Yes, I've been too damn busy to keep the blog up and running, and yes, The Walking Dead was a big part of my blog, and the fact that I fell out of love with the show probably played into my silence here as well. Fortunately, I'm back in action, and like many of you I watched last night's big season finale. So, let's talk about the show.
First off, this season was better than last season. In my humble opinion, last season was a miserable waste of some truly epic material, so that's not exactly lofty praise. In truth, the finale was a perfect way to punctuate Season 4. Why? Because like the season it closed out, there were moments when it was absolutely perfect, and there were also lots of moments where it was clumsy as hell.
Yes, AMC nearly redeemed itself for bungling the prison storyline last year by closing that portion of the show out in style in the mid-season finale. Once our cast of characters was split up, I was actually looking forward to seeing how the show handled their efforts to survive and find one another. And there were times when that really paid off, particularly when the focus was on Rick and Carl. And there were times when it was nothing short of awful. That episode with Daryl and Elizabeth where he couldn't hold his liquor was terrible, maybe the worst episode of this show we've seen, and it was better than a lot of the Glenn and Maggie stuff that followed. There were moments taken straight from the comics (well, for the most part--generally anything that is plucked straight from the source material has to be watered-down sufficiently before it can be aired on television) and (as always) there were moments that had fans of the comic scratching their heads. Sometimes I think they do silly little tweaks just to piss people off.
In the end, this season was solid television, though the show will probably never reach the heights it soared to in the first two seasons again. It was a hell of a lot better than last season, and it ends at a point that could result in a very satisfying fifth season. Of course, the first time I saw the prison, I thought the show was about to pull out all the stops and become an instant classic, and they pissed all over that opportunity. Regardless, Andrew Lincoln is superb, and it has been a long time since Rick got his Rick on, but the conclusion of last night's season finale has me hopeful that the show will allow him to return to form as the show continues.
I try to divorce myself from the comics when I watch the program, and I can't do that, and it certainly has an impact on my ability to enjoy the show. Calling the television series inferior to the comic series is kind of like saying the new Conan the Barbarian movie wasn't quite as good as the old one. It's not even close, and it never will be, unless maybe AMC sells the rights to HBO at some point, but that ain't happening, folks. Additionally, I try to distance myself from those first two seasons when the show was white-hot. They obviously had a bigger budget to work with in those days, and the show hasn't been able to elevate any of the characters they have introduced since in the same way they were able to elevate Shane.
So, in the end, we've had two amazing seasons, one truly disappointing season, and one mixed bag where there were incredible moments partnered with a lot of drivel. I realize the show needs the Glenn and Maggie soap opera, but they handle it so poorly, and the further they stray from suspense and terror, the worse the end result typically winds up being. AMC is adept at generating tension and providing their audience with a rich atmosphere. The cast for this show is amazing, and the effects team is great at what they do. Unfortunately, the action is frequently mishandled and the soap opera elements are poorly executed and often feel totally out of place. The potential is still there, and unlike the conclusion of Season 4, when I truly felt like I was watching this show get flushed down the toilet, I'm actually somewhat excited for Season 5.
It will never be the comics, and it will never be what it was once, but The Walking Dead is the best thing going on television so far as the horror genre is concerned. I'm ready for more and the wait for Season 5 will be a long one.
Showing posts with label Season 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Season 4. Show all posts
Monday, March 31, 2014
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
The Walking Dead: Season 4, Episode 2 (Infected)
WARNING: This is as much of a RECAP as it is a REVIEW, so here there be SPOILERS! You have been warned.
I've been very hard on The Walking Dead at times, but only because I thought the show was truly top-notch during the first two seasons and I positively treasure the source material. Season 3 was lackluster, and the Season 4 premiere was good but not great. With that in mind, I'm glad I get to rave about it again, because I thought this week's episode was a fantastic outing that really boosted my expectations for Season 4. There was suspense, terror, action, and drama, and most importantly, Rick started acting like Rick again. Praise Jesus! I know the dude has been through a lot, but he is the centerpiece of the program, and the show faltered when he lost his way.
Early on, we learn that someone is feeding the zombies surrounding the prison rats, and that's definitely not cool. We get a tender moment with Tyreese and his girl. Tyreese serenades her with Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" but that isn't good enough to get her to spend the night with him. She departs, unknowingly leading zombie Patrick (the kid who died in the shower at the end of the premiere last week) back to her cell block. We think he's going to make a meal out of her, but he hears a sound and eats this dude in a nearby cell instead. This was gory, and gory is good.
Early the next morning, Michonne is getting ready to go out again and Rick and Carl are getting ready to do some farming. Carl wants his gun back, Rick changes the subject. Then we hear gunshots and the shit really hits the fan. Michonne turns back and has some difficulty getting back in the prison. She winds up twisting her ankle, but Carl snags a rifle and he and Maggie come to the rescue.
