roles. Rosita does her best J.Lo/Tomb Raider impression, and is the best eye candy not named Lauren Cohan (Maggie). Anybody who takes the time to clean up like that, hoop earrings and all, is a great asset to have. Abraham plays soldier very well, blindingly following the “orders” from Eugene, who proudly proclaims, “I’m smarter than you.” Making a bit of comic-book prediction here, but we think Tara will soon switch teams and hook up with Abraham, ala Holly.
The real winner of this episode is Rick. I often feel that Rick is expected to be the unquestioned leader. Since pre-Shane, really, we haven’t gotten a good look at Rick only trying to survive on his own. It reminded me a lot of “Nebraska” (S2E8), where he gunned down two men who threatened him in a bar. It’s a plain reminder that Rick Grimes is a force to be reckoned with when he is by himself. Although he unrealistically summoned his inner-superhero to do some damage on the scavengers, we really found ourselves rooting for Rick again – something we haven’t done since Rick led the charge to invade Woodbury and rescue Maggie and Glenn.
Hush Comics gives “Claimed” a solid B. Overall, we really enjoyed the unique cinematography in this episode, and we can appreciate what they are trying to build here. Unfortunately, it is absolutely killing the pace of the show. Having all the groups separated and clearly not all going to meet up again until the season finale without great character development feels wasteful. We also feel, for the first time, that the connection of the show to the comic books is becoming problematic. At this point, forcing the show to fit into the lore of the comics is stifling. With the development of Carl being absolutely terrible and the journey to the sanctuary by all the separate groups, it is getting hard to relate to the characters or believe that they are even still surviving. The show has lost its touch when it comes to thinking about human morality and interaction.
All photos and awesomeness credited to AMC Television.
Written by Sherif Elkhatib and Adrian Puryear
After such a lackluster mid-season opener last week, this weeks “Inmates” really stepped it up for The Walking Dead fans. With such important questions finally answered and the details of the moments right after the raid for each set of remaining characters, this week was what we’ve been waiting for since December. Instead of trying to break down the episode, which made it evident everything was happening at once, this review will be broken down by character, because honestly, it’s easier that way.
Seemingly, Beth is only with Daryl because at the moment, she is the weakest of the adults and he is the strongest. Is this supposed to be a way to get them to hook up? We sure hope not. Forcing sexual tension in the show where it doesn’t need to be would be gratuitous. The letter Beth was narrating was a powerful piece of writing considering how weak the writing in The Walking Dead can sometimes be. It was a great juxtaposition between the hope they all once felt in the prison and the despair and danger they are all in now, especially with the scene of the vultures flying above their heads. Daryl, meanwhile, is beyond hope. He was quick to throw Hershel’s death in Beth’s face only a few hours after it happened. He may not be giving a Cherokee Rose speech anytime soon, but he still has a soft heart because he couldn’t really walk away once Beth broke down. When Beth and Daryl find the feeding scene at the tracks, Beth finally lets it all out. She’s been frugal with her emotions through the loss of Jimmy, Zach and even her dad – so this was a profound moment that shows that Beth may be ready to give up, or grow up. Hopeful or hopeless, Daryl is still the strongest character on the road currently. He will be fine whether he finds the others or not. Beth will last as long as she is with Daryl, but emotionally, she needs to know that Maggie is still alive.
Surprise! Judith is alive. But really, how long for this world does she have? We admit, we predicted her death in the raid, mostly because SPOILER ALERT, she dies in the comics during the prison shootout. How is it possible a baby can continue to live in the apocalypse? It seems unlikely that the survivors would have been able to find as much formula as she would have already needed in order to live. Any moment involving Judith felt as though she could be moments away from death in tonight’s episode. Knowing that Tyreese got stuck with all the kids, Daryl’s situation with Beth suddenly seems really good. Tyreese and the three girls end up in the woods and hear a distant scream. Was it really in his best interest to have the oldest girl holding the baby and the youngest holding the gun? And then to just have them back to back and alone while he investigates? They aren’t his children, but he clearly feels a moral responsibility to them if he risked his life to take them out of the prison and out into the woods. If he got them this far, he should be more careful about leaving them alone. But the craziest part was Loco Lizzie attempting to suffocate a baby. When Judith continues to cry and possibly attract walkers, Lizzie puts her hand over the baby’s mouth and nose and has a glint in her eye as the child struggles for breath. Creepy much? There was also a small moment where Lizzie and Mika argue about who knows what about walkers. It was very short, but enough to question whether it was in fact Mika who was feeding rats to them. Even though Judy is alive, the sister’s relationship is still mirroring Billy and Ben from the comic series. It is unlikely the sisters will survive much longer.
