Episode 7: Time for After
This week we catch back up with Rick, who's been held captive in a truck container since last week in nothing but his boxer shorts. Just like the last time he tried negotiating with the Garbage Pail kids, he has to fight them into submission but ultimately they do agree to his terms... they join him to fight the Saviors and receive 1/4 of the loot they take.
In the meantime, Eugene is having a heckuva time resisting being pulled back to the light side by both Gabriel and Dwight, individually. Dwight is still stealthily fighting to overthrow Negan and restore civility to the land at large, on behalf of Rick and his multi-pronged army. Gabriel is extremely sick, without access to meds, and may die but still wants Eugene to do the right thing. By the end of the episode, Eugene's desire to prioritize self-preservation and stay on Negan's coattails wins out even though we were hoping he'd turn his loyalties back to Team Family.
Daryl, Rosita, Michonne, and Tara make it to The Sanctuary and plan to ram the garbage truck into the side of the building to flood it full of walkers. Rosita and Michonne bow out, preferring to refer back to Rick's guidance and go back to Alexandria, so Daryl and Tara just team up with the Team Family snipers (led by Morgan) who were previously posted around the perimeter to make sure no Saviors attempt to flee. It works... sort of... when the workers on the floor of The Sanctuary are forced up to the 2nd level of the building, but by the time Rick arrives with the Garbage Pail Kids in tow, the courtyard of The Sanctuary is empty and it appears that the Saviors have all escaped.
Next week we find Negan back at Alexandria trying to take control again, which is sure not to go over quite as easily as it did previously given the Savior's dwindling numbers. As the mid-season finale, it is being touted as containing a gossip-worthy development (which this season so far desperately needs) so hold onto your hats and hope all your favorites make it out alive!!
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, December 4, 2017
The Walking Dead: Season 8 Episode 6 WDF Review
Episode 6: The King, The Widow, and Rick
Another quick recap to catch us up before the Mid-Season: we'll make it quick since we still have another episode to write up today.
Ezekiel is still grappling with the loss of Shiva and his army, but Carol convinces him he is still the right leader for this group. Rick goes to negotiate (again) with the Garbage Pail kids but ends up imprisoned instead. Michonne and Rosita have decided to "end the war" themselves but run into Daryl who was off on the same "mission" himself, so the three join up and head for The Sanctuary. Carl finds Siddiq, the man Rick scared off when he asked Carl for help, and befriends him... so we have a new Alexandrian. Lastly, Maggie and Jesus disagree on how to manage their POWs but in the end build a containment camp inside the walls of Hilltop where they can be kept... including their own wolf in sheep's clothing, Gregory.
So, basically, we're still inching ever so slowly toward some sort of climax, and that climax had better be good!
The big revelation this week came from The Talking Dead instead, where it was announced that Morgan, played by Lennie James, will be a crossover character into the world of Fear The Walking Dead. Now, speculation has run rampant that it would be Abe (and that's what we were hoping for, since it would mean we'd get more time with the Character, and it just made logistical sense given that his journey toward Washington DC had started out toward that way). The actors appeared to be eluding toward the Morgan character leaving the main show altogether (they stated they had said their tearful goodbyes at the end of filming), but Gimple insisted we didn't know yet where Morgan's story would go. He wouldn't be able to stay too long in the world of FTWD, since to get there he would have needed to leave Georgia with his son when Rick left for Atlanta, and then come right back to King County (for the CLEAR episode) before the fall of the prison, which in show time was just a year or so after they parted ways the first time.
Again this was another odd "inch by inch" episode, which to be honest are starting to aggravate a lot of viewers. When the cast/producers talked about "nonstop action" this season we didn't think they meant more fighting each other and walkers than The Saviors... but squabbles happen when you've been cooped up too long together.
Another quick recap to catch us up before the Mid-Season: we'll make it quick since we still have another episode to write up today.
Ezekiel is still grappling with the loss of Shiva and his army, but Carol convinces him he is still the right leader for this group. Rick goes to negotiate (again) with the Garbage Pail kids but ends up imprisoned instead. Michonne and Rosita have decided to "end the war" themselves but run into Daryl who was off on the same "mission" himself, so the three join up and head for The Sanctuary. Carl finds Siddiq, the man Rick scared off when he asked Carl for help, and befriends him... so we have a new Alexandrian. Lastly, Maggie and Jesus disagree on how to manage their POWs but in the end build a containment camp inside the walls of Hilltop where they can be kept... including their own wolf in sheep's clothing, Gregory.
So, basically, we're still inching ever so slowly toward some sort of climax, and that climax had better be good!
The big revelation this week came from The Talking Dead instead, where it was announced that Morgan, played by Lennie James, will be a crossover character into the world of Fear The Walking Dead. Now, speculation has run rampant that it would be Abe (and that's what we were hoping for, since it would mean we'd get more time with the Character, and it just made logistical sense given that his journey toward Washington DC had started out toward that way). The actors appeared to be eluding toward the Morgan character leaving the main show altogether (they stated they had said their tearful goodbyes at the end of filming), but Gimple insisted we didn't know yet where Morgan's story would go. He wouldn't be able to stay too long in the world of FTWD, since to get there he would have needed to leave Georgia with his son when Rick left for Atlanta, and then come right back to King County (for the CLEAR episode) before the fall of the prison, which in show time was just a year or so after they parted ways the first time.
Again this was another odd "inch by inch" episode, which to be honest are starting to aggravate a lot of viewers. When the cast/producers talked about "nonstop action" this season we didn't think they meant more fighting each other and walkers than The Saviors... but squabbles happen when you've been cooped up too long together.
The Walking Dead: Season 8 Episode 5 WDF Review
Episode 5: The Big Scary U
We're a couple of weeks late posting this so we thought we'd just do a (very) quick summary to get us caught back up:
This episode focuses on three primary "groups": The Saviors dealing with "the workers" in near revolt, Rick & Daryl having a spat about how to proceed next with their goal of restoring peace to the land, and Gabe & Negan having a heart to heart before escaping the trailer and making their way to the main Sanctuary building. Spoiler: The Saviors squelch the revolt just in time for Negan to make it back to them and Rick & Daryl survive their fight to bro another day.
The big "holy crap" of the night was Rick spotting a helicopter flying overhead while he was out alone after he and Daryl made up and parted ways. Helicopters never mean anything good in this show.
Since we have a little catching up to do before the Mid-Season next week, that's the best we'll do on this episode. Unfortunately it also represents the amount of forward progress we made. The rumbles that this season are turning out to be a big old dud are getting louder, but we're holding out hope it can still turn around.
We're a couple of weeks late posting this so we thought we'd just do a (very) quick summary to get us caught back up:
This episode focuses on three primary "groups": The Saviors dealing with "the workers" in near revolt, Rick & Daryl having a spat about how to proceed next with their goal of restoring peace to the land, and Gabe & Negan having a heart to heart before escaping the trailer and making their way to the main Sanctuary building. Spoiler: The Saviors squelch the revolt just in time for Negan to make it back to them and Rick & Daryl survive their fight to bro another day.
The big "holy crap" of the night was Rick spotting a helicopter flying overhead while he was out alone after he and Daryl made up and parted ways. Helicopters never mean anything good in this show.
Since we have a little catching up to do before the Mid-Season next week, that's the best we'll do on this episode. Unfortunately it also represents the amount of forward progress we made. The rumbles that this season are turning out to be a big old dud are getting louder, but we're holding out hope it can still turn around.
Monday, November 13, 2017
The Walking Dead: Season 8 Episode 4 WDF Review
Episode 4: Some Guy
Here we are in the fourth episode and we're still in the same tv-time day! This season just might exacerbate the Carl's-Age Discrepancy. It's only been a few years since the apocalypse began in tv time, yet Carl has aged about five years more than he should have. We'll just pretend he's an early bloomer, but it's hard to ignore when the actor is on Twitter talking about being able to do new things as an adult!
Aaanyway, yes, we're picking back up where we left off and hopefully finishing out this dreadful tv day. We're back at the outpost where the battalion from The Kingdom has just been mowed down, watching an injured Ezekiel crawl out from beneath the pile of protectors who literally took bullets for him. Carol has not only survived but managed to sneak inside, where she mows down a handful of Saviors packing up some savage weaponry to take back to The Sanctuary. Their goal becomes clear: stop this shipment from reaching it's destination.
Alvaro (redshirt Kingdom member) comes out of nowhere to help Ezekiel hobble to safety on his jacked-up leg, but is taken out quickly leaving Ezekiel to his own devices. Savior peon Gunther (which can't help but make us think of Gunther from Central Perk), finds Ezekiel and starts marching him back toward The Sanctuary. Apparently there is a bounty on each of the leaders' heads because Negan wants The King, The Widow, and Rick taken alive. It doesn't last long, because just when it looks like Gunther is about to lose his composure and kill Ezekiel, trumpets sound as Jerry comes to the rescue to battle-axe Gunther in half. Okay, trumpets didn't really sound, but they should've.
Jerry and Ezekiel are trapped between a chained gate and a horde of walkers, many of which are turned Kingdom subjects. Carol is still inside the fence in a fire fight with a handful of Saviors who've been loading those weapons for transport. She makes the ultimate decision to let the Saviors get away so she can rescue Jerry and Ezekiel... But never fear! Rick and Daryl are nearby to intercept the shipment and run the truck off the road where they can kill the remaining Saviors and take the loot.
Jerry, Ezekiel, and Carol set off on foot but are quickly surrounded by walkers in a ravine. This scene becomes one of the most surprisingly heart-breaking ones so far... especially if you love animals. If you haven't guessed by now, Shiva meets her end pouncing in last minute to save the trio, but in the process becomes Walker Chow herself. đ
Is it bad that we felt more upset about Shiva than we did Eric? Because if we're being completely honest here, we did, a little bit.
After all the carnage, Ezekiel no longer wants to pretend to be "King". He reveals that he was a lowly zoo keeper in his past life who only earned Shiva's trust by saving her life in a pinch one day. He clearly feels guilty that he led these folks, and Shiva to boot, to slaughter, but Jerry is having none of it. They need a leader, and Ezekiel is still it. The episode ends as the three hobble mournfully back through the gates of The Kingdom to relay to the residents what has happened.
The pacing is still holding steady even though we're not quite out of that first day of All Out War yet. There are still lulls in the action (it would be exhausting otherwise) but we're not totally camped out at one location or another. Rick & Daryl especially seem to be popping up whenever help is needed so there's always that buddy dynamic going on to some degree. The biggest complaint we're hearing has to do with these gun battles and how unrealistic they've become. They always have been (the ever present joke of the inexhaustible supply of ammo), but now we're talking about a lot of fire power missing it's mark... *all* the time. Carol fought against no less than five saviors and was still able to sneak away unscathed, while Rick and Daryl were able to avoid taking a substantial hit just by swerving and ducking. We're hearing rumbles that the gun battles are becoming so ridiculous that some long term fans are starting to be turned off of the show entirely.
The above definitely does not describe us, however. We are still engaged, still anxious to see how the rest of the war unfolds and what lie beyond... and next week, we get to find out what Negan does to Gabriel!! We're excited...
Are you?
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Here we are in the fourth episode and we're still in the same tv-time day! This season just might exacerbate the Carl's-Age Discrepancy. It's only been a few years since the apocalypse began in tv time, yet Carl has aged about five years more than he should have. We'll just pretend he's an early bloomer, but it's hard to ignore when the actor is on Twitter talking about being able to do new things as an adult!
Aaanyway, yes, we're picking back up where we left off and hopefully finishing out this dreadful tv day. We're back at the outpost where the battalion from The Kingdom has just been mowed down, watching an injured Ezekiel crawl out from beneath the pile of protectors who literally took bullets for him. Carol has not only survived but managed to sneak inside, where she mows down a handful of Saviors packing up some savage weaponry to take back to The Sanctuary. Their goal becomes clear: stop this shipment from reaching it's destination.
Alvaro (redshirt Kingdom member) comes out of nowhere to help Ezekiel hobble to safety on his jacked-up leg, but is taken out quickly leaving Ezekiel to his own devices. Savior peon Gunther (which can't help but make us think of Gunther from Central Perk), finds Ezekiel and starts marching him back toward The Sanctuary. Apparently there is a bounty on each of the leaders' heads because Negan wants The King, The Widow, and Rick taken alive. It doesn't last long, because just when it looks like Gunther is about to lose his composure and kill Ezekiel, trumpets sound as Jerry comes to the rescue to battle-axe Gunther in half. Okay, trumpets didn't really sound, but they should've.
