Walking Dead

A theoretically exciting Maggie-and-Carol episode can’t help but feel like a rote diversion.

A brutal, efficient episode manages to make the wait for Negan bearable.

We now know that while Rick’s methods have been cruel in some respects, his way works, and works hard. I say that because, while the Alexandrians are out planning to overthrow him, the Wolves invade and slaughter about twenty five percent of the village.

Kim Dickens may be an unrecognizable name, but she is certainly a recognizable face. In the past several years, Dickens has had prominent roles in some of the most acclaimed television shows of all time, Sons of Anarchy, Treme, House of Cards, Lost, and Friday Night Lights just to name a few. In each of …

As part of an April Fools’ joke, blogger Julien Knez pretended that he interviewed a hipster who “only watches movies on VHS, and it might just be the best gag published on any blog this year. Knez actually went through the trouble of creating nine completely convincing VHS packages for movies and shows using the …

The Walking Dead has a bad habit of low points before they reach their season enders, and “Try” is really no exception. “Try” is one of the more forced episodes of the season, one that doesn’t just flip the script by completely transforming Rick into a villain, but into Shane. It’s surprising that this isn’t brought up more often within the confines of the series, because it’s become the crux of what the show is all about. Shane accepted the new law of the land while Rick fought hard to preserve his own humanity. Now Rick is just like Shane, and there isn’t much ballyhoo behind this transformation.

It’s just an episode to bid a heartbreaking goodbye to our big man Tyreese, but mostly it’s about warning signs and how poorly the group has responded to them. Tyreese mainly failed to find the warning signs within the house he was raiding for character Noah, thus he’s bitten and lies relatively infected and dying from a vicious bite wound. Now he has to face his demons, which come back to find him and show him why he’s basically been the poor man’s survivor the entire the entire time he’s been on the show. The only reason he’s survived so long is because of his size and strength, but beyond that there isn’t much Tyreese has done beyond mow down a few zombies here and there.

Due to its propensity for conflict, war has long been a popular backdrop for video games but never has it been seen like this. Filled with humanity, sorrow, and honesty, Valiant Hearts: The Great War uses the true history of World War I to weave together the stories of its protagonists (ranging from a German soldier, to a French POW, to a Belgian combat nurse). The gorgeous graphics, evolving gameplay, and original design only serve to make the experience offered here more enticing. Thoroughly moving and steeped with loss, Valiant Hearts is not a game you will soon forget.

“Crossed” cuts back and forth between four groups in four different locations in order to set up the big midseason-finale next week. While it seems a wide decision to check back in with Rick and Michonne after several episodes spent elsewhere, the episode feels like a filler/transitional episode. There are far too many characters to follow in far too many places, and the end result feels somewhat disjointed. It succeeds in moving the chess pieces into their necessary places for next week’s dramatic showdown, but lacks the tension and urgency viewers were anticipating. With plenty of dialogue and little action, “Crossed” is the weakest installment of season five yet.

“Consumed” follows Carol and Daryl in pursuit of the mysterious vehicle that belongs to Beth’s kidnappers. The dynamic duo make good progress into the city eventually making their way to a safe house while running into the occasional zombies along the way. The hour proves harmless enough for the pair of seasoned veterans, and while at times exciting, “Consumed” it is a predictable, voyage into the heart of Atlanta. But despite a lack of suspense and horror, “Consumed” is a welcome return to two of the show’s most compelling characters; and an episode that gives two of our least talkative survivors a chance to express themselves. The journey is the destination this week. “Consumed” gives Carol and Daryl some much-needed breathing room to examine how much they’ve both changed in five seasons.

  The cast of the television series MythBusters (one of my favourite shows ever) perform experiments to verify or debunk urban legends, old wives’ tales, and the like. Last season, they aired an episode titled, “MythBusters: Zombie Special” which focuses on one of pop culture’s running obsessions: zombies: Just in case the undead ever do come …

“Self Help” is one of The Walking Dead’s best episodes; a starkly beautiful, harrowing journey with touches of black humour. This is a tough, smart, ingenious instalment that leads its characters into situations where everything depends on their (and our) understanding of human nature. So what do they all do now? Do they head back to the church or remain separate from everyone and head north with no clear destination?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; The Walking Dead does well with episodes featuring fewer characters that we know. “Slabtown”, written by Matthew Negrete, is a testament to the improvement of storytelling ever since Scott M. Gimple took over as show-runner. That the hour maintains the quality and entertainment of previous episodes without Rick and the gang, is good news. Putting Beth, and only Beth, in the spotlight back in season two would have been ill advised, but ever since last season’s “Still,” Beth is a character we’ve all come to know and love. Of course “Still” is one of those episodes mentioned above, in which the writers focus solely on fewer characters; in that case the focus was solely on Beth and Daryl, and unsurprisingly “Still” is one of last season’s best instalments. Beth’s time travelling with Daryl.

