THE WALKING DEAD Messes "Up"

Article originally published as TV Review: 'The Walking Dead' - 'Heads Up' on Blogcritics.

I was wrong.

I have to start my review of this week’s The Walking Dead episode “Heads Up” with that statement because of how vehemently and often I had asserted that Glenn (Steven Yeun) was dead. When last we’d seen the original cast member, he is lying on the ground, seemingly being ripped apart by a huge crowd of Walkers. I was sure he could not have made it out of the alley alive. “Heads Up” reveals that apparently he did.

Now, I’m torn as to how much to go into the way Glenn is brought back, because I run the risk of sounding like sour grapes. I do think, however, that the way The Walking Dead orchestrated his survival is as unrealistic as the show has ever been. Usually, it’s a series that stays as grounded as possible, despite the central, highly unrealistic conceit of a zombie apocalypse. But in this case, they break that trend and go into superhuman territory.

A popular theory floated on the internet and by friends of mine in the wake of his ‘demise’ is that Glenn is safe under Nicholas’ body and manages to crawl under a dumpster, waiting out the Walkers until they leave. I dismissed that scenario because there are a LOT of Walkers in the alley and there is no realistic way they would only tear at Nicholas. They would have ripped into Glenn as well, if not immediately, as soon as they’d eaten their way through Nicholas. Instead, the crowd isn’t so tight that Glenn can’t slip between their legs and under the dumpster, which makes no sense given what viewers previously witnessed. It also doesn’t make sense that within the very small space, in which Glenn is able to maneuver, Walkers don’t crawl under and get him. He can’t defend all sides at once, and there’s enough of them that he should not be able to fight them off, especially not for the day or two in which he’s hiding.

If The Walking Dead had presented a believable way for Glenn to make it out, I’d readily admit I’d been fooled by the shot of the pocket watch and the set up that left no doubt he should be dead. I’d heap admiration and respect towards The Powers That Be, happy to be proven wrong. That would have been brilliant writing. Instead, I feel a bit let down by the show itself. The series failed to meet the high expectations I’d formed based its past excellence. So I am absolutely wrong, not because I misread the situation as it unfolded on screen, but because I trusted writing that did not live up to that trust, which is kinda depressing.

To make matters worse, shortly after Glenn gets out from under the dumpster, he comes across the Walker body of one of the Alexandrian party. This guy hadn’t even attempted to hide when he was attacked (not that there was any way he could have). He is smashed against a fence where a bunch of Walkers were pressed against him. How is enough intact to be recognizable? This makes no sense for the world of The Walking Dead. He would have surely been devoured or at least completely unrecognizable!

Thankfully, the rest of “Heads Up” is up to the usual standards of the show. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) is starting to realize the Alexandrians are part of his family now, as some of his group, like Tara (Alanna Masterson), already accept. Carol (Melissa McBride) catches Morgan (Lennie James) hiding his prisoner, which is going to result in bad stuff. Morgan boosts the confidence of Dr. Cloyd (Merritt Wever) in a very sweet moment. Ron (Austin Abrams) is so plotting to make an ill-advised move against Rick and/or Carl (Chandler Riggs).

I think Michonne (Danai Gurira) realizes that Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) doesn’t plan to live long, and I will be surprised if she makes it past next week’s installment. And the moment with Spencer (Austin Nichols) on the wire teases that some of the things in the comic book will probably repeat on screen next week, though likely with some twists. These are all really great scenes that further character development and set up what is sure to be an exciting finale. Almost enough to make me forget the missteps at the start of the hour, and enough to keep The Walking Dead in my “favorite TV show currently airing” slot.

Plus, we get a really sweet plot between Glenn and Enid (Katelyn Nacon), in which our miraculously resurrected hero convinces the girl to come home, saving another soul and reinforcing that the reprieve he has been given is probably temporary, as the moral center of the show never lives long. Glenn’s impending death will right the mistake made, though I still doubt that (SPOILER ALERT!) Glenn will meet his fate the same way he did in the comics, as perfectly moving and disturbing as that is.

The Walking Dead concludes the first half of its sixth season next Sunday at 9 p.m. on AMC.

THE WALKING DEAD Ups the Game "Again"

Article originally published as THE WALKING DEAD Review "First Time Again" on Seat42F.

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes - The Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 1 - Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

The long wait is finally over, and THE WALKING DEAD has returned to AMC! In last night’s sixth season premiere, “First Time Again,” Rick (Andrew Lincoln) leads the people of Alexandria, including his own group, in corralling a giant herd of walkers. In flashback, the aftermath of last year’s finale is explored interspersed with the current crisis. There are tons of zombies, more than the show has ever shown before, there is death, and of course, things go horribly wrong.

