"JSS" THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review "JSS" on Seat42F.

“JSS,” the title of this week’s installment of THE WALKING DEAD on AMC, stands for ‘just survive somehow.’ This seems an apropos title when The Wolves attack Alexandria and lots of people are dying left and right. The world in which this series takes place in is very, very dangerous, and all anyone can be expected to do is to try to stay alive. Unfortunately, that is much easier said than done.

“JSS” begins with a girl in a vehicle with her parents. It’s Enid (Katelyn Nacon), whom we’ve seen living in Alexandria. As the next few minutes pass, viewers witness how Enid loses her parents, survives on her own, and eventually makes her way to the settlement. It’s a brief character profile that certainly tells us more about the girl, how she has toughened herself in order to stay alive, which is also why she has trouble getting close to anyone, trying to avoid going through that pain of loss again.

It’s not unusual for THE WALKING DEAD to begin quietly, even after a cliffhanger like the one in last week’s season premiere. What is unusual is that the cliffhanger is not picked back up upon during the hour. One could argue the horn honk is to let us know about the attack on Alexandria, and it does. But it also turns an entire hoard of walkers towards the safe zone, and “JSS” doesn’t show us what happens with that yet. It’s basically a real-time event that takes place during the season premiere.

THE WALKING DEAD is terrific at teasing and drawing things out. It will eventually give us a satisfying resolution to the huge action sequence promised, but it will not be rushed in getting there. There is more story that needs to be covered first, and the show is structured in such a way as to expertly build drama until it can be built no more. It may be frustrating for some viewers to have to wait until episode three to get a promised battle between humans and zombies, but given just how good “JSS” and “First Time Again” are, I feel like there’s no room for complaint. Anticipation only continues to build, and the events of “JSS” leave our heroes much less prepared to deal with the coming zombies.

“JSS” sees The Wolves attack Alexandria, and as Rick (Andrew Lincoln) predicted, the people who have been living behind the walls don’t know how to defend themselves. Most of our main contingent is away, as we see in the premiere. It’s basically left to Carol (Melissa McBride), Morgan (Lennie James), Rosita (Christian Serratos), and Aaron (Ross Marquand), who isn’t one of Rick’s group, but has spent a lot of time in the outside world, to defend everyone else from a band of armed marauders. This isn’t a large force, but thanks to their experience and smarts, they are able to do so.

Now, not every Alexandrian is helpless. Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge) does take out one woman when her family is threatened. This is clearly because of Rick’s influence, since she previously couldn’t bring herself to stand up to an abusive husband. Now, though, she’s growing quickly, and finally seems prepared to contribute.

But a lot of other Alexandrians lose their lives. Mrs. Neudermeyer (Susie Spear Purcell) is one of the first to go. Olivia (Ann Mahoney) and Denise (Merritt Wever) cower in fear, content to let others do the work for them. Spencer (Austin Nichols) helps from his tower, but then doesn’t directly counter attack on the ground.

Now, Rick has a plan, and he will be helping them get better at surviving. Some, like Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam), are willing to learn, thankfully. Others are not so eager. As THE WALKING DEAD has shown us, those who do not step up and become capable of defending themselves will die. So it seems the community could end up being mostly Rick’s group when this is all over.

Morgan is a big question mark, though. He clearly abhors violence, and tries to only disarm The Wolves, not kill them. Is this an attitude that will work for him? He encounters The Wolves prior to this, and if he had killed the two he ran into then, at least the attacking group would have been slightly smaller. Can he really afford mercy in this day and age? I have serious doubts that he can, and he’ll either have to adapt or put the group at risk.

Thankfully, we’ll always have Carol. Her cover as a timid housewife may be blown, at least with Olivia, and she’s not able to save everyone, but she does a lot, arguably more than anyone, to defend the place. Carol is highly capable, and a good example of what Jessie might become in time, their histories being so similar. Yet, Carol isn’t cold, either, much as she might appear to be, as we see her holding a dying neighbor in her arms. Carol has found the right balance, just like Rick, that is needed in this world.

“JSS” ends with Enid running off. Will she be back? She is the one that tells Carl (Chandler Riggs) to just survive somehow, and that is certainly easier to do in a group, especially with some of the strong people around to help protect her. She’s a capable girl, but I hope she changes her mind before she becomes walker food. She definitely isn’t the only Alexandrian that needs help.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

Just "Try" to Resist THE WALKING DEAD

Article originally written for Seat42F.

