CONVICTION Vague Title for Messy Show

Article first published as CONVICTION Review on Seat42F.

ABC has a new series coming out called CONVICTION (the third show this millennium to go by the name, by the way). In case that vague title doesn’t tell you anything, although it’s perfectly in keeping with the trend of not-really-descriptive single-word dramas on the alphabet network, this one involves a team in New York City called the Conviction Integrity Unit. Basically, they investigate people who are in jail and claim to be innocent, which would be a daunting task for anyone, given that most prisoners claim they didn’t do the crime. Can they right the world and find justice?

In short, I don’t think so. CONVICTION has one of the weakest pilots I’ve seen this year. Besides being more of a cop show than lawyer show (the difference is the focus is more on gathering evidence than battling it out in a court room, and in my opinion, lawyer shows are almost always better), it’s also a very weak cop show.

The initial installment finds the team gathering evidence on an eight-year-old case. Yet, the experiments they do and the questions they ask are at such a basic level one wonders why they couldn’t just look at the notes from the original file to get their answers. The case is ridiculously fresh and well-remembered for everyone involved, including the detective who screwed it up in the first place. And when our heroes close in on the truth, there is a very clumsy attempt to cover it up.

Look, I know and expect that the CIU people are going to find innocence more often than not; that’s the type of show this is. But they should at least have to work for it. Given the format, how little time they have to pick new cases in the huge stacks of paperwork they receive, and their five-day timeline on all investigations, the premise is hokey, completely unrealistic, and it’s handled in a very elementary way. The last pilot I remember being structured this badly was CSI: Cyber, which thankfully was put out of its misery relatively quickly.

Adding insult to injury is that there are some really great actors in the show. Shawn Ashmore from The X-Men films and The Following plays Sam, the man who should be running the crew but who has been forced to take a back seat. Emily Kinney, a veteran of the excellent series The Walking Dead, is the fresh-faced newbie, Tess, who doesn’t shy away from pig corpses. Manny Montana, who was great in Graceland, is a former prisoner fighting for those locked up because he knows how bad jail can be. Eddie Cahill (CSI: NY) is great as the slimy politician, Conner Wallace, who puts together the team and flirts with the lead. And Merrin Dungey (Alias) is in it, too.

Leading the group is Hayley Atwell, fresh off her brilliant run as Agent Carter, stuck in the confusing role of Hayes Morrison. She is blackmailed by Wallace into taking this job she doesn’t want, but then seems to enjoy with little shown to change her mind. Is she a party girl who wants to keep living a wild life? Or is she a brilliant legal mind who really gets into helping people? I can’t tell, and I don’t think the show can, either. There’s also a convoluted backstory between Hayes and her no-longer-together parents, one of whom used to be the President of the United States. Yeah.

The one good thing I can say about CONVICTION is that the exterior shots in the streets of New York are cool. They may get One World Trade Center in the background a little too often, but at least we can feel the city in the presentation. Well, for those shots anyway. Most of the series is filmed in Toronto, but I give them credit for getting in those key city views.

Anyway, CONVICTION premieres Monday, October 3^rd at 10/9c, and if quality counts, it’ll be off the air before Christmas.

"What Happened" on THE WALKING DEAD?

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 5 Episode 9 What Happened and What's Going On on Seat42F.

Fans of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD eagerly anticipated last night’s mid-season premiere, wondering “What Happened and What’s Going On.” We get an answer to the strange title of the episode, some time after the events of last season. The group goes to Richmond, Virginia, where Noah’s (Tyler James William) mother and brothers were last known to be. But there’s been a cost to this journey, to this life, and there’s a fatal price for looking for hope in this place.

With Eugene (Josh McDermitt) now a known liar, the group lacks direction. Noah provides a little bit of it with a pipe dream, tales of a place protected by walls. It’s better than any other idea offered, so it’s understandable they would give it a shot. This, despite the fact that several of the characters don’t bother to buy into the hope at all. They are too jaded, have been disappointed too many times. They don’t see an attractive path left open to them.

