‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 6.8 “Start To Finish” (7 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Lennie James, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.

Mid-season and season finales have been something of a specialty for “The Walking Dead.” Despite the fact that each one inevitably features some form of zombie invasion that ruins whatever our survivors have built over the course of the season, the show manages to keep the drama on point and the action fresh. Tonight, not so much. Beware of spoilers!

Morgan vs. Carol

From that initial attack that the Wolves mounted against Alexandria, it was easy to see that Morgan (Lennie James) and Carol (Melissa McBride) would eventually have an old fashioned standoff. Placing it in this episode with all kinds of other shit going down was a good idea in theory—but in practice, the whole scene felt flat and just ended up pissing me off. I was pissed at Morgan when he fell for Carol’s fake sleepy spell because when someone flat out tells you that you’re on the bottom of their list of people who they trust, then logic would dictate that said person should immediately be placed at the bottom of your list. Also, Morgan, it’s not very responsible to let someone who may have a concussion doze off.

When the two actually get into a physical confrontation, it gives that basement-dwelling Wolf an opportunity to escape with a hostage, which also pissed me off. I suppose the whole thing can be chalked up to this annoying human trait that makes us all want to impose our philosophies on others, but hasn’t living through five and a half seasons of cooperative zombie survival taught our heroes anything? I did like the fact that Morgan told Carol that now wasn’t a great time to decide what to do with this prisoner, but either way, these two screwed up in a way that didn’t feel very true to their characters.

Carl vs. Ron

Another pent up conflict that was bound to come to a head tonight was that between Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Ron (Austin Abrams). Hearkening back to season two, in which 90% of the problems were caused because Carl couldn’t stay in the damn house, the conflict ignites because Carl wanders into the garage by himself. Ron’s totally waiting for him, and the two engage in a teenage boy fight that leaves a gaping hole in the house’s defenses. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) follows suit by hacking off the door handle and lock with his hatchet, making it even easier for the undead horde to get inside.

Interestingly enough, Carl doesn’t rat Ron out—probably because he knows the Rickster would pop a cap in Ron for endangering his people. I get that it’s a sign that Carl wants to solve his own problems, and it opens up a pretty good dialogue in which Carl calls Ron’s dad an asshole, but having this conflict resolve itself with the two of them adopting the same shaky friendship that got Nicholas (Michael Traynor) killed and Glenn (Steven Yeun) almost killed does not bode well.

Rick Doesn’t vs. Deanna

The relationship between Rick and Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) has been interesting to watch, and its tragic end this evening was actually the evening’s high point—mostly thanks to Tovah Feldshuh, who totally brought it. Deanna has always represented the Alexandrian spirit, and seeing her and Rick evolve into a non-stop tag team the likes of President Roslin and Admiral Adama from “Battlestar Galactica” was especially awesome. While her death might signify that the Alexandrians are also dead, the fact that she went out shooting speaks highly for the remaining Alexandrians and their badass potential. Again, Feldhshuh was a great addition to the cast, and it was sad to see her go.

Exposure Therapy

The episode concludes with Rick and his current posse of Michonne, (Danai Gurira), Jessie (Alexandra Breckinridge), Carl, Ron and Sam (Major Dodson). Sam has been struggling with some zombie-related issues this season, and has been too scared to come downstairs (if I were Jessie, I’d be a bit more worried about his Damien haircut and creepy taste in music, however). When crunch time hits, and the group has to escape the zombie horde by using the meat poncho technique pioneered in the show’s second episode. While I can only imagine the number that this severe exposure therapy will do on little Sam’s already damaged psyche, it doesn’t excuse—or explain, for that matter—the fact that he starts yelling for his mom in the middle of a pack of zombies. Catatonic silence would be a bit more believable—and tolerable.

Verdict

I didn’t love this episode as a mid-season finale. I’m not one to criticize TWD’s ability to weave multiple conflicts and storylines into one episode, but it just didn’t feel like they were on top of their game tonight. Rather than have these little character vs. character conflicts flare up to drive the story onward, they appeared to have been shoehorned into the episode in order to fill up space. With the exception of Deanna’s rock star death, this was a pretty weak episode.

Also, I did watch the first chunk of “Into the Badlands” so I could see the sneak peek of the next episode. It’s a pretty cool scene in which Daryl (Norman Reedus), Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) run into a biker gang who claims their property for Negan—pretty damn cool, despite my lukewarm feelings towards tonight’s episode.

“The Walking Dead” will resume on February 14^th—as will my fevered rantings on the subject. Watch it with someone you love. 

‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 6.7 “Heads Up” (8.5 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Lennie James, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.

Gearing up for next week’s mid-season finale, tonight’s episode set up a plethora of potential conflicts that are looking to get resolved next week. We also got a closer look into Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) perspective on the Alexandrians, and one particularly aggravating controversy has been officially wrapped up. Big ol’ spoilers are comin’.

