NEGAN & MAREK: 'NO ESCAPE' FROM 'THE WALKING DEAD'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcD0ke9PgP04Lj22cPj6IGqiqVTxZEVeOIejEZF_mqjtQdL3gwXX6VqckMlhfJUl8INU87q5-YkFmkxZh34yM2MSugykbgSikw7KySE9siOZnd1Ms7GyIKs9KTwxXrAPLvpbie7UbPaBt/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-10-23+at+11.17.01+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcD0ke9PgP04Lj22cPj6IGqiqVTxZEVeOIejEZF_mqjtQdL3gwXX6VqckMlhfJUl8INU87q5-YkFmkxZh34yM2MSugykbgSikw7KySE9siOZnd1Ms7GyIKs9KTwxXrAPLvpbie7UbPaBt/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-10-23+at+11.17.01+PM.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the deadly & caustic Negan on WALKING DEAD</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Jefferey Dean Morgan isn't exactly a replica of Dennis Hopper's ultra-violent and equally sarcastic villain from the unfairly maligned WATERWORLD...<br> <br> But Stuart Wilson, from the Ray Liotta b-movie NO ESCAPE a year before, most certainly seemed like he could have been an inspiration for Hopper's overboard character: And another hands-on dictator who's far more intelligent and underline-classy than his hillbilly followers, Morgan's newest WALKING DEAD villain has proved to both the audience and Rick that he's the real deal: Mostly by using a barbed-wire baseball bat, named after B.B. King's guitar, on one character who many thought was one Alpha Male too many, and another who served as the show's Romeo to an overly sappy Juliet: Like most already know, the brains-bashed duo turned out being Abraham and Glenn...<br>

2016, cable, walking dead, zombie

NEGAN & MAREK: 'NO ESCAPE' FROM 'THE WALKING DEAD'

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the deadly & caustic Negan on WALKING DEAD Jefferey Dean Morgan isn't exactly a replica of Dennis Hopper...

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: SEASON 5 FINALE CONQUER

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOVhyphenhyphenl72y-SKQFdQkEjnC1tAkbNocWUepZCQbM3FwX14PoeqcJfNP3yTyGF6Q_A2Pp6VsyVZO4XYYlI3jLMe8ScqdpnxEjOVau-e9YEkGvHh99fWGO3WnIChQaKItCbGqhhyGKnir7WM/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOVhyphenhyphenl72y-SKQFdQkEjnC1tAkbNocWUepZCQbM3FwX14PoeqcJfNP3yTyGF6Q_A2Pp6VsyVZO4XYYlI3jLMe8ScqdpnxEjOVau-e9YEkGvHh99fWGO3WnIChQaKItCbGqhhyGKnir7WM/s1600/2.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title: Conquer</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: right;"> </div> “We need this place,” Michonne tells a recovering Rick. “We had to stop being out there.” <br /> <br /> Truer words have never been spoken. The show was hitting a wall when the gang didn’t have any to protect them. Wandering around in a zombie apocalypse is a good thing, usually, in other projects, but THE WALKING DEAD had proven that trend wrong. Redundant plots and corny dialogue was making Jack a very dull boy. <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHfIUreuepw0dVa8I4qVI_1IjyPSjyltQALcSi_jZxKgbi0JKArBCbSLGw1VB2vvZzGCVi9NsPeQdTKmgOFc-4RZuAG4qu5aWYIDpvzOXsCJnPXFRxgwAfvwj1JQ-al5MJZaQEL2Khpw/s1600/3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHfIUreuepw0dVa8I4qVI_1IjyPSjyltQALcSi_jZxKgbi0JKArBCbSLGw1VB2vvZzGCVi9NsPeQdTKmgOFc-4RZuAG4qu5aWYIDpvzOXsCJnPXFRxgwAfvwj1JQ-al5MJZaQEL2Khpw/s1600/3.jpg" width="184" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grade: D</td></tr> </tbody></table> Thank God for the suburban town of Alexandria, but last week Rick not only spoke too soon, he spoke way too much. And speaking of speaking… In the beginning of the series, Rick found out everything from a guy named Morgan Jones, who also shared to the audience that the world had gone to pot… And in the prologue, Mr. Exposition is back, unveiling the reason behind the forehead-W, and heading closer to the prime destination… Kind of like Bob Dylan catching up to the Beatles.<br /> <br /> As for the fear of someone important or beloved dying… nothing to worry about, folks. Only two extremely lame ducks buy the farm (a poor man's Hershel and Governor moment). And the turnout of CONQUER is anything but. Most of the episode cuts back and forth from a bland meeting, where an absent Rick might be banished from the town, to a few things: Daryl and Aaron holed up inside a car with a hundred surrounding walkers (think Dee Wallace and Danny Pintauro in CUJO); Father Gabriel having a hard time with the concept of self defense; a Glenn vs Nicolas QUIET MAN style fight in the great outdoors; and we're introduced to future villains, seeming like the bogus Hatfields to Daryl Dixon’s real McCoy.   <br /> <br /> Not that this finale lacked action, but it felt like 30-minutes stretched into 90. A Super Bowl game with two touchdowns – by the same team. 

