The Walking Dead Season Finale: Fix Them Up a Plate

SPOILER ALERT! Don’t read on if you haven’t yet seen the final episode of season 4 for Walking Dead.

It seemed odd, even from the ending of the second last episode. A strange woman, cooking up what seemed like endless amounts of meat, eager to offer up a plate to every new soul who walked in. Who is this woman? What is this place? And where is she getting all of that meat?

It seems that the folks running Terminus have an ingenious idea. Coax every living soul left on the earth toward you, promising a safe place to rest your head. Sanctuary. Throw them in the back of a locked van once they get there. Presumably feed them with powdered milk for an indefinite period of time, until they get nice and fattened up. (Did anyone else make that link between the plates of powdered milk Rick saw at the entrance of the van?) Then kill them, skin them, throw their carcuses away in some kind of cage (another subtle hint you might have missed as Rick, Michione, Carl, and Daryl ran through Terminus dodging bullets) and hand them over to Martha Stewart over there, who will BBQ them to a crisp. But not the same kind of crisp Carol BBQ’d Tyrone’s girlfriend into.

Yes, it seems Terminus isn’t a cult, as I had originally thought. My first guess was that it might have been a bunch of weirdos who would use new arrivals for experimentation, to try and figure out a cure for the infection. Never did cannibalism cross my mind.  

So…how does Rick and gang get out of this one? Clearly the bag of guns he buried in the mud just outside of Terminus will come in mighty handy, likely critical, for a getaway once the new season commences. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one from the group ends up sliced between two pieces of bread in a hearty sandwich before they escape. 

The ending left so many questions. Mostly, where the heck is Tyrone and Carol? What happened to Beth? Something tells me that Tyrone and Carol will be integral in getting Rick and gang out of this mess. How, I’m not sure. Oh, how much fun the writers must have coming up with this stuff!

The episode had fabulous moments of the realization of how far we’ve come, however. While Carl struggled with the monster he’s becoming (and it’s not his fault; you adapt to the world in which you live. In their world right now, it’s survival instinct, and that’s it. It’s purely primitive.) Meanwhile, Rick seems to be far more accepting of it. Heck, the guy bit a chunk out of a gang leader’s neck! How much closer can they get to being like the zombies than that? Michione, meanwhile, is returning to her motherly state pre-apocalype as she sees the need to be there for Carl, as a friend, and the only true female figure in his life. He looks up to her. So she needs to. And it’s sweet to see. Daryl, while falling farther back into his old self by joining this gang of thugs, showed just how much he changed by offering up his own life to save Rick, Michione’s, and Carl’s. 

As for Glenn and crew, who knows how things played out after they got to Terminus. Rick was able to quickly see something was up once he noticed Glenn’s pocket watch and the poncho (who’s was that again?) Did Glenn and gang notice anything and try to fight? Or did they sit down for a lovely family dinner of the people who arrived before them before they understood what they had just eaten, and what they were about to become?

The timelines aren’t clear either. How far behind Glenn and gang was Rick and gang? How long had they been in the van before Rick arrived? Will we get to see flashbacks in the new season that show how that played out?

After binge-watching the prior seasons, I’m not quite sure if these episodes are just going by way too quickly, or if I didn’t realize how short they really were because I was watching 3 or 4 of them in a row every time. But this episode seemed to end before it even started. Though we did get a few climactic moments, including the neck biting incident, and the Terminus gun chase. (Poor Daryl. What’s he going to do with a bow and arrow in that scenario?) I feel like we needed another hour, at least to show where the others are. I guess this is the way to keep us excited and anticipating the new season.

I, for one, can’t wait to find out what happens when the Terminus crew finds out that they’re messing with the wrong people. 

Just Look at the Flowers

Oh. My. God. The last episode of The Walking Dead has had me reeling now for days. Not only was the episode crazy good, but it was also terribly disturbing, and touched on issues and decisions that I’m sure none of us would ever want to have to make.

