Category: Walking Dead Reviews

The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 5 – Go Getters

“Everything just feels wrong.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

Another week, another community menaced by the Saviors. In this week’s The Walking Dead, it was the turn of the Hilltop to be menaced by Negan’s ever-helpful ambassadors, in an ep that did a great deal for developing characters we already knew but not very well; along with answering the mystery of just where Maggie had got to while the Alexandrians were cleverly pretending she was dead.

Continue reading “The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 5 – Go Getters”

The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 4 – Service

“Let me put this to you all as clearly as I can. I’m not in chare any more. Negan is.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

It was Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner in The Walking Dead this week, as Negan took the opportunity to make his first visit to his new conquest – Alexandria. Last week we saw how these goods collections go from the Saviors’ point of view; now we got to see it from the perspective of their victims. And understandably, nobody seemed to welcome their new bat-wielding overlord. Continue reading “The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 4 – Service”

The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 3 – The Cell

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“Whatever he’s done to you, there’s more. There’s always more.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

After last week’s side trip to the Kingdom, this week’s Walking Dead got back to Negan, but not to Rick and the gang. Instead, this was an interesting glimpse into Savior HQ, showing just how Negan runs things. As last week, it had a tight focus mainly on two characters. Fans may have been delighted to see an ep where Daryl was centre stage; but really, the story was as much, if not more, about Negan’s faithful lieutenant Dwight. In the process, seeing things from the perspective of one of the ‘bad guys’, we came to understand more about how Negan stays in charge. Continue reading “The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 3 – The Cell”

The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 2 – The Well

“They needed someone to follow, so I acted the part. And I made it.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

After last week’s gruelling exercise in emotional endurance, this week’s The Walking Dead was a change of pace, as is the show’s frequent wont. Not immediately following up on the devastating consequences of last week’s events by switching to another plotline is one of the show’s common tactics – it helps keep you in suspense about one group of characters by building up new suspense with others. Though quite frankly, after last time a change of scene was something of a relief. Continue reading “The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 2 – The Well”

The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 1 – The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be

“Clock’s ticking, Rick. Think about what could still happen.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

All summer long, the question on every Walking Dead fan’s mind has been – who died? Having read the comic was no comfort – the TV version has deliberately misled comics readers before. This intense, emotionally gruelling season opener, scripted by showrunner Scott Gimple and directed by veteran Greg Nicotero, showed no mercy to those waiting for an answer. Every possible drop of tension was milked in a clever, non-linear narrative that set out to achieve two things – firstly, to keep us from knowing for as long as possible who was on the receiving end of Negan’s beloved baseball bat, and secondly, to break Rick more thoroughly than we imagined possible. Continue reading “The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 1 – The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”

Fear the Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 1 – Monster

“It’s mob rule on land. What makes you think it’s any different out here?”

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(SPOILER WARNING!)

 After a storming season finale for AMC’s ratings behemoth The Walking Dead, the long wait for resolution to that controversial cliffhanger ending is now being filled by the return of previously lacklustre spinoff Fear the Walking Dead. Fear’s first season was mediocre at best, seemingly taking an age to reach the point of its zombie apocalypse, then avoiding showing us any of the actual detail in favour of following a group of unlikeable characters in a military quarantine. It was (eventually) interesting enough, but felt like a missed opportunity. Continue reading “Fear the Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 1 – Monster”

The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 16 – The Last Day on Earth

“What if it’s the last day on Earth for you? Or for someone you love?”

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(SPOILER WARNING!)

Wow, that was good! Of late, Walking Dead season finales have tended to be rather low key; it’s been the mid-season finales that packed the punch. This time, the mid-season finale was functional but forgettable; I even forgot to review it. This, though, more than made up for it. Continue reading “The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 16 – The Last Day on Earth”

The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 15 – East

“I’m not right. There is no right. There’s just the wrong that doesn’t pull you down.”

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(SPOILER WARNING!)

Just one more ep to go of this season, and for the second week in a row the denizens of The Walking Dead are acting pretty stupidly, with yet more inadvisable expeditions beyond Alexandria’s comforting walls on the eve of war. As some consolation, at least their motives this week made more sense than last week’s. Daryl was motivated by guilt and hotheaded rage, Carol by her conscience, and the rest because they cared about the idiots who’d already gone out there. Continue reading “The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 15 – East”

The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 14 – Twice As Far

“You wanna live, you take chances. That’s how it is.”

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(SPOILER WARNING!)

After the tumultuous events of the last couple of weeks, this week’s Walking Dead was one of those “take a breather” eps so common before the Stonking Big Finale. Not filler exactly, as there was plenty of character development and groundwork laid for plots to come; nevertheless, it was an uneven episode. There was plenty of good stuff here, but it all hinged on an unlikely display of stupidity by our veteran survivors as they chose the worst possible time to go on two inadvisable foraging trips with two comparative rookies. Continue reading “The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 14 – Twice As Far”

The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 13 – The Same Boat

“You’re not the good guys. You ought to know that.”

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(SPOILER WARNING!)

After a Western ep and a war movie ep, two things the show does repeatedly, this week’s out of format The Walking Dead took on a new genre. This was a taut, claustrophobic hostage thriller, told almost in real time, and with only two of the regular cast present for most of it. If you were wanting gut-ripping Walker action, or firefights with the latest group of psychos, you were out of luck. But if you wanted an intriguing, character-driven story, you came to the right place. Continue reading “The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 13 – The Same Boat”