As THE WALKING DEAD begins last night on AMC, things are tense in Alexandria. With a person lost on both sides, Rick’s group and Deanna’s aren’t exactly happy with one another, especially when those that return from the supply run tell conflicting stories, each side blaming the other for what happened. Will they continue to “Try” to get along, or is this the beginning of the end of the happy town?

Rick (Andrew Lincoln) is the best representation of a wild person trying to go back to civilization. He is on edge because of what happens to Noah (Tyler James Williams), but also because Carol (Melissa McBride) keeps urging him to take out Pete (Corey Brill), who is abusing his wife, Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge). The evidence seems to be there, Pete’s son, Sam (Major Dodson), telling Carol bad things that Jessie doesn’t exactly deny. Still, Rick isn’t sure he should interfere, until he admits to himself his feelings for Jessie.

I love that Rick tells Carol she would still be here, even if her own abusive spouse, Ed, hadn’t been eaten by Walkers. Carol is a very strong person, someone capable of holding her own, and even giving back, as she does when arguing for Rick to take action against Pete. Jessie isn’t the same type. She will probably die if no one stops Pete. But what to do? Is she someone Rick should take care of? He decides yes, but admits he wouldn’t do the same for just anyone.

Rick is not part of the community yet. He isn’t interested in protecting all of these new people, seeing them as weak and not willing to do what’s necessary to survive. In “Try,” he tells Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) that they must separate Pete and Jessie, and if Pete doesn’t cooperate, kill him. Deanna says they do not execute and Rick better never suggest it again, which I think is her trying to assert the control she feels slipping away, enhanced by grief and anger at losing her son. But Rick knows what will happen if they let a bad guy escape be exiling him. He’ll come back, and there will be consequences. Rick has seen this before, Deanna has not.

All this leads to a town square brawl between Pete and Rick. Rick gets the upper hand, then rants at Deanna and the others, waving his gun around. He tells them they’re not safe, and that they can’t go by Deanna’s rules any more. It’s quite a speech, though it does come off crazy. I think Rick is just at his breaking point, knowing in his gut that Alexandria is not going to survive unless changes are made, but unable to make those changes. He hasn’t adapted, “Try” as he might, and this is a key moment for his character.

Which ends with Michonne (Danai Gurira) cold-cocking him. Rick may be right that Deanna’s way isn’t right, but Rick’s rules would take away much from the good civilization that is being preserved here. Not everyone wants what Rick wants in THE WALKING DEAD.

Glenn (Steven Yeun), for one, is looking for balance. He tells Nicholas (Michael Traynor) that he will not go out on any more runs, not because Glenn in threatening Nicholas, but because Glenn wants to save him. Glenn isn’t looking to punish; he’s looking to protect. He wants to build upon what Deanna has established, not tear it down.

Michonne also wants to hang onto the promise of a semi-normal life. She chases Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) out into the woods, alongside Rosita (Christian Serratos), sans police uniform and sword. Sasha is angry and needs to blow off steam, feeling guilty for telling Noah he wouldn’t survive, which only builds upon her struggle at losing Bob and Tyreese. As Michonne helps Sasha, though, it’s not anger Michonne feels. She remembers her past, remembers what it’s like on the outside. Not bringing her uniform reveals her doubts about fitting in, but not bringing her sword is a rejection of who she was. Michonne is reminded of what’s outside the walls, and after bringing Sasha home, she chooses Alexandria. This leads her to don the uniform and knock Rick out, as mentioned, to preserve the peace.

Carl (Chandler Riggs) is part of the fitting-in group, too. He tries to stop Rick’s fight. This is after he shares a moment and almost-kiss with Enid (Katelyn Nacon) in the woods. Carl realizes the danger, but like Enid, he also wants to live in a world where he can run and enjoy himself. Alexandria offers a chance at that.

What will happen next? Deanna seems very close to kicking out at least Rick, if not the group, knowing she needs them, but coming close to rejecting the price of their assistance. However, seeing Carl and Glenn and others “Try” to fit into Alexandria, witnessing Michonne exert control over Rick when it’s necessary, perhaps Deanna will be tempted to punish only Rick, leaving the others alone. If Rick’s people can help him find the middle ground, as they have done, the entire group stands a chance at making Alexandria a home. Will Deanna allow that to happen?

Outside the walls, Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) find mutilated Walkers with Ws carved into their foreheads. This continues a trend that started at Noah’s family’s neighborhood. Periodically we’ve seen scenes of disturbing brutality. I haven’t made a thing of them in my reviews because they’ve been minor foreshadowing in very full episodes, but in “Try,” it’s clear that THE WALKING DEAD is heading somewhere with this sooner, rather than later. Who is doing this, and what do they want? They surely won’t be friendly to the good people of Alexandria.