The first is with Carol and her killing of Tyrone’s gal pal. Was she warranted in doing so? Clearly, Rick did not agree. Though Carol brings up some good points about how, in this world, there’s no time to think things through. You just have to make a decision and go with it.

Then it comes her decision to tell Tyrone. She had to. There was no way she could live and travel alone with this man, listening to his sob stories, and keep that kind of guilt in. She was better off telling him and having him beat the crap out of her or shoot her in the face then going on with the secret. 

On Tyrone’s end, then of course the decision comes with what to do with that knowledge. Do you pick up the gun, and kill her off? But you need her help, her support. She’s all you have. But she killed your girl. Do you let her die a slow death, then chain her to a stick like Michione did with her walker buds? Or do you forgive, but not forget, and move forward. He took that high ground and wow, I have much respect for him. I’m not sure how I could do it. Then again, we haven’t quite seen how the information will change the relationship between the two. It might not. There’s no time for emotions in this world, after all.

But worst of all is the decision with Lizzie. And it touches on a really important subject of mental illness. Clearly the girl was very mentally ill, and likely was (as they alluded to) long before the zombie apocalypse. In the real world, you’d do what you could to get her the help she needed. In this world, there’s nowhere to go. She’s a person. A living and breathing person. But she’s also a major danger to everyone else around her, not to mention her own self. Seeing what she did to her sister was clear evidence of that. It wasn’t just a matter of keeping an eye on her. She was highly dangerous. She had to go.

Apparently the social media universe lit up with Old Yeller references, and while I find that completely inappropriate, I do understand to a degree. After all, in the world they all live in, no one is really truly human. Not the mentally unstable, nor the perfectly sane. Everyone is reduced to their basic survival and animal instincts. Hunt, eat, protect, flee, and kill. 

But perhaps it was the whole “just look at the flowers” line that really sent goosebumps up my arms. How painful, how sad. And how strong of Carol to be able to make the decision and follow through with it. Most people would not be. Clearly she’s had years and years of rage and submission that she’s now letting go of. But man, she scares me. I’d have to agree with Rick and I’m not sure I’d want to be alone in a room with her when push comes to shove!

While I’m still not looking the set up of this season that only follows one group per episode, I feel like that might be about to change. After all, it’s clear the smoke Carol and Tyrone saw in this episode was from the house that Daryl and Beth just blew up. The walker left on the railroad tracks was obviously left for the purposes of timelines. I will bet in the next episode, we’ll see someone pass him and understand where everyone is relative to everyone else. They can’t all be far off. And someone will run into someone else at some point soon.

Glenn will be on Talking Dead next week, which leads one to believe that he will be featured in this episode. And given the preview footage with Daryl, it’s clear the episode will follow everyone. Where did Beth go? I’m guessing she assumed Daryl was a dead man after being cornered and took off to cry it off, then try to tough it out on her own. I feel like she may emerge at some point as a walker. I can’t see her surviving on her own.

One thing’s for sure: someone will have to die this season. Someone big. I’m guessing it’s Beth. Or maybe Sasha. It almost seems as though either Daryl or Tyrone need to feel a major loss in order to fuel their rage even further. 

Who’s your guess for who will go next?

 

 

Why Daryl is a Walking Dead Favourite

After binge watching The first few seasons of The Walking Dead, I eventually declared Daryl to be my favourite character. It wasn’t until I started reading articles and blogs about the show that I realized I wasn’t alone. He is the hands down favourite of viewers. So I started to wonder why.

And the reasons are really clear as day. Aside from the brooding look, bad boy persona, and bulging muscles that certainly get all of the female viewers on his side, Daryl represents much more. He represents self-awareness, redemption, resurrection, in some way.

Right from the beginning, beneath his hard exterior, you see the love and dedication he has for his brother. Despite how awfully his sibling has treated him through their life. As his relationships develop with Carol and Michione, you see a softer side once again. When he leads the charge to find Carol’s daughter, and holds baby Judith (i.e. “Ass Kicker”) in his arms, well, how could that not make you melt?

