DAMIEN Rises?

Article first published as DAMIEN Review on Seat42F.

A&E has had decent success with its horror movie prequel, Bates Motel, so it’s no surprise that it is doing another show spun-off from a film in the genre, even if it’s taken awhile to do so. This week, DAMIEN premieres on the cable network, a sequel to Richard Donner’s The Omen (1976). Set thirty years later, young Damien has now come of age, just as the end of the world is upon us.

It’s very early in this show so I could be wrong, but I think the central conflict of DAMIEN is flawed. We are introduced to Damien (Bradley James, iZombie, Merlin) as a compassionate war photographer, with none of the baggage of his past or origin. Gone are the creepy things surrounding him from the movie, seemingly having stopped just after the events of the film. He doesn’t know who he is or what his purpose is supposed to be.

Obviously, that must change, so DAMIEN introduces a number of startling, creepy things to begin popping up around Damien, bringing back his memories of the past, and sending characters to tell him who he is. Damien is expected to fulfill his role as the anti-Christ, even if it’s not clear what that means yet to him or to the viewer.

I just don’t understand. Are we supposed to root for Damien to descend into darkness? Or do we want to see him heroically deny his heritage and be a force of good? Would that even be possible?

With Bates Motel, we know the lead character will go bad, but it remains entertaining to watch his growth arc. In DAMIEN, Damien seems completely resistant to his fate and at odds with what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s not showing signs of changing based on events, at least not yet, so if he does go dark, it will be against his will, making his character’s journey meaningless. Unless Damien is supposed to save the world, but again, that doesn’t seem likely.

All of this adds up to nothing captivating, as near as I can tell. If the story is destined to be a tragic one, and not in a natural, progressive way, but because of supernatural forces so powerful they cannot be stopped, why do we want to watch? To see some faceless power destroy a character we’ve been made to care about? Who wants to see that?

It also makes no sense to me the huge gap in Damien’s life. People he loved were harmed or killed early on and now, but nothing in between? Why not? It seems to me either nothing would occur around him until this time, or it would occur constantly throughout his life. Am I right?

(Yes, I realize The Bible has a similar gap in the life of Jesus Christ, but he was the catalyst for much of what happened in that tale, not just the non-participant center of the storm.)

This is unfortunate because the roster behind DAMIEN is a promising one. Glen Mazzara, a former showrunner for The Walking Dead, is the creator leading the charge. The cast includes the terrific Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead), the intriguing Barbara Hershey (Once Upon a Time), and reliable players David Meunier (Justified), Omid Abtahi (Argo), and Megalyn Echikunwoke (The 4400). Those names made me hopeful, even though The Omen is a move I’d never watch all the way through (I find it more disturbing than scary). But despite a decent looking production, it just doesn’t do what it needs to do as a story, lacking cohesion and clear direction.

As such, I sadly cannot recommend DAMIEN, as I likely won’t ever give it another chance.

DAMIEN airs Mondays at 10/9c on A&E.

Who's the BOSCH

Article first published as BOSCH Review on Seat42F.

Amazon’s new drama pilot, their first ordered to series, BOSCH, begs the question: do we need another police procedural? True, BOSCH is also a character study of a tormented man who is on trial for killing an unarmed suspect, so he’s not solely focused on whatever new cases he gets into (against orders, of course), but none of this is very original or groundbreaking. Perhaps the title character in this show takes a things a step further than his broadcast network peers, the writers digging a little deeper, but the first hour feels like yet another retread on very familiar ground.

The thing is, I just can’t jump on the Bosch band wagon. When Luther, Elementary, House, and so many other shows have given us a very similar leading man, there just isn’t enough here that feels fresh or new. Sure, there are cosmetic differences, of course, the quality of this program is at least as high, if not higher, than those others I’ve named. But at the central core, Bosch is lacking originality. And, like nearly half of the shows on television today, it takes place in L.A., a totally uninspired setting.

It’s possible to stay in the crime genre and make something fresh. HBO’s True Detective last year proves that. But BOSH isn’t True Detective, so it fails on an essential level.

The best thing I can say about BOSCH is that it casts Titus Welliver (Lost, Argo, Sons on Anarchy) in the main part. Welliver definitely deserves leading man status, and he easily handles the material, being allowed to show his depth and range in a way he hasn’t yet. From his buried pain over what he did, to the face he has to put forward both for the sake of his profession and so that he can try to live with himself, he’s not a shallow man. Bosch is no House; he is quite likeable. Circumstances have brought him to where he is, not mistakes he made with foreknowledge.

He is joined by an excellent ensemble. The other major characters include Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead), Annie Wesching (24), Lance Reddrick (Fringe), Amy Aquino (Being Human), Abraham Benrubi (ER), Amy Price-Francis (King), Alan Rosenberg (Cybill, Luck), Valerie Cruz (Off the Map), and Jamie Hector (The Wire). So many familiar names, and all of them memorable. One cannot complain about the casting.

What will set BOSCH apart a bit, for those who love the genre so much that they haven’t yet grown tired of it yet, is the dual narratives. Because Bosch is facing his own challenges while working at his job, and his personal story probably won’t only pop up a couple of times per season, as it would on CBS, there’s something interesting in every episode. It’s not enough for me, but it will likely be enough for many viewers.