2015, cable, walking dead, zombie

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: SEASON 5 FINALE CONQUER

Title: Conquer “We need this place,” Michonne tells a recovering Rick. “We had to stop being out there.” Truer words have never been...

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: EPISODE TRY

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq7a4f9syrOJ8VS7TXztr4Yca89xPgDrEYoZz_dLBd_f8Q9dqNEfrSzzirRVg_pbw-bPGbytzdZTH5mSlkAu22-faKHY8sVMXim7AMBuzo4rzSFLHJ23u7WgIE_QMJhZcUXpKx6moIPY/s1600/Credit-Gene-PageAMC-Photo-Enid-in-The-Walking-Dead-Season-5-Episode-15-%E2%80%9CTry%E2%80%9D-460x307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq7a4f9syrOJ8VS7TXztr4Yca89xPgDrEYoZz_dLBd_f8Q9dqNEfrSzzirRVg_pbw-bPGbytzdZTH5mSlkAu22-faKHY8sVMXim7AMBuzo4rzSFLHJ23u7WgIE_QMJhZcUXpKx6moIPY/s1600/Credit-Gene-PageAMC-Photo-Enid-in-The-Walking-Dead-Season-5-Episode-15-%E2%80%9CTry%E2%80%9D-460x307.jpg" width="126" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TRY Grade: B–</td></tr> </tbody></table> The perfect woman’s husband Pete is a lot like Mr. Delbert Grady from THE SHINING. An extremely typical, oafish fellow until he showed his true self through piercing eyes and a demonic countenance, and he sure gave Rick one helluva fight. "I bet you thought it was gonna be easy?"  <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJphz3hF0tig5EYMqS8_uhrxzxAmtyP2W-M8c1SaEVN6qIteZz_NmI8Q09gCxk5zzxyg5E9l-4hhWXD8xUUpfKlRLv3z8E1-LMA0CTU51ydtftJIW5JeRFdaaw_ukS-nNkfwcUNnTl0c/s1600/804de263-062c-2c89-4904-8dc2e34134e3_twd_514_gp_1023_0055.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJphz3hF0tig5EYMqS8_uhrxzxAmtyP2W-M8c1SaEVN6qIteZz_NmI8Q09gCxk5zzxyg5E9l-4hhWXD8xUUpfKlRLv3z8E1-LMA0CTU51ydtftJIW5JeRFdaaw_ukS-nNkfwcUNnTl0c/s1600/804de263-062c-2c89-4904-8dc2e34134e3_twd_514_gp_1023_0055.jpg" width="144" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dull to Deadly</td></tr> </tbody></table> Kind of a disappointment, actually, this wife and child abuse storyline, taking away Rick’s moral ambiguity. Having a legit reason to kill Pete blunted a cool sinister edge Rick had going there. It was a good fight though, seemed real and intense, surpassing the mega zombie slaughter Michonne and Sasha (and the other woman who means nothing), playing out like a video game. But if TRY belonged to any one character in particular it’s Carl with his new gal. Two little love birds sitting… or rather, standing in a tree. Z-O-M-B-I-E… (This deliberately bad joke's premise was written before the TALKING DEAD host quipped it to Chandler Riggs). It’s nice the kid can finally grow up in a somewhat normal fashion with a "crush" that doesn't involve a squishy skull, and his acting has improved since the awkward stage, when he morphed from a spooked little tyke into a young Clint Eastwood; sorry but the badass dialogue just didn’t wash during that transition.<br /> <br /> The entire episode was decent, merely existing to bridge the season finale next week where Rick, of all people, may be banished from the town of Alexandria. Well in history, they fired Winston Churchill after the immanent threat was gone... And previously on this show, Carol survived her own time-out... So, we'll see...