That One Thing from That One Episode

As we see Glenn (Steven Yeun) wriggling himself free from the bloody mess of Nicholas’s (Michael Traynor) rapidly disappearing innards, a collective sigh of relief was exhaled across the Twitterverse. For weeks now, we’ve been plagued with an ambiguous scene that left Glenn’s fate uncertain to TWD viewers. It’s great that he didn’t die because of stupid Nicholas, but frankly I’m just glad to have that controversy cleared up. After all of this season’s flaws are tallied up—the teen angst, the rampant stupidity of Alexandrians, Carl’s weird hair—the uncertainty surrounding Glenn’s near-death experience is going to be right at the top of the list. Yes, it’s great that he’s alive, and yes it’s great that he wants to help Enid (Katelyn Nacon) come back to Alexandria with him, but keeping the audience in the dark for weeks felt a bit too Thursday-night-prime-time for TWD.

Now’s also a pretty good time to talk about Enid, and, by extension, the direction that the show has taken with its younger cast members. Apparently, teen angst is amplified by the direct number of undead persons within a fifty-mile radius. Perhaps it’s my background as a high school teacher, but the sheer amount of attitude that ricocheted among Carl (Chandler Riggs), Ron (Austin Abrams) and Enid made me cringe. Enid, if you want to run away from safety just so you can mope around abandoned diners writing ‘JSS’ all over shit, then live your dream, girl. Rick, as Carl’s dad and also the murderer of Ron’s dad, could you please tell Carl to just be cool when you’re teaching his potential rival how to use a gun?

In one of the episode’s final scenes, we see Ron sneak into the arsenal for some bullets only to follow close behind Carl with a look on his face that can only be interpreted as, “ LOLZ, I’m totes gonna shoot you.” There’s a good chance that Carl will be able to hold his own against Ron, but I’m hoping that the two of them sit down, talk about their respective father issues and enjoy a masculine embrace with one another. Also, can we find someone who is more competent than what’s her face with the glasses to guard the effing armory? If a pissy teenage boy can sneak past her, then she’s not doing her job.

One of Them                                    

While bulking up Alexandria’s infrastructure, Rick’s annoyance with his hosts explodes into full on disdain. As Spencer (Austin Nichols) tries to shimmy his way over the zombie horde in the hopes of finding a car and creating a distraction, he screws up and people have to save him. It works, mostly thanks to Tara (Alanna Masterson) who picks off several walkers while getting dangerously close to the action. After Rick chews out Spencer for acting like a horse’s ass, he proceeds to yell at Tara for sticking her neck out for “one of them.” It should be noted that Tara reacts by giving Rick the finger—which is what one does when confronted with a dickhead.

It hasn’t been a secret that Rick considers his Alexandrian hosts to be inferior specimens of zombie wasteland survivors. And he might be right. They’re not as quick thinking and not as ruthless as Rick—but Spencer makes a good point when he calls Rick out on not taking any of their ideas seriously. At this moment, Rick has become that dude that you really want to be friends with, but he won’t give you the time of day unless you impress him somehow. In fact, no matter what you do to impress the guy, he’s too dead set on his own awesomeness to acknowledge it. I like this character arc for Rick, but the whole “one of them” thing was a bit on the nose.

Verdict

There’s something to be said about all of that time that Rick and some Alexandrian dude spend reinforcing a specific area of the wall when they can’t see the impending doom of a slowly collapsing building. Throughout the episode, we see parts of this church tower crumbling to the ground until it eventually topples like a rotten tree and smashes through all of their well-laid plans. Obviously, this means that the mid-season finale will pit our heroes against that zombie horde outside, but I think we’re looking at a bigger problem with shortsightedness. Both the Alexandrians and Team Grimes haven’t been able to see this big ol’ rotten church tower that is threatening to destroy all of them because they’re so hung up on whether or not one group can trust the other. I have a feeling that they’ll be able to figure this flaw out while beset by the undead next week—but who will survive and what will be left of them?

‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 6.6 “Always Accountable” (8.5 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Lennie James, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.

Last week showed us that there are wrong ways to do transitional episodes, but tonight showed us that there are also right ways to do them. It was a welcome departure from the main storyline, and the ambiguity surrounding Glenn’s (Steven Yeun) possible death. Plus, we got to see a whole lot of Daryl (Norman Reedus) doing his tough guy with a heart of gold thing, which is always good TV. Spoilers ahoy!

