We skipped reviewing episode 7 last week due to the hubub around the then upcoming holiday, so we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Episode 8: "Coda"
Alas the mid-season finale is upon us and once again we're wondering where the time went? As the episode opens, we are now getting the final buildup toward the hospital rescue mission, and are assured that at least one of our main cast members won't be making it out alive. Most people knew it would have to be either Carol or Beth, and true to form our prediction was wrong. Yes, we have noticed that characters who are a few episodes away from kicking the bucket usually get their "swan song" episode and in the first half of Season 5 both Beth and Carol could be argued as being given theirs. It would be better if there were more mystery about it, even if we did put our money on the wrong chick.
When trying to figure out what's going to happen next in the world of TWD, it's best to ignore what comes out of any of the cast and crew's mouths. One may remember in the convention season leading up to the end of Season 3, Laurie Holden choked back tears as she announced that a beloved character would be killed... and she was referring to herself though Andrea as a character was far from a fan favorite. It appears the same may hold true with this death and those closest to the filming having taken a stronger bond with Emily than we have as fans with Beth. When we saw Melissa tearing up at a recent convention panel and Reedus talking about his apple-box bawling session, we were sure it was Carol's turn.
Yes, we just let the cat out of the bag.
In general, there just wasn't enough emotional attachment to Beth to really make her end game arc satisfying enough to base half a season on. The way it was played did have an emotional impact and held the viewer to the edge of their seat for the final 10 minutes or so, but we were mostly distraught for the impact it would have on the others, not for the loss of Beth herself. Not that we don't love Emily and regret her not getting the chance to play with #TWDFamily anymore, it's just that the redemption for Beth that was built into this first half seemed forced... and much like with Andrea and season 3, just too little too late to make us feel all that bad for the loss of her character in and of itself. She needed to be one of the ones whose death came out of the blue without any warning at all so that the surprise of it added to the impact, but we could see at least three weeks in advance that it was likely to be either her or Carol to go in the mid-season and to be honest, we were getting quite comfortable with the idea.
The fan reaction to this first half has been widely varied. Some believe it to be the best season yet, but others felt it began to fall flat after episode 2 when it became clear that we were sprinting (like a Walker) toward a hospital-rescue mid-season. What this has really done for us is open us up to daydreaming of what lie beyond... now that everyone is back together and Morgan is closing in on the group, with the D.C. trip proven pointless, where do we go from here? Will Rick continue his transformation and go full-Shane? Will Morgan be our new voice of reason or end up our worst villain yet? Will we finally find a place to settle for a little while? Because Daryl needs a bath. Stat.