2015, cable, walking dead, zombie

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: EPISODE TRY

TRY Grade: B– The perfect woman’s husband Pete is a lot like Mr. Delbert Grady from THE SHINING. An extremely typical, oafish fellow unt...

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: SEASON FIVE EPISODE SPEND

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGB1U8RKIQzj_gokqIRdiHvW7TRXbuhUUjBBiLZs5RLuA3r2Su9Xiqvt3Na2SZO-3uwTWFnceYIx4drt9Bm7HXPkWHokgtUKq4Q4dM_5eonSaZHVL5UkyFUBTTTXiva-Mf8jqAIzEk_M/s1600/the-walking-dead-514-02-530x350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGB1U8RKIQzj_gokqIRdiHvW7TRXbuhUUjBBiLZs5RLuA3r2Su9Xiqvt3Na2SZO-3uwTWFnceYIx4drt9Bm7HXPkWHokgtUKq4Q4dM_5eonSaZHVL5UkyFUBTTTXiva-Mf8jqAIzEk_M/s1600/the-walking-dead-514-02-530x350.jpg" width="169" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SPEND Grade: B</td></tr> </tbody></table> Noah’s arc, if you pardon the pun, wasn’t very involving. He helped Beth out of trouble but she bought the farm either way. After which, he didn’t have much input on THE WALKING DEAD. As happens, certain characters, especially when one or two are solely centered on, become mere wallpaper. And tonight, wallpaper got painted over… Including pretty boy PARTY OF FIVE, the gung ho son of Deanna – no loss there.  <br /> <br /> The zombies must have had a union meeting before this show. More screen time, more importance – and most of the episode deals with The Dead inside a dark warehouse: flashlights piercing darkness in a strategic location harboring important power grid adapters (or something) for the town of Alexandria.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0iB_GL-asBtbQPA4QKk8uHXVImnNnn3MlHYFDo9hMshKDTZqsEXZyDEKzBybbV9_YFitszKRdkzc1tJm7t-DgaBdq5fIB13-iROTs2tDpATVs-bkPOqUuQh20FnbX1pCr_PLEPO6mt7M/s1600/safe_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0iB_GL-asBtbQPA4QKk8uHXVImnNnn3MlHYFDo9hMshKDTZqsEXZyDEKzBybbV9_YFitszKRdkzc1tJm7t-DgaBdq5fIB13-iROTs2tDpATVs-bkPOqUuQh20FnbX1pCr_PLEPO6mt7M/s1600/safe_image.jpg" /></a>It felt very much like an intense mid-section of a no-holds-barred cop show, or the climax of an action movie. Not much serialized melodrama except one conversation with Rick and… the husband of that really pretty girl Rick has his eyes on… that’s for next week. Oh and Carol had another talk with Cookie Boy, her bitch. And Abraham got a promotion as head of construction. Now <i>that </i>shoe fits. <br /> <br /> But tonight’s SPEND spent its time with frantic action: A gray-hued barrage of edgy pandemonium. Especially important is Eugene, the cowardly lion who once held a bogus answer to cure the “disease” in Washington D.C., where they're existing now. And did anyone<i> ever</i> trust Father Marvin Hagler in the first place? The whiny preacher previously holed-up in the rural church house is… well not exactly a traitor; but he doesn’t have nice things to say about our heroes... That they're basically, to quote the Bible... No, let's quote David Lee Roth... "Runnin' with the Devil." Then again, in a Zombie Apocalypse – perhaps that’s the only side left.

2015, cable, walking dead, zombie

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: SEASON FIVE EPISODE SPEND

SPEND Grade: B Noah’s arc, if you pardon the pun, wasn’t very involving. He helped Beth out of trouble but she bought the farm either wa...

