*Yup, there's some spoilers in here. Don't worry, we won't intentionally ruin any of the real jaw-droppers.*
"This is the beginning."
Rick's group has survived the undead, cannibals, and all kinds of terrible, terrible people, but can they survive in suburbia? On paper, this may not seem like the most compelling conflict the group has found themselves in (unless you've read the comic, of course!), but this is honestly turning out to be one of the more memorable storylines; it's just loaded with potential. They're finding ways to really shine a spotlight on several important characters, give us all of the zombie madness and drama we crave, and they're building a legitimate interesting dilemma.
Wow, the gore in this one brought back memories of some of the more horrific moments from plenty of zombie movies. I mean, this show is always trying to stun us with graphic violence, but this one went above and beyond twice. One death had this brilliant yet brutal shot that managed to capture the pain the person is experiencing while also giving us a full look at all of the horrible, horrible things that are happening to their body. It brought back memories of a certain death in Shaun of the Dead but offered a different angle. It's a horrifying reminder of what can happen with just one slip up in this world. There's another absolutely savage scene that felt like something out of Dead Alive. I mean, it's not funny, but it was just so violent. I've only watched this episode once, but it looked like they went for practical effects for a close-up of something incredibly gruesome and wow, it really hit you. I feel like the over-the-top way the death was handled took away a bit of the emotion, but someone's response made up for that and then some.
These episodes are doing a solid job building tension within the walls. As expected, it's still Rick and Carol who seem determined to take drastic action. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand the decision they've reached (or at least it seems like they agree on it), but man, the way they're building up the drama has been really gripping. Having a wasted Pete come by and awkwardly talk with Rick just leaves you counting down the seconds until these two explode. In a small community like that one, you can only hide secrets for so long. Next week is sure to be full of moments that'll make us drop our jaws. Or at least it should be. And the follow-up with Carol and the kid did a great job giving us insight into the character without blatantly spelling things out. There's so much dark material in her past and you can see how they've shaped the person she is today. For example, you can't blame her for wanting to push away a kid, can you?
Hell yeah, Abraham! I was wondering when they'd give the big guy a little more focus and I'm really happy how they've decided to handle it. You get a sense that he's lost the will to live earlier on in this one. He's a man without a mission, so why bother going on? The answer to that question is an awesome sequence that offers some really entertaining zombie kills while also telling us everything we need to know about the guy. That shot of him blasting zombies point blank in the face? And his grin as he swung away at them? Great stuff.
Steven Yeun (Glenn) gave an amazing performance in this one. His reactions were so powerful and moving. He did a brilliant job selling those big moments and his reaction is what almost brought me to tears. The developments were certainly shocking, but the way he responded really made it all sink in Seriously, he did an astonishing job. I mean, when Eugene asked him that question and the way he looked back at the guy? Terrific. Oh, and speaking of Eugene, you all also love him, right? Some of his banter was priceless ("Yes, I am. I told you I was.") and he had the standout arc in this one. I won't spoil the details, but he really grew on me and I couldn't help but root for him.
You know who I couldn't root for? Gabriel. You're the worst, Gabriel. Seriously, the freaking worst. Look, I get this is him being a coward all over again. Once again, he's found himself in a safe place and he's doing what he believes he must do to make sure his safety isn't compromised. Do I hate him for what he's saying? Absolutely. It's hilariously hypocritical for him to point the finger at "Rick's people" but leave out the fact that he doesn't exactly deserve paradise, either. But hey, being a self-preserving coward is apparently his thing, so him feeling that way is understandable. (Honestly, I don't remember if that talk happened in the comic.) However, I can't help but feel like the scene wasn't needed and left us feeling an unnecessary amount of frustration. Deanna Monroe is already doubting whether Rick's group can be trusted; that was made perfectly clear in this episode. And after what just went down? She's going to be impacted in a huge way and most likely won't have a clear head. Throw in that other coward probably lying and the conflict that's brewing in the neighborhood and it seems like things are destined to blow up anyway. I'm glad we got a brief amount of insight into Gabriel in the opening scene (I feel like we haven't seen him recently), but it seems like his big scene is just putting a certain conflict on the fast track even though it was going to take big steps in the next episode anyway.
Minor criticisms: the earlier scenes in the warehouse felt like they were dragging just a bit. The sequence was meant to be tense and scary, but I just wasn't feeling it. Also, the revolving door bit had me wondering, "Okay, when is Eugene going to show up and save them?" But hey, at least they totally surprised me with what happened after that. I was so certain Aiden's buddy would be the one to die. Lastly, does it sort of bug anyone else when zombies seem totally useless right when they get their hands on a main character? Eugene's lucky that zombie went really easy on him.
The focus on Alexandria had an excellent story in the comics and thankfully, so far its story in the show is downright awesome. It's pretty much giving me everything I want from the show. Yeah, it's a bummer one person has done something amazingly frustrating (and totally not needed because things are escalating just fine), but this episode accomplished so much. Character? We get plenty of it and it's handled it a way that often shows us instead of telling us. Action and violence? We have everything from a zombie getting its head bashed in to two of the goriest scenes we've yet to see. Drama? Oh yeah, everything is about to hit the fan and you can sense all of the buildup. As if all of that wasn't enough, the episode even had a good joke or two thrown in there, too. Come on, the "now you're going to die" techno (or whatever it was) song was a good laugh.
Log in to comment