Rick is the clear leader. And Shane was definitely the brute force. But neither of them would have been able to get where they could without him. Who ran out to get the medication needed to fight the flu that was attacking the group in the prison? Who always shows up with the bow and arrow to save someone in a jam? He’s also the protector.

His clear affinity for Michione and others also shows that the racism he grew up with isn’t really something he truly feels deep down. That’s powerful.

So it’s not difficult to understand how viewers do not want to see him die. And it’s also precisely why show writers may eventually bring that fate upon him. The show needs shock value. It needs people talking. And while there would be major upset if that happened, people would be talking about it, the media would be writing about it, for weeks.

For my part, I hope it doesn’t happen any time soon. Seeing him revert back to his unfeeling days in this defeated state is an interesting development for him. Clearly the group will all meet again. And maybe he will go back to himself. Especially when he sees Carol and that she’s OK. But either way, guns, knives, strong arms and weapons, alike. None can really be a match for Daryl’s (literally) killer instinct, and ability with that darned bow and arrow. Well, expect maybe Michione’s bad-ass sword-wielding!

Can’t wait until the new episode tomorrow. Check back for my thoughts after the show!

Breaking Bad – Why It Was the Best Show on TV

I had previously given this title to Dexter. But after a lacklustre few seasons (not in general, but in comparison to the previous ones), and an abysmal ending, I found myself looking for a replacement. Luckily, I ended up with a copy of Season 1 of Breaking Bad on Blu-ray, and decided to watch it when I went off on maternity leave back at the end of 2011. My son was late, and I had lots of time stuck at home just waiting to go into labour. And after the amazing first season, I hopped right on to Netflix to watch the next few, then managed to find the next ones. I was hooked.

First, the acting is stellar. You can’t go wrong with Bryan Cranston, who can play ditzy man and crazed drug dealer equally believably. Uncle Hank is great as the somewhat repulsive, egotistical DEA guy. Skyler, the doting, but strong, wife. Aaron Paul grew leaps and bounds through the show. I continually kick myself after having met him at a press event years prior, before I began watching the show. He seemed so approachable and nice, but I didn’t really make an effort to talk to him because I had no idea who he was. From beginning to end, his acting improved tremendously. Granted, his character also went through major emotional changes that required far more intense acting. And the actor who plays Gus Fring? Genius. And Better Call Saul? Gotta love to hate him.

Which brings me to another point: the character development. Never before in a show have I seen a character that does such a complete 180. And you see the change happen little by little, in each episode. When I recommend the show to anyone, I tell them they just have to stick it out and be patient until the episode when he shaves his head. That’s a physical representation of the mental change that’s about to happen with his character.

The show does begin very slowly. I’m not sure I would have been so gung-ho about it after watching the first few episodes had I not heard so many good things. But once it gets going, it really gets going. And it doesn’t stop.

It’s not about the blood and guts, or the swearing, or the anger. It’s about watching a man completely spiral out of control, and take people down with him. It’s about seeing what happens to the people he takes down with him, and how greed and power can completely change a person. It’s about learning the repercussions of that focus on greed and power. And using your knowledge for bad, even when you try to convince yourself it’s for good. It’s about understanding that there really is no such thing as an easy way out. And eventually accepting your mistakes, and admitting defeat. Or perhaps he went out in peace. It certainly seemed as though he was as content as could be expected.

The show wasn’t predictable, and never got stale. You never knew what was going to happen, but was always excited to find out.

I can’t think of a show that manages to live up to this one. Dexter’s first four seasons, perhaps. But in its entirety, Breaking Bad managed to stay consistent. And the creators and writers didn’t try to push it longer than it would make sense to go. They let it go at its peak, because that’s what was best for the story.

I haven’t looked into the spin-off show with the Saul character, but I’m tempted NOT to watch just so I don’t taint my view on the show as a whole. But who knows. If you see that title appear in the right column category bar, I guess I caved. 🙂

Squealing for the Premiere of The Walking Dead

SPOILER ALERTS! Don’t read if you haven’t watched up to the fourth season of the show.