So, at the end of the day, I don’t think it matters if BOSCH has smart writing, convincing acting, and well-developed characters. All of those things are true, and the series definitely is near the top of its field, but the market is too saturated. With Amazon just trying to break into scripted drama, it may have been a safe path to choose something tried and true, but it’s also a boring one. We didn’t need another show like BOSCH, and while it may make Amazon seem like a legitimate contender in the original content market, it also signals they may not forge their own identity, which is sorely needed to set them apart.

Bosch’s first season is available now on Amazon.com.

"A" Great Cliffhanger for THE WALKING DEAD

Article originally written for Seat42F.com

The season finale of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD, while not featuring very many main characters for most of the run time, still manages to be both satisfying and intense. Simply titled “A,” it tells a revealing, character-focused tale of a small group, while introducing us to the menace of Terminus at large, and bowing out on a heck of a cliffhanger, something this series has never really done before.

“A” begins with Rick (Andrew Lincoln) looking pretty bad, bloody and sitting alone outside a vehicle. Over the next twenty or so minutes, we see flashbacks of Hershel (Scott Wilson) teaching Rick how to lie down his weapons and become a farmer at the prison, a glimpse of happier times, and also see why Rick becomes determined to save Carl’s (Chandler Riggs) soul, a boy more interested in guns than Legos. It provides a missing chapter that not only feels appropriate to examine now, but allows a glimpse of the whole cast together, including those that are no longer living.

We soon find out why Rick is ruminating on this as he, Carl, and Michonne (Danai Gurira) are attacked by Harley (J.D. Evermore) and his gang, a scene taking place prior to messed-up-Rick. All looks hopeless for our heroes in this confrontation as Daryl’s (Norman Reedus) attempt to talk Harley down gets him beat up, a gross, fat man intends to rape Carl, and Rick and Michonne are disarmed and on their knees. Then Rick head butts Harley, tussles for a moment, and rips Harley’s neck open with his teeth, providing the distraction Michonne and Daryl need to take care of the rest of the group.

In this moment, Rick becomes a monster. Getting his hands on the fat man, he not only executes him, but keeps brutally stabbing long after the guy is dead. I can’t say it’s animalistic, as animals are not that cruel, but it goes far beyond what we would think someone with humanity would be capable of. And because Rick worries Carl will see him in a poor light, and that Rick is setting a bad example for Carl, Rick sits outside the truck and thinks back to how he’s raised his son in the past. Has he done enough to protect and nurture Carl’s moral compass?

The thing is, though, Carl doesn’t see Rick as a monster. It appears he does at first, especially when Rick lets a random stranger be torn apart by a pack of walkers without interference. So Michonne tells Carl the full truth, finally, about her rage and the terrible things she did when creating her ‘pets,’ showing why she gets Rick and still has confidence in him, no matter what she witnesses. Carl understands this, as it soon becomes clear, and is just worried that he won’t live up to his father’s example.

This section of “A” is one about holding onto humanity. Michonne did it, having been saved by Andrea and the group. Rick does it, telling Daryl they are brothers as they sit outside the truck, reunited. And now Carl shows that he’s a whole person, too, acknowledging that Rick did what had to be done and that Harley and his men deserve what they get, but also being a vulnerable, caring individual.

In this murky world, sometimes the line between good and bad gets blurred. I think what the first half of “A” does is present a type of person that can survive, but can still be looked up to. The brutality shown is only done in protection of loved ones, not gratuitously. So, at the end of the day, Rick remains the hero everyone, including Carl, can admire.

The back half of the hour finds the four reaching Terminus. Scouting the perimeter, they can’t see anyone, so aren’t able to judge the settlement. Sneaking in the back door, they find Gareth (Andrew J. West) and rest engaged in harmless activities. Allowing themselves to be searched, Rick and company are permitted to keep their weapons, further reinforcing that Terminus is the sanctuary it promises to be, its inhabitants offering welcome.

However, it takes very little time at all for Rick to notice something’s up. No sooner does Mary (Denise Crosby) hand him a plate of food than Rick sees Glenn’s (Steven Yeun) watch, Maggie’s (Lauren Cohan) poncho, and other clues that his friends are present. Rick reacts, grabbing one of the residents, who is soon killed, and then Rick and the others are herded through some creepy spaces and, ultimately, into a rail car where they find everyone in the cast who arrived here last week.

As seemed obvious last week when the others reached Terminus, it’s all a trap. It seems too good to be true, and it is. The happy façade is presented to lure people in, where they are captured and locked up. From glimpses during the herding sequence, it appears the people of Terminus are cannibals, eating those they can catch. Rick and his friends will be livestock for them, and there isn’t a shortage of such, given the voices heard coming from shipping containers. It’s frustrating that Rick follows the path their bullets encourage him to go down, but there isn’t an easy escape option presented at this time.

The thing is, despite losing their weapons and being in a cage, Rick doesn’t lose heart, nor should the viewers. We have seen in “A” what Rick is capable of, even without weapons. And now he’s in a place with most of his comrades. They’re a pretty large group, and the Terminus guys have to enter that car some time to make them come out. Rick will be ready for them. His final line, the ending of the episode, exudes inspiring confidence and determination.

It seems odd that this bleak situation makes for an uplifting cliffhanger, but it’s true. At least everyone is together, and united, they can succeed. It will be a long summer while we wait to see this happen, and there could very well be casualties among our main contingent. At least for now, though, they are locked up among friends.