Meanwhile, it's an ugly scene in the prison. Rick and Daryl lead the charge, taking down walkers and trying to herd survivors to safety. There's a tough scene with Carol and this dude with two young daughters who was bitten during the attack. He asks Carol to take care of his daughters and she agrees. The oldest of the two girls says they should be the ones to finish their father off after he passes, but she can't do it so Carol scrambles dude's brains with a knife. That's motherhood in the land of The Walking Dead. There's another tough scene where Rick and Daryl go around finishing off anyone who is set to turn. It's not an easy job, but someone has to do it.
Rick, Daryl, Hershel, Bob, and some new doc discuss what's going on and decide that everyone who was in the cell block needs to be quarantined. After examining Patrick's corpse, they believe they're dealing with a deadly flu strain and they don't want it to spread. Tyrees'es girl is coughing, which worries the team. They advise her to go with the others who are being quarantined (on death row, no less) and she mentions that David has been coughing too. So they both get to be quarantined. Tough times at the prison. Carol and the girls have a little chat by the fence, with Carol basically telling the older daughter she has to toughen up or she's not going to make it. The older girl doesn't seem too receptive, mostly because she's upset that a walker named "Nick" has been killed. She says he was "special" and we have to wonder if she was the one who was feeding the walkers. Maybe she's just batshit crazy. Time will tell.
Shortly thereafter, Rick is digging a grave when Daryl thanks him for helping out. Rick says he wasn't that helpful without his gun. Daryl disagrees. "When the shit hits, you're standing there with the shovel," he says. That's when Maggie hits the scene, screaming that the walkers are taking down the fence. Sure enough, a growing cluster of walkers is threatening to bring the fence down. Sasha spies a pile of rats on the ground and realizes that someone has been feeding the walkers at this spot, but there's little time to dwell on that. The fence is coming down. Rick tells Daryl to go get the truck.
Back in the prison, there's a tender scene with Beth and Michonne. Beth asks Michonne to hold baby Judith, and Michonne says "No!" in a sharp tone, yet she relents and takes the crying baby. She begins to cry too, and though it's never stated, we sense that Michonne was once a mother.
Back at the fence, Rick and Daryl come up behind the cluster of walkers in the truck. Rick has all the piglets from his little farm. He takes one, slices it open, and tosses it to the ground. Walkers converge on the fallen pig. They repeat this a couple of times, and here's another tough job for Rick and Daryl. Andrew Lincoln was off the charts in this scene. While Rick and Daryl draw the walkers away, Glenn and Sasha use beams to reinforce the fence.
We get a scene with Carol and Carl, where she asks him again not to tell his dad about the knife-fighting lessons she's giving the kids during story time. We get a scene with Carol and the girls she has taken under her wing, Lizzie and Mika. Carol tells Lizzie, the older of the two, that she's not upset about this walker named Nick, she's really upset about her father. Carol puts a flower in Lizzie's hair and gives the girl a knife for protection. This was kind of creepy. That girl doesn't need a knife, she needs help. Maybe she'll get it now that Carol is going to be taking care of her, but I've got a bad feeling about that girl.
Carl tells his dad about Carol's knife-fighting class, but encourages his dad not to tell the parents or prevent Carol from continuing with the lessons. Rick agrees and gives Carl his gun back. He also puts his gun back on, and that's when we really start to believe that Rick's back. I guess he needed his little break--it was well-deserved, but it lasted too long and the show really lost some serious momentum as Rick grappled with his situation. The group needs a leader and the show needs a stronger Rick at the forefront, so this is good news all around.
Tyreese is going to visit his girl in quarantine, but all he finds is a trail of blood. He follows it outside and finds the remains of both his girl and David. They have been burnt to death. Zombies don't kill people like that, so we've got more trouble at the prison. That's how the episode ends, and as you can tell, a lot transpired in Infected.
It was a strong episode, and it differently raises a number of interesting questions. It also seems to place Rick back in the driver's seat where he belongs, and that prison is starting to feel more and more like a deathtrap. For the first time in a while, I'm really excited to see where all of this going. Maybe I'm overselling, but when you consider the horror and action that we saw in this episode, as well as the drama and character development, I think the end result was a really good episode that generated a lot of intrigue. The season premiere was pretty good, the second episode was really good, and I'm eager to see what next week's show will bring.
I've been very hard on The Walking Dead at times, but only because I thought the show was truly top-notch during the first two seasons and I positively treasure the source material. Season 3 was lackluster, and the Season 4 premiere was good but not great. With that in mind, I'm glad I get to rave about it again, because I thought this week's episode was a fantastic outing that really boosted my expectations for Season 4. There was suspense, terror, action, and drama, and most importantly, Rick started acting like Rick again. Praise Jesus! I know the dude has been through a lot, but he is the centerpiece of the program, and the show faltered when he lost his way.
Early on, we learn that someone is feeding the zombies surrounding the prison rats, and that's definitely not cool. We get a tender moment with Tyreese and his girl. Tyreese serenades her with Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" but that isn't good enough to get her to spend the night with him. She departs, unknowingly leading zombie Patrick (the kid who died in the shower at the end of the premiere last week) back to her cell block. We think he's going to make a meal out of her, but he hears a sound and eats this dude in a nearby cell instead. This was gory, and gory is good.
