At least once a season AMC’s powerhouse Sunday night drama pulls a “killer” version (see what I did there?) of Whomp, There It Is out of its bag of tricks. Someone unexpected gets offed. That’s a given.

(If you’re keeping count, we’ve had two so far. The beloved Hershel bowed out in surprising fashion during the mid-season finale “Too Far Gone” earlier this season. )

“My mom used to say: Everything works out the way it’s supposed to.” — Mika to Carol when they first see the house

And that’s why I asked above if anyone was really shocked. While Mika’s moving death at the hand of severely disturbed sister Lizzie was horrifying on multiple levels, as a long-time fan of The Walking Dead you just knew something was going to come along and knock our socks off. (Didn’t you?) Because, often, the M.O. for TWD is to zap us outside our peripheral vision — the producers seem to like to hit us when we least expect it. And, often, to the point of shaking us to our very cores.

With one preview of this week’s episode showing Lizzie being “playfully” chased outdoors by a walker, you figured there would be consequences for such actions. It was a hint of things to come … but we didn’t know what those consequences would be.

But … let’s back up a moment to the beginning of this season …

Lizzie’s deterioration has been evident … well, forever. Originally, I thought it was Bob Stookey doling out rats through the fences to walkers way back in the first episodes of the season. But showrunner Scott Gimple (who penned this week’s “The Grove”) had a long term (and much better) goal in mind. And that goal was to set lots of subtle “Lizzie hints” for us along with way. Little did we know she would turn out so twisted as to not only kill her sister but rationalize the killing as well. That was the stuff of nightmares.

Have you noticed Lizzie has been exceptionally calm and collected when we’ve seen her? For example, in this latest episode it’s come easy for her to talk about who she’s killed. She’s practically boasted about it … and she did just that with Carol when she emphatically noted she saved Tyreese by killing several attackers at the prison during the Woodbury siege. Now … think about how composed she’s been throughout. There was a definite pattern being developed there. And it supplanted itself again and again, right into the latest episode. While tending to Tyreese’s injured arm, Carol noted Lizzie was “confused” by the walkers. Even Mika told Carol she knows the difference between the living and the dead: “I’m not crazy like Lizzie.” Hints and hints and hints.

“She’s was playing with me!” — Lizzie, after Carol kills the walker chasing Lizzie around the yard
“She wanted to kill you! You could have died!” — Carol
“You killed her! You killed her! What if I killed you … ?!? What if I killed you … ?!? She was my friend and you killed her!” — Lizzie

The revelation of “things to come” for me came after the girls were attacked at the house. Subsequent of Mika putting down the walker and while comforting her obviously shaken older sister, I felt a niggling “uh oh” moment: “Crap. Lizzie’s going to kill Mika.” It was an uneasy gut feeling about it … a gut feeling which manifested itself shortly thereafter.

And when it happened, it was shocking. But it wasn’t unexpected.

Wait … what? You didn’t think Mika’s death was the most shocking thing of all? Lizzie doing in her own sister? So callously? So cold-heartedly? Without blinking? And then sloughing it off because she knew she would return? Undead? Let me guess: You thought the more contemptible thing was Carol’s (with forethought, knowingly) action, the “punishment” of Lizzie for what she’d done? And without Lizzie knowing it was coming? Nah. The unbelievability of Lizzie’s exercise — and the cold and lifeless manner in which she did it without any regret whatsoever — was the more abhorrent, not the act Carol carried out. Consider that Carol has to live with the consequence of her actions the remainder of her days. Or look at it this way: At least Tyreese forgave Carol her sin of killing Karen. There’s no such concession for taking Lizzie’s life.

Love it of vilify it, I’m not going to debate whether or not the producers took things too far on the show this time around. It’s The Walking Dead, people. If you follow the show, you know something will be comin’ ’round the mountain when it comes. And if you don’t, you’re simply in it for the sensationalism of bumbling, stumbling walkers and the mayhem they perpetuate. If that’s the case — and I’ve said this several times over while writing about the show — you don’t get The Walking Dead.

I’ll go further: You’re cheating yourself of terrific characterization and intricate story.

