8.06: The Walking Dead - The King, The Widow, and Rick

[ctg]

Traitor, Enid, Maggie, Jesus and punch of men destined to die. (Photo by Gene Page/AMC)

With things looking up for Rick and the group, an argument breaks out at the Hilltop; the consequences of the decision are life versus death.

 

[ctg]

Another good episode and it makes me wonder will people write or will they wait until they've something to complain? I don't know, but with the pace we're going forward, I'd assume the war is over by Christmas one way or another. The other in this case is Rick and the bloody trash tribe.

Personally I don't need the trash tribe, and frankly, they're only confusing the situation in the Washington DC. I have no idea about what they do to get food supplies, if most of the time is wasted on walking butt-naked around the rubbish piles. They all seems very well fed. Not Jerry well, but so much so that they've fatty cheeks and active minds for people who has nothing. Their land cannot support farming. It's too poisonous, while the Hilltop is probably the bread basket for the whole Ricknation. Or maybe we should call it Maggieland, because she's the only one whose capable of leading anyone.

She made absolutely correct decision on showing the Traitor into the cage with other Prisoners-Of-War. Nobody should trust George... or Bob... Greglizard ... the man with the balding head and a megalomania. If they have to keep anyone alive, the worst POW's should be sent into hard labour - building walls to keep walkers out from the pastures and farmland. Rest should be assimilated into three remaining communities until the land in between places is cleared and sectioned for the settlers.

Thing is, I assume the second half of the season 8 is going to be very different to the first half. Maybe different to anything we've seen so far if Rick's dream is a real hint about things to come. I just don't know if it's going be enough to save this show as it feels old. This war should be over, but it isn't as the big bad is still walking around.

 

[nixie]

Good episode,Carl helping the new guy Sadek shows there is still some humanity in the world.

Why oh why did Rick have to go visit the trash can tribe, they've already proved they can't be trusted.

Interesting fact from the after show, Henry is played by the brother of Sophia.

 

[svalbard]

No mention of the helicopter from the previous episode. I would have thought that would have being top of Rick's agenda or may have deserved a mention in his dispatch. But guess not?

I presume there is a big plan around his incarceration by the annoying thrash people.

Apart from that it was a good episode. I enjoyed Carl's interaction with Sadiq and it is good to see Michonne back.

Still think they should execute all the POWs.

 

[Culhwch]

Still think they should execute all the POWs.

They at least need to kill the long-haired blonde guy, and I think at this stage he's proven that that would be a just execution. They are absolutely telegraphing that he's going to do something bad and they will all regret letting him live. It would be ironic if he ends up killing Jesus, although that's definitely the kind of ham-fisted writing that this show seems to have swung towards.

I hate the trash people. They add nothing and are completely unrealistic, even for this show. Rick obviously has a plan, but god knows what it is.

Why has Darryl suddenly flipped on Dwight? Did I miss something? Was it the bad intel? And why did Michonne and Rosita need to see the Sanctuary? That just seemed like a lazy way to get them involved in the storyline. Rosita RPGing that dude was pretty awesome though, although I can't imagine that was safe to do at that distance.

Carl's storyline was the highlight for me, although this show has conditioned me to assume that Sadiq will turn out to be a murdering psychopath or something.

 

[Dave]

Good episode,Carl helping the new guy Sadek shows there is still some humanity in the world.

I enjoyed Carl's interaction with Sadiq

My take was that Rick didn't know if Siddique was a Negan spy or not. Who knows, even now he might still be? I think it is less likely now, but he certainly couldn't trust him in the middle of the battle. If Rick had been sure then he would have shot him. So, I'm not sure that Carl bringing him back now is such a large problem. You do have to ask how he has survived on his own all this time without ever coming into contact with the Saviours (or any other group) and only killed one man who had already been bitten.

Maggie's reasons for keeping the prisoners is a good one. Jesus isn't thinking straight. Amongst them will be "bad'uns" and there will be people who genuinely just did what they had to do to survive. Impossible to differentiate them. It is a hard thing to do but she may have to kill them all to be safe. One factor they don't consider is the viability of a small group of humans. So many people have been killed now that you may need to keep your worst enemy alive just to have a large enough group that has any prospect of survival going forward.