Early the next morning, Michonne is getting ready to go out again and Rick and Carl are getting ready to do some farming. Carl wants his gun back, Rick changes the subject. Then we hear gunshots and the shit really hits the fan. Michonne turns back and has some difficulty getting back in the prison. She winds up twisting her ankle, but Carl snags a rifle and he and Maggie come to the rescue.
Meanwhile, it's an ugly scene in the prison. Rick and Daryl lead the charge, taking down walkers and trying to herd survivors to safety. There's a tough scene with Carol and this dude with two young daughters who was bitten during the attack. He asks Carol to take care of his daughters and she agrees. The oldest of the two girls says they should be the ones to finish their father off after he passes, but she can't do it so Carol scrambles dude's brains with a knife. That's motherhood in the land of The Walking Dead. There's another tough scene where Rick and Daryl go around finishing off anyone who is set to turn. It's not an easy job, but someone has to do it.
Rick, Daryl, Hershel, Bob, and some new doc discuss what's going on and decide that everyone who was in the cell block needs to be quarantined. After examining Patrick's corpse, they believe they're dealing with a deadly flu strain and they don't want it to spread. Tyrees'es girl is coughing, which worries the team. They advise her to go with the others who are being quarantined (on death row, no less) and she mentions that David has been coughing too. So they both get to be quarantined. Tough times at the prison. Carol and the girls have a little chat by the fence, with Carol basically telling the older daughter she has to toughen up or she's not going to make it. The older girl doesn't seem too receptive, mostly because she's upset that a walker named "Nick" has been killed. She says he was "special" and we have to wonder if she was the one who was feeding the walkers. Maybe she's just batshit crazy. Time will tell.
Shortly thereafter, Rick is digging a grave when Daryl thanks him for helping out. Rick says he wasn't that helpful without his gun. Daryl disagrees. "When the shit hits, you're standing there with the shovel," he says. That's when Maggie hits the scene, screaming that the walkers are taking down the fence. Sure enough, a growing cluster of walkers is threatening to bring the fence down. Sasha spies a pile of rats on the ground and realizes that someone has been feeding the walkers at this spot, but there's little time to dwell on that. The fence is coming down. Rick tells Daryl to go get the truck.
Back in the prison, there's a tender scene with Beth and Michonne. Beth asks Michonne to hold baby Judith, and Michonne says "No!" in a sharp tone, yet she relents and takes the crying baby. She begins to cry too, and though it's never stated, we sense that Michonne was once a mother.
Back at the fence, Rick and Daryl come up behind the cluster of walkers in the truck. Rick has all the piglets from his little farm. He takes one, slices it open, and tosses it to the ground. Walkers converge on the fallen pig. They repeat this a couple of times, and here's another tough job for Rick and Daryl. Andrew Lincoln was off the charts in this scene. While Rick and Daryl draw the walkers away, Glenn and Sasha use beams to reinforce the fence.
We get a scene with Carol and Carl, where she asks him again not to tell his dad about the knife-fighting lessons she's giving the kids during story time. We get a scene with Carol and the girls she has taken under her wing, Lizzie and Mika. Carol tells Lizzie, the older of the two, that she's not upset about this walker named Nick, she's really upset about her father. Carol puts a flower in Lizzie's hair and gives the girl a knife for protection. This was kind of creepy. That girl doesn't need a knife, she needs help. Maybe she'll get it now that Carol is going to be taking care of her, but I've got a bad feeling about that girl.
Carl tells his dad about Carol's knife-fighting class, but encourages his dad not to tell the parents or prevent Carol from continuing with the lessons. Rick agrees and gives Carl his gun back. He also puts his gun back on, and that's when we really start to believe that Rick's back. I guess he needed his little break--it was well-deserved, but it lasted too long and the show really lost some serious momentum as Rick grappled with his situation. The group needs a leader and the show needs a stronger Rick at the forefront, so this is good news all around.
Tyreese is going to visit his girl in quarantine, but all he finds is a trail of blood. He follows it outside and finds the remains of both his girl and David. They have been burnt to death. Zombies don't kill people like that, so we've got more trouble at the prison. That's how the episode ends, and as you can tell, a lot transpired in Infected.
It was a strong episode, and it differently raises a number of interesting questions. It also seems to place Rick back in the driver's seat where he belongs, and that prison is starting to feel more and more like a deathtrap. For the first time in a while, I'm really excited to see where all of this going. Maybe I'm overselling, but when you consider the horror and action that we saw in this episode, as well as the drama and character development, I think the end result was a really good episode that generated a lot of intrigue. The season premiere was pretty good, the second episode was really good, and I'm eager to see what next week's show will bring.
Monday, October 14, 2013
The Walking Dead: Season 4, Episode 1 (30 Days Without An Accident)
Warning: this is as much of a recap as it is a review, so here there be SPOILERS. You have been warned.