THE WALKING DEAD continues to masterfully balance deep character stories with larger plots, spooling out an arc patiently and artistically. Some of my fellow fans have mourned the loss of the hours focusing on one or two characters that were so brilliant last year, but I think the current structure matches what’s happening now better. THE WALKING DEAD has continuously shifted and morphed over the seasons depending on the needs of the story, and I think it is brilliantly continuing to do the same this year.

THE WALKING DEAD ends its fifth season next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

Never "Forget" THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 5 Episode 13 Forget on Seat42F.

Coming off of last week’s episode, in which the characters try to “Remember” who they were before the collapse of civilization, this week’s installment of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD makes the time to “Forget” the past few years. The members of the group try to settle into a normal life in Alexandria. To help with that, Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) organizes a mixer in which the newbies can meet their neighbors. This doesn’t go well for everyone, but it’s a start.

Coming out of “Remember,” Daryl (Norman Reedus) is the character I am most concerned with finding a place for in the new world. At the start of the hour, he makes a plan with Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Carol (Melissa McBride) to steal some guns just in case they need to fight back, singling themselves out as the protectors of the rest, who are being urged to adapt to the new circumstances. But then Aaron (Ross Marquand), either on his own accord, as he claims, or under Deanna’s orders, because that woman is smart, asks Daryl to be his new recruiting partner. And Daryl finds his place.

Daryl is someone who longs very much for acceptance, even if he’ll never say it out loud. He’s not the type to display his emotions too freely, but he definitely feels them deeply. He needs the extra invitation Aaron offers in order to relax a bit. His self esteem is beaten down over many years, and now it’s still just a little fragile. But unlike the horse the men track, Daryl has a brain and doesn’t necessarily run from those who want to help him. Aaron approaching Daryl as he does, praising his skills, offering him a position in which he can make a contribution but not lose who he is, is the perfect way to handle Daryl. Daryl is so committed to making Alexandria work that he refuses to take a gun from Carol at the end, which might be a good thing.

Now, Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) is the problem. She shoots up pictures of the family whose house she now lives in. She stays away from the group, and has an outburst at the party. Deanna does reward her with the solitary look-out duty she wants because she knows Sasha is trying, but the fact that Sasha just wants to hide away isn’t good, and Deanna doesn’t seem willing to let that stand. Sasha must try harder.

Most of the rest of the group enjoys themselves at the party and blends. The Alexandria residents are friendly enough, and this is their home now. Maggie (Lauren Cohan) has a place in a new government. Michonne (Danai Gurira) even hangs up her sword after some sage, drunk advice from Abraham (Michael Cudlitz). This really is a place they in which can make a fresh start.

But there are still dangers brewing. Rick and the others are justifiably concerned about the lack of security in Alexandria. The walls keep out the Walkers, but as our people know all too well, the Walkers aren’t the biggest danger out there. Having people walk the perimeter and staffing the clock tower will help, but they’re still vulnerable. Plus, Rick is trying to start something with Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), a married woman, since he sees himself as king of the land, and I think Abraham might have an alcohol problem, so those are likely problem spots, too.

Finally, there’s Carol. She plays nice better than anyone, offering cookies, compliments, and smiles. However, she’s dark, the person most concerned with getting the guns, and she isn’t as invisible as she thinks, her kindness attracting too much attention. Carol threatens a boy who catches her taking the guns in a very chilling scene that I can’t help but think there will be repercussions for. Carol can’t keep up the charade forever, and I think the people of Alexandria will feel incredibly betrayed when they find out she’s lying to them. “At least she didn’t kill him” is not an excuse the residents are going to accept. This Carol is necessary outside the wall, but she may not be within, if the group really does want to join Deanna’s people.

“Forget” is about forgetting the past, but more than that, it’s about the future. From issues petty to large, The Walking Dead gang has changed, for better or for worse. This is a new chapter for them, a new life, and it won’t be easy to adapt, even if it seems so for some. There is also a balance of adapting too much and growing soft, leaving them vulnerable to others. Hopefully, this will not happen, but that is always a danger. It’s incredible to watch the meaty, dramatic, character-driven moments this new setting provides, and to see the various way in which individuals handle it.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

"Remember" THE WALKING DEAD Only Gets Better and Better

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Our heroes on AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD enter the settlement of Alexandria this week, where they must “Remember” what it’s like to live as civilized people. This task is much easier for some than others, of course, but one wonders if those who can stay hard might not have the advantage in the long run. There are a few things that come across as suspicious in this town, and if Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and company can’t fit in, Plan B is to just take over the place.