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: SEASON FIVE EPISODE FORGET

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CQ1wbsOa5qiICje2maMDexbmTgRnTaci3hyhCFgyvWbsjYGmcTf73TxZs07jGXp1up2cOl0C_y1JpKjg4bpXet8jyKqA7JfBaQbwR9zBnDOAfKl4gzjw45GJ1-njiLHRXpmynAYrlDs/s1600/the-walking-dead-episode-513-sasha-martin-green-main-590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CQ1wbsOa5qiICje2maMDexbmTgRnTaci3hyhCFgyvWbsjYGmcTf73TxZs07jGXp1up2cOl0C_y1JpKjg4bpXet8jyKqA7JfBaQbwR9zBnDOAfKl4gzjw45GJ1-njiLHRXpmynAYrlDs/s1600/the-walking-dead-episode-513-sasha-martin-green-main-590.jpg" width="172" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FORGET Grade: B+</td></tr> </tbody></table> Last week's episode title was REMEMBER, now we FORGET… Next week, ME NOT?<br /> <br /> Well it’d be impossible to imagine an entire series centering on the oblivious Stepford suburbanites of Alexandria, playing video games, baking cookies and throwing polite parties while the dead munch flesh outside the sturdy walls…<br /> <br /> But if there were such a vehicle, you can imagine that these grungy strangers would definitely seem like potential villains, and then some: Sasha the most obvious – shocked beyond belief, she can’t and won't adhere to the mundane normalcy of this town, run by a woman using words like "Constable" and people stressing over how good their dinner tastes.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKziLVzXBxCfD5bnZWVhBZCeh94CGPUiZuIIcAlfT4l-lzMxLd0ONPNen26bE9WuAy9lfjEQwiefnqx7k_HbeSozIiefa9r1A0lIFq8RGBeZ15Fkq9F5YTjQZFHYclXDYaa8TBrb7ggSQ/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKziLVzXBxCfD5bnZWVhBZCeh94CGPUiZuIIcAlfT4l-lzMxLd0ONPNen26bE9WuAy9lfjEQwiefnqx7k_HbeSozIiefa9r1A0lIFq8RGBeZ15Fkq9F5YTjQZFHYclXDYaa8TBrb7ggSQ/s1600/Picture+2.png" width="70" /></a>But Rick has the real trick under his sleeve, and his heart’s right on it – has our King David met his Bathsheba? Or did Delilah cut Solomon's hair, with a reverse effect? Meanwhile, white trash Daryl, bonding with Aaron, seems grungier than ever. Felix found Oscar in the Zombie Apocalypse. It's too bad Aaron's character "must be good" simply because he's gay... more limitations to Political Correctness. There's still a cool shadiness to the guy. He's the White Rabbit to this so-called Wonderland, after all. But the most bizarre "potential romance" could be budding between Michonne and Abraham... Say what?!? <br /> <br /> THE WALKING DEAD has taken <i>another</i> good turn, despite soap operatic melodrama breezing into the zombie stampedes of yesteryear. Finally having a place to settle, we get a calculated glimpse into the folks we’ve struggled and suffered with for five seasons. All shaved and/or showered up, they’re getting even dirtier... especially Carol. And the real highlight is saved for the end... An obscure pop tune in the BREAKING BAD fashion playing while Rick gets a nefarious notion! It's no wonder the moral compass (Tyreese) had to buy the farm. Conscience? We don't need no stinking...

2015, cable, walking dead, zombie

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: SEASON FIVE EPISODE FORGET

FORGET Grade: B+ Last week's episode title was REMEMBER, now we FORGET… Next week, ME NOT? Well it’d be impossible to imagine an e...

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: STRANGE SOLACE IN SEASON 5 REMEMBER