The new season of The Walking Dead kicked off last night with a nifty pilot. Before I get too excited, I'm going to remind myself that Season 3 also got off to a great start and did a wonderful job of building toward a truly lackluster finale that made the entire season seem like a grand waste of time. Yet there was a lot of promise on display in 30 Days Without An Accident, and there's too much talent involved in this show for another botched season, right? I think so, though it should be noted that while this was a nice pilot, it didn't have the same magic as the material in the first two seasons. Maybe I still miss Shane, but I've lamented enough. Let's recap, folks!
So, the opening served to show us that things are honky-dory at the prison. Rick's a farmer, the new guests dig Daryl (seriously, who doesn't?--although I can't be the only one wondering how he has managed to stash a stylist away somewhere during the zombie apocalypse), and Beth Greene has a boyfriend! Unfortunately, said boyfriend's introduction had me thinking he wasn't going to make it long and he didn't even survive the pilot. Some members of the group were gearing up for a supply run and Glenn didn't want Maggie to go. It's good to know that the Glen/Maggie soap opera is still in full-swing.
Michonne hit the scene on horseback, bearing comics for Carl and a razor for Rick, who doesn't need a shave any more than I do. Michonne notes that she didn't find "him" and I imagine that the "him" she's referring to is the lame-ass AMC Governor (who would last about ten seconds in a fight with the comic book version of his character) who will definitely show up at some point this season. Anyway, Rick heads out to check some traps and Michonne joins up with the group going out for supplies so she can hang with Daryl. I assume that everyone who signed up for that gig really just wanted to hang with Daryl.
In the woods, Rick meets a creepy girl that we instantly recognize as a threat while checking the traps. She tells him some sob story about bringing food back to her husband (this sob story raises obvious questions Rick doesn't bother to ask) and asks if he has a group nearby. He admits that he does and she asks if she and her man could join up. Rick says that she'll have take him to the dude and he'll ask them three questions (kind of like the guy on the bridge in Monty Python and the Holy Grail) to determine whether or not they're in.
The group looking for supplies hits up some kind of superstore. Glenn is among their ranks, and we realize he didn't want Maggie along because she may be pregnant. This new guy on the show, Bob, a former medic who has recently joined the camp, stops to salivate over some booze. He picks up a bottle, nearly takes it, and then slams it back down. He does this with enough force to topple the entire shelving unit, which pins him to the ground. Bob's worth to the group is obviously debatable. Zombies that are chilling on the rooftop along with a crashed helicopter hear the shelving unit collapse and make their way toward the center of the roof, which is apparently made of paper mache. Within seconds, it's raining walkers in the superstore and we finally get an action scene.
While the supply run group battle the undead, Rick and the creepy lady continue their trek through the woods. They talk as they go, and nothing she says makes her seem less creepy or more trustworthy. This is a situation Shane would have done a much better job with, but I digress. The supply run group wins the battle, but Beth Greene's boyfriend Bob doesn't make it. I'm guessing that no one else liked the dude, because no one bothered to put him out of his misery while he suffered a pretty brutal demise. Anyway, this was a gruesome action scene that was pretty damn exciting, though I didn't like seeing two chicks slice up walkers with swords. That's Michonne's bag.
Creepy girl finally leads Rick to her campsite and promptly tries to kill him. Her husband (what's left of him, at least) has been reduced to the contents of a sack that moves and she reveals that she was going to feed Rick to him before stabbing herself. As she's dying, she asks Rick what the 3 questions were. They were: How many walkers have you killed? How many people have you killed? Why?
Rick makes his way back to the prison. So do the people who went on the supply run. As the episode winds down, we see Michonne studying a map, focusing on Macon. Maybe that's where the lame-ass AMC Governor is. Rick and Hershel talk about the creepy girl and her woeful demise. Daryl and Beth share an awkward hug that would probably make Carol jealous. Newcomer Patrick, a goofy teen, stumbles into the shower and collapses. The camera pans around a bit and then returns to this unlucky fellow, who has died and re-awakened as a walker.
That's how the pilot ends. All things considered, it was entertaining, and there are definitely some new wrinkles. I liked the action and gore and it will be interesting to see where all of the new developments lead. I'm really tired of Rick being a dope, but that's apparently his character now. I don't think the quality of the program is on par with the first two seasons, and it has always been vastly inferior to the comic series, but this could be a strong season. Surely it will be better than Season 3, and truth be told, we're only one week in. Maybe AMC will really dazzle me and Season 4 will wind up being just as compelling as either of the first two seasons.
Agree? Disagree? Don't be afraid to chime in.
The new season of The Walking Dead kicked off last night with a nifty pilot. Before I get too excited, I'm going to remind myself that Season 3 also got off to a great start and did a wonderful job of building toward a truly lackluster finale that made the entire season seem like a grand waste of time. Yet there was a lot of promise on display in 30 Days Without An Accident, and there's too much talent involved in this show for another botched season, right? I think so, though it should be noted that while this was a nice pilot, it didn't have the same magic as the material in the first two seasons. Maybe I still miss Shane, but I've lamented enough. Let's recap, folks!
