How much is too much?

Based on common sense and experience, it’s not unreasonable to believe we have a pretty good grasp of what “too much” means. Between you, me and every other reader out there, we can attach a reasonable answer to the question in pretty short order.

Take common sense for example: We know when there is too much salt on our food, when it’s too cold to go outside without a jacket, when you’re too tired to concentrate on something. Pretty basic stuff.

On the flip side, the concept of “too much” is not so easy to discern when it comes to some of our television preferences … and especially so with our favorite shows.

Already in The Walking Dead‘s current season’s second half, there’s been a bevy of examples of excess. And many of them have elicited its fans’ displeasure. (This isn’t exactly news to anyone; the show has been doing so from its inception, a big part of its draw and watchability.)

Recent events have caused fans (read “angry villagers”) to wield their pitchforks and lit torches on a vocal little stroll down Main Street, U.S.A.

Too Much Immediacy

With the series leaving us last year mourning Beth’s untimely demise, the writers immediately offered an interesting episode (“What Happened And What’s Going On”) to start the second half of the season with yet another death, this time fan-favorite Tyreese. Coming so quickly on the heels of Beth’s exit, you could practically hear fans gnashing their teeth. Was this too much too soon? Are the writers that heartless? Do they get their rocks off pegging us with multiple deaths back-to-back, barely giving us time to breathe?

No, not at all. It was the perfect time. It kept things flowing and interesting and it keeps us on the edge of our seats. Not to mention it makes for good drama. And it’s not as if it hasn’t been done before — Dale and Shane were “offed” in consecutive episodes during season 2. The show’s Powers That Be aren’t setting any precedents.

But still … too much too soon? That’s what a lot of fans harped about on social media, blogs and other forums concerning Tyreese’s downfall. Just goes to show you can’t please everyone all of the time.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s those gut punches and their ramifications that keep the show’s comfortabilities at bay and our senses tuned. Me? I didn’t have a problem with it. It’s part of what The Walking Dead is. If you’re a fan, you come to expect the unexpected. So, no … it wasn’t too much.

Too Much Monotony

This is one of my pet peeves. And not about the show itself, but of the fans’ attitudes toward it.

To many, last week’s “Them” was filled with plodding and tiresome nothingness. Some of the things I read and heard? “Not much action.” “Boring.” “Little story.” “It’s as if the group was doing nothing but huffing it on down a highway aimlessly.”

And therein lies my peeve. Because there was so much more to the episode.

The group was fresh from a confrontation at Grady Memorial where they successfully won back Carol but lost Beth in the process. They were still reeling from Bob’s fate at the hands of the Terminans not to mention the ruckus of that particular house of horrors. And now? Tyreese is gone. The group, as a whole, is woefully affected on deeply personal levels, particularly so in the cases of Daryl, Maggie and Sasha whose feelings have been especially riven and rent raw as a result of the loss of their loved ones. But wait, there’s more: Throw in everyone’s depletion from lack of food and water and you have yourself a real party going on. Each person is spent to their cores. Does the situation cry for a splatter-fest fracas with the undead?

No. It calls for introspection and understanding of the characters, some healing of those frayed nerves, sometimes in the form of emotional outlet. In whatever form that outlet might take. And, again, that’s just what the writers gave us. They slowed the pace of the show for the greater part of an episode and, as an audience, got us to take a step backward and evaluate the position these emotionally crippled and physically exhausted folks are feeling.

It’s called character study. I applaud it. And I’m certain I’m in the minority.

Most fans want the action, the splatter, the danger … every single episode. And I get that to a degree. It’s all well and fine to get caught up in a show. I do it all the time. But in something like The Walking Dead there’s a whole lot more going on then just the blood and guts, which is my least favorite part. Getting to the heart of the characters and their interactions with others as well as the ramifications of their actions … that’s where the real meat and potatoes of the series is for me. As example, Rick’s introspection and decisions. Glenn’s lay-it-on-the-line common sense. Michonne’s rare, in-your-face sensibility. (We saw example of this big time in Sunday’s episode during her discussions with Rick.) Daryl’s seeming off-the-cuff outbursts which, when you dissect them, can often reveal more wisdom than knee-jerk reaction.

So is there too much monotony when an episode like “Them” comes along to slow down the pace? Hell no. It’s completely necessary to the story.

(This post contains 2 pages. Please visit the website to continue reading. Thank you.)