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwKBJ1lhmNA76TQ4S7tvDyj_euRdGqGBx0RKXD8ShTPu4e7bxskF8GLgsun3LUdrU1cu1gmH0m5b4FeKc2IYYGDnJ0i1DqSDuq20J6RO49-Ug9jVwnf99E1PJ2yudvOGK_8bFUiHuF8w/s1600/bender6.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwKBJ1lhmNA76TQ4S7tvDyj_euRdGqGBx0RKXD8ShTPu4e7bxskF8GLgsun3LUdrU1cu1gmH0m5b4FeKc2IYYGDnJ0i1DqSDuq20J6RO49-Ug9jVwnf99E1PJ2yudvOGK_8bFUiHuF8w/s1600/bender6.PNG" width="205" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title: REMEMBER Grade: A</td></tr> </tbody></table> The best episode in a very long while, the gang finally arrives at their new location, Alexandria, looking very much like Mayberry... or rather, Woodbury... Remember the Governor? Remember that <i>other</i> "safe haven," full of terrorist cannibals?<br /> <br /> Well you can rest-assured our roaming heroes REMEMBER, hence the episode title, because like tom cats inside a warm and cozy kitchen, they're out of place and beyond-suspicious. Especially the possum-eating Daryl Dixon.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: right;"> </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFFkwLXEfvp0BcHZOlrlvGnjLf5ANekLdiGgp4GRXGrieZwKmweYk2GHylClgjDvs4BXn_hFZbQojg8hiSLsym3UdfNlbyG-7VABmr1f11vTCa1p32loq-h8cYCGeAaJCWfXeRXiT-Ug/s1600/bender1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFFkwLXEfvp0BcHZOlrlvGnjLf5ANekLdiGgp4GRXGrieZwKmweYk2GHylClgjDvs4BXn_hFZbQojg8hiSLsym3UdfNlbyG-7VABmr1f11vTCa1p32loq-h8cYCGeAaJCWfXeRXiT-Ug/s1600/bender1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't You, Forget About DD</td></tr> </tbody></table> As the episode continues, Rick and Carol become slowly accustomed and adjusted to this new setting... Rick given his old job as cop and Carol resembling a suburban "Junior League gal"... But Daryl wants nothing of it. Like what probably happened with BREAKFAST CLUB rebel John Bender during the inevitable Monday morning wakeup call at Sherman High, he's witnessing the same folks he bonded with are, once again, completely unrecognizable... <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxXJk2vOVEQMTnNeF_ZU74KfVM4McSvA_A-9h8Zgs_wzCj5E0b_Ma6G0qhCLrMBIzvipyIKCSbfmwqeBJy9_YAzyvBy-DaOstHrFPVSXjNmrKCDym6-HEkKD_DRugTniaf4NPEuOLRkA/s1600/bender7.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxXJk2vOVEQMTnNeF_ZU74KfVM4McSvA_A-9h8Zgs_wzCj5E0b_Ma6G0qhCLrMBIzvipyIKCSbfmwqeBJy9_YAzyvBy-DaOstHrFPVSXjNmrKCDym6-HEkKD_DRugTniaf4NPEuOLRkA/s1600/bender7.PNG" width="195" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Reluctant Gait</td></tr> </tbody></table> In other words, Daryl probably didn't want anything to do with cops before the Zombie Apocalypse. Nor did he hang with middle class married mothers. Those conventional tax payers adhered to his woodsy kill-or-be-killed lifestyle only when (and because) the bottom fell out. But this isn't a Daryl episode. He's merely a facial barometer of peripheral untrust.