Jerry and Ezekiel are trapped between a chained gate and a horde of walkers, many of which are turned Kingdom subjects. Carol is still inside the fence in a fire fight with a handful of Saviors who've been loading those weapons for transport. She makes the ultimate decision to let the Saviors get away so she can rescue Jerry and Ezekiel... But never fear! Rick and Daryl are nearby to intercept the shipment and run the truck off the road where they can kill the remaining Saviors and take the loot.
Jerry, Ezekiel, and Carol set off on foot but are quickly surrounded by walkers in a ravine. This scene becomes one of the most surprisingly heart-breaking ones so far... especially if you love animals. If you haven't guessed by now, Shiva meets her end pouncing in last minute to save the trio, but in the process becomes Walker Chow herself. đ
Is it bad that we felt more upset about Shiva than we did Eric? Because if we're being completely honest here, we did, a little bit.
After all the carnage, Ezekiel no longer wants to pretend to be "King". He reveals that he was a lowly zoo keeper in his past life who only earned Shiva's trust by saving her life in a pinch one day. He clearly feels guilty that he led these folks, and Shiva to boot, to slaughter, but Jerry is having none of it. They need a leader, and Ezekiel is still it. The episode ends as the three hobble mournfully back through the gates of The Kingdom to relay to the residents what has happened.
The pacing is still holding steady even though we're not quite out of that first day of All Out War yet. There are still lulls in the action (it would be exhausting otherwise) but we're not totally camped out at one location or another. Rick & Daryl especially seem to be popping up whenever help is needed so there's always that buddy dynamic going on to some degree. The biggest complaint we're hearing has to do with these gun battles and how unrealistic they've become. They always have been (the ever present joke of the inexhaustible supply of ammo), but now we're talking about a lot of fire power missing it's mark... *all* the time. Carol fought against no less than five saviors and was still able to sneak away unscathed, while Rick and Daryl were able to avoid taking a substantial hit just by swerving and ducking. We're hearing rumbles that the gun battles are becoming so ridiculous that some long term fans are starting to be turned off of the show entirely.
The above definitely does not describe us, however. We are still engaged, still anxious to see how the rest of the war unfolds and what lie beyond... and next week, we get to find out what Negan does to Gabriel!! We're excited...
Are you?
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, November 6, 2017
The Walking Dead: Season 8 Episode 3 WDF Review
Episode 3: Monsters
For an episode that felt like it had a lot in it, we didn't progress much in our story line this week. We wrap up Eric's story line (we all knew he'd not survive that sort of injury), see Morgan continue to battle his demons (and displace his aggression toward Jesus in an epic fight scene), watch Ezekiel and Carol overly enjoy what at first appears to be a great success for the Kingdom's regiment, see Maggie deal with Gregory awkwardly showing back up at Hilltop after selling them all out (followed shortly afterward by a small army of Saviors whom have been taken by Jesus as Prisoners of War), and watch Rick try to bargain with Morales before Daryl puts him down once and for all.
All of that and we're still in the same day (tv-time wise) we started the season in, and we're not done with "today" yet. We're basically past the initial offensive and back to where we started, less a LOT of Saviors and a handful of Team Family (mostly redshirts), ready to regroup before the next plan of attack... except for Carol, Ezekiel, and the Kingdom's group who are caught in an ambush at the end of the episode, and picking back up with how they get out of that scrape is where we start Episode 4.
It's fairly clear who the "Monsters" are in each scenario. The most surprising is that Tara, Morgan, and Daryl are turning out to be the ones who only see in black & white. It's the whole you're either with us or you're against us and will soon be dead type of thing. This time around Rick and Jesus are the ones trying to retain a shred of humanity by not automatically killing Saviors on sight. While they recognize the distinction between "worker bee" and "soldier boy", the others just want them all gone. As we're all becoming far too aware, the only way to ensure someone doesn't come back to bite you is ending it on the spot (twice if necessary).
Now that Eric is gone, Aaron may join Group No-Nonsense in what seems to be an all-too-familiar character arc... you lose someone you love, you go stone cold crazy for a while, then you come back to reality just in time to possibly be axed yourself. We leave him in a strange place, though, having volunteered to take Gracie, the baby Rick found at the Saviors' outpost, back to Hilltop with him as he visibly grieves the loss of Eric. So now we have two babies and a pregnant lady in the apocalypse. Well, we needed to start over somewhere, since we chomped right through the last group of kids we had (at the prison).
Next week's episode is the half-way point to the mid-season break and it appears to be more of the same, inching toward a climax of some sort that we hope will just knock our socks completely off and across the room once we get there. When this is all over we're going to need a "party" episode to take a breath with, where the group just enjoys a big feast, a hot shower, and gossip about Mrs. Niedermeyer.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
For an episode that felt like it had a lot in it, we didn't progress much in our story line this week. We wrap up Eric's story line (we all knew he'd not survive that sort of injury), see Morgan continue to battle his demons (and displace his aggression toward Jesus in an epic fight scene), watch Ezekiel and Carol overly enjoy what at first appears to be a great success for the Kingdom's regiment, see Maggie deal with Gregory awkwardly showing back up at Hilltop after selling them all out (followed shortly afterward by a small army of Saviors whom have been taken by Jesus as Prisoners of War), and watch Rick try to bargain with Morales before Daryl puts him down once and for all.
All of that and we're still in the same day (tv-time wise) we started the season in, and we're not done with "today" yet. We're basically past the initial offensive and back to where we started, less a LOT of Saviors and a handful of Team Family (mostly redshirts), ready to regroup before the next plan of attack... except for Carol, Ezekiel, and the Kingdom's group who are caught in an ambush at the end of the episode, and picking back up with how they get out of that scrape is where we start Episode 4.
It's fairly clear who the "Monsters" are in each scenario. The most surprising is that Tara, Morgan, and Daryl are turning out to be the ones who only see in black & white. It's the whole you're either with us or you're against us and will soon be dead type of thing. This time around Rick and Jesus are the ones trying to retain a shred of humanity by not automatically killing Saviors on sight. While they recognize the distinction between "worker bee" and "soldier boy", the others just want them all gone. As we're all becoming far too aware, the only way to ensure someone doesn't come back to bite you is ending it on the spot (twice if necessary).
Now that Eric is gone, Aaron may join Group No-Nonsense in what seems to be an all-too-familiar character arc... you lose someone you love, you go stone cold crazy for a while, then you come back to reality just in time to possibly be axed yourself. We leave him in a strange place, though, having volunteered to take Gracie, the baby Rick found at the Saviors' outpost, back to Hilltop with him as he visibly grieves the loss of Eric. So now we have two babies and a pregnant lady in the apocalypse. Well, we needed to start over somewhere, since we chomped right through the last group of kids we had (at the prison).
Next week's episode is the half-way point to the mid-season break and it appears to be more of the same, inching toward a climax of some sort that we hope will just knock our socks completely off and across the room once we get there. When this is all over we're going to need a "party" episode to take a breath with, where the group just enjoys a big feast, a hot shower, and gossip about Mrs. Niedermeyer.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, October 30, 2017
The Walking Dead: Season 8 Episode 2 WDF Review
Episode 2: The Damned
It's official. This entire season is probably only going to cover a few days of "tv time". This episode is just an extension of the same day we left last week, and we end the episode having not advanced much in time. A lot was covered in one hour in screen time, so you'll have to get your keepin' up pants on... okay that was stupid, but you get what we mean.
Our "Army" is currently fragmented into four groups... one with Tara, Jesus, and Morgan at the outpost Team Family originally attacked (the event that sparked AbraGlenngate), one at the medical facility outpost (where Carol and Ezekiel were last seen diving for cover from a grenade), one where Rick and Daryl are looking for an arsenal, and one where Aaron is helping lead an attack on another new (to us) outpost. Flipping back & forth between all these story lines can be a bit confusing, but we'd rather do it this way than not check in with one or more groups for multiple episodes as has been done in the past when we had multiple "home bases" to keep up with.
Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Tara, Jesus, and Morgan successfully clear their outpost by taking a rather large group of Saviors prisoner after they surrender. The small splinter team Morgan had been clearing with was mowed down (losing two "Family Army" redshirts in the meantime), but after a fake-out death Morgan rose to his feet just in time to argue with Jesus about taking the hostages rather than killing them as their directive demands. Turns out Jesus is to be our voice of peace and understanding this season now that Morgan and Carol are both fully invested in Team Shoot-Em-In-The-Face.
Carol & Ezekial and their team clear the medical center but lose track of the one survivor who tossed the grenade, raising concerns that he will make it to another outpost to warn the Saviors that they are coming. They follow him through the woods by way of trail-o-blood, and catch up to him just as another group from The Kingdom show up with Shiva... who makes quick work of that Savior-on-the-run. Unfortunately, though, just as the episode is ending they realize the 2nd outpost has already been alerted to the impending attack.
The firefight led by Aaron gets pretty nasty. There are casualties on both sides (though only redshirts), and Eric is shot in the gut. Oh NOES! Although he was not dead when we last saw them retreating from the battle, chances of survival from that sort of wound in a post-apocalyptic world are slim. We are more than likely being set up for a farewell episode for Eric some time very soon if not next week, undoubtedly leading to much character development for Aaron.
Rick and Daryl are clearing a building but split up to do it so they are, rather stupidly, both alone. Rick ends up in a battle to the (Savior) death, before finding a sleeping babe in a crib which causes a brief existential meltdown. In one of the better twists of the last few seasons, he ends the episode at gunpoint by... wait for it... MORALES! Yes, folks, the Morales that decided to forego the trip to the CDC and disappeared in his station wagon with his family way back in Season 1 is back! Unfortunately for us, he is a changed man, a member of The Saviors and now holding Rick hostage until the reinforcements he has alerted arrive. Little bastard.
So, lots of action and lots of developments, some small some not-so-small. This episode is definitely one you need to watch twice to make sure you caught everything. Hopefully we'll get in some good "regrouping" episodes between this sort of fast-paced action, which we would assume is coming at least long enough to deal with Eric's wounds. Hold on to your butts, people! It's going to be a bumpy ride.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
It's official. This entire season is probably only going to cover a few days of "tv time". This episode is just an extension of the same day we left last week, and we end the episode having not advanced much in time. A lot was covered in one hour in screen time, so you'll have to get your keepin' up pants on... okay that was stupid, but you get what we mean.
Our "Army" is currently fragmented into four groups... one with Tara, Jesus, and Morgan at the outpost Team Family originally attacked (the event that sparked AbraGlenngate), one at the medical facility outpost (where Carol and Ezekiel were last seen diving for cover from a grenade), one where Rick and Daryl are looking for an arsenal, and one where Aaron is helping lead an attack on another new (to us) outpost. Flipping back & forth between all these story lines can be a bit confusing, but we'd rather do it this way than not check in with one or more groups for multiple episodes as has been done in the past when we had multiple "home bases" to keep up with.
Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Tara, Jesus, and Morgan successfully clear their outpost by taking a rather large group of Saviors prisoner after they surrender. The small splinter team Morgan had been clearing with was mowed down (losing two "Family Army" redshirts in the meantime), but after a fake-out death Morgan rose to his feet just in time to argue with Jesus about taking the hostages rather than killing them as their directive demands. Turns out Jesus is to be our voice of peace and understanding this season now that Morgan and Carol are both fully invested in Team Shoot-Em-In-The-Face.
Carol & Ezekial and their team clear the medical center but lose track of the one survivor who tossed the grenade, raising concerns that he will make it to another outpost to warn the Saviors that they are coming. They follow him through the woods by way of trail-o-blood, and catch up to him just as another group from The Kingdom show up with Shiva... who makes quick work of that Savior-on-the-run. Unfortunately, though, just as the episode is ending they realize the 2nd outpost has already been alerted to the impending attack.
The firefight led by Aaron gets pretty nasty. There are casualties on both sides (though only redshirts), and Eric is shot in the gut. Oh NOES! Although he was not dead when we last saw them retreating from the battle, chances of survival from that sort of wound in a post-apocalyptic world are slim. We are more than likely being set up for a farewell episode for Eric some time very soon if not next week, undoubtedly leading to much character development for Aaron.
Rick and Daryl are clearing a building but split up to do it so they are, rather stupidly, both alone. Rick ends up in a battle to the (Savior) death, before finding a sleeping babe in a crib which causes a brief existential meltdown. In one of the better twists of the last few seasons, he ends the episode at gunpoint by... wait for it... MORALES! Yes, folks, the Morales that decided to forego the trip to the CDC and disappeared in his station wagon with his family way back in Season 1 is back! Unfortunately for us, he is a changed man, a member of The Saviors and now holding Rick hostage until the reinforcements he has alerted arrive. Little bastard.