Comic-Con is what you make of it.

And, being the event comes but once a year for a brief portion of a week, it’s best you hit the floor with all thrusters at full when you descend on San Diego.

Plans in place, I did just that Friday …

• My day started with a tradition I maintain every year at Comic-Con, a visit to the San Diego Blood Bank for my annual donation. With my partner in crime Ivey in tow, we made the short trek to do our thing. Lo and behold, the same gentleman who poked and prodded me last year — Ramon — drew from me once again. I think the two of us are becoming “a thing” …
• I got the opportunity to do quite a few interviews Friday, all of which will be posted in some form or another in the coming week. Included in those Q&As were a comic property (Eric Powell of the popular comic The Goon), a couple television show press rooms (Falling Skies which had to be cut short due to scheduling conflicts and The Walking Dead) and something new I wanted I sought out to learn more about, God Is Disappointed In You by writer Mark Russell and Shannon Wheeler of Too Much Coffee Man fame.
• Ivey sat down with the cast from Dominion, or putting it another way: Ivey sat down with Giles and Charles Widmore … and David from Kings and Doreah from Game of Thrones.
• I caught an extended look at iZombie in one of the spacious meeting rooms, something I thought might be packed to the gills. To my surprise, I was able to walk right in, unlike Thursday with the Toy Story That Time Forgot. (That panel was stuffed to capacity. You win some, you lose some.)
• In a stark contrast to last year’s The 100 press room, Ivey said series star Isaiah Washington was comically tight-lipped about what is coming up for his character on the show this year … but in all honesty, his being in attendance is a spoiler in and of itself.
• Do I have to mention there was a gaggle of photos taken and the Con floor traversed in search of personalities and old friends? Naturally.

Busy as the day was, there were still evening parties to attend.

• En route to the Warner Bros. fest, I bumped into a crowd of luchadores (Mexican wrestlers) going the opposite direction. Every year we hook up at some bar or restaurant in San Diego’s Gaslamp to enjoy pitchers of cerveza and offer photo opportunities to any passersby. (The kicker is the fact these guys are real luchadores from Tijuana. I’m the token gringo of the bunch who they’ve welcomed with open arms as a brother.) I told them I would seek them out a bit later in the evening.
• The Warner Bros. party Ivey and I attended was located at a spacious, open air rooftop of The Hard Rock. This shindig boasted more talent than you could shake a stick at. Talent from The 100, Mike Tyson Mysteries (including Iron Mike himself), The Vampire Diaries, iZombie The Flash, Arrow, Person Of Interest, Gotham, The Originals and The Following mingled about. There could very well have been more but, with a list like that, it was dizzying enough keeping track.
• Post party, Ivey headed back to the hotel while I went on the hunt for my wrestling brothers. I was unsuccessful … but I did wind up at an after-Eisner Awards festival with full of talent and fellow writers.
• Missed opportunity of the evening was The Last Ship party on the USS Midway. Wouldn’t it have been cool to have been rubbing elbows on an aircraft carrier? A wish for another time.
• Of a few things Ivey was involved in, he realized a dream this year which was unfulfilled in 2013: A photo opportunity on Game Of Thrones very own Iron Throne. Geek nirvana for certain.
• Additionally, he commandeered some pretty cool GoT swag — exclusive T-shirts HBO distributed at their Survive the Realm Experience. Artist Robert Ball, of GoT/HBO’s “Beautiful Death” series earlier this year, was the creator with a different piece debuting each day of The Con. Pretty cool swag if I do say so myself.

Saturday? Look out: We’re comin’ to getcha …

I was fooled.

The wool was pulled over my eyes. I was deceived. Snowed. Flimflammed. And when it comes right down to it, I have no one to blame but myself.

It began with The Walking Dead “Dead, White And Blue” marathon over the 4th of July weekend. The marathon was nice, diversionary white background noise tuned on in the background. Occasionally I’d plop on the couch in the cool of the house to take in part or all of an episode. No harm in that, I figured.

I’d seen enough chapters of the show, multiple times over and reviewed them. I’m familiar enough with all of them to hold my own in an in-depth discussion should one ever come ’round. So it was nothing more than a guilty pleasure to revisit an episode here and there or a favorite scene when it popped up. Adding to some of the hype was a recent article I read about the music used throughout the show, tunes which have become fan favorites or which punctuated characters or situations. That, too, was another nice little aside between various chores and duties and I took note of the music a bit more closely as a few of the mentioned tunes played out during the broadcast.