“Remember” is an interesting episode because it’s hard to tell who the bad guys are. Fans of THE WALKING DEAD have been trained to be suspicious of anyone new that comes around, and the people of Alexandria have their share of shady characters. There’s Aiden (Daniel Bonjour, Midnight Movie), a self-proclaimed douche bag who almost gets Tara (Alanna Masterson) killed in his quest for revenge on a mindless roamer. There’s Pete (Corey Brill, The Normal Heart), the creepy, possibly abusive husband of kind neighbor Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge, American Horror Story). And then there’s Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh, Flesh and Bone), the Ohio congresswoman in charge, who seems nice enough, but is definitely keeping her eye on the newbies.

Pete and Aiden are jerks, clearly, but if there’s someone to worry about, it’s Deanna. Politicians have an untrustworthy reputation for a reason. Deanna presents only kind words and expressions towards the survivors, but she videotapes their initial interviews and stops by their house to check on them, which could be kind, but probably isn’t. Rick’s backup gun hidden in the woods goes missing, and I assume she has something to do with that, too.

But while Deanna is suspicious of our protagonists, as she should be, she may not be evil. She says they need Rick and his company, and I believe her. As several of our main players observe, the people of Alexandria are weak; they don’t know what it’s like to survive in this dark world. Deanna herself admits to being behind her wall the entire time. This town needs survivors like Rick to protect them, and so when she makes Rick a constable and Michonne (Danai Gurira) his deputy, it makes sense. She has to start to trust them, at least a bit, in order to keep order, even willing to let Glenn (Steven Yeun) deck her son, if that’s the cost of living.

The reason I’m not sure who the villain is, though, is because Rick becomes kind of bad guy-esque in “Remember.” He is willing to play by Deanna’s rules for now, but he casts a wary eye around, checking the perimeter and walking the streets at night. He isn’t the only one, Carol (Melissa McBride) putting forth a completely false persona in order to appear more harmless, though Deanna seems to be keeping a close enough eye on them to see through this. Carl (Chandler Riggs), too, is determined to stay hard, and Rick is confident that at least some of the group can. And if the Alexandria residents can’t do what Rick thinks is necessary, Rick is determined to take the town as his family’s own safe haven.

Rick is the other side of the coin from The Governor, a man who ran a settlement through manipulation and terror. I believe Rick is more straight-forward with his intentions, and he wouldn’t torture these people unnecessarily. But he can be cold when it comes to protecting his group. Alexandria is a place they can be safe, and if Deanna and her people don’t want to let Rick and the others do what they need to do, he’s willing to use force against her. This is the spirit that has kept him and the others alive, but it may not be the one Deanna completely wants from him now.

THE WALKING DEAD excels at presenting these moral quandaries in complex, authentic ways. Viewers are not likely to turn on Rick because they understand what he’s going through and know he’s not going to kill the others unless he has to. We all want Rick’s group to survive, and so we can sympathize with his position. But from our comfy, secure living rooms, it’s also hard to imagine what can drive a person to go so dark, even after witnessing events for nearly five seasons, and it makes “Remember” an uneasy hour to watch, in a good way.

Not everyone adjusts to the settlement easily. While most of the group presumably takes jobs and starts to settle in, Daryl (Norman Reedus) remains himself apart, skinning possum on the porch. He would never have lived in a place like Alexandria pre-disaster, and he doesn’t seem willing to do so now. Rick doesn’t chide him, though Carol says he should pretend, as she does. But I can see Daryl being a problem if Rick doesn’t take over. Certainly Deanna cannot allow someone like Daryl to live inside her walls for long unless he’s willing to adapt. Will Daryl be his own worst enemy? He suddenly seems like a character that could actually be written off, which would break the hearts of many a fan, myself included.

“Remember” is a fascinating, excellent episode of television. From the interviews, which say a lot about our people, to Rick’s cathartic shower-and-shave scene, to Carl interacting with other kids, including the standoffish Enid (Katelyn Nacon, Too Many Cooks), there’s a lot to digest. The installment begs re-watches, as the amount of new characters and the subtle ways our cast interacts with them likely telegraph much of what the next few episodes of the show will be. Alexandria is a major, major new chapter for THE WALKING DEAD, with “Remember” serving as a turning point for the entire series. It’s with great anticipation I await next week’s episode.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

Save Me From SAVE ME

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American Horror Story frightening and confusing

     From the creators of Glee, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, comes American Horror Story, which has been called pretty much the opposite of Glee. Vivian Harmon (Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights) must give birth to a baby that dies seven months into the pregnancy. She seeks comfort by buying a dog.