So, lots of action and lots of developments, some small some not-so-small. This episode is definitely one you need to watch twice to make sure you caught everything. Hopefully we'll get in some good "regrouping" episodes between this sort of fast-paced action, which we would assume is coming at least long enough to deal with Eric's wounds. Hold on to your butts, people! It's going to be a bumpy ride.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, October 23, 2017
The Walking Dead: Season 8 Episode 1 WDF Review
Episode 1: Mercy
This episode picks up pretty much right where we left off, with the group preparing for the 2nd battle of All Out War (the first battle being in the Season 7 finale). If you were expecting this to be some sort of build up to a mass surprise attack perpetrated by Team Allies in the exciting style of the Season 7 ender resulting in a satisfying loss on Team Savior's part, you... might be half right?
In classic TWD style, the timeline was fragmented, bouncing back & forth in time to touch plot points in a planned order... but the word we're hearing on the street is that it felt somewhat disjointed and contrived with pacing that left a lot to be desired. We admit it was one of the more difficult episodes to follow; you never knew exactly what we were watching them prepare for and then when the time came, it seemed like it didn't quite have the intended impact. The amount of screen time spent funneling a horde toward The Sanctuary was excessive and overly dramatized for sure. It sort of gave you that "stuck in traffic" feeling, where you're mentally urging things forward but it wasn't progressing at the pace you hoped for, at least not at the "Premiere Episode" level. In the quest to spoon feed us just enough information to allow us to connect the dots, we were fed unnecessary fluff such as Tara's over-dramatic countdown (as if a walker horde moves at such a precise, predictable pace). Yes, there were definitely things that could have been done better, but then we're also being very picky for a television drama.
We finally see the full "Old Rick" sequence as a flash-forward several years to Rick and his family living in a peaceful, safe community. Although there was much speculation as to what this part of the Comic-Con teaser meant, it appears as though this is Rick's fantasy for his family's future and therefore his motivation for fighting. Dwight is back at The Sanctuary as a mole for Team Allies, exchanging messages with Daryl through the fence via message-in-an-arrow. Maggie is joking about being able to wage war through the second trimester. And, for once, everyone including Morgan and Carol are on board with defeating The Saviors.
At first, Gregory is paraded out by The Saviors and attempts to vow Hilltop's loyalties as allies of The Saviors, but the rest of the group is having none of it. When he tells Team Allies that anyone fighting against The Saviors will be exiled from Hilltop along with their families, Jesus and the other Hilltopians proclaim that Hilltop stands with Maggie. Thus, Gregory is officially overthrown as the ruler of Hilltop and Maggie has been crowned in his stead... though this was already understood so it was just a formality at this point.
The battle ended with the vast majority of the inhabitants of The Sanctuary safely inside though the fencing was breached to let the horde into the courtyard. Negan was stuck in an annex trailer surrounded by the horde along with Father Gabriel who was apparently not wearing his poopy pants and it may be an episode or two before we get to find out why he needed them. Team Allies quickly retreated without any losses (despite taking heavy fire, those Saviors have terrible aim), but we don't seem to have made much progress in the war past that.
At the end of the day we're just happy to be back in business, excited to see what the remainder of the season has in store. For now, this was not necessarily the edge-of-your-seat premiere we were hoping for (though some would dispute that statement), but war is messy and has to start somewhere.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
This episode picks up pretty much right where we left off, with the group preparing for the 2nd battle of All Out War (the first battle being in the Season 7 finale). If you were expecting this to be some sort of build up to a mass surprise attack perpetrated by Team Allies in the exciting style of the Season 7 ender resulting in a satisfying loss on Team Savior's part, you... might be half right?
In classic TWD style, the timeline was fragmented, bouncing back & forth in time to touch plot points in a planned order... but the word we're hearing on the street is that it felt somewhat disjointed and contrived with pacing that left a lot to be desired. We admit it was one of the more difficult episodes to follow; you never knew exactly what we were watching them prepare for and then when the time came, it seemed like it didn't quite have the intended impact. The amount of screen time spent funneling a horde toward The Sanctuary was excessive and overly dramatized for sure. It sort of gave you that "stuck in traffic" feeling, where you're mentally urging things forward but it wasn't progressing at the pace you hoped for, at least not at the "Premiere Episode" level. In the quest to spoon feed us just enough information to allow us to connect the dots, we were fed unnecessary fluff such as Tara's over-dramatic countdown (as if a walker horde moves at such a precise, predictable pace). Yes, there were definitely things that could have been done better, but then we're also being very picky for a television drama.
We finally see the full "Old Rick" sequence as a flash-forward several years to Rick and his family living in a peaceful, safe community. Although there was much speculation as to what this part of the Comic-Con teaser meant, it appears as though this is Rick's fantasy for his family's future and therefore his motivation for fighting. Dwight is back at The Sanctuary as a mole for Team Allies, exchanging messages with Daryl through the fence via message-in-an-arrow. Maggie is joking about being able to wage war through the second trimester. And, for once, everyone including Morgan and Carol are on board with defeating The Saviors.
At first, Gregory is paraded out by The Saviors and attempts to vow Hilltop's loyalties as allies of The Saviors, but the rest of the group is having none of it. When he tells Team Allies that anyone fighting against The Saviors will be exiled from Hilltop along with their families, Jesus and the other Hilltopians proclaim that Hilltop stands with Maggie. Thus, Gregory is officially overthrown as the ruler of Hilltop and Maggie has been crowned in his stead... though this was already understood so it was just a formality at this point.
The battle ended with the vast majority of the inhabitants of The Sanctuary safely inside though the fencing was breached to let the horde into the courtyard. Negan was stuck in an annex trailer surrounded by the horde along with Father Gabriel who was apparently not wearing his poopy pants and it may be an episode or two before we get to find out why he needed them. Team Allies quickly retreated without any losses (despite taking heavy fire, those Saviors have terrible aim), but we don't seem to have made much progress in the war past that.
At the end of the day we're just happy to be back in business, excited to see what the remainder of the season has in store. For now, this was not necessarily the edge-of-your-seat premiere we were hoping for (though some would dispute that statement), but war is messy and has to start somewhere.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, October 16, 2017
Don't Be Late to Season Eight!
With another season of Fear the Walking Dead under our belts (one that ended with the best finale of the series so far in our opinion), we're all keyed up and ready to go for the Walking Dead premiere in just a few short days!!
We just wanted to drop a quick reminder that a full marathon starting all the way back from Season 1 Episode 1 is in full swing on AMC this week, and will be ending at 7:30pm eastern THIS SUNDAY with an extended version of the Season 7 finale just before the Season 8 premiere begins at 9. The extra content is slated to include a bonus never-before-seen scene and cast interviews! It's sure to whet your whistle for the 100th episode which just happens to land on the Season 8 premiere. It will be a normal sized episode (it is scheduled to run until 10:07, but with premieres that extra time may not be episode run time - they generally include extra commercial time), followed by a two hour Talking Dead special for the 100th episode!
We'll be live tweeting as normal under @WDFamilyDotCom and as always, the chat room here will be open for anyone who would like to come in and chat with other fans during the episode. See you there!
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
We just wanted to drop a quick reminder that a full marathon starting all the way back from Season 1 Episode 1 is in full swing on AMC this week, and will be ending at 7:30pm eastern THIS SUNDAY with an extended version of the Season 7 finale just before the Season 8 premiere begins at 9. The extra content is slated to include a bonus never-before-seen scene and cast interviews! It's sure to whet your whistle for the 100th episode which just happens to land on the Season 8 premiere. It will be a normal sized episode (it is scheduled to run until 10:07, but with premieres that extra time may not be episode run time - they generally include extra commercial time), followed by a two hour Talking Dead special for the 100th episode!
We'll be live tweeting as normal under @WDFamilyDotCom and as always, the chat room here will be open for anyone who would like to come in and chat with other fans during the episode. See you there!
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, April 3, 2017
The Walking Dead: Season 7 Overview
So another season has come and gone, and another lapse in reviews posted. Sorry about not keeping on top of the back half, but now we'll make it up to you with an overview!
Season 7 saw the loss of three primary characters that have been around since before Alexandria, including one of the "Atlanta Five". Glenn, Abraham, and Sasha have all gone to that big zombie-free community in the sky, and with them they have taken two Alexandrians... Spencer (which to be honest, no one will miss) and poor, fan favorite Olivia. It's been a while since we suffered this many major casualties so it was a particularly harsh season (especially with that super-brutal season opener), and ending with the official start of "All Out War", Season 8 promises to be even worse... or better, depending on your point of view.
The quickest way to sum up Season 7 is to look at it's two halves. The first half had everyone beaten into sad, sad submission by the Saviors. From episode one, they intentionally took us to a very dark and hopeless place, the likes of which we have never seen before no matter how dire the situation seemed... even while The Governor was beheading Herschel. The second half saw a resurgence and preparation for war. Thankfully the finale was not a cliff-hanger and was an exciting conclusion to a few loose ends while providing the basis for the war we all knew was coming. We needed to see our crew have a decisive victory over the Saviors to wrap up a terribly emotionally frustrating season, and that's what we got.
The finale wasn't without it's problems, but overall was a very satisfying experience. Problem 1: The fact that Shiva, the Kingdom's resident tiger, only attacked Saviors... with as much rage going on in that scene it would've been difficult for even the most intuitive human to walk in mid-stream and figure out who the bad guys were much less a tiger. Speaking of, that was quite the fray so it's fairly unbelievable that no one fell to friendly fire. That leads us to Problem 2: While there were certainly "Team Family" injuries, not one major character was killed in what was a massive gun fight between five separate factions (Hilltop, Alexandria, The Kingdom, The Scavengers, and The Saviors). Instead, only "red shirts" were sacrificed and we were treated to a minor bait-n-switch thinking Michonne was dead for half a second. Problem 3: Too perfect timing. Just as Negan is mid-swing to clock Carl with Lucille, Shiva pounces on the guy behind him... Just as when Carol rode in to save the day in Terminus just as our heroes were about to be bled out, it can cause a bit of interruption to that old suspension of disbelief when everything is too spot on perfectly timed... but you know what? Who cares? It was a riveting finale that had most fans cheering with hope for the first time in a very, very long time.
As a side note, Negan's surprise that there was a tiger on the scene was just a big, giant cherry on top of this beat-down Sundae. Although you would think more than one gunman would aim for a tiger ripping people's faces off, Shiva lives to chomp another day!
As we reflect on those we've lost this season, we look forward toward Season 8 with hope springing eternal. The only thing we know for sure is that we will lose more beloved characters in the coming conflicts... and that, God willing, the show will give us the hard-won victory we see in the comic. Being 8 seasons deep in a television show isn't terribly comforting since even the best shows don't typically last this long, so all we're going to be doing between now and the fall is praying we don't get notice that the AMC Gods have decided 8 will be the last. After all, we could follow this band of survivors until the very last one is gone.
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Season 7 saw the loss of three primary characters that have been around since before Alexandria, including one of the "Atlanta Five". Glenn, Abraham, and Sasha have all gone to that big zombie-free community in the sky, and with them they have taken two Alexandrians... Spencer (which to be honest, no one will miss) and poor, fan favorite Olivia. It's been a while since we suffered this many major casualties so it was a particularly harsh season (especially with that super-brutal season opener), and ending with the official start of "All Out War", Season 8 promises to be even worse... or better, depending on your point of view.
The quickest way to sum up Season 7 is to look at it's two halves. The first half had everyone beaten into sad, sad submission by the Saviors. From episode one, they intentionally took us to a very dark and hopeless place, the likes of which we have never seen before no matter how dire the situation seemed... even while The Governor was beheading Herschel. The second half saw a resurgence and preparation for war. Thankfully the finale was not a cliff-hanger and was an exciting conclusion to a few loose ends while providing the basis for the war we all knew was coming. We needed to see our crew have a decisive victory over the Saviors to wrap up a terribly emotionally frustrating season, and that's what we got.
The finale wasn't without it's problems, but overall was a very satisfying experience. Problem 1: The fact that Shiva, the Kingdom's resident tiger, only attacked Saviors... with as much rage going on in that scene it would've been difficult for even the most intuitive human to walk in mid-stream and figure out who the bad guys were much less a tiger. Speaking of, that was quite the fray so it's fairly unbelievable that no one fell to friendly fire. That leads us to Problem 2: While there were certainly "Team Family" injuries, not one major character was killed in what was a massive gun fight between five separate factions (Hilltop, Alexandria, The Kingdom, The Scavengers, and The Saviors). Instead, only "red shirts" were sacrificed and we were treated to a minor bait-n-switch thinking Michonne was dead for half a second. Problem 3: Too perfect timing. Just as Negan is mid-swing to clock Carl with Lucille, Shiva pounces on the guy behind him... Just as when Carol rode in to save the day in Terminus just as our heroes were about to be bled out, it can cause a bit of interruption to that old suspension of disbelief when everything is too spot on perfectly timed... but you know what? Who cares? It was a riveting finale that had most fans cheering with hope for the first time in a very, very long time.