I even learned a thing or two, things I’d either forgotten completely or additional pieces of information I could tuck away as little asides: Lizzie’s dangerous prison monkey business in leading a walker down a walkway with Hershel’s subsequent rescue of her when things got out of hand. (There were tons of references throughout the show when it came to her delusions about the undead. I’d completely forgotten this particular one.) The revelation of the Governor’s surname, courtesy of his adviser Milton. (It’s “Blake” if you didn’t know, the same as in the comic series.) Hershel’s bit parts and sage advice, all adding legacy to his character throughout his time on the show. Little tidbits here and there that make The Walking Dead all the more enjoyable.

But there was a downside to the marathon. And it wasn’t the lure of untold hours of slothful, unproductive, eyes-glazed-over watching of rerun after rerun after rerun.

No. It was the incessant call of Chris Hardwick, host of Talking Dead, TWD‘s companion talk show. Over and over again Chris promised me — and millions of my closest friends — exclusive information about AMC’s post-apocalyptic show, along with a not-to-be-missed sneak preview of the upcoming season 5 premiere debuting in October. All I had to do was tune in to Talking Dead at 9:00 p.m.

At each commercial interruption, he teased viewers with little mini-interviews of TWD‘s actors and producers. Just as incessantly he promoted that sneak peek non-stop. I could feel his words wriggling into my brain on a mission to assert mind control over me so I was powerless to do anything but tune in for the 9:00 p.m. exclusive. His words were Kryptonite, oh so potent, wearing me ever more defenseless, eroding away any resolve I might have once had. “Special! Exclusive! Huge! Necessary! Must-See!” These were the exclamations he threw around to get me and everyone else watching to stayed tuned. In the end I’m sure Chris all but commanded me to be there.

And I was there. For the entire hour. Even though I knew for a fact that tease wouldn’t come until the very end, almost sixty minutes in.

And let me tell you something: I’m not proud of the fact I was worn down to a nub of my former self mentally, coerced into submission by an affront of relentless promotion to witness what no man had seen before:

Man, do I feel like a sucker.

Look: I don’t have anything against Chris Hardwick. But Talking Dead — while it was interesting in the very beginning — has become a blowhard promotional tool with zero substance. It used to be fun, it used to feel fresh. There was a time, during season 2 of The Walking Dead (which was the premiere season of Talking Dead) when it had an exciting behind-the-scenes vibe you used to look forward to. No longer. I stopped watching it after its second season because it became old and unwatchable. It turned into senseless hype and unsatisfying emptiness, a joke of its former self. When the likes of Kevin Smith and Todd McFarlane and Sarah Silverman (!) come on to talk about The Walking Dead (Why? Why? Why?), I could give a rat’s ass. Inexplicably, Jack Osbourne (!) and Marilyn Manson (!!!) were on one airing of last year’s program. What the hell was that about?!?

I have rules. Lots of them. Common rules, life rules, common sense rules. I like to think I learn from them. And I do … many times. One of those rules?

“You don’t learn from your successes. You learn from your mistakes.”

Let’s hope I learned something from this one.

[easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”none” asin=”1607065967″ cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CnU-l0djL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cliqueclack-20″ width=”111″] [easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”none” asin=”B00FN5Z8UY” cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cC3-JKV8L._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cliqueclack-20″ width=”111″] [easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”none” asin=”1607060760″ cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51m-0BhIqDL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cliqueclack-20″ width=”104″]

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.

[easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”none” asin=”1607060760″ cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51m-0BhIqDL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cliqueclack-20″ width=”104″] [easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”none” asin=”1607065967″ cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CnU-l0djL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cliqueclack-20″ width=”111″]

I want to talk about one character in particular featured on last Sunday’s The Walking Dead. Someone I don’t like in the least:

Bob Stookey.

I don’t like Bob. There’s something about him, maybe it’s something that hasn’t been revealed yet. I can’t put my finger on it; it’s just a gut feeling. Maybe it’s a character flaw or a quirk or kink. But it’s definitely something intuitively unsettling that continues to linger.