Michonne (Danai Gurira) is not one of those. Listening to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Glenn (Steven Yeun) debate if killing Dawn even matters, she reaches a breaking point. Of course taking a life matters. Of course one must try to hold onto their humanity. The guys may not agree in “What Happened and What’s Going On,” but at least Rick has the good sense enough to listen to Michonne’s concerns. Maybe he’s past caring, but he recognizes the wisdom in trying to do so.

Michonne is now the de-facto moral compass, which is a precarious position to be in. Those who have shouldered the mantle in the past tend to have a limited lifespan. I desperately hope Michonne’s days aren’t numbered, but I felt the same about Hershel and about THE WALKING DEAD’s most recent victim, and have been disappointed both times. Disappointed not because their stories aren’t fantastic; they are. Disappointed because I mourn for and miss those players. True, there’s no impending demise for her if the show echoes the comics, but ask Andrea, who is still alive in the paper version, how believing the TV adaptation will follow the books works out.

As THE WALKING DEAD returns this week, it’s Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) who tries to hold on. He offers to stay with Noah as Rick, Glenn, and Michonne hunt for supplies. And in Noah’s house, Tyreese is taken in by the photos of Noah’s brothers, innocents. It makes Tyreese remember his own family, his own father, and it saddens him.

Unfortunately, THE WALKING DEAD is cruel to those who take the time for such sappy reminiscing. Tyreese is bitten while distracted, and despite everyone’s best efforts to save him, it’s too late. Another moral compass gone, passing the torch to Michonne.

Tyreese is a beloved and fascinating character, and his death in “What Happened and What’s Going On” is worthy of him and of Coleman, who brings him to life so brilliantly. We see flashes of Tyreese’s past over the last few seasons. We see mementos of happier times. It’s almost a victory lap, a life flashing before one’s eyes, reminding Tyreese of what’s important.

As he lies bleeding, he’s visited by the ghost of many a departed friend and foe, including Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), Beth (Emily Kinney), Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino), Mika (Kyla Kenedy), Martin (Chris Coy), and The Governor (David Morrissey). Some of them are there to comfort him and usher him out of this life. Others are there to accuse him of wrongdoing and make him take stock of his situation. In the end, though, the comfort wins out, and while Tyreese fights if for awhile, we eventually see him go away peacefully, surrounded by those who care.

Not every death on THE WALKING DEAD is this pretty, but if there’s a soul that deserves this type of demise, it’s Tyreese. Out of the action, his passing is unexpected, but it also makes sense, given the type of guy he is. If it didn’t happen here, it would have happened soon enough anyway. Having all of those actors return makes it that much sweeter, lending importance to the passing, and delighting viewers who miss them. Yes, even The Governor is missed, if for Morrissey’s performance alone.

“What Happened and What’s Going On” is a way-stop on the way to D.C., the place where an ounce of hope might still remain. Still, it’s an important one. The Walking Dead skips over 500 miles of the journey, but I’m glad it chooses now to take a brief respite and deliver a compelling narrative.

Next week, they will go the last 100 miles and find something new. If the next stage is anything like the comic books, the show is about to change dramatically, and this hour serves as a fine transition between two distinct halves of a major series, starting to close the book on what the characters have been dealing with thus far.

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

Moving "Coda" On THE WALKING DEAD's Fifth Season

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 5 Episode 8 Coda on Seat42F.

The “Coda” on the first half of the fifth season of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD is a strong one. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) decides to go through with the peaceful prisoner exchange, even after one prisoner forces his hand by fleeing. But the meeting doesn’t go as planned, of course, and one of our beloved, long-time group members goes down.