Last week in “Strangers,” we saw the group taking shelter with the mysterious Father Gabriel, before deciding on a proposed plan to head out to Washington. Only we knew their plans would be interrupted as the episode ends with Bob discovering a new threat lurking in the woods and Carol and Daryl drive off in chase of Beth. This week Rick and the others realize the threat of the surviving Terminus cannibals, while Bob shares a surprising revelation about his departure.

After last week’s action extravaganza, “Strangers” is unsurprisingly a much quieter episode of The Walking Dead. Written by comic creator Robert Kirkman, “Strangers” follows the entire group traveling side by side, and introduces us to a new character (the mysterious Father Gabriel played by Seth Gilliam). The group takes shelter in a church, before making a decision about Abraham’s proposed plan for D.C.; meanwhile Bob discovers a new horror lurking in the woods. Gareth and his Terminus buddies are back for more disgusting cannibal mayhem.

The highest-rated scripted show on television returned tonight, as The Walking Dead Season 5 kicked off with “No Sanctuary,” written by showrunner Scott Gimple and directed by special effects guru Greg Nicotero. Season 4’s finale left us on a cliffhanger, and “Sanctuary” picks up the action right in Terminus, giving us tons of answers about the place and its inhabitants.

Walking Dead issues in the middle of an arc tend to be the least interesting. It’s not their fault except that it’s an issue of structure, and Kirkman’s writing means that the middle issues are setup for eventual payoff. There’s nothing wrong with it in the grand scheme of things. It’s just that we as readers won’t really appreciate until we know where it was taking us. The fact that this issue is likely tossing the readers a red herring in lieu of further plot developments bogs it down a bit.

The Walking Dead 128 Written by Robert Kirkman Art by Charlie Adlard, Stefano Gaudiano, and Cliff Rathburn Published by Image Comics  After last issue, it’s inevitable that Walking Dead 128 will feel a bit slower in comparison. This is an issue that’s mostly devoted to exposition and developing the setting, which means that there isn’t …

Walking Dead #127 takes some pretty bold leaps in storytelling, and for this reason, this is one of my favorite issues of all time. Comic books often fall into the trap of circular storytelling, rehashing the same types of conflicts over and over again so that the drama becomes stale. Kirkman, it seems, will not be falling into that particular pit trap, and he does so by moving us two years into the future.

  17. Home Invasion The true sense of urgency in “Claimed” is reserved for the scenes with Rick and the gang of would-be-rapists and murderers invading the house. Seith Mann does a stellar job sustaining the tension in these scenes, as Rick tiptoes from room to room in search of either a weapon or an …

The Walking Dead, Season 4, Episode 16: “A” Directed by Michelle MacLaren Written by Scott M. Gimple and Angela Kang Airs Sundays at 9pm ET on AMC Just when I was ready to break up with The Walking Dead, Michelle MacLaren comes along and directs one of the season’s best episodes – “A” is chock-full of nail-biting …

  The Walking Dead, Season 4, Episode 15: “Us” Directed by Greg Nicotero Written by Nichole Beattie & Seth Hoffman Airs Sundays at 9pm ET on AMC Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Last week, I made it pretty clear how much I disliked “The Grove,” calling it the worst episode in the series …

The Walking Dead’s season 4 delivers its 13th episode, “Alone,” as Sasha questions Bob and Maggie’s decision to move forward towards the sanctuary, while Daryl and Beth find shelter in a funeral home. We are offered a chance to check back in on two groups of survivors; one of which is separated by the end, and the other group splits up only to reunite once again before the credits role. Unfortunately, “Alone” ends up feeling a bit uneven, and is a subpar episode at best.