I haven’t liked Bob from the beginning. In the season 4 opener, I didn’t like his fishing for some project to keep him occupied at the prison, practically begging for meaningfulness in order to earn his keep. The fact he’s a closet alcoholic is problematic. As it is, his alcoholism got him in trouble in that Big Box store … remember? (Well … sort of. It almost got him toasted. And not in the way he would have liked. Not to mention his back story revelation during the last episode where we caught him quaffing freakin’ Nyquil — or its equivalent — in order to get high!) Since his introduction on the show he’s seemed not only out of sorts (that’s the lack of alcohol playing tricks with him) but a bit “off,” too.

I’ve read the comic and I know what happened with and to the character therein. The differences in the comic book character and the show character are vast. To wit, Bob wasn’t even around at this point in the comic — he died. There was nothing redeeming about him in the comic. He was story filler, nothing more. That was the comic, not the television series.

But in this last episode (the aptly titled “Alone”) the writers decided to infuse him with intelligence and sympathy and understanding and charm so you gravitated to him like a moth to flame. Post fog walker attack on Bob and Maggie and Sasha, Bob smiled at Sasha during one point and joked with her about getting bit by a walker: “It’s okay … he got me right on the bandage.” And then? He smiled at her, big as the sky, after she hugged him. And I’ll admit: I caught myself (possibly) beginning to sympathize and finally care (Really?) about Bob.

This writers’ tactic (I’m referring to it as “Bobification”) continued throughout the better part of the hour. Each time he engaged Sasha. In his glimmers of decency and understanding. In his urging Sasha to continue on after Maggie left them. And, finally, when he was reunited with the two women once again on the railroad tracks at the end of the episode.

This realization of empathy hit me at the conclusion of Sunday’s broadcast. But that’s not where it started.

It started right from the get go, as soon as the show began. It was the wordlessness of the several scenes and situations we found Bob in. That’s where it creeped into my mind. And it did so unknowingly. I was too engaged in the episode. Unwitting compassion sneakily began intruding within me. It left a little mark on my mind and caused me to take notice and start to emote. But it wasn’t until the end of the program I figured it out.

At the end, that’s where the “ah HA!” moment flicked on the imaginary light bulb above my head. My Achilles’ heel, one of my huge weaknesses! It was the music … that music!

Everyone knows I’m a sucker for a good tune. And especially so with evocative placement in a program. That intro with Bob aimlessly and shiftlessly shuffling from scene to scene — often without purpose … lost … dazed and confused — it pulled you in. It pulled me in. The tune playing was haunting, it beckoned you to come on in and see what this forlorn man might be all about, why his eyes looked so lost inside themselves. The music wafted around you and gently tugged, urging you to find out why.

I slammed that door shut as soon as I realized this: No song, I don’t care what it is, is going to make me like or appreciate Bob Stookey. I’m not that gullible …

Days later, I heard the song again out of nowhere. I instantly recognized it as the tune which opened and closed “Alone” Sunday night. But this time there was something more to it, a touch of familiarity … and not just from the fact it was featured prominently in The Walking Dead.

I researched it quickly … and was surprised by my findings: The song was one written specifically with The Walking Dead in mind. And by none other than season 9 American Idol winner Lee DeWyze. And dammit if it wasn’t one crackerjack of a tune. More so, one which effectively dramatized Bob Stookey’s presence and back story in “Alone.”

Compelling, powerful, impressive stuff.

And, while my dislike and above-voiced proclivities toward the character remain (despite the writers’ and DeWyze’ best efforts) I have to give The Walking Dead a tip of my hat for the attempt to get me on board Bob Stookey’s train.

[easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”none” asin=”B00IOFVPQQ” cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CGYK%2BVN1L._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cliqueclack-20″ width=”160″] [easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”none” asin=”B00DUGPDDA” cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61JcQ-IaTKL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cliqueclack-20″ width=”160″] [easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”none” asin=”B003MC5CNS” cloaking=”default” height=”159″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51acpvjaBxL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cliqueclack-20″ width=”160″]

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.)

(This post contains 2 pages. Please visit the website to continue reading. Thank you.)

As low key as the conclusion to last season was, many interesting dynamics from the characters emerged. Especially from Rick. That’s something I’ve continued to welcome in The Walking Dead every step of the way.

AMC’s powerhouse has always been more about character interaction and the human element rather than the ever-present walkers, the least attractive thing about the show in my opinion, literally and figuratively. But the walkers do hold an important position. They’re the canvas, they’re the backdrop to what takes place while the stories of Rick and company unfold.