As a side note, Negan's surprise that there was a tiger on the scene was just a big, giant cherry on top of this beat-down Sundae. Although you would think more than one gunman would aim for a tiger ripping people's faces off, Shiva lives to chomp another day!
As we reflect on those we've lost this season, we look forward toward Season 8 with hope springing eternal. The only thing we know for sure is that we will lose more beloved characters in the coming conflicts... and that, God willing, the show will give us the hard-won victory we see in the comic. Being 8 seasons deep in a television show isn't terribly comforting since even the best shows don't typically last this long, so all we're going to be doing between now and the fall is praying we don't get notice that the AMC Gods have decided 8 will be the last. After all, we could follow this band of survivors until the very last one is gone.
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, December 12, 2016
The Walking Dead: Season 7 Episode 8 WDF Review
Episode 8: Hearts Still Beating
As we enter our time of mourning (aka the mid-season break), we have a lot to think about. This mid-season finale was not the most riveting that has ever been made (thinking of the Fall of the Prison and how season four was so slow paced leading up to it we weren't expecting it just then), but it was heartily satisfying all the same.
We've said it before that it would be an odd shift in story-telling style to mix up the story lines in a single episode rather than have character-centric episodes (focused on one group or character) as that style has been so heavily used in the past. The Woodbury story line was done almost entirely that way which as we've mentioned drove us crazy due to spending whole episodes with characters we weren't all that excited about. Welp, we were wrong. Despite major worries throughout the fandom that the writers would handle having four different camps to catch up with in a very similar fragmented style as Woodbury, this mid-season finale proves they are capable of touching base with multiple groups of characters in a meaningful and fluid way, and all in one single episode (albeit an extended one).
Obviously we spent a good deal of time back in Alexandria since when we last saw them Negan was still there waiting for Rick, but we also checked in with Hilltop, Daryl at The Sanctuary, and Carol/Morgan. So, really, we hit up all four camps in one episode.
Carol is still determined to live off by herself, though close enough to The Kingdom to have an eye kept on her and produce delivered. Daryl finally escapes The Sanctuary on the back of his Frankenbike with Jesus, headed toward Hilltop to drop him off at home. Maggie has become a human vacuum cleaner and can smell pie through a closed door. But of course, it's Alexandria that gets the punch in the face. We lose two original Alexandrians in this episode thanks first to an attempt by Spencer to stage a coup to unseat Rick as leader with what he hoped would be Negan's help (not so much), and another "random shooting" as payment for Rosita having finally taken her shot at Negan (which Lucille ends up taking). All of Team Family survives the episode, thankfully, since we lost two already this season, though Aaron certainly took a beating and poor Eugene did get taken to The Sanctuary to be Negan's new bullet maker when it is revealed that he made the bullet Rosita used to shoot Lucille.
We end the episode with everyone gathering at The Hilltop (except Carol and Morgan), reuniting Daryl, Sasha, and Maggie with Team Family for the first time since the Lucillings. Daryl and Rick share an extended emotional embrace while everyone hugs Maggie in congratulations that she and the baby are well. While there is nothing too terribly surprising in this episode as a whole, it had a heartwarming reunion ending reminiscent of the scenes immediately after the escape from Terminus... but it was a great way to end the mid-season and set us up for lots of prep-work in the back half for All-Out-War. We can't wait, can you?!
We will more than likely be taking the hiatus off from updating the website as well, so we'd like to wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season, and a prosperous, healthy New Year. See you in February!!!
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
As we enter our time of mourning (aka the mid-season break), we have a lot to think about. This mid-season finale was not the most riveting that has ever been made (thinking of the Fall of the Prison and how season four was so slow paced leading up to it we weren't expecting it just then), but it was heartily satisfying all the same.
We've said it before that it would be an odd shift in story-telling style to mix up the story lines in a single episode rather than have character-centric episodes (focused on one group or character) as that style has been so heavily used in the past. The Woodbury story line was done almost entirely that way which as we've mentioned drove us crazy due to spending whole episodes with characters we weren't all that excited about. Welp, we were wrong. Despite major worries throughout the fandom that the writers would handle having four different camps to catch up with in a very similar fragmented style as Woodbury, this mid-season finale proves they are capable of touching base with multiple groups of characters in a meaningful and fluid way, and all in one single episode (albeit an extended one).
Obviously we spent a good deal of time back in Alexandria since when we last saw them Negan was still there waiting for Rick, but we also checked in with Hilltop, Daryl at The Sanctuary, and Carol/Morgan. So, really, we hit up all four camps in one episode.
Carol is still determined to live off by herself, though close enough to The Kingdom to have an eye kept on her and produce delivered. Daryl finally escapes The Sanctuary on the back of his Frankenbike with Jesus, headed toward Hilltop to drop him off at home. Maggie has become a human vacuum cleaner and can smell pie through a closed door. But of course, it's Alexandria that gets the punch in the face. We lose two original Alexandrians in this episode thanks first to an attempt by Spencer to stage a coup to unseat Rick as leader with what he hoped would be Negan's help (not so much), and another "random shooting" as payment for Rosita having finally taken her shot at Negan (which Lucille ends up taking). All of Team Family survives the episode, thankfully, since we lost two already this season, though Aaron certainly took a beating and poor Eugene did get taken to The Sanctuary to be Negan's new bullet maker when it is revealed that he made the bullet Rosita used to shoot Lucille.
We end the episode with everyone gathering at The Hilltop (except Carol and Morgan), reuniting Daryl, Sasha, and Maggie with Team Family for the first time since the Lucillings. Daryl and Rick share an extended emotional embrace while everyone hugs Maggie in congratulations that she and the baby are well. While there is nothing too terribly surprising in this episode as a whole, it had a heartwarming reunion ending reminiscent of the scenes immediately after the escape from Terminus... but it was a great way to end the mid-season and set us up for lots of prep-work in the back half for All-Out-War. We can't wait, can you?!
We will more than likely be taking the hiatus off from updating the website as well, so we'd like to wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season, and a prosperous, healthy New Year. See you in February!!!
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, December 5, 2016
The Walking Dead: Season 7 Episode 7 WDF Review
Episode 7: Sing Me a Song
Well my, my, aren't we just as excited as we could be about all these extended episodes this season? If you haven't heard yet, 7.7 was another 90 minute episode, following up on Carl sneaking into The Sanctuary. There was a lot for Carl to be affected by there so we needed an extra half hour to cover it... and the aftermath of his visit back at the ASZ.
Just as he did in the comic, Negan has quite a man-crush on the spirited Carl, who seems determined to defy him at every turn. Negan takes him on a tour of his inner sanctum, allowing him to be witness to some of the drama inside his harem before taking him to his private quarters to relax... or not. Here we see a slightly different, albeit just as menacing, method for whipping Carl into submission... using his teenage angst and vanity against him. Some people may think Negan is not as menacing as he should be, but he's got that coercion thing down pat.
We finally see what Carl's eye looks like under the bandage, and have the cringe-worthy response to Negan's proposition that he be allowed to touch it... eeeeew ew ew! He forces Carl to sing, though it's not apparent why and feels sort of forced into the story just to make it walk in lock-step with the comic, but otherwise the scene is an example of expert manipulation. Soon enough we're off to iron off someone else's face and watch Daryl be commanded to mop up the ironee's urine after he appropriately messes himself and the floor. While Daryl is shown to be a perfectly whipped little puppy, in the style well known for Daryl at this point, he does give Carl a few knowing looks to let the audience know he's not too far gone... yet.
By the end of the visit, Carl is completely familiarized with how things work at The Sanctuary, and sets off in a truck with Negan headed toward home. When they get there, Negan acts like that obnoxious relative you wish hadn't shown up for an unexpected visit... nosily insisting on a tour of the house and barging into Judith's nursery despite being asked not to enter the room. He basically makes himself at home, intentionally stepping into Rick's role as head of the house, coddling Judith while Olivia and Carl look on uncomfortably. It's just as awkward as you'd ever hope it to be, like the ever-present feeling of a splinter you just can't get out of your thumb no matter how hard to work it.
Meanwhile Rosita and Eugene are off to make a bullet while Spencer and Gabe head off to scavenge. In a moment of particularly rare levity for Gabe, he lets Spencer know exactly what he thinks of him before letting himself out of the car to walk home rather than endure his company any longer. It was nice to see these two subplots worked into the Carl/Negan Date Night story line to break it up a little and get those four ready for what we hope is a very compelling mid-season finale.
*Sigh* yes, that's right folks, it is already upon us believe it or not. After this coming Sunday's episode we'll have two months to wait before we see what goes down in the back half of 7. Based on what we've seen of the Mid-Season Finale so far, there are so many questions that will be left unanswered until then. Will we be ready in time for All Out War to begin or will we be left to languish in this submissive hell for five months waiting for Season 8 to begin? That's the burning question we all want to know.
http://www.walkingdeadfamily.com
Well my, my, aren't we just as excited as we could be about all these extended episodes this season? If you haven't heard yet, 7.7 was another 90 minute episode, following up on Carl sneaking into The Sanctuary. There was a lot for Carl to be affected by there so we needed an extra half hour to cover it... and the aftermath of his visit back at the ASZ.
Just as he did in the comic, Negan has quite a man-crush on the spirited Carl, who seems determined to defy him at every turn. Negan takes him on a tour of his inner sanctum, allowing him to be witness to some of the drama inside his harem before taking him to his private quarters to relax... or not. Here we see a slightly different, albeit just as menacing, method for whipping Carl into submission... using his teenage angst and vanity against him. Some people may think Negan is not as menacing as he should be, but he's got that coercion thing down pat.
We finally see what Carl's eye looks like under the bandage, and have the cringe-worthy response to Negan's proposition that he be allowed to touch it... eeeeew ew ew! He forces Carl to sing, though it's not apparent why and feels sort of forced into the story just to make it walk in lock-step with the comic, but otherwise the scene is an example of expert manipulation. Soon enough we're off to iron off someone else's face and watch Daryl be commanded to mop up the ironee's urine after he appropriately messes himself and the floor. While Daryl is shown to be a perfectly whipped little puppy, in the style well known for Daryl at this point, he does give Carl a few knowing looks to let the audience know he's not too far gone... yet.
By the end of the visit, Carl is completely familiarized with how things work at The Sanctuary, and sets off in a truck with Negan headed toward home. When they get there, Negan acts like that obnoxious relative you wish hadn't shown up for an unexpected visit... nosily insisting on a tour of the house and barging into Judith's nursery despite being asked not to enter the room. He basically makes himself at home, intentionally stepping into Rick's role as head of the house, coddling Judith while Olivia and Carl look on uncomfortably. It's just as awkward as you'd ever hope it to be, like the ever-present feeling of a splinter you just can't get out of your thumb no matter how hard to work it.
Meanwhile Rosita and Eugene are off to make a bullet while Spencer and Gabe head off to scavenge. In a moment of particularly rare levity for Gabe, he lets Spencer know exactly what he thinks of him before letting himself out of the car to walk home rather than endure his company any longer. It was nice to see these two subplots worked into the Carl/Negan Date Night story line to break it up a little and get those four ready for what we hope is a very compelling mid-season finale.
*Sigh* yes, that's right folks, it is already upon us believe it or not. After this coming Sunday's episode we'll have two months to wait before we see what goes down in the back half of 7. Based on what we've seen of the Mid-Season Finale so far, there are so many questions that will be left unanswered until then. Will we be ready in time for All Out War to begin or will we be left to languish in this submissive hell for five months waiting for Season 8 to begin? That's the burning question we all want to know.
http://www.walkingdeadfamily.com
Monday, November 28, 2016
The Walking Dead: Season 7 Episode 6 WDF Review
Episode 6: Swear
It's really hard to believe we're already just two episodes away from the mid-season finale. Where did all the time go? We haven't made a whole ton of movement in the story progression department, but we have a lot of new information to chew on, since so far it's been all about character development.
This time we're catching back up with Tara and Heath, and while we lose track of Heath for the time being (rumor has it the actor has taken other work that conflicts with his TWD filming schedule, and they may be leaving his story line unresolved "just in case" he wants to come back). So, we're actually really just focusing on Tara and what happens to her after she gets separated from Heath. Get ready for groans from the fandom, folks, because we're being introduced to Oceanside, yet another group of survivors who've been more than harassed by The Saviors.