This series has never realistically portrayed what this scenario would really be like. We briefly saw "workers" last week but so many people would be required just in agricultural tasks, preparing meals and mending stuff alone, that they would never have any free time. So, as @ctg says, the people "walking butt-naked around the rubbish piles" all day, couldn't be able to exist.

 

[svalbard]

Rosita RPGing that dude was pretty awesome though, although I can't imagine that was safe to do at that distance.

Reckon the dude that got roasted didn't think so either. It was awesome.

On the POWs. Are we getting set up for a mass prison break for the mid-season finale?

 

[ctg]

On the POWs. Are we getting set up for a mass prison break for the mid-season finale?

That could be exciting, but where would they go? The zombies around sanctuary are the key for keeping the region relatively peaceful. Maybe the trash tribe will accept them as long as they are fine doing weird stuff, while flashing boobs and butts.

Why oh why did Rick have to go visit the trash can tribe, they've already proved they can't be trusted.

He is stubborn and I think the idea comes from his roots as a sheriff. Back in the days his job was to bother these sort of people, so why not now, when they're living in the Ricknation.

I enjoyed Carl's interaction with Sadiq

Carl's storyline was the highlight for me, although this show has conditioned me to assume that Sadiq will turn out to be a murdering psychopath or something.

I think Carl is trying to get back on the mission that Daryl abandoned. There are still people out there that needs help. People who might have important skills or even knowledge about things Ricknation needs. Things that are next to impossible to get alone, but with a group effort possible to achieve. And most noticable thing is that Saqid has survived longer than Carl or Rick without a community as @Dave pointed out. He is also proper skinny looking for being in that state.

I too loved their interaction, although I was shaking on Carl's inability to put down the zombie. How did he not get bitten?

 

[SilentRoamer]

I thought this episode was a right stinker. They have been getting really bad this season and only 1-2 episodes so far have felt interesting - last weeks being one of them.

The Good:
- I really liked Carls interaction with Sadiq, it felt real and genuine and this show should be more like this, not everyone you meet is going to be a total git.
- Melissa McBride showed her acting chops again and brought some authenticity to an otherwise unbelievable scene.
- Darryl and Tara saying screw this lets go kill Dwight - whilst I had sympathy with Dwight in seasons past - he can die for me now.

The Bad:
- Hitting someone with an RPG at what looked effectively point blank range (i recorded and watched the scene in slow motion, with the exception of the nameless red shirt that got killed none of the background scenery was changed. Ridiculous.
- Trash Tribe naked lady - I mean really Rick, you just go there with the hope that weird Jadis is going to team up with you... so dumb...
- Rosita and Michonne just happen to come across some saviors - which proved pointless anyway as Darryl/Tara dealt with it anyway.
- Terrible inconsistency - Carls shirt is covered in deer blood and the next time we see him talking to Sadiq a few seconds later as he walks away half of it is blood free. Just poor continuity.

My biggest complaint by far is that there seems to be little to no coherent plot to follow in a single episode. It ended up viewing to me like a collection of short story montages set in a ZA that have a passing reference to each other. The head hopping was ridiculous and it doesn't let you get into the characters heads and build any sense of tension or drama. It feels sometimes (especially in earlier episodes) that they just filled minutes with pointless action sequences.

When the show opened anyone could die at anytime and whilst that is supposed to still be the mantra of the show, lets be honest, has anyone sensed any mortal danger for our main characters - I don't include Eric the red-shirt as he has been a minor character at best - an addendum to Aaron essentially.

So yeah, my thoughts. Not impressed.

I'll still watch the show though, although I won't be excited and waiting with my popcorn ready - it just doesn't elicit the same response as earlier seasons.

Much more looking forward to Vikings and the return of GoT.

 

[REBerg]

Much more looking forward to Vikings and the return of GoT.

Dilly dilly!