The holidays are a busy time for most, which is why most shows take a welcome break in December, resuming in the New Year. Of course when you already have a routine that includes TV watching in the evening, you can easily feel that void without them.

For I, I decided to open up my Netflix account and watch one of those shows that I’ve been meaning to watch for ages, but never got around to. I discussed with my husband, and we decided on The Walking Dead. Boy, am I glad we did!

From start to finish, I was literally on the edge of my seat. I am not the type of person that would be into zombie shows or movies. In fact, I’m terrified of horror movies, avoid them at all costs, and when I do watch them, I typically have trouble sleeping for the next few nights. That being said, for the 2-week period that we binged-watched Walking Dead, those bumps in the night were extra scary as I kept one eye open on zombie watch.

But the reason I like this show so much is that it’s not really about the zombies. Yes, the premise of the show is that some unknown disease has taken over the world and turned people into zombies. And you follow along with a group of survivors trying to navigate the world, and either find a cure, or wait it out. But the zombies are just a small part of the show, easily replaceable with any unknown predator. The show is about the characters and, most importantly, how they manage to make it through each day, each hour, heck, each minute. And the critical decisions they have to make. Taking us back to primitive times, there’s a group leader, sometimes friction among the leader and those who think they should lead. There are the hunters, the gatherers. There are relationships, fights, and really, really, really hard decisions. For example, do you stay in a small boarded up house because it’s safe…for now. Or do you move the whole group in attempt to get to the CDC where there’s reportedly a safe house? If a lone survivor approaches your group, pleading with you to let him join, do you welcome him in? Or turn him back to the walkers/biters/whateveryoucallthem? If one survivor gets pregnant, does she keep the baby? How does having your pre-teen son with you impact all of the decisions you make? And at what point do you decide to give up completely, or do you just keep sticking it out until there are no options left? The decisions are so very much about life and death, and so incredibly difficult, I can’t imagine ever having to make them. 

But then you also watch the submissive characters, and how being exposed to such an awful environment can completely change them. Watch an abused wife eventually let out all her anger, lose everyone she loves, and become completely heartless. Watch a timid farmer’s daughter become an expert shooter who knifes the walkers in the head, one by one, like nobody’s business.

To say I am excited for tonight’s premiere would be an understatement. I went through years or watching friends write posts on Facebook about the show, but just didn’t have the time to watch. I’m glad I’ve caught up and can join the fun. Though I’m not looking forward to having to wait an entire week in between episodes. Thanks to this blog, I’ll be able to let off some steam in between. Stay tuned for my thoughts on the premiere episode of this season.

Show Updates: Big Brother, Entourage, Hell’s Kitchen, etc.

Sorry it has been so long since I’ve updated this blog. I’ve been spending so much time watching the shows that I haven’t had time to write about them! Here’s my latest opinions and analyses:

Big Brother: Go, Meow Meow! Yes, I’m an Enzo fan, although I think some others are playing a better game. As much as I hate to say it, Brittany and Rachel probably have the best game play thus far. Brittany is managing to remain a floater while also forging alliances with some; or at least giving the impression that she is. Rachel, while riding a wave of luck that is soon going to run out, is making some smart decisions. But would she stop with the constant talking as if she’s auditioning to become a game show host or something! “Behind door #3, we haaaaave, a newwww carrrr!” And what’s up with her lap dog, Brendan? He’s hot hot hot, but wow, if he doesn’t stop following her around like a lost puppy, I’m going to pound him. And I don’t mean in the good way. She is clearly using him, is clearly a first-class bitch, yet he is sticking himself to her. So sad and such a waste of a hot body. Matt, he seemed to be left out of this episode. I think he’s playing a good game, minus the whole lying about his wife’s illness. I guess I can see past it if he donates money to the disease. But still, joking about stuff like that is like playing with karma, toying with it, just asking for it to come get you. Kristen: wow, she went from no voice on the show to the biggest mouth! Girl is a fighter, but she’s playing stupidly, and deserves to go home tonight. I’m pretty sure she will. My prediction for the top 4: Lane, because the “juice head” always makes it through. Either Brittany or Kathy, because a floater always makes it through. Ragan, because the gay guy always makes it through (not meant to be stereotypical here, just going by the last few seasons) and Matt or maybe even Enzo. Let’s see how it plays out.