Yup. Carol is back. And pretty conveniently so. Right as Mika and Lizzie are about to be eaten, Carol saves the day and just in time, brings them back to the railroad as Tyreese finishes killing lots-o-walkers. That seems very convenient and smells too much like lazy writing. However, we are glad that Carol is back. And of all people to run into, it’s Tyreese. You can see the fear on Carol’s eyes as Tyreese rushes to greet her. Luckily for her, Rick didn’t end up spilling the beans about Karen to Tyreese. Will Carol come clean about what happened to Karen? Lies always have found a way to surface in The Walking Dead. It is kinda cool that Tyreese is caring for Lizzie and Mika, the same girls that Carol once did. Will their futures be in his hands? Or is he just a much nicer person than Carol is? It should be noted this is the first time Carol’s real life counterpart Melissa McBride has been listed in the main credits. Carol may be around for a while longer.
Bob may not have his liquor anymore, but he has his eye on Sasha. As she is dressing Bob’s wound, he begins flexing his muscles and giving her the Old Spice guy look. It’s one of the funnier moments in an episode full of ups and downs. Sasha and Bob are a nice yin and yang, too, with Sasha playing hard-ass tactical expert, and Bob is the happy-go-lucky optimist. Meanwhile, Maggie has just landed in Crazytown. The unusually short trip to the prison bus that Glenn is supposed to be in culminates in a spectacle of emotion and a lot of walkers getting dead in the process. Everybody has had their break-down moment and this was clearly Maggie’s.
For no rhyme or reason, Glenn somehow finds himself waking up, get this, back at the prison! He’s armed with just an assault rifle, meaning that he left the bus, staggered out through the cell block and then up to the nook where he was positioned. In fact, he worked himself into such a tizzy that he passed out and woke up hours after everybody was gone. I mean, sure, he had just narrowly avoided bleeding out of his eyeballs until he died, but this is the guy who killed a walker with duct tape and a chair. Once we get a sentimental shot of Maggie’s photograph, Glenn brings out the riot gear. In some miraculous Marshawn Lynch kind of way (that’s right – Denver fan givin’ some love to the Seahawks), he over-powers a dozen walkers to make a clean break – but not before he asks the Governor’s ex-girlfriend’s sister, Tara, to join him. We often joked about calling her a “less-hot Maggie,” so we were amused to see her and Glenn stuck together. The best part of Glenn’s scenes was the way it was filmed as if we were in the riot gear, too. Very video-game like, and yet another way to translate the story to other mediums.
The big news that comes out of “Inmates” is that we are getting three new cast members. Originally from comic book fame, the three strangers we have are: Abraham Ford, Eugene Porter and Rosita Espinosa. In the books, our guests are traveling across the country to Washington DC, where Eugene – a U.S. Scientist – will hand over classified information to the U.S. Government, which is definitely, in no way, a ruse. Shhh… Well, I’m not sure where this version of the trio will go, but they are physically cast perfectly.
Anyway, this episode of The Walking Dead showed a vast improvement over the mid-season premiere, “After.” Not only is there more action, but the dramatic moments feel more genuine, more interesting, and – thanks to the comic books – more original. The only set-backs are the logical inconsistencies; the story felt forced in places for the sake of being grand. We really don’t want another episode paced like “After,” but there’s no need to sacrifice development for the sake of keeping the action fast-pased. For this, we give “Inmates” a B.
All images credited to and owned by AMC Television
Written by Adrian Puryear and Sherif Elkhatib
After such an explosive season 4A finale, the season 4B opener of the The Walking Dead was a little lackluster. It may be because the producers need to save money and not pay actors, but having an opener being Carl-centric was a bit disappointing. Let’s face it, most people were concerned with Glenn and Maggie reuniting and Daryl saving the day. But that is probably why we didn’t get to see any of that at all. Instead, we got to yell at the idiocy of angsty pre-teen Carl Grimes. The redeeming part of “After” was Michonne having emotions.
We enter the episode with Michonne returning to the prison after everyone has scattered. But she is going back for only one reason: to finish Hershel off. Along the way is one of the big plusses of the episode, the recreation of Michonne’s Walker Pets. Then we get a good ole’ “way too soon” shot of Hershel’s little walker head and Michonne stabbing it. All the feels.
Enter Rick and Carl walking alone down the open road. Carl walks ahead because he has tricked himself into thinking he is a badass. It becomes clear that Carl doesn’t have respect for Rick anymore, but it is unclear why. Is it because he realizes his dad isn’t invincible? Is it because he thinks his dad let all their friends die? Or is it simply that Carl is just a little shit? It really could be all of the above. They enter an abandoned restaurant and encounter Big Joe, the guy with the thickest skull this side of Wolverine. Is it likely that Rick’s axe wouldn’t have killed Joe? Probably not, but then we wouldn’t have gotten this piece of advice, “Every bullet counts.” Rick says this to Carl after Carl shoots Joe. Again Carl tries to show his upper hand by not doing what his father says. They find a home and argue some more. Then like a jealous woman, Carl brings up Shane. Going for the jugular. It was the moment for me that I realized that I don’t really like Carl, again. He had half a season of being a tiny little Rambo, but now he just looks and acts like his stunt double, a 30 something woman. It’s pretty terrible.