So, the opening served to show us that things are honky-dory at the prison. Rick's a farmer, the new guests dig Daryl (seriously, who doesn't?--although I can't be the only one wondering how he has managed to stash a stylist away somewhere during the zombie apocalypse), and Beth Greene has a boyfriend! Unfortunately, said boyfriend's introduction had me thinking he wasn't going to make it long and he didn't even survive the pilot. Some members of the group were gearing up for a supply run and Glenn didn't want Maggie to go. It's good to know that the Glen/Maggie soap opera is still in full-swing.
Michonne hit the scene on horseback, bearing comics for Carl and a razor for Rick, who doesn't need a shave any more than I do. Michonne notes that she didn't find "him" and I imagine that the "him" she's referring to is the lame-ass AMC Governor (who would last about ten seconds in a fight with the comic book version of his character) who will definitely show up at some point this season. Anyway, Rick heads out to check some traps and Michonne joins up with the group going out for supplies so she can hang with Daryl. I assume that everyone who signed up for that gig really just wanted to hang with Daryl.
In the woods, Rick meets a creepy girl that we instantly recognize as a threat while checking the traps. She tells him some sob story about bringing food back to her husband (this sob story raises obvious questions Rick doesn't bother to ask) and asks if he has a group nearby. He admits that he does and she asks if she and her man could join up. Rick says that she'll have take him to the dude and he'll ask them three questions (kind of like the guy on the bridge in Monty Python and the Holy Grail) to determine whether or not they're in.
The group looking for supplies hits up some kind of superstore. Glenn is among their ranks, and we realize he didn't want Maggie along because she may be pregnant. This new guy on the show, Bob, a former medic who has recently joined the camp, stops to salivate over some booze. He picks up a bottle, nearly takes it, and then slams it back down. He does this with enough force to topple the entire shelving unit, which pins him to the ground. Bob's worth to the group is obviously debatable. Zombies that are chilling on the rooftop along with a crashed helicopter hear the shelving unit collapse and make their way toward the center of the roof, which is apparently made of paper mache. Within seconds, it's raining walkers in the superstore and we finally get an action scene.
While the supply run group battle the undead, Rick and the creepy lady continue their trek through the woods. They talk as they go, and nothing she says makes her seem less creepy or more trustworthy. This is a situation Shane would have done a much better job with, but I digress. The supply run group wins the battle, but Beth Greene's boyfriend Bob doesn't make it. I'm guessing that no one else liked the dude, because no one bothered to put him out of his misery while he suffered a pretty brutal demise. Anyway, this was a gruesome action scene that was pretty damn exciting, though I didn't like seeing two chicks slice up walkers with swords. That's Michonne's bag.
Creepy girl finally leads Rick to her campsite and promptly tries to kill him. Her husband (what's left of him, at least) has been reduced to the contents of a sack that moves and she reveals that she was going to feed Rick to him before stabbing herself. As she's dying, she asks Rick what the 3 questions were. They were: How many walkers have you killed? How many people have you killed? Why?
Rick makes his way back to the prison. So do the people who went on the supply run. As the episode winds down, we see Michonne studying a map, focusing on Macon. Maybe that's where the lame-ass AMC Governor is. Rick and Hershel talk about the creepy girl and her woeful demise. Daryl and Beth share an awkward hug that would probably make Carol jealous. Newcomer Patrick, a goofy teen, stumbles into the shower and collapses. The camera pans around a bit and then returns to this unlucky fellow, who has died and re-awakened as a walker.
That's how the pilot ends. All things considered, it was entertaining, and there are definitely some new wrinkles. I liked the action and gore and it will be interesting to see where all of the new developments lead. I'm really tired of Rick being a dope, but that's apparently his character now. I don't think the quality of the program is on par with the first two seasons, and it has always been vastly inferior to the comic series, but this could be a strong season. Surely it will be better than Season 3, and truth be told, we're only one week in. Maybe AMC will really dazzle me and Season 4 will wind up being just as compelling as either of the first two seasons.
Agree? Disagree? Don't be afraid to chime in.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The Walking Dead: Season 3, Episode 16 (Welcome to the Tombs)
Warning: this is as much of a recap as it is a review, so here there be SPOILERS.
The third season of The Walking Dead is a wrap. In recent weeks, the show had been on fire, and the momentum and hype this strong run generated served to create lofty expectations for the last episode. Yes, the big finale sought to place an exclamation point on the season, and in many ways it succeeded. Yet it must be noted that in many ways it was also very disappointing. Now, I felt that "Welcome to the Tombs" was a solid episode, and were this week 14 or 15, I think I would be more lenient. However, I think most everyone was expecting much more from the season finale, and despite several important deaths and some extremely intense material, this one failed to close out Season 3 with a bang. It didn't really come close, truth be told.