Oceanside is made up entirely of hardened women and children. Why? Because The Saviors decided to punish them by killing all of their men. We seem to be catching a whiff of a theme here. They escaped The Saviors by sneaking away from their camp in the middle of the night and setting up camp in an Oceanside motor lodge village, where Tara happens upon them after being swept up in the current when she falls from a bridge (which is how she is separated from Heath). Therefore, they're trying to keep their village a secret so The Saviors can't find them again... and that means killing anyone that finds them on sight.
There's a little bit of another challenge to our suspension of disbelief here since if we were sneaking away from The Saviors, we wouldn't stop to set up a new camp until we were hundreds of miles away where it would be highly unlikely The Saviors could follow with a group that large that far. Hey, Team Family made the trip from Atlanta, so it stands to reason that one can make it back out again, right? We suppose there's the argument that there's always baddies to deal with but Negan's tyranny would be pretty hard to top.
For the most part it is a fairly slow paced episode, except the action scenes where Tara finally escapes their grasp to run to safety. By the end of the episode she makes it back to Alexandria to finally be told about both Denise's demise and The Lucillings by a forlorn Eugene at the gate. Although Rosita pressures her for information about where she's been, Tara holds true to her promise not to speak of Oceanside to help ensure they stay hidden.
Here's the rub: Oceanside has a massive cache of weaponry. It's hard to say that if Rick found out about it he'd be on his way there to take it all from them, but our guess is not. He is aware by now that Negan is too smart to simply be out-gunned and impressive as it was the Oceanside armory didn't look to be able to out-gun them anyway. Oceanside will likely play a large part once the mass revolt known as "All Out War" begins, but sshhhhhh!!!! We're not supposed to know about that yet.
Speaking of AOW, we do appear to be headed straight in that direction, though AOL is sure to encompass more than one episode and our Season 7 Finale will likely be just the first shots, if that. TWD fans shouldn't be so excited for AOW to happen so quickly anyway, since the conclusion of it could signal the natural conclusion of the series. Not that we have any clue whether or not that's the case, but it will have been 8 seasons by the end of AOW and even the best shows don't last much longer than that.
Now that we're all depressed at the thought of a series finale, we'd like to help you usher in the Holiday Season and be the first to say "Happy Holidays" to our peeps. We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are gearing up for both the mid-season finale and Santa's visit. Be good little boys and girls, and remember to shop http://www.woodburyshoppe.com/ directly for all your TWD Christmas gear rather than other less awesome online retailers!
http://www.walkingdeadfamily.com
It's really hard to believe we're already just two episodes away from the mid-season finale. Where did all the time go? We haven't made a whole ton of movement in the story progression department, but we have a lot of new information to chew on, since so far it's been all about character development.
This time we're catching back up with Tara and Heath, and while we lose track of Heath for the time being (rumor has it the actor has taken other work that conflicts with his TWD filming schedule, and they may be leaving his story line unresolved "just in case" he wants to come back). So, we're actually really just focusing on Tara and what happens to her after she gets separated from Heath. Get ready for groans from the fandom, folks, because we're being introduced to Oceanside, yet another group of survivors who've been more than harassed by The Saviors.
Oceanside is made up entirely of hardened women and children. Why? Because The Saviors decided to punish them by killing all of their men. We seem to be catching a whiff of a theme here. They escaped The Saviors by sneaking away from their camp in the middle of the night and setting up camp in an Oceanside motor lodge village, where Tara happens upon them after being swept up in the current when she falls from a bridge (which is how she is separated from Heath). Therefore, they're trying to keep their village a secret so The Saviors can't find them again... and that means killing anyone that finds them on sight.
There's a little bit of another challenge to our suspension of disbelief here since if we were sneaking away from The Saviors, we wouldn't stop to set up a new camp until we were hundreds of miles away where it would be highly unlikely The Saviors could follow with a group that large that far. Hey, Team Family made the trip from Atlanta, so it stands to reason that one can make it back out again, right? We suppose there's the argument that there's always baddies to deal with but Negan's tyranny would be pretty hard to top.
For the most part it is a fairly slow paced episode, except the action scenes where Tara finally escapes their grasp to run to safety. By the end of the episode she makes it back to Alexandria to finally be told about both Denise's demise and The Lucillings by a forlorn Eugene at the gate. Although Rosita pressures her for information about where she's been, Tara holds true to her promise not to speak of Oceanside to help ensure they stay hidden.
Here's the rub: Oceanside has a massive cache of weaponry. It's hard to say that if Rick found out about it he'd be on his way there to take it all from them, but our guess is not. He is aware by now that Negan is too smart to simply be out-gunned and impressive as it was the Oceanside armory didn't look to be able to out-gun them anyway. Oceanside will likely play a large part once the mass revolt known as "All Out War" begins, but sshhhhhh!!!! We're not supposed to know about that yet.
Speaking of AOW, we do appear to be headed straight in that direction, though AOL is sure to encompass more than one episode and our Season 7 Finale will likely be just the first shots, if that. TWD fans shouldn't be so excited for AOW to happen so quickly anyway, since the conclusion of it could signal the natural conclusion of the series. Not that we have any clue whether or not that's the case, but it will have been 8 seasons by the end of AOW and even the best shows don't last much longer than that.
Now that we're all depressed at the thought of a series finale, we'd like to help you usher in the Holiday Season and be the first to say "Happy Holidays" to our peeps. We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are gearing up for both the mid-season finale and Santa's visit. Be good little boys and girls, and remember to shop http://www.woodburyshoppe.com/ directly for all your TWD Christmas gear rather than other less awesome online retailers!
http://www.walkingdeadfamily.com
Monday, November 21, 2016
The Walking Dead: Season 7 Episode 5 WDF Review
Episode 5: Go Getters
Those who detest single-campus episodes (our word for those episodes that focus entirely on one group and never check in with the others, sometimes erroneously referred to as "bottle episodes" but that term doesn't really apply to most episodes described as such) should've been happy that we spent time in both Alexandria and at The Hilltop this week. Granted, it was all done in the context of the story of Maggie and Sasha at Hilltop, but you at least got to see Andy's sweet, sweethiney face.
In this episode we are establishing that Maggie is going to become the leader of Hilltop. She starts by having a miraculous recovery to a life-threatening condition in relation to her pregnancy within a few days of arriving at Hilltop... the writers probably shouldn't have tried to go there since they needed her to be involved in the action. Practically having just woken up, in the middle of an attack orchestrated by The Saviors, she climbs atop a FEMA trailer and starts directing the other players in a not-too subtle attempt to establish her authority and problem-solving skill. Later, Jesus basically states that Gregory isn't fit to lead but that he isn't either... hinting that someone else would be as if raising his paddle to nominate Magsters right then and there. Wait, don't we need a flag-waving convention for that?
Meanwhile back in Alexandria, Carl again spies Enid sneaking over the wall. She starts off on foot toward The Hilltop to check on Maggie, and when she gets in a sticky spot with a walker Carl suddenly shows up in a car to run it over. We'd ask when Carl learned to drive but he did do quite a number on the car trying to run down that walker. Again the pair set off on foot but quickly find a backpack containing roller skates... and off we go on a pre-teen date straight out of 1986; the only things missing was a Journey song and a mirror ball. They roll down the road holding hands and eventually share their first kiss outside the walls of The Hilltop Colony, hidden from view of The Saviors who are there to collect supplies.
Aside from establishing Maggie's authority for her upcoming story line, we establish Carl's disdain for living under The Saviors' rule and his determination to take action on it. He climbs into the back of the truck loaded with things specifically obtained for Negan himself, and is later joined there by Jesus who is taking the opportunity to find out where Negan lives (at the behest of Sasha, an effort she specifically doesn't want Maggie to know about). We end the episode with the two being trucked off to their Negan-filled destinies while inside The Hilltop, Sasha, Maggie, and Enid sit down to a tasty dinner.
This episode was all about laying the groundwork for the remaining story lines in the season. The reviews are very mixed... from declaring this to be one of the worst of the season so far to excitedly proclaiming this episode to be the best. This episode does tax the hell out of the viewers' suspension of disbelief thanks to a number of very convenient coincidences and a bit of over-reaching, but if you can get past that, you will be pleased at the amount of forward progress we've made in the story. It might have come off awkward to some but it will help ensure later episodes can keep barreling forward on the tracks that were laid.
Next week we catch up with Heath and Tara in an episode many fans are already dreading. There will be lots of dialogue between the two characters as they deal with failing on their supply run and their personal aftermath of the outpost ambush. We also presumably get to find out how Tara ends up on the beach shown in the sneak peek. The general consensus is that these two characters aren't compelling enough to focus an entire episode on, so we'll have to see what we end up with next week!
Happy Thanksgiving to all our US fans! Stay safe, don't drink and drive or debate the election results, and for heaven's sake don't support stores who force their poor employees to work on a major holiday by being open on Thanksgiving Day... just save it for actual Black Friday (it will be okay, we promise)!
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Those who detest single-campus episodes (our word for those episodes that focus entirely on one group and never check in with the others, sometimes erroneously referred to as "bottle episodes" but that term doesn't really apply to most episodes described as such) should've been happy that we spent time in both Alexandria and at The Hilltop this week. Granted, it was all done in the context of the story of Maggie and Sasha at Hilltop, but you at least got to see Andy's sweet, sweet
In this episode we are establishing that Maggie is going to become the leader of Hilltop. She starts by having a miraculous recovery to a life-threatening condition in relation to her pregnancy within a few days of arriving at Hilltop... the writers probably shouldn't have tried to go there since they needed her to be involved in the action. Practically having just woken up, in the middle of an attack orchestrated by The Saviors, she climbs atop a FEMA trailer and starts directing the other players in a not-too subtle attempt to establish her authority and problem-solving skill. Later, Jesus basically states that Gregory isn't fit to lead but that he isn't either... hinting that someone else would be as if raising his paddle to nominate Magsters right then and there. Wait, don't we need a flag-waving convention for that?
Meanwhile back in Alexandria, Carl again spies Enid sneaking over the wall. She starts off on foot toward The Hilltop to check on Maggie, and when she gets in a sticky spot with a walker Carl suddenly shows up in a car to run it over. We'd ask when Carl learned to drive but he did do quite a number on the car trying to run down that walker. Again the pair set off on foot but quickly find a backpack containing roller skates... and off we go on a pre-teen date straight out of 1986; the only things missing was a Journey song and a mirror ball. They roll down the road holding hands and eventually share their first kiss outside the walls of The Hilltop Colony, hidden from view of The Saviors who are there to collect supplies.
Aside from establishing Maggie's authority for her upcoming story line, we establish Carl's disdain for living under The Saviors' rule and his determination to take action on it. He climbs into the back of the truck loaded with things specifically obtained for Negan himself, and is later joined there by Jesus who is taking the opportunity to find out where Negan lives (at the behest of Sasha, an effort she specifically doesn't want Maggie to know about). We end the episode with the two being trucked off to their Negan-filled destinies while inside The Hilltop, Sasha, Maggie, and Enid sit down to a tasty dinner.
This episode was all about laying the groundwork for the remaining story lines in the season. The reviews are very mixed... from declaring this to be one of the worst of the season so far to excitedly proclaiming this episode to be the best. This episode does tax the hell out of the viewers' suspension of disbelief thanks to a number of very convenient coincidences and a bit of over-reaching, but if you can get past that, you will be pleased at the amount of forward progress we've made in the story. It might have come off awkward to some but it will help ensure later episodes can keep barreling forward on the tracks that were laid.
Next week we catch up with Heath and Tara in an episode many fans are already dreading. There will be lots of dialogue between the two characters as they deal with failing on their supply run and their personal aftermath of the outpost ambush. We also presumably get to find out how Tara ends up on the beach shown in the sneak peek. The general consensus is that these two characters aren't compelling enough to focus an entire episode on, so we'll have to see what we end up with next week!
Happy Thanksgiving to all our US fans! Stay safe, don't drink and drive or debate the election results, and for heaven's sake don't support stores who force their poor employees to work on a major holiday by being open on Thanksgiving Day... just save it for actual Black Friday (it will be okay, we promise)!
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, November 14, 2016
The Walking Dead: Season 7 Episode 4 WDF Review
Episode 4: Service
During the fourth (and feature length) installment of Season 7, we catch back up with Rick and crew in Alexandria to be witness to Negan's first official visit... albeit an early surprise since he promised to give them a week and apparently less than that has passed in show-time. A lot of people were looking forward to this episode for some cathartic grieving, but remember Maggie is at Hilltop with Sasha and we won't see her again until next week.