The question of whether or not Rick will be accepted in Alexandria is laid to rest at the end of season five when Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) lets Rick kill Pete. But just because Rick’s authority is now established, seemingly second only to Deanna’s, and barely so, doesn’t mean the townspeople will go along with it. In fact, if anything, “First Time Again” finds many of them rebelling much more openly than anything we’ve seen so far.

The rabble-rousers are led by Carter (Ethan Embry, Once Upon a Time), but he is just the face that gives voice to others’ concerns. As noted in the first year, Alexandria has not faced what others in the post-apocalyptic world have faced. Without being cognizant of the dangers, they are resistant to Rick’s ideas of violence and putting oneself out there. Carter would prefer to continue to hide behind his walls, not realizing how lucky he’s been and that it’s not sustainable.

“First Time Again” does explain the luck Alexandria has seen so far. A large group of walkers are trapped, and their noise has drawn others in the area to them. The walls of the settlement aren’t being beaten down because there’s a convenient trap keeping the menace off of their lawn. However, the trap is full, and those captured will soon escape. Meaning, Alexandria’s luck is about to run out, unless they listen to Rick, who has a plan to resolve the crisis.

All of this sets up an interesting problem for Rick. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone in order to save the town, but if he lets the people stay soft, they will endanger everyone. Rick tries to make Carter strong by letting him face walkers, but Morgan (Lennie James, now a main character), who has become a pacifist, steps in to protect Carter, ruining the lesson. By the time Carter does screw up, it’s an almost-disaster, with Rick having to silence him before he draws the herd off-course.

Morgan’s position, one in which he protects people, is a valid one, but it’s also dangerous, given what happens with Carter. I do think it’s good to have someone like Morgan around to balance out Rick and remind Rick what they’re fighting to protect, as Rick gets too brutal at times. Yet, as fans of THE WALKING DEAD know, there isn’t always room for compassion in this new, harsh reality, and protecting a group is far removed from protecting only oneself. I don’t think Morgan will make the same mistake again soon, but neither will Rick simply execute anyone anymore, as he avoids doing in the storeroom, as that is going too far.

It will be up to Rick as to which tactics, other than execution, to use, as Deanna doesn’t seem to be making too many decisions these days. Numb after losing her husband, she listens to the lawman more than she ever has, and gives him a large amount of leeway in what he does. This is what Rick wants, and I’m sure he’s capable of handling it, but it does swiftly change the dynamic of Alexandria, and gives rise to Carter and others’ negative feelings.

Thankfully, not everyone is rebelling. Nicholas (Michael Traynor) learns his lesson after Glenn (Steven Yeun) spares him and wants to help out, probably now a loyal friend. Heath (Corey Hawkins, Straight Outta Compton) just returns home and meets our group in “First Time Again,” but having been outside the walls, he immediately sees the wisdom in what Rick stands for. Tobin (Jason Douglas) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) have already gotten on board, and so has Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), even if she can’t be close to Rick as he’d like because of her teenage son, Ron (Austin Abrams), who understandably hates the former cop for killing his dad. So it’s not all bad.

Besides showing the herd, THE WALKING DEAD has black and white flashbacks to between seasons five and six, which is stylistic, but also interesting because it gives us chances for that character development that the show does so well. We see how Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) is no longer suicidal, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Tara (Alanna Masterson) reluctantly accept Glenn’s decision to forgive Nicholas, and how Darly (Norman Reedus) disagrees with some of Rick’s decisions. This is all interesting stuff, and while not super important to the main plot, are the details that make the program so good.

The most intriguing scene to me is when Morgan calls Carol (Melissa McBride) out on who she truly is. I don’t think the Alexandrians have noticed that Carol’s timid housewife is a front, but Morgan does. Carol is kind of Rick’s secret weapon, hiding in plain side and providing intelligence on the ground. If Morgan sees through her, though, others will as well, and I wonder how Carol’s neighbors will feel about her deception.

Then, at the end of the installment, a horn blares and screws up everything. Suddenly, this giant herd of zombies is heading right for the formerly safe little settlement, and there’s no way their laws will hold up to a hoard this big. It promises the intensity the producers seemed to sell for the premiere, but I’m glad they waited to deliver it because it gives us time to get to know the people here more before they have to change forever, as Rick predicted.

“First Time Again” is an excellent mix of a lot of things. There is danger and compelling human drama and foreshadowing and moral complexity. It gives us everything one could want from THE WALKING DEAD except for those who long for big zombie attacks, but I’m sure that they’ll get more than enough of that next week.

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