Now, the beginning was great. In fact, I thought this might have been one of The Walking Dead's strongest opening reels. The Governor worked Milton over and gave him an ultimatum: kill Andrea or die. I knew Milton was a goner back in Week 14--and, as I recall, in addition to noting that I didn't see him making it to Season 4, I also noted that I couldn't decide if I liked his odds of seeing Season 4 more than those of that sucker who was traveling with Tyreese--but I didn't expect to see Woodbury's resident scientist/idiot make such a ballsy exit. Anyway, instead of offing Andrea, Milt made a lunge at The Governor and got stabbed for his efforts. To make matters worse, The Governor coolly advised Milton that he was going to turn and kill Andrea in spite of his heroics. This was also some of the best stuff we've seen yet courtesy of David Morrissey as The Governor, and the "Kill or die . . . or . . . die and kill" line was sweet.
Yes, we were off and running, and I was thinking that we were in for quite a show. Now, so far as Andrea, Milton, and The Governor were concerned, I was right. Most everything else seemed to be a bit lacking, especially when you consider that this was the end of the road for what has thus far proven to be a damn good season of a terrific program. Unfortunately, while a killer episode may have established this as the finest season thus far, the end result was a decisive third-place finish for Season 3. No doubt about it.
Back at the prison, our merry band of survivors were getting ready to bolt. Carl was ticked off, Glenn was concerned, and Rick and Michonne had a bizarre "I almost handed you to The Governor on a silver platter, but you're one of us" talk that was more than a little odd. To their credit, Andrew Lincoln and Danai Guriri somehow managed to get the job done, but it was just a strange little chat that I didn't really dig.
In Woodbury, The Governor rallied his troops and led the charge toward the prison, minus Tyreese. The big dude who can't shoot for shit spoke up during The Governor's Patton impersonation and declared that he wasn't there to fight other people. After stating that he was going to sit this one out, he offered to stay behind to protect the women and children. I liked this development, but I thought this scene was also a bit clumsy. Much of the finale seemed rushed to me, as though AMC was hastily advancing the plot. At this point, the episode was clearly losing steam, but a worthy finale was still within reach. After all, the inevitable confrontation we've been waiting for was on the horizon. Or was it?
Let's talk about what happened at the prison. Why? I guess I have to, that's why. This review/recap wouldn't be complete without it. Basically, The Governor's troops (I should probably put an asterisk beside troops, but more on that later) hit the scene and blasted the shit out of the prison and all the walkers gathered around the entrance. In truth, this assault was fairly badass, aside from the fact that Rick and his people were nowhere to be seen. Growing more and more agitated with every second that passed, The Governor led his troops deeper and deeper into the prison, chasing shadows and rushing toward the distant moans of the undead. This is probably the point where most of his troops started to realize that The Governor didn't really know what the fuck he was doing.
This fool's army came across a trap, setting off a couple of flash-bombs and attracting walkers. They escaped the prison and came under fire from Glenn and Maggie, who were clad in body armor. They sprayed a hell of a lot of lead, but I'm not sure that they hit anyone. Regardless, The Governor's troops took off, running toward their vehicles. It was as if the commanding arsenal that they had attacked the prison with mere moments ago was utterly forgotten, and it was patently obvious that The Governor's attempt to play general was bound to end in failure. Yes, AMC butchered the big confrontation, totally marring both the finale and the season itself in the process. The bad guys blew a bunch of walkers up, two of Rick's people took a few shots at them, and the bad guys jumped in their vehicles and drove off. It was a lesson in how NOT to present a thrilling conclusion to a story.
Rick and the rest of the gang emerged and celebrated. Yay for them. Oh, and Carl iced some kid who was trying to surrender, much to Hershel's dismay, and then told his dad he killed a soldier who "drew" on him. Hershel told Rick otherwise and now we have some drama to carry over into Season 4. Meanwhile, The Governor made his people stop in the middle of the road. They tell him it's over, they're not soldiers, and he loses it. This was a very effective scene, and both the music and Morrissey were excellent here. He gunned all of the troops down aside from Martinez and that one guy that some people thought was Tyreese back at the beginning of the season. Oh, and the victims here included that sucker who was traveling with Tyreese. Milton, we'll miss. That sucker? Well, we didn't really give a damn about him, now did we?
The Governor and his remaining troops, both of whom were doing an admirable job of playing it cool, got in a truck and drove off. I bet no one was telling jokes during that ride. Where did they go? Well, I thought they were going back to Woodbury, but either I was wrong or they got lost. What's next for The Governor? Who knows? I don't. Nor does anyone who was relying on the big season finale for information. That was the last we would see of David Morrissey in Season 3.
Finally, we made our way back to Andrea and Milton. He had dropped a pair of pliers behind her when The Governor made him gather up all the instruments of torture just lying around earlier in the show. Milton told Andrea about the pliers, and told her to hurry. She told him she was going to get out of the chair and save them both, and he told her she was going to get out of the chair and finish him off. He knew he wasn't going to make it, and he kept telling Andrea to hurry. She didn't do a great job of listening to him, and by the time she was finally making some progress, Milton was dead. Soon he turned and began to make his way toward her. The camera cut away and we heard Andrea scream.