We're already seeing a lot of flack for the show, once again, spending entire episodes focused on one group rather than weaving the stories together. Remember though, this show has never really participated in that style of writing and it would feel quite odd to start now, seven seasons in. Yes, yes, it drives us crazy too... remember good old Woodbury? The episodes spent entirely in that town made us nuts and since we didn't particularly care for those characters, to be perfectly honest, those episodes bored and disappointed us. The good news is that we are much more fond of each of the characters splintered off into each of the now FOUR camps. We are far more interested in catching up with Carol and Morgan than we were Andrea, even if The Kingdom isn't our favorite of the camps. However, we are still aggravated that we have to sit and wait for the wheel to spin back around to check in with Maggie who, in this episode, was declared to be dead in order to protect her from being claimed for Negan's harem.
Back to the episode... it is just as excruciating as expected to watch Rick have to grovel to Negan. He is forced to hold Lucille for Negan throughout the visit, which Rick spends mostly looking like a beaten dog. They are robbed of even their mattresses, which Michonne later finds in a smoldering pile beside the road... a move designed specifically to weaken and humiliate, though it is a terrible waste to burn something that has to be replaced every 10 years that they're not exactly manufacturing anymore. Our survivors are burglarized of every bit of dignity they may have still owned.
Carl fires a warning shot at The Saviors who've come to raid the clinic of all, yes all (not half as promised) of the supplies. This prompts Negan to demand they hand over all of their guns. How this kid got away with that is beyond comprehension, except that it appears to be a nod toward the comics in which Negan is excessively fond of Carl. One thing is for certain; every action toward The Saviors has an incredibly disproportionately terrible reaction. Olivia is threatened with her life for not keeping the gun registry up to date (because Spencer has been playing his hoarding game again and hidden two in the A/C vent in his house), but fret not, in the nick of time Rick discovers them and hands them over to save her. This subplot was a little confusing since the episode starts with Michonne packing up a hidden gun and sneaking off to have a little target practice, so if you weren't paying attention you might've thought the missing guns were with her and that Olivia's fate depended entirely on Michonne making it back in time.
While Rick has clearly understood the gravity of the corner they've been backed into, there are those who are still dangerously defiant. Having realized Negan intended to confiscate all of their guns, Rosita obtains one off a walker in the woods and later issues a command to Eugene to make her some ammunition for it, so his fate as the munitions manufacturer of the comics comes one step closer to fruition. Once she returns from target practice, Michonne reluctantly gives up her rifle when Rick wants to use it as a demonstration of good-will (since it was undocumented in the gun registry they could have secretly kept it but hand it over anyway), but later she only half-promises that she will submit to the new rules, saying she'll "try". Rick's point is sobering but valid: now that all of their guns are gone, if The Saviors find any hidden or catch anyone with one, someone will die... and it may not even be the person who broke the rules that gets the bat... so we are left knowing Rosita has this ticking time bomb in her pants.
And Daryl *sigh*. Daryl has been dragged along and made to help gather up supplies from The Alexandrians. He doesn't say a word the entire episode, even when asked to plead his case for why Negan should grant Rick's request to let Daryl stay in Alexandria. Dwight has confiscated Daryl's bike as another piece of bait to lure Daryl over to the dark side, but Daryl just spends the whole ordeal looking broken and lost. And, now that they've had to lie about Maggie being dead to keep her away from Negan (something else we're certain will come back to bite them), Daryl believes that both Glenn and Maggie are gone.
And Carol still has no idea any of that went down.
EDIT: And, Rick admits he believes Judith is Shane's bio-baby. Not sure how we forgot that one.
Did anyone else find it a bit odd that Father Gabe had just dug an empty grave for no apparent reason? Do we arbitrarily make fake graves now, is that a "thing"? Did he have some kind of prophetic vision to tell him we might need to fake a death? If The Church Lady were part of his congregation she'd be talking about how conveeeeenient that was.
The naysayers are already proclaiming this to be the "worst episode" of the season so far. Actually we thought episode two was a bigger drag than this one, but we haven't seen anything yet that would make us scream foul or be bored. They could have sped up the pace a bit and accomplished the same amount in a normal-sized episode, but there were a lot of smaller tidbits baked in. We get into the head-space of several characters in addition to establishing how committed Rick is to following Negan's rules. We see what life under the rule of The Saviors will truly be like and how most people feel about that. And that, our friends, is a bitter pill to swallow. Fortunately for us, The Saviors took all our pills.
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
During the fourth (and feature length) installment of Season 7, we catch back up with Rick and crew in Alexandria to be witness to Negan's first official visit... albeit an early surprise since he promised to give them a week and apparently less than that has passed in show-time. A lot of people were looking forward to this episode for some cathartic grieving, but remember Maggie is at Hilltop with Sasha and we won't see her again until next week.
We're already seeing a lot of flack for the show, once again, spending entire episodes focused on one group rather than weaving the stories together. Remember though, this show has never really participated in that style of writing and it would feel quite odd to start now, seven seasons in. Yes, yes, it drives us crazy too... remember good old Woodbury? The episodes spent entirely in that town made us nuts and since we didn't particularly care for those characters, to be perfectly honest, those episodes bored and disappointed us. The good news is that we are much more fond of each of the characters splintered off into each of the now FOUR camps. We are far more interested in catching up with Carol and Morgan than we were Andrea, even if The Kingdom isn't our favorite of the camps. However, we are still aggravated that we have to sit and wait for the wheel to spin back around to check in with Maggie who, in this episode, was declared to be dead in order to protect her from being claimed for Negan's harem.
Back to the episode... it is just as excruciating as expected to watch Rick have to grovel to Negan. He is forced to hold Lucille for Negan throughout the visit, which Rick spends mostly looking like a beaten dog. They are robbed of even their mattresses, which Michonne later finds in a smoldering pile beside the road... a move designed specifically to weaken and humiliate, though it is a terrible waste to burn something that has to be replaced every 10 years that they're not exactly manufacturing anymore. Our survivors are burglarized of every bit of dignity they may have still owned.
Carl fires a warning shot at The Saviors who've come to raid the clinic of all, yes all (not half as promised) of the supplies. This prompts Negan to demand they hand over all of their guns. How this kid got away with that is beyond comprehension, except that it appears to be a nod toward the comics in which Negan is excessively fond of Carl. One thing is for certain; every action toward The Saviors has an incredibly disproportionately terrible reaction. Olivia is threatened with her life for not keeping the gun registry up to date (because Spencer has been playing his hoarding game again and hidden two in the A/C vent in his house), but fret not, in the nick of time Rick discovers them and hands them over to save her. This subplot was a little confusing since the episode starts with Michonne packing up a hidden gun and sneaking off to have a little target practice, so if you weren't paying attention you might've thought the missing guns were with her and that Olivia's fate depended entirely on Michonne making it back in time.
While Rick has clearly understood the gravity of the corner they've been backed into, there are those who are still dangerously defiant. Having realized Negan intended to confiscate all of their guns, Rosita obtains one off a walker in the woods and later issues a command to Eugene to make her some ammunition for it, so his fate as the munitions manufacturer of the comics comes one step closer to fruition. Once she returns from target practice, Michonne reluctantly gives up her rifle when Rick wants to use it as a demonstration of good-will (since it was undocumented in the gun registry they could have secretly kept it but hand it over anyway), but later she only half-promises that she will submit to the new rules, saying she'll "try". Rick's point is sobering but valid: now that all of their guns are gone, if The Saviors find any hidden or catch anyone with one, someone will die... and it may not even be the person who broke the rules that gets the bat... so we are left knowing Rosita has this ticking time bomb in her pants.
And Daryl *sigh*. Daryl has been dragged along and made to help gather up supplies from The Alexandrians. He doesn't say a word the entire episode, even when asked to plead his case for why Negan should grant Rick's request to let Daryl stay in Alexandria. Dwight has confiscated Daryl's bike as another piece of bait to lure Daryl over to the dark side, but Daryl just spends the whole ordeal looking broken and lost. And, now that they've had to lie about Maggie being dead to keep her away from Negan (something else we're certain will come back to bite them), Daryl believes that both Glenn and Maggie are gone.
And Carol still has no idea any of that went down.
EDIT: And, Rick admits he believes Judith is Shane's bio-baby. Not sure how we forgot that one.
Did anyone else find it a bit odd that Father Gabe had just dug an empty grave for no apparent reason? Do we arbitrarily make fake graves now, is that a "thing"? Did he have some kind of prophetic vision to tell him we might need to fake a death? If The Church Lady were part of his congregation she'd be talking about how conveeeeenient that was.
The naysayers are already proclaiming this to be the "worst episode" of the season so far. Actually we thought episode two was a bigger drag than this one, but we haven't seen anything yet that would make us scream foul or be bored. They could have sped up the pace a bit and accomplished the same amount in a normal-sized episode, but there were a lot of smaller tidbits baked in. We get into the head-space of several characters in addition to establishing how committed Rick is to following Negan's rules. We see what life under the rule of The Saviors will truly be like and how most people feel about that. And that, our friends, is a bitter pill to swallow. Fortunately for us, The Saviors took all our pills.
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, November 7, 2016
The Walking Dead: Season 7 Episode 3 WDF Review
Episode 3: The Cell
Norman Reedus fans were undoubtedly happy this week, with the show practically opening on a side shot of a naked and dirty Daryl, alone in "The Cell". Our episode follows Daryl's experience back at The Sanctuary following "The Lucilling", captive of The Saviors but more specifically, Dwight. As much as this episode was about Daryl, it served even more as character development for our favorite (or not so favorite depending on your perspective) forest dwelling motorcycle stealing crotch sammich.
Dwight is shown demonstrating his higher position in the camp by scavenging sandwich supplies from other survivors for his own use. He gets first dibs because he is apparently one of Negan's top ranking henchmen and everyone else gets their supplies by earning them in trade. His fried egg masterpiece is just a bit more appetizing than the dog food sandwiches he serves up to Daryl, who is being kept in a dark, empty gray room with loud, obnoxious music playing to keep him awake. It is clear we are to understand that this is The Saviors' attempt at breaking Daryl down and assimilating him into the "Negan Collective".
Past that, we begin to understand what happened to Dwight and his wife, Sherry, after they stole Daryl's bike & crossbow, leaving him for dead in the burnt forest last season. After their "escape gone wrong" during which they attempted to take Daryl hostage, they had decided to return to The Sanctuary and beg for forgiveness. Once back at The Sanctuary, now without Tina (who was killed along the way if you remember, and was apparently promised to Negan as a wife), Dwight and Sherry were punished by a) the ironing of Dwight's face and b) the forfeiture of Sherry into Negan's "harem". Toward the end of the episode, Dwight is shown to have begun to realize that living in the hierarchy of The Sanctuary may actually be worse than death when he puts down another Sanctuary escapee in what appears to be a mercy killing.
Daryl on the other hand is left to deal with the guilt of causing Glenn's death (due to having taken a swing at Negan). He tries to escape, he's given an ultimatum, he's beaten, but still won't back down. At the end of the night we leave him back where he started; in that cell to await more torture... but not before laying a profound line on Dwight to hopefully shake him back into the reality that he's still human. "I get why you did it... you were thinking of someone else," he says. In a world completely absent of sentimentality such as The Sanctuary, perhaps that's all the prodding Dwight needs to come around to Daryl's side. Or not.
All in all it wasn't the most compelling episode ever, but Norman did a wonderful job conveying Daryl's inner struggle and Austin Amelio (Dwight) was sufficiently emotionally vague to keep us guessing at what he's really thinking. If Dwight is to become the major player he is in the comic, this episode was necessary to establish some of his back story and provide the embers of a change of heart toward favoring Team Family. It was always going to be an uphill battle to convert Dwight from last season's jerk into someone we can sympathize with, so this was an entirely necessary episode whether you liked it or not.
Next week is the long awaited return to Alexandria to catch back up with Rick and crew. It's an extended episode (unheard of for episode four). Don't get too excited; they may have just needed more time to cover that story... it may not be that something particularly riveting happens. It does look like Rick and crew will get their first look at Daryl since he was taken at least, so it won't be a Reedus-drought episode for those of you worried about that.
In the meantime, we have two big events this week... Election Day (GET OUT AND VOTE FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, LEST WE END UP WITH A NEGAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE), and a long holiday weekend. Stay safe, folks!!
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Norman Reedus fans were undoubtedly happy this week, with the show practically opening on a side shot of a naked and dirty Daryl, alone in "The Cell". Our episode follows Daryl's experience back at The Sanctuary following "The Lucilling", captive of The Saviors but more specifically, Dwight. As much as this episode was about Daryl, it served even more as character development for our favorite (or not so favorite depending on your perspective) forest dwelling motorcycle stealing crotch sammich.