There remains some questions and wild cards in the scenario. Is Beth (Emily Kinney) in Terminus, a victim or intended meal? What will Carol (Melissa McBride) and Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) see when they get there? Even if they find Rick’s buried guns, they have a baby with them, making any type of assault difficult, should they see enough clues to attempt attack. Still, “A” is a good place to end things, and a great season finale.

THE WALKING DEAD will return next fall on AMC.

He's the BOSCH

Article first published as He's the BOSCH on TheTVKing.

Do we need an other police procedural, even if it's couched in a character study of a tormented man? That's what Amazon is delivering to us in Bosch, one of their first two drama pilots, currently streaming free on their website. The titular detective is simultaneously on trial for the murder of an unarmed suspect, while still digging into fresh cases, against orders. Can he escape jail and find peace?

It's hard to argue that Titus Welliver (The Good Wife, Lost, Sons of Anarchy, Argo) doesn't deserve a leading role. He absolutely does, and he definitely handles the main part of Bosch well. He lets us see the hurt it causes him to know he killed someone, beneath the bravado he must maintain to sleep at night and continue to do his job. He's a good man who accidentally did a bad thing, with cause, and thus a likeable protagonist.

The problem is, we already have plenty of these. Shows from Luther to Elementary to Justified to House have already given us pretty much the same archetype. There are differences of course, but these tend to be only cosmetic, and what sets each apart tends to be the quality of the writing and the ensemble, rather than any real originality in storytelling.

Bosch does lean towards the higher end of the spectrum. Part of this is because of the dual narratives, the court case and the current investigation, balancing each other nicely. Another part is the enjoyable ensemble, which includes Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead), Lance Reddick (Fringe), Amy Aquino (Being Human), Annie Wersching (24), Alan Rosenberg (Cybill, Luck), Valerie Cruz (Off the Map), Abraham Benrubi (ER), Amy Price-Francis (King), and Jamie Hector (The Wire). It's a great group of performers.

Bosch is better than most of the other crime shows. The writing is smart, the acting is convincing, and the characters are well developed. These are adjectives I frequently use to describe good shows, and it applies here, too.

But because the market is inundated with this type of drama, though,, it's not necessary to make another. I don't know if Amazon hopes that by delivering something so familiar, we'll see it as a legitimate television content provider. What is more likely, though, at least for those of us that consume lots of TV, is we'll see it as lazy, yet another clone for an already crowded genre.

What would set Bosch apart from its peers? Well, letting Bosch leave the law enforcement profession behind would be good. Or seeing him actually go to jail, the story following him as his life changes, and then the fight to overcome that. I'd like to see Bosch himself do more than just stay in the structure he's accustomed to. But this seems quite unlikely, as it's a much more challenging type of show to tell. Or, at least they could make the setting somewhere other than L.A., which has been done to death.

Making a brand new crime show worth watching isn't impossible; HBO's True Detective has proven that. Bosch just isn't True Detective-caliber, even as it's a notch above anything on the broadcast networks.

Bosch's first episode is available now on Amazon.com

THE WALKING DEAD "After" My Heart

Article first written for Seat42F.

THE WALKING DEAD’s mid-season premiere picks up right “After” the epic battle with The Governor (David Morrissey). The prison has fallen and the survivors have scattered. Rather than bouncing around from person to person, something THE WALKING DEAD has never done much of, this latest installment is a personal story for two characters, and presumably we’ll catch up with the others at a later date.

Michonne (Danai Gurira) is introduced as a loner when first appearing on the AMC series. Traveling with a pair of walkers for company, she has survived without a group, and is slow to open herself up once she decides she’d like to stay at the prison. We have seen her soften over time, in particular with Carl (Chandler Riggs). But believing her friends dead, Michonne returns to her smoldering home just long enough to grab a couple of new “pets” and put Hershel’s (Scott Wilson) sad walker head out of its misery, then continues her loner trek once more.

We see a Michonne in “After” more broken than before, if that’s possible. A flashback-y dream sequence shows us the loved ones she lost the first time (Leverage’s Aldis Hodge and Getting On’s Brandon Fobbs), and with her new group ripped from her by The Governor, who is shown to definitely be very much dead, in case there are any doubters left, she can’t take the pain any more. When she sees footprints leading away from the prison, she goes in a different direction.

THE WALKING DEAD loves to explore the pathos and depths of its characters. “After” reveals something really dark we haven’t seen since Morgan’s (Lennie James) second appearance: someone who would choose to be alone because she just can’t take the pain of losing anyone else. It’s terrible PTSD, and Michonne is basically a walking shell of a person. This is most evidenced as she travels among a walker herd, blending in unmolested, and even sees a walker that looks like herself.

The thing is, faced with the mirror of the non-life she’s choosing, Michonne realizes she isn’t done yet. She slaughters the small herd, pets included, and sets off to follow the footprints. She has been through a lot and it’s so easy to give up on caring, but that’s not any way to live, even in the post-apocalyptic world. Michonne is far gone, but not too far gone to realize what she needs.

This may very well be a turning point for Michonne. The prison group has made her feel accepted enough that she considers herself part of them. No longer the outsider, Michonne wants to be a part of something, which is good news for viewers, since she may be the most popular character on the series and we’d like her to stick around. With this attitude, she will.