Rick, Michonne, and Daryl decided to go to Woodbury. I don't know what they were thinking. I think the writers of the show were thinking for them at that point, and they had loose ends to tie off and the clock was ticking. Anyway, they picked up this one chick who survived The Governor's massacre so she could join the crew and tell them what happened. Later, they reached Woodbury and found Andrea. We thought she was in the clear, because we weren't going to be fooled by that scream after the cutaway, right? But we were wrong. She had freed herself and finished Milton off, but not before he took a little bite out of her chest. Next, we got some emotional stuff that felt rushed on Rick's behalf, but genuine coming from Michonne. Andrea shot herself and our trio wound up taking Tyreese and all of Woodbury's remaining residents, namely the women and children, back to the prison.
How do I feel about Andrea's exit? I'm pretty sure I hate it. This season now stands as a complete and total waste of one of the better performers on the show and one of the comic's most beloved characters. Andrea was a solid component of AMC's The Walking Dead in the first two seasons, but Season 3 served as a tremendous disappointment in regards to her character. Maybe the show will find a way to make this up to me, but that's a tall order.
I guess that just about sums it up. In truth, this episode probably wasn't as bad as it sounds, and I do believe that it would have been perfectly acceptable if it wasn't the season finale. Yet there was so much to accomplish and the audience's hopes were so high that it's really hard to give this show a good grade in light of the circumstances. This season warranted a gripping finale with a big showdown, and in truth it needed such an outcome to warrant all the hype and drama that brought us here. Yet it was a letdown and it cheapened much of what transpired in Season 3. As bizarre as it sounds, I would have to close this blog out by saying that I enjoyed the episode, particularly the stuff with Andrea, Milton, and The Governor, but I was very disappointed at the same time. This was a solid episode, but it wasn't a worthy season finale. Not by a long shot.
Am I being too hard on "Welcome to the Tombs"?
Am I being too hard on Season 3?
When will Rick and The Governor finally come to blows?
Is Carl fucked up?
I'll answer that one for you: Yes, but it's to be expected.
If I'm right, can AMC's The Walking Dead redeem itself in Season 4?
The third season of The Walking Dead is a wrap. In recent weeks, the show had been on fire, and the momentum and hype this strong run generated served to create lofty expectations for the last episode. Yes, the big finale sought to place an exclamation point on the season, and in many ways it succeeded. Yet it must be noted that in many ways it was also very disappointing. Now, I felt that "Welcome to the Tombs" was a solid episode, and were this week 14 or 15, I think I would be more lenient. However, I think most everyone was expecting much more from the season finale, and despite several important deaths and some extremely intense material, this one failed to close out Season 3 with a bang. It didn't really come close, truth be told.
Now, the beginning was great. In fact, I thought this might have been one of The Walking Dead's strongest opening reels. The Governor worked Milton over and gave him an ultimatum: kill Andrea or die. I knew Milton was a goner back in Week 14--and, as I recall, in addition to noting that I didn't see him making it to Season 4, I also noted that I couldn't decide if I liked his odds of seeing Season 4 more than those of that sucker who was traveling with Tyreese--but I didn't expect to see Woodbury's resident scientist/idiot make such a ballsy exit. Anyway, instead of offing Andrea, Milt made a lunge at The Governor and got stabbed for his efforts. To make matters worse, The Governor coolly advised Milton that he was going to turn and kill Andrea in spite of his heroics. This was also some of the best stuff we've seen yet courtesy of David Morrissey as The Governor, and the "Kill or die . . . or . . . die and kill" line was sweet.
Yes, we were off and running, and I was thinking that we were in for quite a show. Now, so far as Andrea, Milton, and The Governor were concerned, I was right. Most everything else seemed to be a bit lacking, especially when you consider that this was the end of the road for what has thus far proven to be a damn good season of a terrific program. Unfortunately, while a killer episode may have established this as the finest season thus far, the end result was a decisive third-place finish for Season 3. No doubt about it.
Back at the prison, our merry band of survivors were getting ready to bolt. Carl was ticked off, Glenn was concerned, and Rick and Michonne had a bizarre "I almost handed you to The Governor on a silver platter, but you're one of us" talk that was more than a little odd. To their credit, Andrew Lincoln and Danai Guriri somehow managed to get the job done, but it was just a strange little chat that I didn't really dig.
In Woodbury, The Governor rallied his troops and led the charge toward the prison, minus Tyreese. The big dude who can't shoot for shit spoke up during The Governor's Patton impersonation and declared that he wasn't there to fight other people. After stating that he was going to sit this one out, he offered to stay behind to protect the women and children. I liked this development, but I thought this scene was also a bit clumsy. Much of the finale seemed rushed to me, as though AMC was hastily advancing the plot. At this point, the episode was clearly losing steam, but a worthy finale was still within reach. After all, the inevitable confrontation we've been waiting for was on the horizon. Or was it?