“I’m not afraid to kill. I’m just afraid …” — Mika
“You can’t be.” — Carol
“How?” — Mika
“You fight … and fight it … and don’t give up. And then one day you just … change. We all change …” — Carol

A Few Thoughts

• Let’s think about this a moment: How was it the house the group stumbled upon had working gas? Gas at the simple turn of a knob? We’re talking at least 18+ months — give or take — from when the infection first began. Hard to believe gas to the house has been in working order all that time.
• All this time I’ve been holding out for a reveal from Carol that she took the blame and covered for Lizzie for the deaths of David and Karen earlier in the season. (That little detail was cleared up once and for all … and pretty satisfyingly.)
• Another feeling during the episode? When Carol finally confessed to Tyreese that Karen’s death (and David’s) were her doing? My second gut reaction: Tyreese would forgive her. And, sure enough, he did. It didn’t come easy … but it was given.
• As noted in the title of this post, females (young ones in particular) aren’t safe on The Walking Dead. Sophia. Amy. Meghan. Mika. Lizzie. You have to wonder if Judith is next on the chopping block …

Picky Continuity Notes (because … I’m a picky continuity person who’s picky)

• In the initial scene with the train track walker, there are several things wrong: It stumbles along before plummeting feet first into a space between a couple railroad ties and it falls quite some distance directly down as if into quite a substantial hole. But, in the next scene, its right leg is seen splayed behind it … and with nary the huge space between the ties it appeared to have fallen in.
• Just before Carol kills Lizzie and she is seen talking to her, telling her to “look at the flowers.” Carol is standing at approximately the “10:00 o’clock” position at Lizzie’s back and at some distance from her. When she pulls out the gun to kill her, Carol is suddenly at practical arm’s length directly behind Lizzie.
• At the table when Carol slides the gun over to Tyreese as she begins confessing to him, there is a puzzle piece directly in front of the gun’s trigger. In the next scene, the piece has moved noticeably away from the gun. As Tyreese grabs the weapon (and as well when he releases it), the piece is nowhere to be seen.

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Question: How is The Walking Dead working for you this season?

Because I was having my doubts during the first couple episodes.

But when “I spied” Beth’s foreboding “30 Days Without An Incident” marker in her cell, I knew it was just a matter of time before things heated up and heads started to roll once again. Literally.

It took some doing to jump start season 4 but we’re finally there. And all things appear to be right with the world once again …

The Regulars:

Rick: As mentioned, Farmer Rick — with his decision to relinquish power and purpose and let others work out the details — isn’t the Rick we’ve come to know and love. We need kickass Rick. We need introspective Rick. We want Rick full of turmoil, put in situations where he reacts … for better or worse. Because the shit’s gonna fly once again and there isn’t a better person to dive in head first than Sheriff Grimes when it starts getting thick.

Daryl: He’s gotten soft as well. The routine of the prison, his comfortability level (evidenced by his little “Pookie” moniker) and his obvious acceptance in cozying up with Carol to a greatly advanced level doesn’t detract from his character, but there’s certain to be a rude awakening if he gets caught with his pants down (metaphorically speaking). Want proof? When Tyreese got in his face wanting to whollop him during the exchange with Rick at the start of “Isolation,” who would have guessed it would be Daryl to be the peacekeeper of the bunch, throwing up his hands to ward off Rick? That’s not the Daryl we’ve come to know throughout the series. Yes … his hotheadedness has been tempered working alongside Rick and the others over the long months, but that particular scenario was a side of him we hadn’t previously seen before. And a rather eye-opening one to boot.

Carl:  His angry young man bent has been chilled to the point where it appears he’s thinking more than anything else. In his conversations with Rick. In his dialog with Patrick (RIP) and especially in his no-nonsense exchange with Hershel stating matter of factly he was accompanying the man on his berry-hunting quest. We’ve seen him grow up since the close of last season, the animosity in him toned down with a air that reflects more responsibility. Doesn’t mean he’s going to screw up, however.

Carol: Carol is the most interesting character of the bunch thus far. Remember how squirrely she was at the start of the series? Look at her history on the show: From being caught in the ominous shadow of her late husband Ed, through her trials with Sofia’s absence and then the consequences suffered from daughter’s ultimate demise, not to mention her difficult acceptance as a result of that fate, her blossoming relationship with Daryl and now her hardline stance on walkers, life lessons and, most recently, her questionable acts.