I do wish we’d gotten a true flashback for Michonne. There are some things explained, such as that her love just couldn’t hack it in their new reality, while Michonne found abilities within herself she didn’t know she had, something that made him insanely jealous. It also appears that he might be to blame for costing Michonne her original family. However, these are only things hinted out, not inarguably revealed, so as much as I like this sequence, I am definitely left wanting more.

The foot prints, as we see very early in “After,” belong to Carl and Rick (Andrew Lincoln). Father and son get away together, and the scenes of the episode that don’t feature Michonne are focused on them. Or, more specifically, the program follows Carl, who thinks he no longer needs Rick. That is, until Carl is faced with losing the only family he has left.

It’s funny, Carl and Rick seem like a typical father-teenage son pairing at the start of “After.” Carl is resentful and mouthy towards Rick, who’d like to set Carl right, but no longer knows how. Things get bad when Carl even throws Shane in Rick’s face, a sore subject to be sure, and tells his father that he hopes he dies. Granted, their problems are a lot more serious than the average familial dynamic, with Carl blaming Rick for many deaths and failing to be the leader he should be. But that chemistry is there and it is familiar, even in very alien circumstances.

Rick doesn’t last long, though. Looking a lot like a walker himself with his beat-up face and shuffle, once they’ve found suitable shelter he slips into a very deep sleep for a couple of days, one in which Carl can’t wake him from. This gives Carl not only a chance to vent, which he does most vehemently, it also leaves Carl to see what it would be like on his own. He handles himself OK, finding supplies and making it back in one piece, despite some very close calls. However, he also finds loneliness, and when confronted with a Rick that appears to have turned walker, Carl tearfully admits he needs his dad, and rather than kill what Rick has become, surrenders himself to be killed.

Thankfully, Rick is not a walker (did anyone, other than Carl, really believe for a second he was?), but “After” will forever change the dynamic between Rick and Carl. Carl is a capable man now, physically, and Rick sees and tells his son that. On the other hand, emotionally, Carl is not yet mature and needs (or wants) his father, something Carl is able to confess to Rick, which is actually a grown up decision. We see Carl both step up and also act like a child. We seem him humbled, something desperately needed for his continued survival. And we see a family who will cling to each other, having lost so much.

Then, the rarest of things occurs on THE WALKING DEAD: a happy ending. Michonne is reunited with Rick and Carl, tearfully and happily. There will be more challenges to face, sure, and undoubtedly more major deaths. But for now, these people have found each other, and that’s enough. Together, they have something to live for.

The characters who populate THE WALKING DEAD are survivors. Not everyone can adapt to this new world, as we see in the bar where Joe Jr. couldn’t bring himself to killer Walker Joe Sr. And maybe Carl couldn’t kill Rick, either, at a critical moment. Overall, though, these are the people who can fend for themselves, but haven’t lost their humanity. They are the ones to root for.

“After” is an excellent examination of two very different characters, Carl and Michonne. They both find turning points, picking an existence that is worth living. They are strong, yet we see their vulnerabilities. More importantly, we find love for them once more, which will keep the viewers watching for a long time to come. It’s so, so, so good to have THE WALKING DEAD back on our screens, at least for eight weeks.

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

I'm "Too Far Gone" to Not Rave About THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 4 Episode 8 Too Far Gone on Seat42F.

AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD paused for two months with the climatic mid-season finale, “Too Far Gone,” last night. The showdown went pretty much as expected, with some key players breathing their last and a heck of a lot of action. Which does not detract at all from the tension as events unfold, bullets are fired rapidly, and bodies hit the floor.

The Governor (David Morrissey) easily convinces his new camp to attack the prison, and who wouldn’t be convinced by him? He’s a smooth talker who is very good at persuasion. The story that he tells, taken at face value, seems very reasonable, and it’s not surprising that people who have only seen one side of him, a softer side, would fall in line. Especially when his plan supposedly will not involve bloodshed.

Yet, for those of us who have watched The Governor all this time, it’s certain that no matter what he says, this is not how it will play out. When Rick (Andrew Lincoln) doesn’t kowtow to The Governor’s demands, the choices for the one-eyed leader are to compromise or back off. He has never been good at doing either, and faced with these people who took so much from him, he cannot bring himself to do so. Instead, he attacks.

Has The Governor changed? Hershel (Scott Wilson) says he sees development and Rick appears willing to forgive and forget, to a point. The Governor himself does give the prison group a chance at life, which seems like something his self at the time of Woodbury would never have done. I think there has been a shift here.

In some ways, he’s still the same, though. The Goveror will not accept Rick’s offer. One can argue that The Governor knows Michonne (Danai Gurira) would never let him live, and sharing the prison is too dangerous for his own personal safety. However, he could have negotiated specifically about Michonne and found a way around this. If Rick and Hershel supported him, The Governor may have brokered a deal. It may have ended with Michonne striking out on her own, but there would be peace.

There are others in The Governor’s group who probably wouldn’t fall in line, even if The Governor had accepted Rick’s terms. Mitch (Kirk Acevedo), for one, would probably have caused trouble within the encampment and eventually would have had to be dealt with. Most of the others would have been fine, folding into the group the way the Woodbury survivors have done.

Either way, the catalyst for violence is The Governor. In a moment of anger, he slashes Hershel’s neck with a blade, unable to take Rick’s offer at face value, or take it at all. He’s just “Too Far Gone.” There is no way the prison group, who loves Hershel dearly, can take this, and so fighting breaks out, resulting in many, many deaths, including practically all of The Governor’s followers.