Killing off a main character is an essential element of THE WALKING DEAD, but losing long-time performers must be done sparingly because there aren’t a lot of them left. Beth (Emily Kinney), who perishes during the hand-off, isn’t an original; she joined the cast in season two. Her loss is still felt severely, though, because not only has she been around awhile and is loved dearly by several other players, but she also has had a heck of a lot of growth recently into a capable combatant, someone who can take care of themselves in this bleak world. She did not start out that way.

Beth is introduced as a young, scared girl, and it takes a couple of seasons for her to even kill a Walker. She relies on others to protect her, even Daryl (Norman Reedus) when the two are separated from the main contingent after the fall of the prison. This season, though, in a couple of hours we see Beth prove herself against Dawn (Christine Woods), the brutal dictator of the hospital, and even kill a man who threatens her. And so when she dies stabbing Dawn to defend Noah (Tyler James Williams), she goes out nobly and heroically, not as a victim.

THE WALKING DEAD tends to kill characters after they’ve completed a journey. Whether it be Meryl’s redemption or Shane’s descent, there’s a way to predict who might be next based on past experience. The fans that thought Beth becoming tough might save her, myself included, have fallen for an avoidable trick the writers played, following an established pattern. Hopefully, like Beth, we’ll wise up in the future, and also hopefully, the writers will continue to stay a step ahead.

Beth’s passing will be rough on Maggie (Lauren Cohan), her last living relation. Maggie has to deal with the idea that Beth is gone amid much other chaos previously. Now, as the group reunites, she is given hope again, only to have it ripped away when she sees Daryl carrying Beth’s body. Maggie is tough, too, and I have no doubt she’ll be able to get through it. But I do think she may take inspiration from hearing Beth’s tale and it will harden her a bit more than she currently is.

Daryl will also be affected, having formed a bond with Beth. He feels responsible for losing her last season, though it isn’t really his fault. While he may take comfort in what he taught her, he may also feel responsible for trying to teach her how to survive. Had Beth stayed subservient, she could have survived the showdown. Though, she very likely wouldn’t have lived to make it to that point, so that’s moot.

Carol (Melissa McBride), too, will grieve (though I am incredibly relieved it isn’t Carol who is dead). Carol knows or will know that Beth saved her life. She owes the young blond, and will live with that spirit.

No one will mourn the passing of Dawn (except those who truly appreciate the excellent performance Woods delivers). She may have kept the hospital running, but there are other ways to go about that. Her own people don’t act to take revenge for her death, and let Rick, Noah, and the others walk away unharmed. If I were Rick, I wouldn’t trust that to last, given what happened with The Governor, and I’d get my people out of town. But I also highly doubt that the remaining cops will come after Rick, probably happy to dodge a blood bath and have a horrible person removed from their midst.

How horrible was Dawn really, though? Sure, she makes cold, calculating moves. But she does have respect for Beth in “Coda” and sees her as an ally. I think her facial expression in the aftermath shows she killed Beth by instinct, not on purpose. She is doing her best to keep things together; her best just isn’t good enough. When Rick kills Dawn’s fleeing man in “Coda” just because he runs, the similarities between the two become more clear, and the way Dawn’s people, except for Noah, don’t cling to Rick as a savior show they must not have hated her fully, or saw some kind of wisdom in what she built there. The leadership style of these two characters is different in small ways, not big ones, and this world only supports the kind of leaders who can make some very tough decisions.

Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) also shows us how others view Rick, having fled because he feared Rick’s people, who probably would have let him walk out the front door had he insisted. Out in the world, Gabriel sees evidence that the group has been honest with him and realizes why he needs their protection, which sends him right back to them. But had he not made that personal investigation on his own, he wouldn’t trust them, and it’s easy to see why.

Where does THE WALKING DEAD go from there? I’m thinking they have to travel to D.C. Not only does that happen in the comics, though they learn the truth about Eugene (Josh McDermitt) much closer to the capital, but it makes sense, Eugene’s lie being based on a logical assumption that if there is a cure, that’s where it’ll be. As I mentioned, given past history, it’s probably not a good idea to hang around Atlanta. Plus, Morgan (Lennie James) seems to be heading there, too, so if we’re lucky, he can join them.