     Feeling rejected, Vivian's husband Ben (Dylan McDermott,The Practice) cheats on her, and she catches him. To try to save their crumbling marriage, they move across the country and purchase a bargain of a house, whose last owners died in a murder-suicide.

     And that's when things start going really wrong. While sleepwalking, Ben plays with fire. Interesting, considering that a man named Larry (Denis O'Hare, True Blood) keeps approaching him, claiming that the house made Larry burn his family alive. Meanwhile, Vivian has kinky sex with a man in a leather suit, assuming, wrongly, that it's Ben. She becomes pregnant, but is it Ben's, or the suit man's? Plus, daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga) likes to cut herself, neighbors enter without warning, and something strange and dangerous lives in the basement.

     As far as scary goes, American Horror Story is definitely that; it will make you scared to walk into dark rooms of your own house. The creepiness comes fast and frequently. To make matters worse, it's hard to understand everything that goes on around the family.

     Since the characters aren't given explanations, neither are the viewers. At least understanding an issue can make it less frightening. The fact that most is unknown makes it even scarier.

     Calling it the opposite of Glee may be inaccurate. After all, Glee thrives in the cliches of musicals, often going for stereotypical, larger-than-life characters and stories because that is the tradition in the genre. American Horror Story does the same sort of play with thriller tropes. It uses fast-cut scenes and creepy music to set the mood. Vivian walks up into a dark attic, even as viewers at home are screaming "No! Don't go in there!" Young twins Troy and Brian (Bodhi and Kai Schulz) are slaughtered, and then appear as ghosts. There's nothing creepier than dead twins! There are illusions, mind control, and monsters, each played to maximum fright potential. So perhaps American Horror Story is what the Glee guys do best, applied to a different genre.

     The questions come fast and furious, and few are answered in "Pilot." The Harmon family is immediately in over their heads, and don't even realize it yet. American Horror Story's "Pilot" excels at setting up much intrigue, but leaving viewers in suspense, a surefire way to keep them coming back week after week. I'm not sure I understand yet exactly what the series is trying to do, but with the sex factor, a common play in the suspense genre, combined with some truly excellent mysteries which are hard to define, the series succeeds in setting up something truly special. There is no other show currently like it on television, nor does a past one spring to mind, which is plenty enough to set it apart.

     How does the house control people? What is neighbor Constance's (Jessica Lange, Big Fish) connection? She comes to Ben just before he burns his hand on the stove and tells him it's not his time yet. Does she choose when the house pushes its residents over the edge? Why and how? What is the point in waiting? Are the Harmons already so much out of control of their own lives that they don't realize all the strange things happening? Why does Constance's daughter, Adelaide (Jamie Brewer), keep going into the house, telling people they are going to die? Is she warning them, or threatening them?

     Plus, there is the mystery of the maid. Soon after the Harmons move in, Moira (Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under) shows up, saying that she is the long-time cleaner of the house. Vivian, initially against hiring her, is persuaded to do so. This makes sense, because Moira demonstrates much knowledge about caring for the older elements of the building, which Vivian is clueless about. But then Ben sees Moira as a young, sexy woman (Alexandra Breckenridge, The Ex List), whom he catches masturbating, and is tempted to sleep with. The different perceptions are unexplained, but ratchet up the freaky factor several fold. The transition between the two actresses, especially in the seduction scene, is disturbing, to say the least.

     Then, there is Ben's patient, Tate (Evan Peters, Invasion), who is psychotic. He dreams of murdering people that he likes. Violet somehow strikes up a friendship with him (does Ben not escort his patient out of his house?), and the two become close, sharing secrets. Though Tate tells her one should never hurt those he loves. When Violet is threatened by a bully, Tate convinces her to lure the girl to the basement of the Harmons' home, where Tate and some goblin-like creature hurt and terrify her. It also disturbs Violet, but Tate acts like nothing is wrong. So is he part of the house, too, and can come and go as he pleases? Or is he just such a dark soul that he is drawn in by whatever dwells there?

     American Horror Story lives in a specific world, with set rules that govern it, just like all worlds. The more creepy characters get these rules, and know how to not just survive, but thrive within them. They may even contribute to creating them, though how in control any of them are is uncertain. Since the show seems so sure of itself, it definitely holds an attraction, even for those confused. We might not get what it is going for, yet, but there's a confidence behind it that says that the writers and producers do. This is masterful film making and storytelling, more than worth a watch.


     Check out American Horror Story Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first published as TV Review: American Horror Story - "Pilot" on Blogcritics.