Dwight is shown demonstrating his higher position in the camp by scavenging sandwich supplies from other survivors for his own use. He gets first dibs because he is apparently one of Negan's top ranking henchmen and everyone else gets their supplies by earning them in trade. His fried egg masterpiece is just a bit more appetizing than the dog food sandwiches he serves up to Daryl, who is being kept in a dark, empty gray room with loud, obnoxious music playing to keep him awake. It is clear we are to understand that this is The Saviors' attempt at breaking Daryl down and assimilating him into the "Negan Collective".
Past that, we begin to understand what happened to Dwight and his wife, Sherry, after they stole Daryl's bike & crossbow, leaving him for dead in the burnt forest last season. After their "escape gone wrong" during which they attempted to take Daryl hostage, they had decided to return to The Sanctuary and beg for forgiveness. Once back at The Sanctuary, now without Tina (who was killed along the way if you remember, and was apparently promised to Negan as a wife), Dwight and Sherry were punished by a) the ironing of Dwight's face and b) the forfeiture of Sherry into Negan's "harem". Toward the end of the episode, Dwight is shown to have begun to realize that living in the hierarchy of The Sanctuary may actually be worse than death when he puts down another Sanctuary escapee in what appears to be a mercy killing.
Daryl on the other hand is left to deal with the guilt of causing Glenn's death (due to having taken a swing at Negan). He tries to escape, he's given an ultimatum, he's beaten, but still won't back down. At the end of the night we leave him back where he started; in that cell to await more torture... but not before laying a profound line on Dwight to hopefully shake him back into the reality that he's still human. "I get why you did it... you were thinking of someone else," he says. In a world completely absent of sentimentality such as The Sanctuary, perhaps that's all the prodding Dwight needs to come around to Daryl's side. Or not.
All in all it wasn't the most compelling episode ever, but Norman did a wonderful job conveying Daryl's inner struggle and Austin Amelio (Dwight) was sufficiently emotionally vague to keep us guessing at what he's really thinking. If Dwight is to become the major player he is in the comic, this episode was necessary to establish some of his back story and provide the embers of a change of heart toward favoring Team Family. It was always going to be an uphill battle to convert Dwight from last season's jerk into someone we can sympathize with, so this was an entirely necessary episode whether you liked it or not.
Next week is the long awaited return to Alexandria to catch back up with Rick and crew. It's an extended episode (unheard of for episode four). Don't get too excited; they may have just needed more time to cover that story... it may not be that something particularly riveting happens. It does look like Rick and crew will get their first look at Daryl since he was taken at least, so it won't be a Reedus-drought episode for those of you worried about that.
In the meantime, we have two big events this week... Election Day (GET OUT AND VOTE FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, LEST WE END UP WITH A NEGAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE), and a long holiday weekend. Stay safe, folks!!
http://www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, October 31, 2016
The Walking Dead: Season 7 Episode 2 WDF Review
Episode 2: The Well
Weeeell, have we all sufficiently recovered? As difficult as it was to continue on after last week's emotional annihilation, we must dutifully soldier on. We knew from the previews that S7E2 would be much, much less intense, focusing on Morgan, Carol and the new crew at The Kingdom. Silly, even. It was a broad pendulum swing in the other direction, and although that may raise questions of consistency and pacing, personally we were in desperate need of that break after 701.
Melissa McBride delivers just what she needed to: She again attempts to manipulate the new people into believing she is a sweet and innocent victim, but before the end of the episode Ezekiel has called her out on the act. Finally. There have been times in the past when that act was down right creepy, but then it was likely supposed to be. You can argue that someone mired down in a giant farce like "The Kingdom" would be able to spot someone else putting on an act right away. But, then by that logic we would have to assume all actors are human lie detectors, so we'll just engage our suspension of disbelief and imagine that Ezekiel's acting sensibilities make him a better judge of character than most.
Morgan is trying to fit in and seems to be gaining esteem with the locals while Carol is still plotting to escape to go out and live on her own. What's up with that, girl? She spots a small house near the gates of The Kingdom and eventually decides to take up residence there, with Ezekiel's blessing after he catches her stealing provisions to take with her. In fact, he is her first visitor at her new little house, in a scene that is ripe with electricity between the two characters. Perhaps she will become his "Queen", though predictably she thinks his fairy tale community is simply ridiculous. We're glad someone does. If none of our characters acted like they noticed, silly would be the least of our worries.
We weren't exactly excited about a CGI tiger in the midst of an apocalypse but admit it was done well enough to pass, though still a far fetched idea. Ezekiel's explanation that he was a zoo keeper that saved the tiger's life once and thereby gained it's trust is believable enough, but a zoo keeper would know that she would need to be kept in a proper enclosure if not for his safety then for those around him. It's more of that silliness, but so is the whole Renaissance Fair Community. It's hard to imagine that many people would want to actively engage in such a fantasy when everything around them is life or death. Is it permissible only because of the juxtaposition against Negan's extreme terrorism? What do you think?
At the end of the day we needed the silliness to help wash out the taste of last week's episode before we move forward with more tension and grief. Next week we'll be treated to Daryl's post-Lucilling plight which looks to be Negan's attempt at assimilating Daryl into his army. Good luck, Negan. The Daryl-Haters are already out in full force but remember, every character is important and has a part to play in our big picture.
Until next week, y'all!
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Weeeell, have we all sufficiently recovered? As difficult as it was to continue on after last week's emotional annihilation, we must dutifully soldier on. We knew from the previews that S7E2 would be much, much less intense, focusing on Morgan, Carol and the new crew at The Kingdom. Silly, even. It was a broad pendulum swing in the other direction, and although that may raise questions of consistency and pacing, personally we were in desperate need of that break after 701.
Melissa McBride delivers just what she needed to: She again attempts to manipulate the new people into believing she is a sweet and innocent victim, but before the end of the episode Ezekiel has called her out on the act. Finally. There have been times in the past when that act was down right creepy, but then it was likely supposed to be. You can argue that someone mired down in a giant farce like "The Kingdom" would be able to spot someone else putting on an act right away. But, then by that logic we would have to assume all actors are human lie detectors, so we'll just engage our suspension of disbelief and imagine that Ezekiel's acting sensibilities make him a better judge of character than most.
Morgan is trying to fit in and seems to be gaining esteem with the locals while Carol is still plotting to escape to go out and live on her own. What's up with that, girl? She spots a small house near the gates of The Kingdom and eventually decides to take up residence there, with Ezekiel's blessing after he catches her stealing provisions to take with her. In fact, he is her first visitor at her new little house, in a scene that is ripe with electricity between the two characters. Perhaps she will become his "Queen", though predictably she thinks his fairy tale community is simply ridiculous. We're glad someone does. If none of our characters acted like they noticed, silly would be the least of our worries.
We weren't exactly excited about a CGI tiger in the midst of an apocalypse but admit it was done well enough to pass, though still a far fetched idea. Ezekiel's explanation that he was a zoo keeper that saved the tiger's life once and thereby gained it's trust is believable enough, but a zoo keeper would know that she would need to be kept in a proper enclosure if not for his safety then for those around him. It's more of that silliness, but so is the whole Renaissance Fair Community. It's hard to imagine that many people would want to actively engage in such a fantasy when everything around them is life or death. Is it permissible only because of the juxtaposition against Negan's extreme terrorism? What do you think?
At the end of the day we needed the silliness to help wash out the taste of last week's episode before we move forward with more tension and grief. Next week we'll be treated to Daryl's post-Lucilling plight which looks to be Negan's attempt at assimilating Daryl into his army. Good luck, Negan. The Daryl-Haters are already out in full force but remember, every character is important and has a part to play in our big picture.
Until next week, y'all!
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Monday, October 24, 2016
The Walking Dead: Season 7 Episode 1 WDF Review
Episode 1: The Day Will Come When You Won't Be
Before we get started we'd just like to say our Senoia Video series is online. Go check it out!
Now on to the episode: Needless to say everyone knows this was a much anticipated, languished over episode following a cliff hanger that had a lot of fans grabbing for their torches and pitch forks. Our guess for victim #1 came to fruition quickly enough, and our hope that victim #2 was just a rumor was dashed before the half hour mark. It wasn't just who it was... in fact it was far more than that... it was how it played out and what it actually looked & sounded like on screen that took us through the emotional equivalent of a tumble dry full of rocks and shattered glass. To say it was brutal is a gross understatement.
This episode is more than intense. It is anxiety-attack inducing. It is crushing. It is devastating. And that was even with prior warning.
We won't do a play-by-play but our one criticism is that we could've done without the mini road trip for Rick and Negan. Aside from demonstrating that Rick had not yet been broken to Negan's satisfaction (which we already knew he wouldn't be), it really didn't serve a purpose and had an odd "what are we doing right now" feel. Other than that slight lapse, we didn't feel like it could've played out any other way in order to do what needed to be done... and what needed to be done was the establishment of a distinct demarcation line. There is now a "pre-Negan apocalypse" and a "post-Negan apocalypse" that would persist even if Negan were killed in the very next episode. The audience needed to be broken of any sense of security what-so-ever and reminded that there won't always be a way out presented just in the nick of time. You don't want this to be Indiana Jones. If you want a feel-good ending you're watching the wrong show.
"Team Family" as fans call them have now been taken to the brink of hell more so than ever before, presented with a series of heartbreaking ultimatums in a ruthless, humiliating, and demoralizing way that will affect them for the rest of their lives (or the series as the case may be). It doesn't transform the show into something new, but it transforms the characters into new people. Even the best of leaders must sometimes concede that someone else has gotten the better of them, and that's where the most compelling, human stories come from.
Inevitably there were immediately fans declaring that they would never watch the show again for one reason or another but we hazard against such rash judgments. There had to be a line drawn in the sand and that line had to come at the cost of one of our dearest emotional investments or else it wouldn't have worked. It had to be one of The Atlanta Five and there was no way around that. It needed to play out in that order as well. We needed to feel the sense that the worst was behind us only to suddenly, and with almost no warning, be confronted with something even worse... or two. And, if they got you to feel, they did their jobs.
Next week we are apparently catching back up with Carol and Morgan, which is a drastic change of pace... not something we normally appreciate but in this case the respite is much needed. With all this said we're going to go curl up in fetal position until then.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Before we get started we'd just like to say our Senoia Video series is online. Go check it out!
Now on to the episode: Needless to say everyone knows this was a much anticipated, languished over episode following a cliff hanger that had a lot of fans grabbing for their torches and pitch forks. Our guess for victim #1 came to fruition quickly enough, and our hope that victim #2 was just a rumor was dashed before the half hour mark. It wasn't just who it was... in fact it was far more than that... it was how it played out and what it actually looked & sounded like on screen that took us through the emotional equivalent of a tumble dry full of rocks and shattered glass. To say it was brutal is a gross understatement.
This episode is more than intense. It is anxiety-attack inducing. It is crushing. It is devastating. And that was even with prior warning.
We won't do a play-by-play but our one criticism is that we could've done without the mini road trip for Rick and Negan. Aside from demonstrating that Rick had not yet been broken to Negan's satisfaction (which we already knew he wouldn't be), it really didn't serve a purpose and had an odd "what are we doing right now" feel. Other than that slight lapse, we didn't feel like it could've played out any other way in order to do what needed to be done... and what needed to be done was the establishment of a distinct demarcation line. There is now a "pre-Negan apocalypse" and a "post-Negan apocalypse" that would persist even if Negan were killed in the very next episode. The audience needed to be broken of any sense of security what-so-ever and reminded that there won't always be a way out presented just in the nick of time. You don't want this to be Indiana Jones. If you want a feel-good ending you're watching the wrong show.
"Team Family" as fans call them have now been taken to the brink of hell more so than ever before, presented with a series of heartbreaking ultimatums in a ruthless, humiliating, and demoralizing way that will affect them for the rest of their lives (or the series as the case may be). It doesn't transform the show into something new, but it transforms the characters into new people. Even the best of leaders must sometimes concede that someone else has gotten the better of them, and that's where the most compelling, human stories come from.
Inevitably there were immediately fans declaring that they would never watch the show again for one reason or another but we hazard against such rash judgments. There had to be a line drawn in the sand and that line had to come at the cost of one of our dearest emotional investments or else it wouldn't have worked. It had to be one of The Atlanta Five and there was no way around that. It needed to play out in that order as well. We needed to feel the sense that the worst was behind us only to suddenly, and with almost no warning, be confronted with something even worse... or two. And, if they got you to feel, they did their jobs.
Next week we are apparently catching back up with Carol and Morgan, which is a drastic change of pace... not something we normally appreciate but in this case the respite is much needed. With all this said we're going to go curl up in fetal position until then.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Exciting News
Hello everyone! We're back, fresh from another trip to Senoia, but this time we spent a week documenting everything we could find that we thought you might be interested in seeing. We spent five months planning our trip, gathering supplies and spending a ridiculous amount of money on camera equipment. All for you (that's a lie, we're tech geeks and really enjoyed all the toys :-P)!