<br /> <br /> Hell, even the always-wary Michonne is digging this new town, guarded with fail-safe walls and run by a seemingly open-minded and friendly former Congresswoman, videotape/interviewing each stranger and whose pretentiously gung-ho son provides the big third act suspense as he, his buddy, Glen and Tara venture into the woods, partaking in a terrific battle against the Walkers, referred to as Dead Heads. It's proven in this and the following scene, back within the confides of town, that Glen can not only hold his own, he's as unsure and suspicious as Daryl.   <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zXetriffsQRVU9ApwAS3GV6rU5wvpd02I3JuULggrIX0LyVUsS6mCjuSWBHROALP_KuK8KfW9GgFhlYwelXMufvoffnp4GcnF0dfBpQO9ThWwBYTiaNpQRfQVDeh6ylXUrP2AHQXluU/s1600/bender4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zXetriffsQRVU9ApwAS3GV6rU5wvpd02I3JuULggrIX0LyVUsS6mCjuSWBHROALP_KuK8KfW9GgFhlYwelXMufvoffnp4GcnF0dfBpQO9ThWwBYTiaNpQRfQVDeh6ylXUrP2AHQXluU/s1600/bender4.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You wouldn't like unemployment."</td></tr> </tbody></table> If you return to, say, the original DALLAS... The character Cliff Barnes constantly threatened to end the show. If he put J.R. Ewing out of business, that's all she wrote. Same with the investigative journalist on THE INCREDIBLE HULK... while perpetually dogging David Banner's heels, if his mission were accomplished, the curtain would close entirely. <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC5ff3tB3Nm1Nh4JKM9du7GMMDYoPeknWK6FeCQ7nFfrUUT-HAM2kNX8jk2snSrlq53vNgZ3ytzL1HGzxTDqItnwVDWBSQc0j6AgkO4iJXKBSciOPYp2UPDszpg54haWG0pcJAA3VEHg/s1600/bender8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC5ff3tB3Nm1Nh4JKM9du7GMMDYoPeknWK6FeCQ7nFfrUUT-HAM2kNX8jk2snSrlq53vNgZ3ytzL1HGzxTDqItnwVDWBSQc0j6AgkO4iJXKBSciOPYp2UPDszpg54haWG0pcJAA3VEHg/s1600/bender8.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love Actually shaven</td></tr> </tbody></table> THE WALKING DEAD doesn't have one particular character threatening to put the wild ride to an end... Not even the Walkers, who would have to kill all the main characters at once... But the very thought of our nomadic survivors finding complete solace, comfort and safety is, while good for them, death to the continuously dangerous adventure. Even Carl realizes this new place could make them soft in an extremely cruel world.   <br /> <br /> It's just a matter of time till the lovely cloth on the tidy tables turn. But the setting is an intriguing one, and the last batch of wandering episodes have been rather weak... So hopefully, things don't go to pot anytime soon. Let's just simmer for a while. <b>PREDICTION:</b> The hidden agenda might have something to do with Rick, Carl and Baby Judith... The Congresswoman seems more interested in the domestic trio, who could add to the town's nostalgic normalcy. She may <i>only</i> want Team Grimes to stick around, for the long run. So if a regular character buys the farm anytime soon, it may only seem accidental. 