The Governor himself is taken down by a combination of Rick, Michonne, and Lilly (Audrey Marie Anderson), which seems appropriate. He’s a big villain, and huge measures must be taken to stop him. Rick and The Governor have had their differences, and so deserve the chance to slug it out. Rick, weakened, would lose this hand-to-hand combat if not for Michonne, who has more reason that practically anyone to hate The Governor. She was willing to give up her vendetta, but with The Governor right in front of her, killing her friend Rick, it must be satisfying to run him through with her sword, as she does.

Lilly gets the last blow in when she shoots the severely wounded Governor at close range. Even before The Governor shoots Meghan (Meyrick Murphy), who has been bitten, in the head, Lilly senses something off about him. As the woman who is closest to him, she sees the change within, the secrets he tries so hard to keep buried. He has personally betrayed her by deceiving her, and she puts him down for it, showing strength it may not have been obvious she had.

Funnily enough, it’s Lilly’s sister, who always seems so tough, that cannot fight. Tara (Alanna Masterson) is fine with The Governor’s plan until the guns are used, and then she flees. Her bravado is a façade, or maybe she just has a moral compass that only allows her to be tough towards those who deserve it. She alone of The Governor’s army escapes, as far as we know, because she runs. Let’s hope Tara and Lilly, who seem like good people, get to join our heroes, though they may be loathe to do so after witnessing so much violence, desiring to stay away from everyone involved in the battle.

Mitch is taken out by Daryl (Norman Reedus). This seems a great match, a lieutenant-to-lieutenant fight, the second-in-commands of both camps facing off. Given the personalities and skill sets of each, though, it’s with little surprise that Daryl handles Mitch quickly and easily, not as even a pairing as their positions might indicate.

Rick is made to be a leader again in “Too Far Gone.” The Governor forces Rick to step forward and deal with him, even though the power in the group has shifted away from a lone person. The thing is, though, Rick is the de facto leader left. With Carol (Melissa McBride) cast out and Hershel dying of a mortal neck wound, the council is in tatters. The others who help lead are not prepared to deal with The Governor, nor do they show any signs of wanting to. When the going gets tough, everyone still looks to Rick to save them. Which he sort of does.

Rick handles it better now. He’s had time to heal and reflect, and while some may take his willingness to cooperate with The Governor as weakness, neither does he back down completely by giving The Governor the prison. He strikes the perfect balance of sanity, compassion, and ferocity. This is who the group needs in charge of them.

If there’s a group to be had any more in THE WALKING DEAD. As the gates of the prison come down, everyone runs in different directions. Some, including the sick like Glenn (Steven Yeun), who aren’t able to fight, take a bus through a previously arranged backdoor exit. Others leave in small groups, still firing their weapons. A few are injured, but have others with them to protect them. This means it may be some time before they reunite, even if they have a pre-established rendezvous, which seems probable.

Rick and Carl (Chandler Riggs) get away, but in the process they come across Judith’s bloody baby carrier. Is the infant dead? It seems likely, given the evidence, though there’s always the chance she was taken out of the seat for some unknown reason and then a Walker stepped in it, resulting in the blood we see. In the comics, this is when Judith is killed, albeit in a different way, so that’s another strike against her survival.

Judith should have been taken to the bus by the other kids, but they were convinced to arm themselves and fight by Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino). One has to admire her pluck, wanting to be a fully contributing member of the group and taking Carol’s lessons to heart, but it’s also a very stupid move. She’s no Carl, and doesn’t have the presence to pull it off, surviving through luck more than talent. Not being an able leader of the others. If Judith is dead, it’s Lizzie’s fault.

Plus, now Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) has to look out for Lizzie and her friends. Lizzie shoots Alisha (Julianna Harkavy), Tara’s girlfriend, saving Tyreese’s life, which is a good thing. But then Tyreese is stuck with several young girls who have been left behind by the larger group. That may not be an easy challenge for him, as we haven’t really seen him around the kids at all.

Especially if one of them proves to be a psychopath. We still don’t know who was feeding the Walkers rats at the fence, though that mystery deepens when Tyreese discovers a dissected rat in the prison. Lizzie seems the obvious choice, though perhaps she’s too obvious a culprit. Either way, there is someone crazy within their midst, and if Tyreese is trying to protect a few children, this will be a challenge he doesn’t need right now.

Perhaps, while scattered, Daryl with find Carol. He seems to accept her banishment OK early in “Too Far Gone,” but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still care about her. If he’s on his own, or with only a couple of others, it seems a logical move to look for Carol, who can help take care of anyone that needs it. Carol is not in this episode, however it seems highly unlikely she’s done for the season.

Losing Hershel, who is gone for good, is a rough blow. Not just for Beth (Emily Kinney) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan), his loving daughters, but for Rick and everyone else. He was a wise elder, giving good advice and caring for the sick, the only one left with medical training. Hershel’s death presents practical, as well as emotional, issues for the group. He will be deeply missed.

It is kind of surprising that Hershel is the only main character good guy that dies here. With practically all of The Governor’s group taken out, one expects some equal losses on Rick’s side. Aside from a few nameless extras, this doesn’t happen. There are enough bodies to satisfy those just looking for death, but very few really matter in the larger scheme of the story as much as Hershel (and the prison itself, which is now uninhabitable, overrun with Walkers). It may mean more that Hershel goes down alone, but it also stretches the realism just a bit too much.