“Coda” is an excellent mid-season ender, with some terrific character moments infused with grief and self-sacrifice. The death is well done, and the hour still has time to teach us a lesson without being too preachy about it. The dynamic and morality of our characters keeps changing, which makes for compelling television. I will be waiting with bated breath for its return.

THE WALKING DEAD will be back on AMC in February.

"Crossed" At THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 5 Episode 7 Crossed on Seat42F.

Not a lot happened on last night’s THE WALKING DEAD on AMC. Sometimes, the show does slow-burn, character-heavy episodes that don’t advance things a lot, but this episode, “Crossed,” is not that because no one is featured for very long. It has the full cast in it, so the action is split between many different settings, not allowing a lot of time for anything to happen to anyone. I hate to say this, because I have no specific complaints about what does play out on screen, but that makes this hour my least favorite of the season, though it is still the best series on television overall.

“Crossed” is really part one of a two-part finale, which has been built up to over the past few weeks. I think it would have benefitted from airing as a two-hour finale, rather than splitting the story over two nights. That way, the big showdown could be in the same installment, making it feel worth it to go through the slower parts. But in a mere seven days, we’ll get that conclusion.

The most central story in “Crossed” finds Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), and Noah (Tyler James Williams) heading in to Atlanta to rescue their people from the clutches of Dawn (Christine Woods). They disagree about how to do so, though. Rick wants to go in and slice throats, whereas Tyreese and Daryl favor capturing a couple of Dawn’s officers and trading hostages. Outvoted, Rick gives their plan a chance.

It’s interesting to see how the power structure on THE WALKING DEAD frequently shifts. Rick is the undisputed leader, but some of the group try a lot harder than Rick to hang onto their humanity. It’s a testament to Rick that he listens to those people, and even though the plan doesn’t seem to be going as smoothly as one might hope, he’s not a dictator who changes course at the first sign of trouble. Bob’s legacy lives on in those who support peace and diplomacy over violence.

Of course, not everyone is a part of the group and will see things that way. Father Gabriel’s (Seth Gilliam) subplot this week finds him ripping up floorboards to escape the church. The fact that he struggles mightily with the first Walker he encounters and can’t bring himself to kill it may send him scrambling back to the safety of the group; at least, I hope so. It’s telling, though, that he thinks he must sneak out of the church, rather than walk out the front door. It’s good that Rick is tough, but he needs to be careful about how he presents himself, lest he continue to scare off new recruits.

Back in Atlanta, Sasha allows herself to be comforted by Tyreese, then softens towards a prisoner, Bob Lamson (Maximiliano Hernandez, the Marvel franchise), who appears to be cooperating. This lets Lamson get the drop on her and escape. Will that harden Sasha’s heart again and remove what trust she is gaining towards others?

I hope not. Lamson could seriously hurt or kill Sasha, but he doesn’t. He merely knocks her unconscious and escapes. He’s afraid, and justifiably so. Surely, she can see that point of view and not blame him too harshly?

Lamson gives me an idea about an alternate climax than a bloody battle. Noah proclaims Lamson one of the good guys, and that judgment seems reasonable. Might some of Dawn’s people join up with our group? Maybe even Dawn herself? Hear me out. While Dawn rules in a brutal fashion, she is trying to keep people alive. If she sees there’s another way and can unload from herself that heavy mantle of responsibility, maybe she can get along. Unlike other groups, the hospital people aren’t totally evil. They don’t torture and usually don’t kill. Noah might not want Dawn to join up, but that seems the best outcome, even if it’s iffy that Dawn will give up what she sees as a safe haven. Unless that haven is destroyed, of course.