2015, cable, walking dead, zombie

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: STRANGE SOLACE IN SEASON 5 REMEMBER

Title: REMEMBER Grade: A The best episode in a very long while, the gang finally arrives at their new location, Alexandria, looking very...

WALKING DEAD DAIRIES SEASON FIVE: THE DISTANCE

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10hPIfGAq19jd3NNLedOJxXzFh4Rb52SIa6SD4E3f0qxiFa6qCSql00DVGhwC5TQL5AT-B9wU-r6na7GWjdR6EuVEbL5it4yPpOBUvAQvtww-7VewUV7B6mPCOR7bLhPJMREftIF0apU/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10hPIfGAq19jd3NNLedOJxXzFh4Rb52SIa6SD4E3f0qxiFa6qCSql00DVGhwC5TQL5AT-B9wU-r6na7GWjdR6EuVEbL5it4yPpOBUvAQvtww-7VewUV7B6mPCOR7bLhPJMREftIF0apU/s1600/2.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE DISTANCE Grade: B– </td></tr> </tbody></table> At this point, when a Walker shows up on THE WALKING DEAD it’s like when that mini computer lets out a strange noise, and you realize it’s a phone!<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: right;"> </div> So many other elements make up this show, especially those initially friendly live human strangers that turn out truly awful. The Governor was Mr. Rogers compared to those cannibals, and, it seems, there’s simply no one out there as nice as Rick and company. So most of this episode is tense trepidation on whether to trust the average looking young man who said his mother fed him bad tasting things to make him more manly, which in itself is a bit off. <br /> <br /> The show used to storm through so much terrain in the course of 55 minutes... but the pacing has been getting progressively stretched out: Three weeks back, a regular died slowly; then his friends roamed around, slowly; now they are not-so-quickly warming up to a new guy with his promise of a camp that could finally be home sweet home, and their hesitation is more than understandable… If only tonight’s THE DISTANCE covered more of it.  <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFbNhd8PitnvZb5c9FMvcwQj5tjNSwtKIkOZuBhmU7LJMznD3cg6abIlChyxiQ_FPX-94ygr9mwiqW5kpME72ZM4zHLxADdHOIsX-oRa_5zOzDBKL1zNTAqz-C2VTcSwsQ1ZeNZpgbOw/s1600/1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFbNhd8PitnvZb5c9FMvcwQj5tjNSwtKIkOZuBhmU7LJMznD3cg6abIlChyxiQ_FPX-94ygr9mwiqW5kpME72ZM4zHLxADdHOIsX-oRa_5zOzDBKL1zNTAqz-C2VTcSwsQ1ZeNZpgbOw/s1600/1.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He should've played his Ace much earlier</td></tr> </tbody></table> This new stranger, Aaron, seems too aware that he should understand the group's dire hesitation – like he’s a fan of THE WALKING DEAD. “I’m no Governor, guys, I promise!” <br /> <br /> Well some kick ass ground did get covered in the middle – a nice leap forward, and perhaps the best scene in this entire fifth season/second half… And the Walkers, appearing out of nowhere, are a dangerous element and not just groaning wallpaper. <br /> <br /> Okay, well, now it’s time to backtrack. These diaries, as explained last time, are written during each commercial break. So, for the Politically Correct, an apology is in order – that line about mom trying to make the new guy more manly wasn’t without reason... He has a significant other, injured and waiting...<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvajvxJ1NhLbHPsLMknFTzNd4h6wMlwbZ9u7xDlGhJACelPhyEIDoEfFIZgUcnWq9y3U5FIP6Snc6XLrZ5o9SA_8MvvYHcE4UrhwSPWFrul0ogl6WxXUcdXY0_pLgwKG25_2ntQrhzUpM/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvajvxJ1NhLbHPsLMknFTzNd4h6wMlwbZ9u7xDlGhJACelPhyEIDoEfFIZgUcnWq9y3U5FIP6Snc6XLrZ5o9SA_8MvvYHcE4UrhwSPWFrul0ogl6WxXUcdXY0_pLgwKG25_2ntQrhzUpM/s1600/3.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beyond Peripheral </td></tr> </tbody></table> Thus we have our first male gay couple on board, so they simply <i>cannot</i> be villains. Funny how won-over the group got after witnessing that groundbreaking kiss. PC laws must work in both worlds: with or without zombies. But still, some mystery remains. Maybe this camp isn’t as nice as our new cast members are completely trustworthy. <br /> <br /> It's easy enough for an episode to center on one person when the group is broken up; yet when they’re all together, the other cast members, beside the one or two centered on, all hang around quietly, like extras on a high school TV show classroom… Even Alpha Male extraordinaire Jeremiah is gentle as a lamb, and Daryl hardly budged at all: that is, other than the Walker attack. But Glenn was Rambo this time around.  <br /> <br /> And Carol’s final line to Rick: “Even when you’re wrong, you’re right.” Now that's some ass kissing. But Rick has been a pretty good leader. That beard needs to go, though. Perhaps the camp has a barber shop. Or salon. 

2015, cable, walking dead, zombies

WALKING DEAD DAIRIES SEASON FIVE: THE DISTANCE

THE DISTANCE Grade: B– At this point, when a Walker shows up on THE WALKING DEAD it’s like when that mini computer lets out a strange no...