Overall, that’s a minor gripe, and “Too Far Gone” is a fantastic ending. Carol and the mystery psycho leave hanging threads for the second half, the scattering of the group provides some interesting new plot to start back with, and the stakes are very high, resulting in some very real, lasting losses. It’s a heck of an installment, one that will not be soon forgotten, and a fitting end for the biggest bad the show has produced yet.

THE WALKING DEAD will return the first Sunday in February to AMC.

"Internment" of THE WALKING DEAD

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

This week’s THE WALKING DEAD, “Internment,” takes place in the prison. The illness is growing worse, with more victims succumbing. Hershel (Scott Wilson) is steadfast in caring for his charges, but it’s clear there will soon be nothing more he can do for them if they can’t get medicine.

On one hand, not a lot happens with the Hershel story. There are several scenes of him helping others, and then some of the sick turn into Walkers and he fights them. This is exactly what one would expect to happen in the situation, and it’s not exactly moving forward from what we’ve already seen.

On the other hand, there is definitely an emotional journey for Hershel. He is the one in the group that has hope and faith, even as no one else holds on to such things any more. Yet, near the end of “Internment,” he can’t look at his bible. The things he has to do, stabbing the people he’s been taking care of, and watching Glenn (Steven Yeun), someone he’s close to, at the edge of death, changes him a bit. Hershel is still a force for lifting up spirits, but his mettle is definitely tested.

As valuable as Hershel is for morale, some may have counted him out in a physical confrontation, considering he is older and now has an artificial leg. But in this episode, Hershel proves he’s still capable on this front, too, fighting Walkers and saving lives. Near the end, Michonne (Danai Gurira) acknowledges this, inviting him to go outside with her, and he gratefully accepts. He’s got a new confidence in himself, and others see him differently, too.

Basically, Wilson kills it this week, and deserves tons of praise for his terrific performance, shining as the focus moves onto him.

Thankfully, no one super important dies in this episode. Dr. S. (Sunkrish Bala) is a loss, to be sure, but he’s not a long-term, central character. It would have been disappointing to lose Glenn in such a way, and Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) is quickly becoming a player to watch, so I’m glad they both survive. THE WALKING DEAD is burning through all the expendable people at the prison, but they’re avoiding getting rid of any of the major cast yet.

Maggie (Lauren Cohan) is her father’s daughter. It’s not always obvious, but in this installment she wants to be a caretaker, too, and we see her attitude mirror his when she finally gets into the ward and helps out.

This type of relationship is echoed in Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln), whom we see eat peas out of the same pod, clearly a metaphor for what they are. The Walkers bust through the fence in “Internment” and father and son must work together to take out the herd. For the first time, truly, Rick treats Carl like a man, someone who can be counted on to hold his own and be a fully participating member of the group, and Carl rises to the occasion, as his father surely would.

This is something Rick has struggled with, for good reason. Carl is still a child, according to the old world order, and Rick has definitely had to help shape Carl’s morals and values recently, as those are still developing. However, Carl is also big and strong enough to hold a weapon, and is fully capable of mowing down dozens of Walkers, as he proves side by side with Rick. There is some rewarding payoff here to see that noticed and respected.

How long will the prison remain a safe haven? The Walkers keep pressing at the fence, and no matter how often the group clears the clumps of them at the gate, they always return stronger, and make it a little further each time, this week getting inside the barriers. It’s true that medicine has arrived so the group’s number of healthy people will swell again, giving them more bodies to help keep the defenses up. Yet, I can’t help but feel that won’t be enough, as greater and greater numbers approach. We saw the giant hoard Michonne and the others encountered on the road; the fences would never last against a mass that size.

We finally get a glimpse of The Governor (David Morrissey) in “Internment,” just staring at the prison. Is he coming to attack? Has he already been attacking, perhaps leading those groups of Walkers to the walls and testing the prison’s defenses? If so, why didn’t he notice the vulnerability of the ailment, with less people out working in the yards and the healthy adults going out for supplies, and strike then? He could easily have killed everyone left at that point.

The Governor is a fantastic villain, extremely dangerous and intelligent. Even if we don’t know what he’s been doing or what his next move will be, he still sends shivers down the spine. He is a cold, cold man who definitely wants revenge on Michonne and Rick for tearing down is world. Whatever he does next, it will not be signing a peace treaty or leaving them in peace.

“Interment” is a little slower than the past couple of hours, but it definitely has the ‘calm before the storm’ feel, and it would not be surprising if the final three installments of the fall run are fast and intense. I’m glad the series takes time to explore characters such as Hershel in depth before it doesn’t have time to do so anymore. This was another great episode.

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

"Isolation" Not Helping THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Recap Season 4 Episode 3 Isolation on Seat42F.

Three episodes into the fourth season, AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD only continues to get more intense. The latest installment, “Isolation,” finds the prison population continuing to struggle with the illness that had taken hold, more and more people displaying symptoms. Separating the infected from the others isn’t helping, and the possibility of antibiotics is far away. Also, Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) wants Karen’s killer found.

It’s understandable that Tyreese desires justice, and no one wants to deny him that. This just isn’t the opportune time to investigate, with a major crisis going on. Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) try to explain that to him, but Tyreese is not in any position to hear, his mind extremely one-track at present.