Less Is More

While I like it when TWD gets heavy and complicated, it’s also nice to have occasional breathers from the impending doom that is constantly at the doorstep. Tonight’s episode caught up with Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Daryl after they were tasked with luring a zombie horde away from Alexandria. It starts off hot—a carload of unfamiliar people open fire on the trio, causing Daryl to get separated from Abraham and Sasha. While the episode doesn’t reveal who these people are, it’s not hard to speculate that it belongs to a group of dicks with W’s drawn on their foreheads. Regardless of the car’s ownership, it’s not super important—it merely serves as the catalyst for TWD’s penchant for juggling multiple plotlines. Tonight’s perspective shifting was comparatively more toned down than earlier episodes this season, but that was why it worked so well.

Daryl

After a particularly surreal moment featuring Daryl lying symmetrically with a charred zombie in a motorcycle helmet, we find our grizzled hero in the middle of a cremated forest. This chilling backdrop is one of the creepiest settings thus far in the show. Jammed in between the burnt skeletons of trees are heaps of incinerated dead, some of which are still undead enough to be writhing around despite being fused to the ground. Truly haunting stuff. While trying to find his way back to Sasha and Abraham, he encounters two women who mention earning what they took right before Daryl takes a bat to the back of the head. What ensues is a familiar case of mistaken identities—the three strangers that Daryl meet think that he is part of a group that has been dispatched to bring them somewhere that they really don’t want to be. It’s true that all Daryl would really need to do is say, “Wait—you’re running from who now?” to give himself an opportunity to explain himself, but this is TV after all. People seldom take the easy way out.

On paper, this is a pretty predictable scenario. It doesn’t take long to figure out that our strangers are running from some dangerous people, and that they’ll inevitably refuse Daryl’s attempt to recruit them—the show can’t really accommodate any more long-term newcomers. All the same, it’s a welcome piece of predictability that happens to unfold with some solid acting against the haunting backdrop of a scorched, corpse-filled forest.

Sasha & Abraham

In what felt like a hastily assembled selection of scenes, Sasha and Abraham’s little evening together actually yielded some interesting results. Essentially, Sasha used her own bout with zombie-kill fever to help Abraham with his current addiction to busting open the undead. It may have been slightly cheesy—culminating with Abraham’s dangerously cheesy declaration of his intentions to pursue Sasha romantically—but occasional cheesy bits are nice in a show that spends so much time in the grit. I particularly liked the concept that good karma is still a thing in TWD—something that Abraham learns as he chooses to enjoy a cigar instead of chopping up a zombie, which unexpectedly wins him an RPG launcher.

Verdict

It was definitely not the season’s strongest episode, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun to watch. I’ve been itching for some more Daryl-centric episodes. Plus, it wrapped up with a pretty tasty cliffhanger—exactly who was that calling for help on Daryl’s walkie talkie? I am reaching the point in the season where I just want them to speed things up, but I’m fully expecting all of this buildup to culminate with something properly epic. 

This morning, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Watchmen,” “The Losers”) has been cast as Negan, the new face of self-aware evil in AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” I had been trying to keep on top of the casting rumors for awhile—I lost track somewhere around “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm—but it’s a great call. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Morgan will appear as a guest star in the season six finale, and get bumped up to a permanent cast member during the show’s seventh season.

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Zack Snyder’s adaptation of “Watchmen,” there was something disturbing, endearing and honest about Morgan’s portrayal of The Comedian, and in many ways, I think that Negan shares several of Eddie Blake’s more disreputable characteristics. Yet, there were moments in the “Walking Dead” comics that made me start to understand and maybe even care about Negan. With the potential to be sadistic and vulnerable all at the same time, it’s a role that an actor like Morgan will beat to death with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire.

For those who haven’t kept up with the comics, Negan is the leader of a group of survivors known as The Saviors. Essentially functioning like the zombie apocalypse’s answer to the mob, the Saviors have other colonies like Alexandria under their thumbs, promising protection for a large portion of their food and supplies. The messed up thing about Negan and the Saviors is how fervently they believe in ruling by the fist. Negan has several great monologues about how much good he and his group does in this terrible new world, and came damn close to convincing me that he was the one who had it all figured out. Except for the fact that, you know, he’s totally evil.

One spectacularly brutal scene finds Negan beating Glenn to death with his aforementioned barbed wire bedazzled baseball bat (did I mention that he’s named the bat Lucille and has a semi-romantic relationship with it, er, her?). Now, if you’ve been following along with our reviews here on BSR, then you know that I have some strong feelings about the ambiguity surrounding Glenn’s death (if you haven’t, I bitch about it a lot here). With the casting of Negan confirmed, coupled with producer Scott M. Gimple’s assurance that some iteration of Glenn will show up later this season, I think my first theory (found here) is starting to gain some credence. What if Glenn’s not actually dead, but has found his way into the clutches of Negan, who will subsequently beat him to death during the season finale? Unless there’s something equally awesome (and terrible. Just terrible) awaiting Glenn, I’ll remain pissy about all of this, “Is he dead? Is he alive?” crap.