We actually do see a little of Dawn’s softer side in “Crossed” when she gives Beth (Emily Kinney) the keys to the medicine cabinet, allowing Beth to help Carol (Melissa McBride). Instead of resenting the prisoner who almost escapes, Dawn seems to have developed respect for Beth, finally seeing her as strong, a characteristic Dawn respects. That is the thread of hope in her that makes me believe a peaceful resolution is a possibility. As long as Rick doesn’t go in guns blazing, that is.

Elsewhere, Eugene (Josh McDermitt) remains unconscious and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) doesn’t move. It takes Maggie (Lauren Cohan) to get through to Abraham in a tough love approach. Abraham has lost hope and he surely feels guilty for hurting Eugene. But amazingly, he does want to live. THE WALKING DEAD so far paints him as someone who might become somewhat suicidal once his mission is taken away. I’m glad that doesn’t end up being the case once he has to take a long look at what that would mean.

Tara (Alanna Masteron) says it best when she points out that one can’t blame Eugene too much for using the one tool he has at his disposal to stay alive. Glenn (Steven Yeun) seems to agree with her, and Maggie covers Eugene from the sun, so the group isn’t abandoning Eugene. Rosita (Christian Serratos), perhaps accidentally, proves Eugene’s usefulness in the skills he taught her. Eugene screwed up big time, but it doesn’t appear he’ll be abandoned, nor does he really deserve to be.

So what’s next for the mid-season finale? I assume at least one main character (Sasha?) will die and the hospital plot will be over. But THE WALKING DEAD has proven over and over again that it’s not predictable, so the only logical thing to do is to hold tight and wait to see what happens.

THE WALKING DEAD’s mid-season finale airs next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

"Slabtown" Full Of THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 5 Episode 4 Slabtown on Seat42F.

AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD finally shows us what happened to Beth (Emily Kinney) this week in “Slabtown.” Beth wakes up in a hospital run by not-completely-altruistic people. She is told she will need to work off what she owes, payment for services rendered, before she can leave. But after just a day or two, she begins to see the dark side of the place and isn’t all that sure she’ll ever be allowed to go back to her friends.

The only main character seen in “Slabtown,” other than a brief cameo at the end which we’ll get to, is Beth. THE WALKING DEAD has presented this type of hour on many occasions, and often, they are among the best since the installment is able to dig a little deeper on a single person, rather than having to split its time. But this can also be frustrating because we want to know what is happening with everyone else. When “Slabtown” doesn’t get Beth back to the others, promising at least a little more of Beth solo, it’s not quite as expected, though still a good episode overall.

We see a growth for Beth in this one. In THE WALKING DEAD as a whole, Beth has gone from meek daughter to Walker-killer. In “Slabtown,” she has a mini-arc, from cowed patient to a woman who stands up for herself and will willingly take a beating to help others. At first, she has to get the lay of the land, so she can be forgiven for her passive behavior. But by the end of the episode, we see a Beth that has earned her place in the main group, and one that no longer seems quite so expendable in the cast.

There are a number of others who populate this episode, which makes it not completely Beth-centric, but add to the world Beth is in, making it a little different than past single-character installments. Some of these people are good and some are bad and some are in between, but they’re an interesting makeup of a group, one THE WALKING DEAD has not seen before.

The hospital is run by Officer Dawn Lerner (the great Christine Woods, Hello Ladies, Perfect Couples). She’s tough, too tough, yet we also get to see the reason behind that, a woman very much struggling to hold together a failing system. This makes Dawn a great villain, one created by circumstance and weakness, not malice. Dawn’s biggest problem is that she is in denial about the current reality, and wants to keep living life the way it used to be. To do this, she makes too many compromises to keep people playing her game. Dawn will surely be back on the show again, and I’m curious to see if there’s any hope for her; I doubt it, since she’s likely to double down on her current course, even though she knows it’s not working.