Michonne had a bad dream. It seemed though that all of it really happened, just not in the same sequence as it happened in the dream. We got a taste of her dressed up and talking like a normal human being. She had a pretty nice apartment, too. She has a “lover” and a child. She also put her Katana in her knife block. I am really hoping that a knife block featuring a Katana goes on sale at Target tomorrow. Anyway, her dream got creepy and her boyfriend and his friend got their arms cut off before they were walkers. But then she woke up! But I guess waking up from a bad dream in the zombie apocalypse isn’t really waking up from a bad dream.
Back at the home Rick and Carl found, Carl sits in what was once a young man’s room. A room with many of the same things Carl may have had if the zombies had never happened. It was a simple little touch to what was an attempt at a coming of age story. Unfortunately, this was the only good touch. Rick is passed out on the couch and all Carl does to try to wake him up is scream at him. He doesn’t even check his pulse! It’s pretty ridiculous in a show about survival. Anyway, of course his screaming attracted walkers. And then Carl didn’t stay in the house. Yeah, and I wasn’t the only one thinking that either. I found this gem on Tumblr everywhere after typing in “The Walking Dead.”
And he decides to mess with the walkers. Remember last time he did that? Well Dale died. This time, no one died, but Carl should have. He leads them away from the house, more than likely because he knows he shouldn’t be out in the first place. Then he encounters a third walker and barely is able to shoot all three. They do die on top of him and he has to wriggle his way out. Then he throws up, wasting the milkless Wheaties he and Rick had argued over the night before. Instead of being scared though, like a little punk he says, “I win.” This kids needs an ass whoopin’. He goes back to the house and yells at an unconscious Rick some more, this time about being such a badass blah, blah, blah and then says he doesn’t need Rick anymore. Mmm, mmm, mmm, what a little asshole (credit to the secretary in Ferris Bueller). And moreover, it seemed like not so great acting. I was not moved. It may have been the content, but isn’t every 14 year old kid too big for their britches? Is it that hard to act it well?
Carl decides to go explore some more and finds a lot of pudding in the kitchen of a nearby home. But then he also finds a walker, wastes lots of bullets and when that one bullet he needed was gone, he tries to scoot away. Didn’t he think of pistol whipping him? Well, obviously not. In a big show of cat and mouse, Carl ends up getting away, although I’m not entirely sure how because there were plenty of chances for his leg to be bit. But his shoe did get taken away by the walker. And that was the whoopin’ he got. And it probably will be the only time that he gets beaten up and his shoe stolen from a bully. Then he went and ate that puddin’ on top of a roof. It was a little sweet, a boy and his puddin’. But then I remembered that Carl is a total A-Hole and it wasn’t that sweet anymore.
Michonne ended up in the woods with her new pets in the midst of a herd. When she sees a walker who looks eerily like herself she starts to freak out. Then she copes. She copes big time. She literally killed an entire herd by herself. Well, and her Katana. And that is how Michonne got her groove back. A big thanks to my friend Robert for saying that (and the shoe thing earlier) while we watched tonight’s ep. Michonne then follows the tracks in the mud back to people. She is ready to be with the living again.
Back at the house, Carl sits with Rick in the dark. Rick wakes up, and seems like an un-dead man. But then it turns out he is just continuing his dead-like breathing with his broken ribs and didn’t want to say anything to build suspense. Then he says “Carl” in his very strange way and passes out. Carl finally admits he’s scared and then he cries like a little whimp.
Michonne finds clues as to where they are and reunites with Rick and Carl. Maybe Michonne will be the saving grace Rick needs, because Carl certainly didn’t go out looking for medicine. It was all about chocolate pudding.
Hush Comics gives tonight’s episode of The Walking Dead a C. The only redeeming factor was more background on Michonne, her awesome zombie genocide and more emotional depth as to why she is the way she is. Carl was the center of the episode and if I wasn’t invested in the rest of the group, it would have been a deal breaker. Carl nor the actor who portrays him are ready for such a tall order of carrying an episode. It actually mirrors the comic book content pretty well, but the delivery by Chandler Riggs comes off much more like a pubescent tantrum than a boy becoming a man. This is made compounding disappointing by the fact that it was written by the man, Robert Kirkman, himself. Robert Kirkman may have been going for a coming of age tale, but all it did was make me dislike Carl more than I already did. He may be Southern, but he is no Huck Finn.
All photos belong to AMC Television.
written by Adrian Puryear
Hush Comics 