Anyway, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Glad to have you aboard. I’m looking forward to all of the ways that you will likely scare the shit out of me.

‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 6.5 “Now” (8 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Lennie James, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.

As the episode’s title suggests, our two divergent storylines have been properly synched up—but our players are understandably stretched thin. If anything, tonight’s episode was a stark reminder that everybody’s hands get a little bloody in the zombie apocalypse. Spoilers ahead!

Damage Control                         

The Alexandrians aren’t doing great after getting raided by those sadistic Wolves. Their general state of listless depression is perfectly exemplified by the expression on Deanna’s (Tovah Feldshuh) face as she wanders through town like a lost soul. Her people’s morale is broken, and she realizes that her leadership as a fair-weather matriarch has officially come to an end. There’s a moment in which she officially passes the torch to Rick (Andrew Lincoln), though there are a few Alexandrians who blame him for the giant herd of walkers that are now at their gates. Despite this division, the few Alexandrians who toughen up enough to realize that Rick is the leader that they need at this moment deliver some excellent scenes tonight. Aaron (Ross Marquand) owns up to the fact that if he had listened to Daryl (Norman Reedus) while out recruiting, the Wolves wouldn’t have stolen his backpack and found their way to the town. Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge) delivers a rousing speech about seeing the world as it is directly after gouging out the eye of a stray walker. Most surprisingly would have to be Spencer’s (Austin Nichols) move to convince the survivors to continue rationing their food because the town will have a future. After his scene, we learn that he’s stolen some food and liquor for himself, an action which I believe damns him at the end of the episode. See, there’s this tiny trickle of blood that stains the inside of the wall during Deanna’s last lap around the town, and I think our boy Spencer has cracked under the pressure and has taken his own life. His death would mean that every last member of Deanna’s family will have perished since the arrival of Rick and his crew, opening her up to either a major freak out or a moment of zen-like clarity.

Glenn?

The other reason that I believe Spencer has met an ambiguously filmed death scene is because the show continues to tease us with Glenn’s alleged death. Maggie (Lauren Cohan) teams up with Aaron to hit the road via an old sewage tunnel beneath the town in order to confirm Glenn’s death, but we still get no hard confirmation. On a side note, this sewer trip was home to one of the most gruesome zombie scenes of the season—two waterlogged and squishy zombies burst out of the muddy wall, and we can actually see Maggie’s fingers enter into one of their ribcages and wiggle around beneath its rancid skin. Loved every minute of it. While this is a ballsy direction to take, it was a bit anticlimactic to see Maggie and Aaron just turn back before they even leave the city limits.

At this point, I’m having a huge problem with the Glenn thing. Up until this point, TWD has pulled no punches when a character dies. In fact, I can’t think of a major character who died without some sense of glory or beauty attached to their final moments—which is what makes it digestible when one of our favorite zombie killers goes down for the count. Glenn is arguably one of the most popular characters on the show, so making him into some kind of Schrodinger’s Cat this season smacks of prime time click bait.  

Rick Makes It Weird

There has been some obvious chemistry between Rick and Jessie ever since the two met, and tonight they take it to the next level with some makey-outey action. As much as I wanted these two to hook up towards the beginning of the Alexandria era, there was something a bit unsettling about this moment—something akin to an alpha wolf absorbing a few new members into his pack after bringing down a rival alpha. Both Jessie and Ron (Austin Abrams) seem to have accepted Rick as a more powerful and suitable alpha, and we don’t blame them, really. But with all of this wolf imagery getting thrown around, it’s tough to overlook this miniature power struggle behind the walls of Alexandria.

Verdict

This was probably the weakest episode of the season. A large part of this comes from the fact that it’s functioning as a transition between storylines, but there was a bit too much moping for me tonight. I thought Tara’s (Alanna Masterson) scenes with Denise (Merritt Wever) injected some positivity into the episode, but overall, we were looking at a master’s thesis in grief and loss this evening. And could we please just get some closure on Glenn? I’m sick of seeing his face superimposed on Jon Snow’s body.

‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 6.3 “Here’s Not Here” (8.5 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Lennie James, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.

While the Glenn controversy is still blowing up online—didja notice that Steven Yeun wasn’t part of the opening credits tonight?—we get no closure during this episode. I’m with most of the world when I say that I’d like to know whether to grieve Glenn’s demise or celebrate his narrow escape from the rotting jaws of death, but tonight’s episode was awesome enough to warrant waiting another week for any news. As usual, spoilers abound.

Clear

Tonight’s episode was essentially an explanation for how Morgan (Lennie James) went from raving maniac to peaceful warrior, although summarizing what we saw tonight in such coarse terminology would be an injustice. Lennie James delivered a hell of a performance tonight, making me wonder just how much longer the Emmy’s can ignore the acting chops of TWD. From his solo scenes in which he is a one-man force of destruction, burning walker and human alike, to his slow transformation into the Morgan that we’ve now come to know, James completely owns this episode. Additionally, John Carroll Lynch’s performance as the sagacious hermit Eastman was a perfect foil to Morgan’s unhinged aggression.