We don’t know a lot about Tyreese yet. He’s portrayed as caring, compassionate, and non-violent, but something about Karen’s death makes him snap. He slugs Rick, which earns him a beating. Then, later in the hour, he hesitates to engage in battle with walkers, only to come out slaying in a massacre-like fashion. Does this man have anger issues he is trying very hard to control? Does he know he can be dangerous and deadly under the right circumstances, and fights against that nature? This is a new side of him.

Tyreese’s power could be quite useful. The group could use someone who can kill dozens of walkers while managing not to get bit themselves, a moment reminiscent of the comics. But if Tyreese resists the urge to act like this, he’s not really helping. And the question is, if he gives into the rage, might it unleash something he can’t control around people, as well as walkers?

Rick has the same rage-addiction, though perhaps is not as big or strong as Tyreese, and so poses less threat. Rick still has enough strength, though, to beat up Tyreese, who is not fighting back at full power, leaving Tyreese with a black eye. Rick would do worse if Daryl didn’t pull him off, not intending to stop wailing on Tyreese himself.

What about the apocalypse triggers such extreme reactions? Rick has been through a lot, sure, but he wasn’t particularly violent prior to everything going down. Now, he’s spent months acting like a farmer and trying to control himself, as well as set a good example for Carl (Chandler Riggs), which is working, at least for his son, Carl resisting the urge to unnecessarily kill walkers. Is Rick really still so on edge that he can snap again at a moment’s notice? Or does he just need to be careful not to fall back into familiar habits until they become unfamiliar, which may take a while longer?

“Isolation” finds way too many people getting sick. Pretty much all of the newbies, including Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), Doctor S. (Sunkrish Bala), and Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) are ailing, and soon Glenn (Steven Yeun) comes down with it, too. Is this what will wipe out the heroes once and for all? Not walkers or a murderous governor, but a microscopic disease?

This is expounded upon in dialogue, with Glenn lamenting the situation. He’s right that this sucks, something they can’t easily fight after all the struggles they’ve been through. Yet, it also makes sense, a bunch of people living in close quarters without the modern hygiene and disease prevention techniques they were used to prior to everything falling apart. It’s a really frustrating danger, with no clear solution.

Everyone deals with this in a different way. Beth (Emily Kinney) tells Maggie (Lauren Cohan) that they’re not allowed to be upset and worried. Hershel (Scott Wilson) risks his life getting herbs, then further endangers himself by personally delivering the folksy medicine to the patients. I can’t see any of these being a “right” or “wrong” approach. Yes, Hershel may be putting himself at an unnecessary risk when the group needs people to stay fit. But it also shows the depth of Hershel’s caring to be so unworried about himself. And Beth can’t be blamed for wanting to turn her feelings off, having suffered enough, but is she losing her humanity?

I love that THE WALKING DEAD poses questions like this without answering them. It depicts a great many different personalities, each of which has different thoughts and beliefs. We are allowed to observe and make our own judgments, with much open to debate. The strength of the series is in sparking those conversations and making their viewers think for themselves, rather than explicitly telling us what should happen. Even after a decision has been made by a character, we don’t know if it’s the right one, and it could come back up later on.

For instance, Rick determines that Carol (Melissa McBride) is the person who killed Karen. Carol freely admits this when questioned, then walks away without further comment. Without being told, fans know that Carol killed Karen to try to stop the illness from spreading, in the name of protecting everyone. Yet, Rick, as a lawman, might feel the need to punish Carol. Or at least tell Tyreese. And we don’t even know how Tyreese will react when he finds out, as he clearly holds Carol in high esteem earlier in this hour. Carol’s actions wills have consequences, but she might have been in the right, even if the disease still continued its rampage. Even if she is correct, can she be forgiven?

If Hershel’s natural remedy doesn’t pan out, the only hope is to get medication, which could possibly be found at a veterinary hospital fifty miles away. Daryl, Michonne (Danai Gurira), Tyreese, and Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) set off to retrieve the life-saving antibiotics, but run into a megaherd of walkers. They are forced to flee their vehicle, meaning it will take much longer for them to obtain the drugs and get home.

I feel like they might be too late, at this point. People are dying within a day or two, not lasting weeks. Fifty miles is a lot of ground to cover on foot. They may find an alternate mode of transportation, but not even having made it to the college yet, it looks like they still have a distance to travel.

Also, when did the walkers form such huge herds? Megaherds are something the comic deals with later in the story. This has to be a sign that the show will go there, too, eventually, if not right away. A megaherd is not something easily turned away, and we’ve seen what a much smaller group can do to the prison’s fences. This kind of threat is super deadly, and if it reaches the group’s stronghold, I don’t see how they could possibly defend against it. This may be why the prison must be abandoned.

Lastly, before leaving the car, the supply party hears a voice on the radio. This means other survivors are out there, nearby. That makes sense, given that the main characters have run into others before. But it also looks like they won’t be able to stay “Isolated” much longer, if others are actively seeking out survivors. Will this be another Woodbury situation, or might the new people offer assistance?

“Isolation” is a busy hour, with a lot of developments and implications for future events. It’s an excellent installment, full of exciting drama and moral quandaries. Let’s hope the show stays this good.

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

"This Sorrowful Life" comes to an end on The Walking Dead

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Recap Season 3 Episode 15 This Sorrowful Life on Seat42F.