So coming into the new season? It didn’t bother me in the least it started out a bit slowly, methodically, somewhat calculated.

Season 3’s premiere — “Seed” — started out that way in the very beginning … calm, cool, collected and without a single, solitary word spoken between any of the group. And as the season unfolded it began looking into the characters with more depth than we’d seen before. The promise of this season? Looks like we’ll be doing more of the same if the premiere is any indication.

But that promise came at a price, one that manifested itself in a lot of different (and sometimes boring) ways. It came displaying a ton of domesticity at the prison. Farming. Story time. A lot of camaraderie. Smiles (yes … smiles) all around. And — cheesiest of all — with Carol calling Daryl “Pookie” of all things. *zoinks* (Or wait: Maybe the jaunt to the store with its complete waste of storytelling and farcical fall-from-the-sky walkers was the cheesiest part of the episode. Shame on the writers for subjecting us to such drivel….)

Yeah … not exactly the kind of stuff you’d expect when you’ve been champing at the bit for six months for a new episode. Rarely do I do this, but even I welcomed the gratuitous walker killings to break some of the monotony that unfolded on my television screen.

But … we did get a few bones thrown our way to whet our appetites. “Violet” the pig has died mysteriously for some unknown reason. Carl’s little buddy Patrick seems to have manifested the first signs of a new threat that’s come knocking at the prison’s doors. (Nice meeting you, Patrick.) The real treat for me, though, was Rick’s encounter with “the dirty woman” and the strange exchange he had with her and her walker husband Eddie. Between her creepiness and her accent, I was intrigued. Just goes to show you what the show’s world has done to some people. And it ain’t pretty.

Yes, in many ways the opener was low-profile with a lot of things we’ve seen previously but with some nice little nods to keep us interested. (Hershel’s new foot, Carl’s apparent change of attitude from last season.) This premiere didn’t display the dynamism we’ve come to take for granted, but it did afford us a few new doors to open up and peek through.

Observations:

• Rick tossing that gun he found while tending his crops into the wheelbarrow so carefreely: Wow. Things have become way too complacent around the prison over the months. Not a good sign for anyone.
• … not to mention the little conversation he and Hershel had about Rick refusing to carry a gun outside the prison. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it … right?
• Since when did Carol become so concerned about hiding what she’s doing from Rick? Granted, she’s taken it upon herself to teach some of the children how to wield knives in the face of danger. But it’s the world they live in. Perhaps it’s a direct result of Rick’s calmer and more carefree demeanor? Fear of him going off the deep end into CrazyTown once more?
• It bears repeating: The shopping trip with Daryl and the rest of his group was some of the saddest writing I’ve seen in the history of The Walking Dead. Period. And it better not happen again.
• The new guy who just wants to earn his keep, Bob Stookey? I don’t like him as far as I can throw him. Closet alcoholic (he was eyeing the wine in the store a little too lovingly), attractant for trouble, overly-eager to participate … I don’t know. There’s something about him that doesn’t sit right with me. Mark my words.

[easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B0049P1ZZQ” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Iad9vxcKL._SL160_.jpg” width=”130″] [easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B005LAJ23A” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511crjo2oSL._SL160_.jpg” width=”128″] [easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B009NH6JRE” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51tjwSz14GL._SL160_.jpg” width=”126″]

[easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”1607060760″ locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51m-0BhIqDL._SL160_.jpg” width=”104″] [easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”1607065967″ locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CnU-l0djL._SL160_.jpg” width=”111″]

And there you go. The season ender of The Walking Dead, in the books.

The build up to the finale was, by many accounts, too prolonged with not enough meat to sink one’s teeth into before reaching fruition. (“Prey,” of a few weeks ago, in particular was one of my least liked episodes.) And when the season ender finally came around? It seemed not to deliver the goods. It was a let down as far as a season capper goes. I said that about the finale on my initial viewing because that’s exactly how I felt after having watched it. It wasn’t really that bad, but it was far from great. And, in fact, there were some excellent aspects to it.

Without a doubt, an accusatory finger was pointed directly at the writer of “Welcome To The Tombs” — none other than season 3 show runner Glen Mazzara himself — with a lot of “no-pulled-punches” talk complaining, it contained enough suckiness to fill a sack. The question is: Was there? Was there that much lackluster resulting in a finale of substandard quality failing to satisfy?