See, Eastman has been living in relative harmony with his hostile environment—even the sight of an assault rifle-wielding Morgan doesn’t affect him. Instead, Eastman takes Morgan in and teaches him the art of Aikido, a martial art that is dedicated to self-defense. This, coupled with Eastman’s philosophy that “all life is precious”—he buries each walker that he kills, digging through their manky clothes for ID so he can mark their graves—become a powerful healing force for Morgan, and pave the way for his current zen state of mind.

Despite the fact that his lifespan on the show doesn’t last for too long, Eastman is a prime example of TWD’s writing prowess. In a handful of scenes, we grow to love this mysterious philosopher only to witness the final moments of his life. He also brought a small dose of humor to the perpetually bleak show. When he asks Morgan his name, Morgan shouts, “Kill me!” to which Eastman replies, “That’s a stupid name.” Lynch, who has done some great supporting work in films like “Zodiac” and “Fargo” always brings an emotional gravity to his work, and it was perfect for tonight’s episode.

Oddly enough, this episode made me more okay with the idea that Glenn is dead. Last week, I said that Glenn was the sole proprietor of the moral high ground, but seeing Morgan’s transformation this week has made me think that he could be the one to pick up where Glenn left off.  

Verdict

As much as I liked this episode, I found myself questioning the decision to make it 90 minutes long. I’ll take as much TWD as AMC will give me, but tonight’s episode felt a teensy bit indulgent. I’ve also found that this whole Glenn thing is starting to distract from the storyline, which is why I want my official closure. We’ll see what happens, but right now it’s starting to feel like they’re teasing the audience with Glenn’s currently uncertain fate, which feels gimmicky and cheap. I’m starting to think that we’re like Ann Perkins from “Parks and Recreation,” who is unaware that Chris Traeger has dumped her.

‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 6.3 “Thank You” (9.5 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.

On a long enough timeline, every dramatic TV show will have an “Empire Strikes Back” episode. These are episodes in which two or more seemingly unconquerable events arrive to simultaneously derail the main narrative so as to convince the audience that the good guys have actually lost. As far as “The Walking Dead” goes, I would have pegged its Empire moment during season four’s ‘Too Far Gone,’ in which the Governor chops off Hershel’s head and blows up the prison. Now, three episodes into season six, we have a new contender with ‘Thank You,’ a haunting, hope-squelching installment that pushes the limits of how bleak “The Walking Dead” is willing to get. Please don’t continue reading if you haven’t watched the episode! Large, planet-destroying spoilers are ahead.

Plan Z

The gist of tonight’s episode is that we get to see what Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his away team of zombie shepherds are up to while the Wolves are butchering Alexandrians. It’s pretty much a clusterf***. We have Daryl (Norman Reedus) zipping around on his motorcycle, deciding between helping Alexandria and staying with Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) as they continue leading the bulk of the heard on their original course; we have Michonne (Danai Gurira) leading a splinter group of Alexandrians into a pet store filled with dead kitties; Rick gets stranded in an RV; and Glenn (Steven Yeun) is tasked with keeping Nicholas (Michael Traynor) focused in the middle of a zombie crisis. It’s clear that not everyone is going to make it out safely, and a big chunk of Alexandrians get mauled in this process. But nobody from the core group is in danger, right? I mean, they didn’t announce a special guest cast member on “Talking Dead” and it’s not even a midseason finale or anything…right? Let’s take a moment to discuss the peril that our friends are in before we further delve into that subject.

Our three narrative contact points were Rick, Michonne and Glenn. I’m leaving Daryl out because he, Sasha and Abraham were pretty useless tonight. What makes this an Empire episode is that each of these characters have written checks that their asses can’t cash. They—and we along with them—are overly confident that they can make it through this sudden crisis, and pull any Alexandrian who isn’t scared to knife a zombie in the skull along with them. Throughout the episode, each character systematically fails—which usually means people die. Rick’s attitude of “leave the slow ones behind” ends up getting him stuck in a busted RV and nearly filleted by the Wolves (the same ones that Morgan (Lennie James) let go. Smooth move, Morgan). The one promise that Michonne makes is to get David safely home to his wife Betsy, but it’s his death that allows her to make an unhindered scamper up the fence.

And then there’s Glenn. Those who have been watching have seen how Glenn’s newfound bromance with Nicholas has been a pretty cool development. I mean, here are two guys that were going to murder each other last season, and now they actually trust one another. It’s a testament to Glenn’s ability to survive despite his propensity to offer second chances. But the thing is, when Nicholas and Glenn get cornered atop a dumpster, Nicholas simply mutters “thank you” and blows his brains out. His lifeless corpse knocks Glenn down into the throng of necrotic teeth and nails and gets his entrails ripped out.