I’m champing at the bit to see where the writers take her. And how Rick (and the others) react to her in light of the murder of Dave and Karen. I can’t see her getting off Scot free — there’s got to be repercussions. Nor can I imagine how it will reflect on her relationship with Daryl.

(Note: Stop reading here if you’d rather not become aware of any future spoilers as things go forward because I’ll be touching on some things from TWD comic.)

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This is it. This is the last time we can say we’re looking forward to the “next” episode of Breaking Bad. Next Sunday, it all ends. So, you’re wondering: how is it all going to end? That I don’t know; I’m betting there are really not many who do know, especially outside the show’s actors, production crew and staff. With the incredibly tight writing this season, though, you can certainly make some decent guesses for some of it.

For me, I say the majority of the final episode comes down to Gray Matter Technologies, the company Walt help found many years ago. It’s certainly not a stretch: the final scene of the second-to-final episode (“Granite State”) included Walt watching his old colleagues — Elliott and Gretchen Schwartz — denouncing Walter’s contribution to their company. If you listen to that television interview closely, though, you’ll note two things that could have caused Walt to react the way he did.

Firstly, Charlie Rose — the interviewer — let it be known that the Heisenberg-famous blue meth was back on the streets and even back in parts of Europe. This told Walt a couple of key things: Todd and his Nazi “family” were using Jesse to cook HIS blue meth recipe, and Lydia — of Madrigal — is actively working with them to distribute overseas.

The second thing that would clearly ruffle Walt is Elliott and Gretchen downplaying Walt’s prior involvement with Gray Matter, other than being the “white” part of the “gray.” Go back and watch a few episodes from the first two seasons, in particular “…and the Bag’s in the River,” “Gray Matter,” and “Peekaboo.” There you can see some flashbacks to those early days of Walt with Gretchen, and also how Walt feels about his being “cheated” out of a large share of the company he helped found. Walt’s version of the story makes his departure from Gray Matter seem as though he was forced to do it, while Gretchen says he abandoned them. So who’s right?

Let’s start with the blue meth part of the story. You’ll recall in past episodes that Walter is very adamant that the blue meth recipe is his and his alone, and that a Jesse version of it would be inferior. Now that Jesse’s version is circulating — and under the Heisenberg name — that’s clearly going to piss Walt off. This would flow in well with why Walt purchased an M-60, in the flash-forward scene from the beginning of this season: he’s going to take out the Nazis. This would clearly be the easy guess, but it’d also be pretty surprising that he’d be able to take on the well-armed thugs himself. Plus, he’d have to find them, and without Saul’s help.

This leads us to Lydia, Walt’s only clear connection to finding Todd and the others. It also explains what Walt will do with the ricin he retrieved from his broken-down home: right into Lydia’s stevia. Note that, in the last episode, it was no mistake that we saw Lydia once again ordering her usual tea from the diner and then asking for “more stevia.” This was no small detail: it is where Walt will plant the ricin. The question is, is Walt just killing her outright out of spite/revenge? Or could it be that he’s going to bait her into something else, i.e. “you’re going to die from the poison I just gave you unless you do as I say.” More on that later.

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AMC and Sony Pictures Television confirmed today that they have reached a licensing agreement for a spinoff of Breaking Bad, with a working title that fits quite well (and is probably of little surprise to anyone): Better Call Saul. The press release states: “Plans call for Saul to be a one-hour prequel that will focus on the evolution of the popular Saul Goodman character before he ever became Walter White’s lawyer.”

I honestly wish I had this news earlier in the season, especially before the confrontation Saul had with Jessie. When Jessie beat the shit out of Saul and pointed the gun at his head, I did not think Jessie would pull the trigger. Mostly that was because of the spin-off rumblings. Imagine if those rumors had been purposely spread earlier in the season, to throw people off like they did to me, only to have Jessie blow Saul Away in that scene? Holy crap, that would have been a twist most no one would have seen coming.