And then I watched it again and picked up on subtleties I’d missed the first time around. The reality is, whether you liked this episode or not, it all came down to a matter of perspective. …

The Good

Rick’s Turn About / Change Of Heart: I’m a character guy. I love the interaction between players. It’s a main reason I enjoy The Walking Dead. I loved Dale and Shane for who they were, but not necessarily what they stood for. I even got off on the ever-changing monkey business Lori perpetrated during season 2. But they’re gone. Now? We have Rick and Carl and Daryl filling their voids and taking up some of the slack. And, yes, they’ve always been present, but now they’re all the more prominent. Regarding Rick, he had me thinking. I tried figuring out what he was doing and where he was going mentally — not an easy task: the pressure he was under as the leader, the decisions he needed to make, the responsibility he shouldered, Carl in the back of his mind … even a new baby in the fold. Concerning Shane’s death, dealing / not dealing with Lori and, subsequently, contending with her death, there was (and always has been) more to Rick’s “going off the deep end” than what appeared on the surface. Deep down, he’s a rock. But being continually on the go both of mind and body, heading down a path of incomprehensibility and mental unhingedness seemed inevitable. Sure enough, it manifested itself with flair. But, for who he is at the core, Rick’s change of heart regarding Michonne (in not turning her over to The Governor) as well as his realization and comfort toward Andrea knowing her eventual demise, didn’t we know that compassion was always inside him? Getting his common sense back and not letting knee-jerk reactions get the better of him where outsiders are concerned had to be in the end what won the day. So letting the remaining Woodbury denizens into the fold wasn’t a stretch. That wrapped up a nice little arc for me where Rick’s fragile mind was concerned.

Carl’s Degradation: Wow. You could easily — and wrongly — state “like father, like son” when it came to Carl and his explanation why he shot the Woodbury kid. At the start of the episode, when we saw Carl packing his things in his prison cell, he took out and contemplated the picture of he, his mother and father. I found that rather telling in light of the shooting death, especially when taken in context with his conversations with Rick. Do I need to get into his attitude in demanding he go with his father to Woodbury post “war” aftermath? Carl is definitely traipsing down a dark road, one spurning decency and replacing it with a single mindedness sans compromise. Come next season, I’m curious to see if they expound on his condition.

The Governor’s Further Depravity: As if The Governor’s conversation with Milton about Penny at the start of the episode wasn’t proof enough, we got further evidence via the throng of Woodburyans he cold-bloodedly gunned down after the attempted prison seige. I’m pleased he gallivanted off into the sunset and the door for the character is left open. He’s pretty sick and twisted and, more than the anticipation of the confrontation between the two groups, I want to be witness to The Governor’s ultimate fate. Before that happens, however, you can bet there will be a no-pussyfooting-around, grand reappearance from him.

Daryl Post-Merle: There was only a quick exchange between Daryl and Carol about Merle, but it spoke volumes about how he felt about his older brother. In Daryl’s eyes, maybe there was some redemption there after all … given the added boost of Carol’s reassuring hand squeeze.

The Bad

Andrea Dragging Her Feet (Literally): This was the worst part of the episode. Holy Pick Up The Pace, Batman: Could she have dawdled and wasted any more time while Milton was stewing in his own juices getting ready to turn? Because, you know, she had all the time in the world to cut herself loose from her confines before he reanimated and began munching on her …

On the flip side, her demise was one of the better, more emotional moments of the finale. If you’re in the camp that thought Andrea had turned into “annoying Lori of season 2,” you loved the fact she died. If you liked her fence-sitting wishy-washyness this season, you grieved over her death. She made you care, if just a little bit … no doubt spurred by Michonne’s water works.

(This post contains 2 pages. Please visit the website to continue reading. Thank you.)

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.

[easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B009NH6AOQ” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WScjV96-L._SL160_.jpg” width=”108″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B005LAJ22Q” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kqfWxAtNL._SL160_.jpg” width=”114″][easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B0060MYM7O” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510CdRRcVpL._SL160_.jpg” width=”128″]

If you haven’t seen “This Sorrowful Life,” the latest episode of The Walking Dead, you are hereby duly informed: There will be spoilers. (Truth be told, though: Unless you’ve sequestered yourself from everything The Walking Dead, it’s a little difficult not to know what took place in the chapter.)