Bachelorette: Done, and done. My faithful Reality Steve was wrong right up until the final day. But who cares, really? Ali and Roberto seem generally happy. But wouldn’t you be if you were holed up in a hotel room for 4 days every two weeks for the past two months with nothing to do but screw like bunnies? Let’s wait until the novelty wears off. Chris, I’d forget Bachelor unless they’re paying you six figures. Head back to MA now, and you’ll be getting girls like nobody’s business. You could have your own line up of 25 along the beach of your beautiful family home.

Entourage: OK, so maybe the show is finding its flavour again. Although Vince really bugs me. Both his character, and the way he plays it. Maybe that’s the point. But I just don’t think he was the right actor for that role. Drama’s storyline is just stale at this point. I think they could easily drop him from the show and make him a recurring guest star; like the publicist chick. But the story with Lizzie and Ari (really, the good stories always revolve around Ari) is juicy. And E’s perfect relationship is starting to make me gag. Something has to happen soon to shake that up. Heartbreak always makes for good TV!

Hell’s Kitchen: Wow, Holly really showed Ben who’s boss. And deservedly so. The guy has an ego inflated so big, he could fly a family of four across the country in an air balloon. But what makes it worse is that he was ready to pack it all in and give up. if your back hurts so bad, at least still try to work and let Chef Ramsay see. Let HIM tell you to go home. the fact that he was ready to give it all up…argh, I really think he just knew he’d get his walking papers and wanted to avoid the embarassment. Well, good on you. You got to work like a champ with your “bad back” and still get sent home. Sucker. Now you not only look like a puss, but also a liar.

Hung: Boring me. And what’s with the incestuous, brother/sister relationship? It’s really starting to creep me out to the point of being uncomfortable.

Last Comic Standing: Myq? Who spells his name Myq? It’s MIKE, douchebag!

Mad Men: Wow, wow, and wow. Still as great as ever. Wonder if we’ll see Sal come back now that they see what a jerk the Lucky Strike guy is. Mind you, it wouldn’t matter. With that account representing such a huge percentage of their business, if they told him to send Sal back to Italy even if he wasn’t working for them anymore, they’d find a way to do it.

So You Think You Can Dance: Boring, boring. It has come to a point when I can predict the top 2 after the first 2 shows. I mean, the rest in the middle is just entertainment. you can dance your face off, but if you aren’t an audience fav, it doesn’t matter. Lauren and Kent, we’ll see you guys next week.

Jersey Shore: A new addition to my roster. I caught all of Season 1 on demand. And all I can say is WTF? It’s like a train wreck, but one you simply can’t look away from. I have learned so many new terms from that show. All i can say is if i hear a guy call me a grenade, I know it’s not good.

Thank Gosh for PVRs

So I just found out that Mad Men, which I only just started watching on DVD, will be on on Sundays at 10 p.m. Eek! That means it will overlap with Hung and Entourage. And it will be led in nicely by Big Brother. Whatever will I do?

Thank God for the PVR, is all I have to say. Well, that and on-demand TV. Although on-demand tends to only include standard-definition quality, and I like to watch everything in full HD glory. What’s more, these are all good shows back to back that don’t have commercials! Usually, I use the PVR to fast forward through that and get to the good stuff. Nevertheless, I think my schedule will be as such: watch Big Brother live (yikes, who would have thought to ever do such a dastardly thing?) Then watch Mad Men. If I’m not extremely tired, I’ll then watch Entourage, and save Hung for Monday. The Bachelorette will be done by then, right? And if I’m really tired, I’ll watch both Entourage and Hung on Monday. But Mad Men? That’s the kind of show where the plot changes episode to episode. With Entourage, it’s just a few laughs that can wait until the next day. And I don’t know as many people who watch Hung, so I wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone about it the next day anyway, so there’s no rush. Plus I’m still not 100% sold on the show. It seems to be moving turtle slow.