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Rick and the prison gang are on the brink of war with the Governor and the army from Woodbury. We know this because the characters have been talking about it for 7 episodes. So winter is coming to the prison and just like on Game of Thrones, they’ve been talking about it incessantly without delivering the goods. Although, if the final image of last season’s finale of Game of Thrones is any indication, we’ll be watching both winter and war this Sunday night (let’s hope).

Unfortunately, this inevitable (and unnecessary) war has taken some of the steam out of this half of the season, because we know the war is coming, therefore, we know that the main players (Rick and the Governor) will live long enough to engage in that final battle. It’s a little like watching a prequel – I wonder if Anakin and Obi Won are going to survive the poison gas? Umm, yes, because they’re both alive in Episode IV. There’s no real tension watching life and death scenes involving those characters

So how do you draw out an inevitable war for 7 episodes? Criss-cross storytelling. The past few episodes have isolated focus on one of the two camps: the prison or Woodbury. These episodes were good at establishing characters and setting up themes, and were definitely more interesting to watch than the similar styled expositional episodes from last season on the farm. We had Rick, Carl and Michonne’s mission to find supplies and guns which reunited Rick with Morgan, the man who saved Rick’s life in the pilot episode. The episode established Michonne as a legitimate member of the prison group (making the Governor’s offer even more difficult), but it also foreshadowed Rick’s possible fate if anything were to happen to Carl. Morgan’s grief and isolation after his son’s death has pushed him to the brink of insanity. Rick has already showed similar signs after seeing pregnant and/or angel Lori all over the prison. He has been able to somewhat control his reaction to his visions, but one more traumatic loss for Rick could push him over the edge, like Morgan.

This ping-ponging back and forth between the two sides helped mask the fact that everyone has been waiting for the season finale for the real war to begin. Unlike the other seasons, this season featured a true antagonist in the Governor where the past seasons have just showed the group striving for certain goals: get to the CDC and finding Sophia. Introducing a “big bad” means that a major confrontation will have to occur. And Rick’s realization that his actions have been just as deplorable as the Governor’s and that his group will now function as a democracy, not a dictatorship, will lead to a true clash of good versus evil. While I know that Rick and the Governor will survive until the final battle, I am fearful for Glenn and Maggie during the season finale, given his incredibly romantic marriage proposal (“here’s a ring I ripped off of a dead walker, honey”). Anytime two characters profess their love and commitment to one another (or silently hand a blood stained ring to a woman and wait for her to respond) while standing in the eye of a major storm, it doesn’t end well for one of them.

Despite my slight annoyance that the War of Woodbury has been drawn out over the past 7 episodes, this had been a great season of The Walking Dead. The actors (Norman Reedus, Michael Rooker, David Morrissey) have been phenomenal in their performances. I really felt the pain and guilt Daryl suffered when he discovered his brother’s fate. I hope that the narrow focused episodes this season means that more money and resources were available to make the season finale (and the war) worth the wait. I am looking forward to finding out who will be left standing after the dust settles.

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The word of the night on The Walking Dead’s episode “Say the Word” is transition. Well, technically I think it was “hello” when Rick broke his rage-filled silence to answer a ringing telephone, although I would also accept “Lil’ ass-kicker.”  This episode has garnered some criticism, but I think this is an example of a necessary evil when it comes to series storytelling.  For every amazing episode, like “Killer Within,” there needs to be transitional episodes to tie the story together while advancing the narrative.

Screenwriters use a system of “bombs and talk” to propel a storyline forward; detonating a story bomb to shake things up and allowing the characters time to react to that bomb through calmer, “talking” scenes. Last week’s episode was a bomb and this week’s was a talker, ironically of course, since the two characters doing the most reacting, Rick and Michonne, were relatively mute throughout.  Audiences need time to process those big dramatic moments of major plot points, so there needs to be inbetweener episodes that give the viewers a period of (relative) quiet to digest what came before and prepare for major dramatic episodes to come. This contrast of show pacing enhances the drama of the major plot points more than if the entire season were filled with non-stop action and conflict.