I’m going to detail information on Merle Dixon, loose canon and elder brother of Daryl Dixon, touch on the last few episodes and recount items specifically from the penultimate episode of season 3.

From the beginning of the first season, it was understood the Dixon Brothers were not only shared a close familial blood bond but were continually forced apart by not only their circumstances but by their decisions as well. And, unfortunately, to the bitter end for one of them.

Yes … redneck Merle finally met his end. It was to the general understanding — and in many cases the general approval — of many who watch that it was inevitable this would happen. But there is an overall consensus blowing on the breeze Merle actually redeemed himself of his evil mannerisms at the last, redeemed himself from being a complete asshole to everyone he encountered, pleaded with or otherwise came across. Did he? In point of fact, did he really make recompense? I say no. He didn’t even come close … not by a long shot.

Let’s look at the evidence:

Merle forever capitalized on his circumstances. Whether it was to get himself out of a bind, take control of a situation or just because it was Merle being Merle, there wasn’t any thought of do goodery in the man. It was always selfish, always self-serving, usually of his own volition and, many a time, on a whim. From the very start, he took control. Remember his speech on the rooftop in “Guts” at the start of season 1? His introduction to us was that of a pompous ass in the episode. Fast forward to his reintroduction at the prison in helping out with the walker seige, right there when Rick was being overrun by walkers, the Dixon boys miraculously appearing out of thin air. That was Merle at his groveling best (without any grovel whatsoever) doing his best to show he was a valuable commodity in his own way, his own form of humility (such that it was) to ingratiate himself back into the fold. His torture of Glenn back at Woodbury? Nothing more than “a showcase of his wares” as a means to better himself in The Governor’s eyes. There has never (yes … I used the word “never”) been a position he’s been in where he hasn’t used it to his advantage — whether it’s to his benefit or in outright defiance. That’s just Merle.

But Merle let Michonne go, proof he had a change of heart. Yeah … a little light switch turning on the modicum of goodness inside Merle with that gesture. Right? Nope. There’s no such thing as a little light switch in the human body that turns things on and turns things off, folks. Let’s get serious: The only reason Merle cut Michonne loose was to rid himself of her continuous yapping. He tired of her attempt at trying to get to the heart of his dark side, to see if there was any goodness left within. Nothing more. What? You think his leaning over her and opening the door was a gallant, chivalrous gesture? You’re dreaming. That was his way of telling her to get the hell out of the car and hit the road. Pulling away from her, I’m convinced he heaved a sigh of relief knowing she wasn’t sitting beside him mouthing off.

Merle convinced himself he was the one who got the dirty work done. To everyone else, Merle was delusional. If not right away, this was something everyone who came in contact with him realized sooner or later. No one ever told him he had to pull the trigger or take care of business or kowtow to anyone as a personal lapdog. That was something he worked himself into a lather about all by his lonesome. I told you … delusion. When you think the whole world is out to get you, when you’ve convinced yourself of that, nothing is going to sway you otherwise. And that line of thinking made Merle ever dangerous. If you think differently about the man, if you believe there was anything other than vehemence inside his rotten core, you’re delusional yourself. He was sick from the inside out for a long, long time. You could hear it in the way he spoke, you could see it plain as day in his demeanor.

Merle claimed time and again he did what he did with his little brother in mind, but it never was. Egoistic, narrow-minded and self-centered — all things Merle exemplified to anyone who would listen — does not lend well to compassion for others. He used Daryl the same way he used anyone else. The difference was he liked spewing there was that paternal bond, forever tying him to his little brother. And it was no more evident than when he was trying to convince Daryl of such. How lovely of him.

In the end, it was all about Merle having an agenda. And that’s all it was. It was his singular need to off The Governor for throwing him out with the garbage (so to speak) when he pitted him against Daryl in the make-shift arena during the mid-season finale “Made To Suffer.”

So … there’s plenty of evidence right there for you to consider. Still want to canonize Merle because he bared his soul at the very last in letting Michonne off the hook and trying to take care of The Governor?

News Flash: He didn’t bare his soul at all. He only bared his teeth. Defiantly.

[easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B0049P1VHS” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51d7SYfBcOL._SL160_.jpg” width=”114″] [easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B005CA4SQK” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QSGoYEjHL._SL160_.jpg” width=”127″] [easyazon-image align=”none” asin=”B005LAJ23A” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511crjo2oSL._SL160_.jpg” width=”128″]