The idea for our small video series evolved over time. At first we wanted to do guided tours of all the fan hot-spots and even booked appointments with a few owners/managers to appear on camera doing just that. But, what we ultimately decided was that in our videos, we wanted to focus on the first person experience of visiting Senoia for fans who may never get to visit. This way you can get as close as possible to the same feeling as you would have if you visited and saw the sights with your own eyes. Since most people don't get personal guided tours from business owners, we scrapped that idea and went with a more visceral, personal approach.
Although during our stay most of the filming was taking place at the studio, on the last couple of days we did get to see some activity at the Alexandria Safe Zone. There won't be much documentation of that, since fans are not allowed on the property and we weren't there to stalk the cast or burden production in any way. What we will show you is what the average fan can expect to see when they get to Senoia on any average week day. If you're planning a trip there, we hope we answer any questions you might have, even if you don't know you have them yet.
There are already a lot of videos available about the Senoia area, from individual fans to other fan groups and even AMC. Although since we're all excited about the same thing and we inevitably will duplicate something someone else has already done, we wanted to focus our videos in a specific way to hopefully provide something a little more that might be slightly lacking in an average fan video. We're really excited about what we came up with, and are working hard to edit everything together to post in the next couple of weeks... definitely before the Season 7 premiere!
Once we have everything ready to go we'll add a new page to the WalkingDeadFamily.com website that will contain all of the videos we've come up with. We hope you'll come back to check for them and celebrate the Season 7 kickoff in style with us!
The idea for our small video series evolved over time. At first we wanted to do guided tours of all the fan hot-spots and even booked appointments with a few owners/managers to appear on camera doing just that. But, what we ultimately decided was that in our videos, we wanted to focus on the first person experience of visiting Senoia for fans who may never get to visit. This way you can get as close as possible to the same feeling as you would have if you visited and saw the sights with your own eyes. Since most people don't get personal guided tours from business owners, we scrapped that idea and went with a more visceral, personal approach.
Although during our stay most of the filming was taking place at the studio, on the last couple of days we did get to see some activity at the Alexandria Safe Zone. There won't be much documentation of that, since fans are not allowed on the property and we weren't there to stalk the cast or burden production in any way. What we will show you is what the average fan can expect to see when they get to Senoia on any average week day. If you're planning a trip there, we hope we answer any questions you might have, even if you don't know you have them yet.
There are already a lot of videos available about the Senoia area, from individual fans to other fan groups and even AMC. Although since we're all excited about the same thing and we inevitably will duplicate something someone else has already done, we wanted to focus our videos in a specific way to hopefully provide something a little more that might be slightly lacking in an average fan video. We're really excited about what we came up with, and are working hard to edit everything together to post in the next couple of weeks... definitely before the Season 7 premiere!
Once we have everything ready to go we'll add a new page to the WalkingDeadFamily.com website that will contain all of the videos we've come up with. We hope you'll come back to check for them and celebrate the Season 7 kickoff in style with us!
Sunday, July 10, 2016
We Don't Need No Stinkin' Amazon
Most fans of The Walking Dead are well aware of The Woodbury Shoppe, the one and only official Walking Dead store. The quaint little shop sits at 48 Main Street, on the corner of Seavy and Main in Senoia, Georgia, smack dab in the middle of the area used as "Woodbury" in the show and within sight of the Gin Property (the Alexandria Safe Zone).
The walls of the basement are absolutely covered in writing. Every cast member has visited the shop and left messages and autographs there for all of the fans to enjoy. That's right, if you want to make sure you've followed in the same footsteps as your favorite cast member, all one needs to do is visit The Woodbury Shoppe to know you've had a shared experience with him/her. In fact, the shop itself is owned in part by names that should be familiar to all TWD fans: Robert Kirkman (TWD creator) and David Alpert (EP).
Sharing the basement space is a newer addition (opened late 2014), The Walking Dead Café (primarily a coffee shop serving TWD themed Starbucks, though they also sell sandwiches, soup, and desserts). Although this makes it the second Main street coffee house (see our earlier post about The Senoia Coffee & Café), we wholly recommend a visit to both. The Senoia Coffee & Café does have a larger lunch menu, so perhaps save TWD Café for dessert to avoid a caffeine high. Just be sure to work them both into your plans and you won't be disappointed.
The Woodbury Shoppe is of course Destination Zero for most fans visiting the area, and we would expect no less. Be sure to save all of your TWD merch purchases for your trip and take an empty belly so you can patronize as many businesses in the area as possible. Just be careful not to blow through your savings in this all-too-tempting TWD mega-store.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
The shop occupies two floors in one of the tallest buildings in little Senoia (four total stories, one of which is the basement). The street level is full of just about any piece of Walking Dead merchandise you could possibly find, including several items exclusive to this official store. Although Senoia might be quite a drive for most, the trip is by far more rewarding than ordering those trinkets online, though one can also order directly from the store's online portal which we suggest over ordering online elsewhere. We always recommend supporting the Main street businesses whenever possible to help keep the area thriving for fans and locals alike to enjoy.
Perhaps the most admired item on the main floor is a bust of "Bicycle Girl" from the pilot episode, displayed proudly in the middle of the store. Getting to see Greg Nicotero's work up close and personal is quite the opportunity no TWD fan should miss. As if that weren't reason enough to visit, the basement of the shop functions as a mini TWD museum showcasing several examples of unmistakable set pieces. There you can see a full size replica of the "Don't Open Dead Inside" doors, Merle's bike (used by Daryl), and sit inside one of the prison cells while admiring the amazing paint job done on it by TWD crew. If you didn't understand why Norman Reedus mentioned how incredible that paint job was in a Behind The Scenes video on AMC's website, you will certainly get the picture when you see those cells in person.
The walls of the basement are absolutely covered in writing. Every cast member has visited the shop and left messages and autographs there for all of the fans to enjoy. That's right, if you want to make sure you've followed in the same footsteps as your favorite cast member, all one needs to do is visit The Woodbury Shoppe to know you've had a shared experience with him/her. In fact, the shop itself is owned in part by names that should be familiar to all TWD fans: Robert Kirkman (TWD creator) and David Alpert (EP).
Sharing the basement space is a newer addition (opened late 2014), The Walking Dead Café (primarily a coffee shop serving TWD themed Starbucks, though they also sell sandwiches, soup, and desserts). Although this makes it the second Main street coffee house (see our earlier post about The Senoia Coffee & Café), we wholly recommend a visit to both. The Senoia Coffee & Café does have a larger lunch menu, so perhaps save TWD Café for dessert to avoid a caffeine high. Just be sure to work them both into your plans and you won't be disappointed.
The Woodbury Shoppe is of course Destination Zero for most fans visiting the area, and we would expect no less. Be sure to save all of your TWD merch purchases for your trip and take an empty belly so you can patronize as many businesses in the area as possible. Just be careful not to blow through your savings in this all-too-tempting TWD mega-store.
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
A Must-See TWD Fan Favorite
If you're a newer or more casual fan of The Walking Dead, you might not know that filming takes place in and around Senoia, Georgia (pronounced by most locals as seh-noy). It's a tiny little town South of Atlanta where the summer's heat is just as soupy as it seems on the show, and it's not too hard to imagine that sweat dripping down Daryl's long locks to be real.
"Downtown" Senoia itself is a quaint little Southern town that you might recognize as the setting of Woodbury in the show. Although the real Woodbury isn't that far away, Senoia was used instead because, if you can believe it, Senoia is bigger and better suited to filming. Fans flock to the area from all over the world, but despite the fact that one might think it would take on the feel of something more like Disney World during the filming months, it still retains a quiet, slow paced, sparsely populated feel.
The post-apocalyptic "Woodbury Wall" that we are all so familiar with from Season Three is long gone now and aside from the presence of fans and (if you're lucky) cast and crew, Senoia proper is back to business as usual. The wall sat at the Southern end of the town, at the bottom of the hill Senoia occupies, though it's difficult to tell from the show that it's actually on a hill. Across the road from "Woodbury" (behind the gazebo you can see in several shots outside the Woodbury wall) lies a set of train tracks and Gin Street, where the now famous "Gin Property" lies. The Gin Property is a housing development partially built up by production that became the Alexandria Safe Zone (in fact a large part of the Senoia revitalization can be attributed to Raleigh Studios, who erects buildings and homes to look old both for TWD and other filming projects). The Gin Property has been described as a "living back lot" for Raleigh Studios... and people really get to live there.
Yes, you too can now sit in the fan-favorite stop, Senoia Coffee & Café (The Woodbury Coffee House in the show), sipping a wonderfully flavorful cup of java just outside where the Woodbury wall once stood while looking at the Alexandria Safe Zone wall. For any Walking Dead fanatic, it's a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and should be the first stop on your list if you make the trip to town. In addition to liquid refreshments, they also serve lunch (and on Friday/Saturdays dinner), as well as a selection of desserts.
If you're planning a trip to Senoia, be sure to show up between May and November, while filming is going on... and best get there before we find out the last season is upon us. Even if the ASZ is off limits and you may or may not get to see the cast prowling around, you might still get to see the crew buzzing in and around the Alexandria wall. While we were there in early November 2015, we got to see ASZ lit up for night filming and saw Daryl's new bike being carted around by the crew.
Senoia Coffee & Café is a wonderfully not-too-kitschy nook with exposed brick walls and thickly cased windows characteristic of old buildings in a small town. It's just about as hipster as you ever hope anything in Senoia could ever strive to be (which isn't much), and the staff is incredibly friendly. They are more than gracious and welcoming to TWD fans and will happily give you the day's insight on what they've seen going on or if anyone notable has been in the shop that day. Though at the time of this writing their site is offline for an unknown reason, their social media accounts are live and well: Twitter Facebook So be sure to check them out, throw them a favorite, and drop on by the next time you get a hankerin' for a road trip!
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
"Downtown" Senoia itself is a quaint little Southern town that you might recognize as the setting of Woodbury in the show. Although the real Woodbury isn't that far away, Senoia was used instead because, if you can believe it, Senoia is bigger and better suited to filming. Fans flock to the area from all over the world, but despite the fact that one might think it would take on the feel of something more like Disney World during the filming months, it still retains a quiet, slow paced, sparsely populated feel.
The post-apocalyptic "Woodbury Wall" that we are all so familiar with from Season Three is long gone now and aside from the presence of fans and (if you're lucky) cast and crew, Senoia proper is back to business as usual. The wall sat at the Southern end of the town, at the bottom of the hill Senoia occupies, though it's difficult to tell from the show that it's actually on a hill. Across the road from "Woodbury" (behind the gazebo you can see in several shots outside the Woodbury wall) lies a set of train tracks and Gin Street, where the now famous "Gin Property" lies. The Gin Property is a housing development partially built up by production that became the Alexandria Safe Zone (in fact a large part of the Senoia revitalization can be attributed to Raleigh Studios, who erects buildings and homes to look old both for TWD and other filming projects). The Gin Property has been described as a "living back lot" for Raleigh Studios... and people really get to live there.
Yes, you too can now sit in the fan-favorite stop, Senoia Coffee & Café (The Woodbury Coffee House in the show), sipping a wonderfully flavorful cup of java just outside where the Woodbury wall once stood while looking at the Alexandria Safe Zone wall. For any Walking Dead fanatic, it's a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and should be the first stop on your list if you make the trip to town. In addition to liquid refreshments, they also serve lunch (and on Friday/Saturdays dinner), as well as a selection of desserts.
If you're planning a trip to Senoia, be sure to show up between May and November, while filming is going on... and best get there before we find out the last season is upon us. Even if the ASZ is off limits and you may or may not get to see the cast prowling around, you might still get to see the crew buzzing in and around the Alexandria wall. While we were there in early November 2015, we got to see ASZ lit up for night filming and saw Daryl's new bike being carted around by the crew.
Senoia Coffee & Café is a wonderfully not-too-kitschy nook with exposed brick walls and thickly cased windows characteristic of old buildings in a small town. It's just about as hipster as you ever hope anything in Senoia could ever strive to be (which isn't much), and the staff is incredibly friendly. They are more than gracious and welcoming to TWD fans and will happily give you the day's insight on what they've seen going on or if anyone notable has been in the shop that day. Though at the time of this writing their site is offline for an unknown reason, their social media accounts are live and well: Twitter Facebook So be sure to check them out, throw them a favorite, and drop on by the next time you get a hankerin' for a road trip!
www.WalkingDeadFamily.com
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