These episodes also allow the writers to take care of necessary business in regard to the overall story arc of the season.  A good example of this is the episode “Triangle” from season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode centers around Anya and Willow fighting over Xander’s attention and in the process they release an ogre, played by Abraham Benrubi (he’ll always be Kubiac to me), who wreaks havoc on the city of Sunnydale. This episode airs right after Buffy not only discovers Riley’s betrayal, but he then abandons her and she is left alone caring for her ailing mother and whiny sister.  When I first watched it, it felt like a throw away, “talker” episode; just a comic relief filler show to satisfy the twenty-two episode season requirement and give the audience a breather after a heavy, drama-filled episode. But the writers were clever enough to use the ogre’s hammer, left behind during this episode, as a major plot point in the season finale, thus utilizing this “throw-away” episode to enrich the story.

Now, I’m not saying that “Say the Word” is a throw-away episode, because a lot did happen, but it was a transitional episode meant to give the viewer a chance to digest the events of “Killer Within” while setting up the rest of the season. Lil’ass-kicker was born and with her came a whole bundle of practical problems, such as finding formula, diapers, and medicine for a newborn baby. And who knows where they’ll be able to find a Sophie the giraffe teething toy in this post-apocalyptic, zombie filled world. Daryl and Maggie rode off to deal with that logical plot point while Glenn and the newbies dug graves for the fallen friends. Although with Carol still MIA and Lori’s (apparent) final resting place being inside the stomach of a lethargic walker, I’m not really sure what they buried.

Then there’s Rick. The entire run of TWD has followed Rick’s journey to protect his family, so for him to lose Lori without even the opportunity to defend her pushed him to the brink of insanity, if not beyond.  His rampage through the prison hunting for Lori was visually gratuitous, but completely in line with what that character is going through.  He has nothing left to really survive for, so his rage has replaced common sense. Sure he still has Carl, but his son has grown up so much since last season that he doesn’t need Rick’s protection the way Lori and the coming baby did. Lori was also the main thing keeping Rick grounded in this new reality; to borrow a concept from LOST, Lori was Rick’s constant (that’s right, brother). Even throughout all the tension and difficulties between the two, Rick’s actions were influenced by what he needed to do to protect Lori as well as what he felt was consistent with the man he was with Lori before the zombie outbreak. But now without her, there is no one really linking him to his old life and no one to offer support of his decisions that has that knowledge of his true character, even if that support were only a consenting glance before he rushed off on another life or death task. Without that tie to his past humanity, I expect to see a tougher and more distant Rick throughout the rest of the season.

In regards to the gratuitous violence of this episode (and all season), I think it’s less about adding gore for the sake of gore and more about creating a stark contrast between their hopeful life on the farm versus their struggle for survival now in the prison. After the herd destroyed their safe haven, these people have been running for seven months desperate to find a sanctuary to give them refuge from the mayhem of the outside world. Last season was about hope and faith, finding a place where they can build a real life for themselves. This season seems to be the reveal that building that new life is a far off dream. When they took over the prison, they talked of turning it into their new home, complete with planting crops in the yard much like they had on their farm. But this new safe haven has been marred by violence and death, and I think the showrunners are using the noted increase in gore as a visual indicator to the audience that the survivors will never find the safety and security they thought possible while on the farm. Woodbury serves the same purpose, showing a mirage of an idyllic shelter but peppering in scenes showing the gruesomeness needed to maintain order within the town. It’s the contrast between the townspeople partying in the streets and Merle pulling out walker teeth that hits home the point that these people may never find a true safe place to start over their lives.

Michonne sees this truth, which is why she urges Andrea to leave with her (albeit in the most taciturn way possible). Andrea, blinded by that hope for a normal life, chooses to stay in Woodbury as Michonne heads out alone.  Embracing her new world, Andrea accompanies the Governor to watch the town’s festivities. But, this is where I don’t understand the Governor’s motivations even though I recognize why the writers chose to structure the storyline in this way. What I don’t understand is why after all the calculated charm the Governor has employed during his courtship of Andrea does he completely change directions by taking her to the arena revealing one of Woodbury’s dark secrets? Andrea is justifiably horrified and I would think the Governor, who is a master manipulator, would have assumed that to be her reaction, so I found that interaction to be a bit out of character given his interest in Andrea. I realize from a story point of view it makes sense to reveal to Andrea that her decision to stay in Woodbury was a mistake right after Michonne left, instead of waiting a week or so to do it, especially since the audience already knows the Governor is a pretty sick man. So what is Andrea’s next move now that the curtain has been pulled back and she knows Michonne’s concerns were justified?