More straight-forwardly evil is Officer Gorman (Ricky Wayne, Real Steel), a creep and probable rapist. Unlike Dawn, who will never be a Big Bad but does get to stick around, Gorman dies in “Slabtown,” which is as it should be. Had he lived any longer, he definitely would have forced himself on Beth, as he is already trying to do, and while rape is expected in this world, no one wants to see a beloved character undergo it.

Beth’s one friend in the place is Noah (Tyler James Williams, Everybody Hates Chris, Go On), the janitor. He tells her the truth, unafraid of being caught and determined to get out. This is a kindred spirit for Beth, someone brave and dedicated to escaping the prison. They work together to get out and Noah manages to, even if Beth doesn’t. I hope we see him again as he’d make a fine addition to the company.

Noah’s plot gives me a theory about who Daryl (Norman Reedus) has in the woods last week. Might it be Noah? Daryl is following a car to the hospital so he’d be around that area not long after Noah escapes. Maybe Noah can tell the group what has become of Beth and how horrible the hospital is and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) will lead an assault to rescue our missing girl.

This theory also works with the end of “Slabtown,” which sees Carol (Melissa McBride) end up in the hospital, too, injured. She looks like whatever happened to her is survivable, and her presence here explains why she isn’t with Daryl. Although an alternate theory is that Carol purposefully got hurt to get inside to rescue Beth while Daryl (and possibly Noah, who’d just have time to meet them prior to this) are waiting outside to provide support.

But those are just theories. We’ll see.

The final important character in “Slabtown” is Dr. Steven Edwards (Erik Jensen, Gravity). He positions himself as an ally to Beth, protecting her from abuse, but he also plays by Dawn’s rules, content to be terrorized a bit in exchange for protection. He’s a wimp and he knows he won’t survive on his own, so he stays here, thinking it better than the alternative.

One can understand why Beth ends up not liking Dr. Edwards, who kills to keep his position, but should he himself be murdered? The end of the episode has Beth headed towards stabbing him until Carol is brought in and distracts her. I get that Beth is potentially saving other lives, should another medical professional be brought in that Dr. Edwards would kill, too, but he helps a lot more than he hurts, and Dawn would take serious revenge on Beth for the act. Shouldn’t Beth stab the cop first?

That’s really my only gripe in an interesting episode. It’s not the best single-character story, but it is one that fits well with this part of the series, which will contain other mini-arcs before the characters get to D.C., and it gives us another side of Beth, one which earns viewer respect. Plus, Noah is a welcome addition.

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

THE WALKING DEAD Stands "Alone" on TV

Article first written for Seat42F.com.

No one wants to be “Alone” after a zombie apocalypse. Yet, this week’s episode of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD takes two small groups and splits them up until all five characters are on their own, wandering the abandoned landscape, dangers at every turn. It’s a particularly bleak scenario, one most fans hope will be corrected by the season finale in three weeks.

“Alone” opens with Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) by himself, prior to being found by the prison crew. It’s a sad time for him, and by the time that Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) find him, he’s ready to join any group just to have company again. It’s with this mindset that Bob goes into the episode, happy that, unlike the previous two times the settlement he was in fell, he’s not by himself, and determined to make sure he doesn’t get that way again.

That’s why when Maggie (Lauren Cohan) sets off on her own, having overheard Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) tell Bob that Glenn is most likely dead and they should stop looking for him, Bob insists on going after her. Bob knows how it feels, and he’s not about to put Maggie through that. Even when a kiss can’t convince Sasha to give up a building she has picked for their new home, Bob sets off solo, sure he can catch up with Maggie and stop either of them from being “Alone.”

This episode is really interesting because neither Bob, Sasha, nor Maggie want to be alone. Maggie’s insistence on going to Terminus is about finding Glenn, not abandoning her friends. Sasha wants Bob to stay with her, and in that moment where she is by herself, we see her vulnerabilities laid bare. And the reunion at the end, after Sasha finds Maggie and the two catch up to Bob, is just about the happiest we’ve seen any character in quite some time. Their own motivations, each valid, pull them apart, but their loneliness and affection for one another bring them back together.