Speaking of turtle, man, did he lose a ton of weight! I mean, the guy is slimmed down this season. Good for him. I guess a relationship and subsequent breakup both on screen and off with a Soprano can do that to ya. It’s kind of like a girl changing her hair colour or dressing more provocatively. “I’ll show you and no longer be the short, chubby dude of the ‘entourage.'” Now Drama is officially the loser of the group. Poor guy. His brother Matt got all the looks in the family, it seems.

Anyway, Sunday has always been the ideal “TV night.” You don’t want to go out. It’s typically a lazy, relaxing day. So when it’s chocked full of good TV, it’s a perfect end, er, rather, start, to a new week. I can’t wait until the end of July!

Mad Men Disturbs Me

By now, you’ve probably figured out that I’m a female. Recently, I caught up on all three seasons of Mad Men via DVD. Yes, there was actually a popular show I HADN’T been watching on TV! While I love the show and find it very entertaining and intriguing, it scares me a bit.

One, I wonder: how is it possible that, if this is the way business was conducted in the ’60s, people ever went home sober? My gosh, not only every meeting, but it seems that any time one guy walks into another’s office, they pour a drink. “Hey, how’s it going? Good morning. Oh, let me just grab a scotch before I leave.” “Hey, I forgot to give you those reports. We’re about to head to lunch, but why don’t we start it off with a quick cocktail?” Jesus, these guys must have had alcohol tolerance comparable to a bull! Then, there’s the smoking. I mean, people cry about every little thing these days and how it might affect a baby or a child or their own health. Yet it seems like smoking, and drinking, while pregnant, was a common occurence in the ’60s. How did the Baby Boomer generation survive? Clearly, it wasn’t out of stupidity; people didn’t know back them about the effects of smoking. But it’s still interesting to think about nonetheless.

So I started off the seasons loving Peggy more and more as the episodes progressed. But by the end of Season 3, I have a newfound respect for Betty Draper. Mind you, you know she’s going to get screwed over in some fashion by this politician dude. But I still give credit where it’s due for her kicking Don to the curb and standing her ground.

Sterling. Ah, good ol’ Sterling. What will happen with his ditzy trophy wife? So sad to see that some things haven’t changed since the ’60s. Heck, then it seems that if you weren’t cheating on your wife, something was wrong with you. And if your wife didn’t pretend not to know, something was wrong with her. Sad, sad.

Peter Campbell is a little s&*%, but clearly that’s the character they were going for, so kudos to the actor who plays him for doing a good job. God, I hope he’s acting. Because if he isn’t, there’s a problem. Ditto for the gal who plays his wife. Her character annoys the crap out of me; if I could throw my fist through the TV screen every time she’s on, I would. And the only reason I don’t do it now is because TVs are expensive. But that one scene with them dancing at the wedding? Holy cow, I almost puked out my dinner. In the styles of Chandler Bing, can you GET any cornier?

What I find most disturbing, however, is that most guys I talk to who watch the show think Don Draper is the bees knees. Um, sorry, what’s so great about him? So let’s see: the man has everything in life – a fantastic job, beautiful and loving and caring wife and home, two kids, friends, his health, and yet he finds the need to purposely screw it up. Because he had a horrible past. Oh boo hoo, suck it up. What is so endearing about that? I think guys see “guys gets lots of a**” and that’s all they need to know: automatically, he’s awesome. The same goes for Hank Moody in Californication: he’s, as the Dean told him in one of the last episodes, the “girl whisperer.” Somehow guys look up to that, choosing to ignore the fact that both men have issues beyond repair.

Come to think of it, there are a lot of similarities between Don Draper and Hank Moody. They should do a show together. Call it Two Half Men. haha. Get it? Because neither is whole?

Anyway, I’m looking forward to this season, although every time I watch it, it disturbs me even more. But I guess that’s what makes for good TV.