The writers are getting their players into position for the coming episodes. We have Andrea isolated inside Woodbury, Michonne alone on the outside, the prison gang caring for Lil’ ass-kicker, and Rick grieving the final death of his old life. These characters are primed and ready for the next bomb to go off and I, for one, am looking forward to what blows up next.

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Are you ready? Because it’s coming quick: A 16-episode season three of The Walking Dead.

Of course, for those who need to catch up — or want to fill in an episode or two or 20 — beginning Saturday there will be an AMC marathon of the show so you can reacquaint yourself with what’s gone on over the last two seasons.

Me? Oh … I’m more than ready. I have been for quite some time. I’ve been busy jawing with showrunner Glen Mazzara and creator Robert Kirkman about the show. July’s Comic-Con gave us news and tidbits and a spiffy preview (featured in this post) of some of the things to come. During the last few months I’ve turned a few friends and associates on to the show. (One buddy of mine pooh-pooh’d TWD when he originally heard about it. I convinced him otherwise with a marathon session. It goes without saying he’s not only a believer, but he’s hooked and champing at the bit for Sunday’s premiere.)

Glen has promised us things in the coming season we won’t be expecting, Robert has assured us no punches will be pulled. But what does that mean to us, the fans? It means we’re going to get a slammin’ season’s worth of drama. In the grand scheme of things we already know no one’s safe, evidenced by the surprisingly earlier-than-expected exit of Shane and the even more shocking demise of Dale last season. And, among many of us, we had hoped Sophia would make it out alive after she got lost in the season 2 premiere. But it was still jaw-dropping to see her appear tainted and undead lumbering out last from Hershel’s barn in “Pretty Much Dead Already” … wasn’t it?

So … what are you expecting out of The Walking Dead this time around? The comics notwithstanding (because the writers have simultaneously proven to us they’re faithful to them and not), I’ll pass along a few thoughts to ponder about a few of the characters. Let me know what you think:

Carl: Does it make a difference if he stays or if he goes? Throughout the show, there have been some nice touches surrounding him, especially when he got shot by Otis. (Seriously, Michael? That was a “nice” touch … ?!?) But with all the shenanigans he’s been involved in (dissing Carol about Sophia, swiping Daryl’s gun, tempting fate talking to Randall in the barn, fooling with that mud-trapped walker and, indirectly, being responsible for Dale getting killed) it would make for an interesting scenario if he was offed. And let’s admit it: In a lot of ways Carl’s been a pain in the ass, continually needing to be watched. And that’s something everyone fails at.

T-Dog: We’ve been promised we’re going to see a whole lot more from him this season, but how can he become instrumental in the next several episodes so that we care about him? Thus far, T-Dog has been another toss-off character, his biggest role having been antagonization of Merle back in season 1.

Andrea: She’s still a bit of a loose cannon, isn’t she? She can be a wild one. What happens to her and to the group if she simply goes off the rails? Yes … she’s completely capable of defending herself so long as she’s got a weapon in her hand. Still, can’t you see the possibility of her becoming a shadow of Shane in many ways?

Lori: The biggest outcry from the fans was that of Lori being a big, fat whiner throughout last season. She spouted off here, threw her weight around there, cried and emoted at times, stood her ground in yet others. But think about it: Given the circumstances, she’s being rather the typical woman, isn’t she? Now, before I get lambasted about unruffling my chauvinistic side, consider this — realistically, the world does harbor “those” types of women, ones just like Lori. While I enjoy some of the drama she dredges up, frustrating as it sometimes can be, I’m just not in the same camp many out there are in that she should meet her eventual fate. As a mother — as a conflicted mother-to-be twice over — and as a wife, she’s got a lot on her plate. Granted, she’s a mess. I don’t know if she should be cut some slack or not in that regard. But I am interested on seeing where she goes this season.

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