Let's talk about what happened at the prison. Why? I guess I have to, that's why. This review/recap wouldn't be complete without it. Basically, The Governor's troops (I should probably put an asterisk beside troops, but more on that later) hit the scene and blasted the shit out of the prison and all the walkers gathered around the entrance. In truth, this assault was fairly badass, aside from the fact that Rick and his people were nowhere to be seen. Growing more and more agitated with every second that passed, The Governor led his troops deeper and deeper into the prison, chasing shadows and rushing toward the distant moans of the undead. This is probably the point where most of his troops started to realize that The Governor didn't really know what the fuck he was doing.
This fool's army came across a trap, setting off a couple of flash-bombs and attracting walkers. They escaped the prison and came under fire from Glenn and Maggie, who were clad in body armor. They sprayed a hell of a lot of lead, but I'm not sure that they hit anyone. Regardless, The Governor's troops took off, running toward their vehicles. It was as if the commanding arsenal that they had attacked the prison with mere moments ago was utterly forgotten, and it was patently obvious that The Governor's attempt to play general was bound to end in failure. Yes, AMC butchered the big confrontation, totally marring both the finale and the season itself in the process. The bad guys blew a bunch of walkers up, two of Rick's people took a few shots at them, and the bad guys jumped in their vehicles and drove off. It was a lesson in how NOT to present a thrilling conclusion to a story.
Rick and the rest of the gang emerged and celebrated. Yay for them. Oh, and Carl iced some kid who was trying to surrender, much to Hershel's dismay, and then told his dad he killed a soldier who "drew" on him. Hershel told Rick otherwise and now we have some drama to carry over into Season 4. Meanwhile, The Governor made his people stop in the middle of the road. They tell him it's over, they're not soldiers, and he loses it. This was a very effective scene, and both the music and Morrissey were excellent here. He gunned all of the troops down aside from Martinez and that one guy that some people thought was Tyreese back at the beginning of the season. Oh, and the victims here included that sucker who was traveling with Tyreese. Milton, we'll miss. That sucker? Well, we didn't really give a damn about him, now did we?
The Governor and his remaining troops, both of whom were doing an admirable job of playing it cool, got in a truck and drove off. I bet no one was telling jokes during that ride. Where did they go? Well, I thought they were going back to Woodbury, but either I was wrong or they got lost. What's next for The Governor? Who knows? I don't. Nor does anyone who was relying on the big season finale for information. That was the last we would see of David Morrissey in Season 3.
Finally, we made our way back to Andrea and Milton. He had dropped a pair of pliers behind her when The Governor made him gather up all the instruments of torture just lying around earlier in the show. Milton told Andrea about the pliers, and told her to hurry. She told him she was going to get out of the chair and save them both, and he told her she was going to get out of the chair and finish him off. He knew he wasn't going to make it, and he kept telling Andrea to hurry. She didn't do a great job of listening to him, and by the time she was finally making some progress, Milton was dead. Soon he turned and began to make his way toward her. The camera cut away and we heard Andrea scream.
Rick, Michonne, and Daryl decided to go to Woodbury. I don't know what they were thinking. I think the writers of the show were thinking for them at that point, and they had loose ends to tie off and the clock was ticking. Anyway, they picked up this one chick who survived The Governor's massacre so she could join the crew and tell them what happened. Later, they reached Woodbury and found Andrea. We thought she was in the clear, because we weren't going to be fooled by that scream after the cutaway, right? But we were wrong. She had freed herself and finished Milton off, but not before he took a little bite out of her chest. Next, we got some emotional stuff that felt rushed on Rick's behalf, but genuine coming from Michonne. Andrea shot herself and our trio wound up taking Tyreese and all of Woodbury's remaining residents, namely the women and children, back to the prison.
How do I feel about Andrea's exit? I'm pretty sure I hate it. This season now stands as a complete and total waste of one of the better performers on the show and one of the comic's most beloved characters. Andrea was a solid component of AMC's The Walking Dead in the first two seasons, but Season 3 served as a tremendous disappointment in regards to her character. Maybe the show will find a way to make this up to me, but that's a tall order.
I guess that just about sums it up. In truth, this episode probably wasn't as bad as it sounds, and I do believe that it would have been perfectly acceptable if it wasn't the season finale. Yet there was so much to accomplish and the audience's hopes were so high that it's really hard to give this show a good grade in light of the circumstances. This season warranted a gripping finale with a big showdown, and in truth it needed such an outcome to warrant all the hype and drama that brought us here. Yet it was a letdown and it cheapened much of what transpired in Season 3. As bizarre as it sounds, I would have to close this blog out by saying that I enjoyed the episode, particularly the stuff with Andrea, Milton, and The Governor, but I was very disappointed at the same time. This was a solid episode, but it wasn't a worthy season finale. Not by a long shot.
Am I being too hard on "Welcome to the Tombs"?
Am I being too hard on Season 3?
When will Rick and The Governor finally come to blows?
Is Carl fucked up?
I'll answer that one for you: Yes, but it's to be expected.
If I'm right, can AMC's The Walking Dead redeem itself in Season 4?
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