Would THE WALKING DEAD have been more interesting if they hadn’t become a trio again? I doubt it. For one, that would have increased the odds of one or more of them dying in the near future, something I thought might happens this week and am relieved to see did not. For another, the cast is already fractured enough. We don’t need more individual stories to follow!

“Alone” does do a great job of hammering home these emotions and how it feels to be in this situation. I’ve long said the best hours of this series are character-development-driven, and “Alone” is all character development.

Best of all, we see Glenn find the map to Terminus at the close so we know yet another group of our heroes are heading for the same place. Only Beth (Emily Kinney) and Daryl remain unaware that there is a convenient gathering spot everyone else is moving towards.

The other story this week is of Daryl and Beth, again. It’s a lot more upbeat than last week, the two finding a funeral home that has been stocked and taken care of. Beth keeps trying to tell Daryl there are good people left, and through her, he begins to agree, even considering staying at the house to await the owners’ return. That is until walkers break in, shattering yet another haven.

In the ensuing chaos, Beth seems to get kidnapped by a car with a cross on it, making one wonder if the funeral home, the one-eyed dog, and the walkers aren’t a planned trap. And Daryl, after evading the dead, is found by a group of roughnecks who quickly proclaim they like hurting people and probably only leave Daryl alive because he looks like he belongs with them. We know he doesn’t, but at least he can stay alive until an escape opportunity presents itself.

I’m not a fan of the growing Beth / Daryl romance. Seeing them as a friends is fine, and if they were truly the only two left, I’d root for them. But even though Daryl doesn’t think he’ll ever see Carol (Melissa McBride) again, she’s out there and that’s who he should be with. Sure, Carol may be a little old for Daryl (well, seems it in action, if not in years), but Beth is a little young for him. More importantly, though, Carol has similar sensibilities and is more likely to stay alive, thus sparing Daryl some heartache. Though a strong friendship between Beth and Daryl, as such a relationship seems to benefit and round out both, is welcome.

It’s pretty clear Daryl has grown very fond of Beth as he runs after her, even leaving their supplies behind. We’re left to think that Beth has become more important to Daryl than food, and her departure leaves him listless, without direction. That’s too bad because he is a survivor and even this should not make him give up. The good thing is, at least Beth will have someone looking for her.

Yes, “Alone” leaves both Beth and Daryl in precarious situations. I don’t know that she will survive, though Daryl’s extreme popularity as a character makes his continued existence more likely. This also means, more than anyone else, we’re likely to see the two of them again before the Terminus reunion at the end of the season. As much as I miss the others, I can’t find any reason to complain about that, the two having been made loads more interesting these past couple of weeks.

It’s rough to go several installments without Michonne (Danai Gurira) or Carol or Rick (Andrew Lincoln) or Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman). However, I’m also really enjoying this season. The disappointment at waiting so long to glimpse certain players again is made up for by how well the show handles those it is focused on in any given week. This half-season has definitely been a departure from the typical WALKING DEAD structure, but it’s also been extremely enjoyable and well done.

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

The WALKING DEAD "Still" Best Show on TV

Article first written for Seat42F.

If you were glued to The Oscars last night, you missed a really great hour of television over on AMC. The latest installment of THE WALKING DEAD, entitled “Still,” follows only Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Beth (Emily Kinney) as they set off in search of her first drink and come to terms with how they each feel about one another and themselves. But we live in the magical era of DVRs and easy internet access, so the mistake of skipping the hour is not irreversible. Go watch it now, then come back to this page when you’re finished.

As “Still” opens, Daryl and Beth are much how we left them. Well, they’re on the run and have to hide in a trunk in an exciting action sequence, but then things get back to ‘normal.’ Daryl is being beyond stoic and silent, while Beth is growing more and more frustrated that they aren’t finding their loved ones. The tension is displayed in different ways. Beth throws a fit, declaring she suddenly needs an alcoholic beverage, though she’s never had one, and stomps off on her own to get it. Daryl’s stress is more subtle, missing a squirrel with his bow and arrow, puzzling for someone with pinpoint accuracy.