Grade: 96%

AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD pays tribute to “This Sorrowful Life” of Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker) in the penultimate episode of the third season. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) tells Merle about his plan to hand over Michonne (Danai Gurira) to the Governor (David Morrissey), after which the Governor has promised to leave the rest of the group alone. Knowing Rick won’t have the stomach to go through with it, sending Michonne to be tortured and brutalized, Merle captures Michonne himself and sets out to the meeting.

Along the way, though, Merle has time for self-reflection. Some of this is surely caused by Michonne’s words in their wonderful scenes together, but some of it is spurred by Merle’s own doing. He knows that he has made mistakes, and he realizes he has become something bad. He regrets some of those actions, even if he doesn’t stop at the time to consider the consequences, both to others and to his own soul. Michonne tells Merle that the truly evil don’t feel guilty, and Merle’s remorse proves he is, or at least can be, a good guy.

Whether or not Merle is redeemable has long been debated by fans of THE WALKING DEAD. We know that, in the beginning, he and his brother, Daryl (Norman Reedus), intend to steal from the group. But seeing how Daryl has become not only a team player, but a valued friend and compatriot over three seasons offers hope that, given time, Merle can also play nice. Carol (Melissa McBride) certainly thinks this is a possibility, extending a second chance to him early in the episode.

The sad thing is, “This Sorrowful Life” proves that Merle not only has a heart, but is willing to sacrifice for others, and then doesn’t give him time to expound upon it. He lets Michonne go and tries to single-handedly remove as many of the Governor’s men from the game as he can. I don’t think Merle intends his mission to be a suicide one, but he is willing to take the chance and in the end, the Governor leaves Merle to become a Walker, which means we’ll never see the others forgive and welcome him as one of their own.

Rooker does a fantastic job in this installment, delivering what will be one of THE WALKING DEAD’s most unforgettable performances. At the start of the hour, Merle is still loathsome. But we see so much in his eyes, those soulful orbs that show us that he wants to do right by his brother and be cared for by others. We see that, under the right circumstances, he can be heroic. And we watch him go down with quite a fight, even if he doesn’t end up succeeding.

Rooker’s performance is matched by Reedus, whose character arrives at the battle site too late, and finds a Walker Merle that he must put down. Rooker’s eyes are, again, pivotal, and the scene between the two brothers is amazing. They can’t ever say what they want to say to one another, even if they ever could find the words, but dialogue isn’t necessary to convey the message. Merle’s deaths are tragedies, both of them.

I don’t think Merle does much damage to the Governor’s team. He takes a few men out, but by dying himself, Merle removes a valuable tool from the prison group, so it probably about evens out. Merle is worth several other man.

What might be missed in Merle’s last stand is that one of those he kills is Ben (Tyler Chase), a member of Tyreese’s (Chad L. Coleman) contingent. Ben isn’t a huge character, nor is he one fans will particularly care about seeing die. However, because of Ben’s connection to several other, slightly more significant, characters, his demise could most definitely play a role in motivation and manipulation in the finale.

Back at the prison, it’s nice to finally see Rick be the leader he needs to be. This entire season has been about him figuring out what kind of person the group needs to follow. He begins, with his speech at the end of season two, trying out dictatorship. But in “This Sorrowful Life,” he chooses democracy. He can’t sacrifice Michonne because she’s one of the people he serves. He gets a chance to tell everyone else that in a very moving moment.

Rick has needed to step up for a long time. He’s tried, sure, but with all of the emotional turmoil he has suffered, he hasn’t achieved the status. This has now changed, and should he survive the coming battle (an almost certainty), he will be a different man yet again in season four, one finally prepared to make his group into what they need to be, and what they should be.

I hope that Michonne can forgive Rick and know that he cares about her and couldn’t go through with handing her over. She has every reason to feel betrayed, after Merle kidnaps her and she learns that Rick has been considering handing her over. However, she is also an understanding and compassionate woman, and surely knows that while Rick struggles with the decision, he isn’t the type to sentence her to a fate worse than death. And if he did consider the act, it was only to protect his people.

Lastly, Glenn (Steven Yeun) secures Hershel’s (Scott Wilson) blessing to marry Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and finds his bride-to-be a ring, on the hand of a Walker, no less. I wish we would have gotten a little speech from Hershel, which would be totally in keeping with his character, but the proud papa’s smile is enough.

It’s not clear if Glenn officially proposes, just sticking the ring in her palm, or if they already consider themselves spouses without a proposal. Maggie is wearing the ring shortly after this scene, signifying their commitment to one another. Glenn says they may not have a wedding, given the circumstances, and I doubt there will be time for one in what little is left of this season. But do they actually need to say “I do” in this post-apocalyptic world? Isn’t it enough that they are together and intend to stay that way?

We unfortunately didn’t get any of Woodbury this week, and rather than being part one of a two part showdown, this is a sort-of stand-alone episode. “This Sorrowful Life” is a brilliant piece of television, and an excellent installment of the series. However, I don’t see how everything else can possibly be resolved in forty-two minutes. Are we heading for the mother of all cliffhangers?

THE WALKING DEAD will complete its third season next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

Coincidentally, next Sunday is Easter Sunday, a celebration of Jesus’s rising from the dead, which some have begun to say makes him a zombie. Will we see a long-haired, sandal-clad Walker in the finale? One can only hope so.