 

[ratsy]

Didnt love it. Didnt hate it. But.... if they had an RPG or bazooka why not shoot one at the sanctuary, blowing a hole in the wall and allowing zombies to overtake it. I mean, come on! It would be over

 

[Judderman]

A slow start but a good episode overall relative to most of the last season and a half. A bit of action and some reasonable drama. But again with all the little stories do you guys seriously think the war will be over in the next couple of episodes? If they finish it before the end of the series finale I will be relatively happy to have some story change to look forward to. But yes midseason finale war completion would be better.

Re: Culwych- Dwight murdered Denise and tortured Daryl so it is revenge suddenly brought up again.

p.s. CTG's post reminded me - Has Christmas so far been celebrated on the Walking Dead?

 

[Culhwch]

I too loved their interaction, although I was shaking on Carl's inability to put down the zombie. How did he not get bitten?

Plot armour.

Re: Culwych- Dwight murdered Denise and tortured Daryl so it is revenge suddenly brought up again.

Oh, I remember that, and I certainly don't blame Tara for holding a grudge. It just seems strange for Darryl to go from being happy to use Dwight as an inside man to suddenly and without any interaction or provocation ready to march into the Sanctuary and murder him.

 

[Judderman]

Oh, I remember that, and I certainly don't blame Tara for holding a grudge. It just seems strange for Darryl to go from being happy to use Dwight as an inside man to suddenly and without any interaction or provocation ready to march into the Sanctuary and murder him.

Yes it seems some relevant scene(s) has been skipped. He has been moodily ignoring Rick's direction and killing people with little provocation. Perhaps he was musing on this revenge, but he didn't seem bothered before when he was signalling with Dwight.

 

[Marvin]

Oh please can we pick up the pace. Resolve something already!

 

[ctg]

It just seems strange for Darryl to go from being happy to use Dwight as an inside man to suddenly and without any interaction or provocation ready to march into the Sanctuary and murder him.

In the first episode Daryl told Dwight that he will kill him if there was monkey business. It happened and people died on Kingdom's side. Daryl also proved to Rick that he's not going to shell out mercy. Dwight has crossed him one too many times, so it's time for revenge.

 

[Danny Creasy]

I thought this episode was a right stinker. They have been getting really bad this season and only 1-2 episodes so far have felt interesting - last weeks being one of them.

I agree. Suffering along 'til the end. Enjoying the occasional bright spot.

 

[ctg]

McIntosh, who appeared on ComicBook.com's After the Dead on Sunday night, opened up about the scene which required who to sit in a junkyard set wearing only an apron. "Those bare shoulders are pretty sexy, huh?" the actress joked. "It's more that the eye imagines, than what you see, which is kinda fun, not so much for the lads there, which was of course fun for me doing that scene." The Scavengers apparently like to have a few men walk around with extra skin showing, as well.

When it comes down to it, though, Jadis and her group are simply shedding the bounds created by civilization in shedding their clothing. "My feeling on it is that Jadis is a pretty open minded person, and she's created this world for them to live in," McIntosh said. "And part of it is being the human animals that we are and feeling comfortable and being a big family and it's not about necessarily a sexual thing, it's just whilst the apocalypse is a terrible time, there's also the opportunity to really live the way that you choose to live. And there's a freedom in that, and I think that's what that scene expresses."

As for tossing Rick into a hot container with no clothes on, the move seems like a tactic from the perspective of those looking in. While McIntosh won't rule out the possibility of Jadis working with Rick to defeat Negan, she does tease a few potential tricks on the horizon, which may or may not include fulfilling her "lay with him" request from The Walking Dead's Season 7 finale.

"Speaking for Jadis, she's always got something up her sleeve," McIntosh said. "She's always up to something, so I think part of the fun of her is the mystery. Is she madly attracted to this man, or does she just like figuring him out through playing some games with him? You know? I think going visually and going on his spirit, I don't see why she wouldn't rather fancy him. I mean, we all love the show and watch the show, and Andy [Lincoln] is an attractive guy, especially in that character. Rick is a powerful and capable leader, so yeah, she could do a lot worse, couldn't she?"

'The Walking Dead's Pollyanna McIntosh Discusses Nudity, Jadis Laying With Rick

 

[paranoid marvin]

Well one thing trash lady got right was that Rick 'talks too much'