Before I break down these emotions, I would like to theorize that perhaps Daryl’s skills are not getting rusty. The arrow he shoots is broken, so maybe it is weakened through too much use, and if so, this could be a real problem for Daryl going forward as his signature weapon begins to fail. Or maybe it breaks because he misses, in which case, his deteriorating mental state is also dangerous.

Whatever one thinks about Daryl, he is a protector, and so he follows Beth to a country club. Breaking in, they discover a gruesome scene: the staff rose up against the members in a bloody class warm, leaving walkers and disrespected corpses behind. It’s through this that the two venture, never really in too much peril, until they discover a wine bottle, which Beth uses to defend herself, and some dirty peach schnapps, which Daryl smashes in frustration.

The separation between the two groups that died in the building is paralleled in the tension between Beth and Daryl. He thinks of her as a spoiled, rich girl who doesn’t appreciate the opportunities and advantages she had, and should not have survived the apocalypse. She thinks of him as redneck trash that would have ended up in jail had society not collapsed. They don’t exactly say this out loud, but some homemade moonshine drank in a cabin much like the one Daryl grew up in and a version of the game of “never have I ever” bring to the surface some of these misconceptions.

For the record, these two have been through too much in THE WALKING DEAD not to value one another. They may still have some stereotypical notions, but those mostly pertain to who they were before the bad stuff happened. Daryl may still wonder why Beth survived, but she’s clearly grateful for his company. Which is probably why, with some shouting and tears on both sides, they are able to work things out, Beth giving Daryl a comforting hug from behind.

We learn quite a bit about Daryl in “Still.” He was directionless, as suspected, always following his brother, Merle, around and letting Merle make the decisions. Though Daryl avoided prison and probably wasn’t much of a criminal, his choices did lead to perilous situations and could have resulted in early death. He had a hard life, without loving parents, never having taken a vacation, and mostly spending his days drinking and hunting. These things honed him into who he is, which serves the group well now, but he has to overcome some pessimistic attitudes and low feelings of self-worth to get there. He still has anger issued, which he takes out a little on Beth, but he would never really hurt her, and she seems to know this.

Beth has changed, too. She didn’t start out as someone who could handle a walker on her own, but she’s developed beyond her sheltered roots. She still isn’t the strongest in the cast, and as she admits, will probably die sooner rather than later. But she’s lived longer than most would give her credit for, and that betrays a spirit and determination most in her previous circumstances would not have.

“Still” is a cathartic, revealing look at these two characters, who often don’t get a lot of focus or background. As I’ve mentioned in similar episodes before, some viewers will complain about the slowness and lack of other cast members, but I think THE WALKING DEAD is best when it’s a rich character study, as it is here. Both performers shine in the parts they’re given, and the writing is fantastic. Some may be disappointed that the episode doesn’t get them on the path of meeting up with everyone else, but that doesn’t gel with the themes of the hour, and the finale of Beth and Daryl giving their middle fingers to the burning house, saying “f--- you” to their pasts, is perfect. There’s no reason to change it.

One continuity note in this episode bothered me. Beth chooses a white sweater in the pro shop, which is, of course, quickly ruined. Sorry, Beth, that might be your color, but it was a pretty stupid move. After she drops the sweater, though, we see the yellow polo shirt she wears underneath it is badly splattered, too, also destroyed. Yet, in the next scene, the blood has been gotten out and the yellow shirt just looks worn roughly, aged a bit. Really? Does that make any sense? But that’s one minor gripe in an otherwise terrific hour.

We’re halfway through this eight-episode run, and things are no better than when we started. When will loved ones find each other and the group reform? Find out as THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.