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: SEASON FIVE EPISODE THEM

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeFIH58NxoNiN3sEoKSEQhw1hksP1V6cqBcilMWzDJYT8s2971pd6ilOIxYuOy4s8iJfppauC-dDwdp04zhb2KzRyHBlbBdwREIiQ0fCIYaKG9xIqb1aDqHHYfYZ8G02tb2tNcHRZuOs/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeFIH58NxoNiN3sEoKSEQhw1hksP1V6cqBcilMWzDJYT8s2971pd6ilOIxYuOy4s8iJfppauC-dDwdp04zhb2KzRyHBlbBdwREIiQ0fCIYaKG9xIqb1aDqHHYfYZ8G02tb2tNcHRZuOs/s1600/Picture+3.png" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title: THEM Grade: C</td></tr> </tbody></table> <i>This was written at commercial breaks during the progression of the show – as will the rest of the WALKING DEAD Diaries – and towards the end of this particular episode, THEM, Rick states, “We are the Walking Dead,” making the next few paragraphs seem blatantly plagiarized as opposed to correctly predicted... </i><br /> <br /> So at this point, THE WALKING DEAD equally describes our beloved protagonists, the live humans, beginning with a shot of Maggie sitting woebegone with her back against a tree, sick and tired of her own existence…<br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieday3Gu8wsaXVW8Mhc-3c709-QWVkuGgRw-sSRmCp-Y211thE2oDubYOKwIFz276xdpXzCdgYhau_ZWfhQA0X_BKyQr78Xa9zvO-X8mN8iT8JC80R8_ir43yMe7xXzmLde3DStF0gUps/s1600/Picture+0.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieday3Gu8wsaXVW8Mhc-3c709-QWVkuGgRw-sSRmCp-Y211thE2oDubYOKwIFz276xdpXzCdgYhau_ZWfhQA0X_BKyQr78Xa9zvO-X8mN8iT8JC80R8_ir43yMe7xXzmLde3DStF0gUps/s1600/Picture+0.png" /></a>When that familiar gross gurgling is heard, she gets up and reluctantly kills the Walker like swatting a fly, and without even that much energy… Then when the group saunter along the highway, you have to adjust your vision to really differentiate the living from their foe… All have the same tired, plundering gait… And there’s even a reluctance to put the Walkers out of their zoned misery.   <br /> <br /> Lately, many fans have griped about not having enough Zombies on a show about Zombies… We’ve experienced some pretty mellow episodes, the title characters beyond peripheral, and now it seems the Undead might be brought back to the forefront. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjMP-kOuSc9qtRoO3ceXhy9RdAnaiePbGH8cO8QvqLWaXl_D92rOGrcD4P1JVhsPC98EoqaEWPCeWse_6dr7dhH4H78nFd8Oke5E6w_eAUl93EqtAiZjaR6fAdwNRA0-_R6H825YRjio/s1600/Picture+1.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjMP-kOuSc9qtRoO3ceXhy9RdAnaiePbGH8cO8QvqLWaXl_D92rOGrcD4P1JVhsPC98EoqaEWPCeWse_6dr7dhH4H78nFd8Oke5E6w_eAUl93EqtAiZjaR6fAdwNRA0-_R6H825YRjio/s1600/Picture+1.png" width="126" /></a>Some of the music sounds very John Carpenter: a slow pulsating dirge befitting our morbidly weary heroes… Meanwhile, a group of ferocious dogs snarling through the woods are reminicent of the canine attackers in Walter Hill's SOUTHERN COMFORT. But enough nostalgia...  <br /> <br /> Surely the somber mood is the result of Tyreese's departure… Another moral compass deleted, where does the arrow point now? This might also explain that passive unspoken no-kill treaty some of the characters chose to follow. That is, until Sasha cut loose. <br /> <br /> While the last episode spent the entire hour on someone dying, we spend most of this one in mourning… Far different than the old days, especially the Frank Darabont first-two-seasons when death came with the territory, and you had to move on quickly.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7JKVOK6JG1h9nyeMxZt_3e0ajP6ZYDR-JdAmQa4p_db22zBi4VlQ-zfJedLhNS1aVbpWyrDiHxsDhgeRRj9OpX5NchP-hj1Z9KT-Mulx_-E8C3abNyOkar18EkY0XW8ZzdNImpgJw2M/s1600/Picture+4.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7JKVOK6JG1h9nyeMxZt_3e0ajP6ZYDR-JdAmQa4p_db22zBi4VlQ-zfJedLhNS1aVbpWyrDiHxsDhgeRRj9OpX5NchP-hj1Z9KT-Mulx_-E8C3abNyOkar18EkY0XW8ZzdNImpgJw2M/s1600/Picture+4.png" /></a>Memorable highlights have fan-favorite Daryl eating a worm, and burning himself with a cigarette… Either white trash hobbies die hard or perhaps he's still sad about Beth. Or is he warming up with Carol? Yikes. Those two have the chemistry of Joyce Van Patten and Jackie Earle Haley circa 1976... There's that damn nostalgia again! (One more reference... What's with Rick's <i>Jason Beghe from MONKEY SHINES</i> fake looking beard?!)  <br /> <br /> Though quite lackluster, the epilogue of THEM was filmed nicely: a lovely after-rain dawn as two characters walk out from a dilapidated barn, almost making you want to hear the words “Stay Gold.” But that’s not all… There’s a new stranger. After the Governor and those cannibals, we’re probably simply out of the frying pan: And even though this guy resembles a friendly Mormon hiker, you can assume, at the very least, our Living Walkers will have to start running for their newly-appreciated lives once again... Let's hope!

2015, cable, walking dead, zombie

WALKING DEAD DIARIES: SEASON FIVE EPISODE THEM

Title: THEM Grade: C This was written at commercial breaks during the progression of the show – as will the rest of the WALKING DEAD Dia...