Or does he?

Indeed, the Twitterverse is buzzing with pro-Glenn conspiracy theories, and showrunner Scott M. Gimple sent an announcement to “Talking Dead” which explained that some form of Glenn will still be on the show. This has led many to think that homeboy’s dead, but he’s just going to show up in a flashback or two. Others—and I count myself among these theorists—have claimed that it was actually Michael’s body getting ripped apart on top of Glenn, and that he managed to escape during the carnage. Of course, I happen to think that they’re going to have Glenn survive this horrific ordeal only to get beaten to death by Negan. How messed up would that be? Glenn’s dead! But no he’s not! He made it! Oh no! Negan just beat Glenn to death with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire! Let’s watch “Once Upon A Time” instead!

Verdict

Easily one of the most raw episodes of the series. Our confident heroes completely blow it outside of Alexandria, and it’s not much better within the city walls. As much as I love my characters, I really love it when the show doesn’t skimp on their punishment. Yes, if Glenn is dead, I will be sad. He was the lone patron of doing folks a solid in the zombie apocalypse, and I’ve always liked that perspective. If he dies, it truly means that any semblance of generosity and others-centeredness within the show will die with him.    

‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 6.2 “JSS” (9 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.

When we last left our heroes, a blaring horn coming from Alexandria threw a major wrench in an otherwise well-executed plan to divert a zombie herd away from the town. Tonight’s episode explores who exactly was responsible for such inconvenient horn honking, and a whole lot of blood is spilled in the process. Spoilers ahoy!

Kid Stuff

The pre-credits scenes are all about Enid (Katelyn Nacon), and a few of the traumas that she endured before showing up at Alexandria (she ate a turtle! Gross!). After every subsequent victory over the undead and the elements, she scrawls ‘JSS’ into some surface. But what does it mean? Just Sit Still? Jump Start Satan? Juice Shack Shooters?

All nonsense aside, we get some deeper insights into the show’s younger cast members during this episode, and it’s actually pretty well done. My experience as a high school English teacher automatically deducts a ten-point minimum from any child actor’s charisma level, but TWD has done a pretty good job casting its JV lineup (I know people hate Carl, but I’m cool with him. Plus, I met Chandler Riggs once, and he seems like a nice kid). Enid and Carl have their cold survivalist thing going, and that moment that they shared inside a tree last season planted the seed for some possible romance between the two. Enter Ron (Austin Abrams), filled with beanie-wearing, haircut-refusing teen angst. This relationship becomes complicated when Carl sees Ron and Enid share a quick hug, presumably because Ron’s dad was outed as an abusive porch-dick and subsequently executed by Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). Obviously, Ron and Carl aren’t going to be buddies, but there’s something mysterious about Enid’s revelation that she’s planning on leaving Alexandria—especially since she makes this announcement on the eve of an attack by the Wolves. Her goodbye note reveals the true meaning of JSS, which is “just survive somehow,” a nice mantra to have during the apocalypse.

There’s something refreshing about the interactions among these characters. They’re still believable as teenagers, but it’s nice to see teenagers portrayed on TV without the added annoyances of tropes like high school, social media and all that other garbage that makes us think that young people are insufferable morons.

Out Come the Wolves

The Wolves’ attack on Alexandria doesn’t happen with a lot of fanfare. Carol (Melissa McBride) puts in a casserole, sets her timer and looks out the window to see one of her frenemies get unceremoniously butchered with a machete. Carol ditches her harmless housewife disguise and goes into code red—which is amazing to watch. As she dispatches the city’s attackers with emotionless precision, Morgan (Lennie James) prefers to give them a chance to escape. It’s an interesting juxtaposition to watch—Carol and Morgan are protecting the city, but in ways that are in direct opposition to one another. Both McBride and James deliver spectacular performances tonight. Both actors convey their characters’ divergent methods without saying anything, and the scene in which the pair walk towards the city center only to wordlessly pass one another is pure cinematic beauty.

Verdict

I was a bit torn about the Wolves’ first attack. While I really liked the way they just crept into Alexandria and started butchering people (it reminded me of watching Leatherface’s first kill in Tobe Hooper’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”), I felt like their attack didn’t have the freneticism that I was hoping from their first big appearance.

The best parts of tonight’s episode belonged to Carol and Morgan. Seeing Carol disguise herself as one of the Wolves only to pick off her attackers one by one solidifies her role as one of the most dangerous members of the team, and Morgan’s evolution into a spiritual warrior monk brings an interesting new perspective into the show.

It’s sure gonna suck when Rick and his away team arrive to see a wrecked city on one side and a horde of undead on the other. And it’s only episode two!

‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 6.1 “First Time Again” (9 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.

If it wasn’t obvious from my scribblings here at BSR, I didn’t like “Fear the Walking Dead” all that much. That being said, the ritual of easing into the comfortable butt-grooves of my couch for a Sunday evening with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his crew of lovably brutal zombie survivalists was more enjoyable precisely because “FearTWD” was so bad. It’s kind of like the feeling you get when that crappy opening band finally finishes their set so the headliners can come out and put on the show that you paid for.

So, did season six of America’s favorite zom-drama live up to its predecessors? Read on for a complete, spoiler-filled dissection.

We’ll Do It Live

Right off the bat, it’s easy to see the benefits of being AMC’s MVP. This episode looks expensive. Sweeping, computer-enhanced shots of vast, zombie-infested landscapes; over 200 zombie extras in full prosthetics; and let’s not forget the technical wonder that caused “The Wizard of Oz” to go over budget—filming in both color and black and white. The shift between filters adds to the Tarantino-esque vibe of the episode’s fractured narrative that picks up the pieces of last season’s shocking finale and inserts them into place. The first scene is disorienting as we see that Rick has taken full leadership over a team made up of native Alexandrians and his own people. The most surprising example of this newfound cooperation comes from Glenn (Stephen Yuen) and Nicholas (Michael Traynor) working side by side, since the pair nearly murdered each other at the close of last season.

The team is working on a complicated plan to take the zombies that are overflowing in a nearby rock quarry and funnel them to a location where they’ll be least likely to maul everyone. When things inevitably go south, the episode revs up one of the most ambitious episodes of the entire series.

Carter Finally Gets It

While it was nice to see the whole zombie-wrecking crew assembled onscreen again, tonight’s episode was all about four dudes and their place on the morality spectrum. We have Rick, slowly moseying along the knife’s edge between ruthless pragmatist and protector of the weak; Morgan (Lennie James) tempering his own demons with spirituality; Glenn making the case that one can take the high road and still be a badass; and Carter (Ethan Embry) struggling with his current reality.

Judging by the last time we saw Rick Grimes in action, it would be easy to assume that he was on his way to becoming the Governor, and that Alexandria would become another Woodbury. However, tonight we see that Rick still has that stark sense of justice that won’t allow him to kill someone for simply disagreeing with him. I like to think that Morgan has revived this part of Rick—Morgan was essentially Rick’s first ally in the zombie apocalypse, and the two seem to have an inherent bond that keeps them both steady. In one flashback, we see that Rick walks in on Carter holding a gun to Eugene’s (Josh McDermitt) head after he was attempting to convince some other Alexandrians to kill Rick. Now, if we didn’t already see Carter in the present, I would have thought Rick would have straight up murdered his ass. Rick relents, but only because he figures that Carter’s going to get killed by his own shortsightedness. It’s morbid as hell, but there’s something about Rick’s acceptance of the fact that he doesn’t always have to be the judge, jury and executioner that makes me think that his head is still on straight.

While there weren’t many of them, Glenn’s scenes with Nicholas were fantastic. Despite the fact that Nicholas nearly killed Glenn, the two of them seem to have worked out a shaky level of respect. Maggie (Lauren Cohan) makes the keen observation that at one time, she and Tara (Alanna Masterson) were on opposite sides, but now they’re total BFF’s. Even if Nicholas and Glenn don’t quite get to that point, Glenn’s adherence to the high road is admirable. He has proven that one can be a survivor and still preserve a sense of integrity.

And Carter, poor Carter. I’ve got nothing but love for Ethan Embry’s portrayal of this tragic almost-hero. In one episode, he goes from making me hate him for his conniving ways to putting me on the verge of tears when his face gets chewed off by a zombie. I agree with Rick—the dude was not built for the zombie apocalypse, but I got the sense that he really was trying towards the end. On “Talking Dead,” Scott Gimple and Greg Nicotero discussed the fact that Carter was essentially the pre-apocalypse Rick Grimes. He had the makings of a hero—charisma, leadership skills and a finely chiseled jawline—but he never quite got the chance to blossom.

That Cliffhanger!

During the last few moments of the episode, just when Rick’s plan seems to be working, an alarm cuts through the air, attracting the gigantic zombie horde back to Alexandria. It’s a hell of a way to end the episode—all that planning and execution goes out the window because either somebody is really stupid or really vindictive. Sounds suspiciously like a certain priest that we’ve come to abhor.

All in all, season six is off to a great start. The show continues to pioneer new and disgusting ways to dispatch the undead, and it feels like this season is going to feel more cinematic than the show has been in the past. The black and white scenes were also a nice throwback to Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead,” which reminds us that zombies can still be terrifying without color.

Good to have you back, TWD. 

‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 5.16 “Conquer” (9 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.

Some season finales are longer just to be gimmicky, but after watching the season five finale of “The Walking Dead,” I’m not sure how they could have packed so much into a mere hour of TV. There is a veritable pantload of material to cover, so hold onto your butts. And don’t read this if you haven’t watched the finale, or you’ll get a spoiler to the face!

Morgan the Zen Master

Morgan (Lennie James) has always been an interesting character. He doesn’t show up often in the series, but when he does, a lot of awesome comes along with him. It’s important to note that the few times we’ve seen him during season five, he appears to have recovered from his bout with full-blown insanity. It’s that recovery that made me a bit nervous when a creeper with a W scarred into his forehead showed up and offered vague threats mingled with pleasant conversation. When the shit inevitably hits the fan, we learn that Morgan’s recovery has only made him stronger—and more adept with a bo staff.

When evaluating this new incarnation of Morgan, it’s difficult to overlook the reference to the 1972 cult TV show “Kung Fu,” which follows the adventures of David Carradine’s Kwai Chang Caine as he wanders the old American West. Both men have undergone some serious mental and physical conditioning, and it’s a rigid adherence to their respective philosophies that have helped them survive in a hostile environment. Not only does this make Morgan more of a badass, but it revisits the ideological struggle that Tyreese (Chad Coleman) was going through at the beginning of the season—the idea that a person who values human life could survive during a zombie apocalypse.

The beautiful thing about Morgan’s arrival in Alexandria during that gut-wrenching final scene (more on this later) is that we know his “peaceful warrior” philosophy is going to grate against Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln)—which appears to be more along the lines of “public executioner of law-breakers.” The expressions on both mens’ faces spoke volumes.

Pieces

One of the things that tonight’s episode did well was tie up a few loose ends. Abraham’s (Michael Cudlitz) reconnection with Eugene (Josh McDermitt) was probably the most touching moment of the evening; Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) shed some more light on the W folks while getting a triple kill with a discarded chain; Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) continues to be obsessed with death as she gets comfy on top of a pile of dead bodies and nearly shoots Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) in the head—all good stuff with the supporting cast.

Carol (Melissa McBride) continues to be a perfectly camouflaged sociopath—and her scenes are becoming the most darkly fun to watch. She has a beautifully terrifying confrontation with Pete (Corey Brill) in which she explains just how easily she could slit his throat and get away with it—followed by a stern demand to wash and return her casserole dish when he’s finished eating. McBride is having a great time with this character, and she always makes me feel bad for laughing at her stoically-delivered threats.

The conflict between Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Nicholas (Michael Traynor) also came to a head tonight, and the pair got into a particularly nasty melee outside the city walls. After a few close calls, Glenn pummels Nicholas into submission—but he chooses to let him live and face Alexandrian justice rather than blow his head off in the woods. This mini-conflict was a nice way to shove some more drama and bloody faces into the episode—and there’s a good chance Nicholas isn’t going to dig what Alexandrian justice has become.

Town Hall

Aside from some seriously tight subplots, tonight’s episode was all about Deanna’s (Tovah Feldshuh) town meeting in which Rick’s fate was to be decided. At first, it’s a sign of Rick’s guilt when he doesn’t show up—but when we learn that he doesn’t show up because he was cleaning up after Gabriel, who left the front gate open because he’s awful.

When Rick finally does show up, his entrance is appropriately epic. Homeboy chucks a zombie into the middle of the circle and explains how he just saved all their asses while they were sitting around deciding what to do with him. Just as Rick is driving his case home, drunken Pete shows up with Michonne’s (Danai Gurira) katana and accidentally slices the throat of Deanna’s husband Reg (Steve Coulter). This is the moment that Rick has been talking about, and this is the moment that Deanna realizes the value in Rick and his people—they’ll do the dirty work that is necessary to keep civilization afloat. With a nod, Deanna gives the order to put a bullet in Pete’s head and that, my friends, is that.

Verdict

“The Walking Dead” does season finales right. They’re not always barn burners, but they definitely make the audience want to wait it out for next season. With little hints leading towards a confrontation with a savage colony called the Wolves, Deanna’s acceptance of the world Rick lives in, and the arrival of Morgan, season six already has tons of great areas to cover.

Overall, season five was one of the show’s best. Admittedly, it was a bit of a repeat to have our characters stumble upon yet another strange colony, but having the storyarc revolve around the dangers of everyday society was an interesting direction to take. Tovah Feldshuh, Alexandra Breckenridge, and Corey Brill were all awesome additions to the cast, and the show’s ability to take advantage of every minute of screentime has been impressive to watch.

I suppose I’ll just have to hope that AMC’s unfortunately-named spinoff “Fear the Walking Dead” will satiate my desire for zombie-filled action/dramas.