Monday, March 28, 2016

What I’m Watching: The Walking Dead


The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 14 “Twice as Far” (B+)

This episode couldn’t match the isolated intensity of last week’s installment, but this show is among the best I’ve seen at killing off major characters in the middle of episodes with no warning at all (“Sons of Anarchy” is the other contender for that title). While Eugene seemed the likelier one to die in this hour after he insisted on killing a walker on his own before flailing while trying to do so, Denise assumed that risk factor when she went for the cooler trapped in a car with a walker, though she survived that too. That’s what made her death in the middle of her stirring speech, with an arrow to the eye no less, all the more shocking and intense, especially because it has nothing to do with her unfitness for the state of this world. Merritt Wever won an Emmy for “Nurse Jackie,” and I’d love to see her win a guest acting trophy for this show too. She was a terrific character, and it’s unfortunate that she had to be the subject of the maximum impact to get their point across that the man Darryl let go decided to take out. I was surprised that Eugene pointed out Abraham’s location to his captors, but he came in quite handy – with his teeth – to turn the tide and make sure that they survived the day without sacrificing the livelihood of everyone back in Alexandria. Making Abraham apologize to him for questioning his skills was a nice moment, and their interaction out on the road won’t prevent him for doing what he suggested, the very useful idea of manufacturing bullets. I’m not sad about Carol’s exit since I don’t find her to be anywhere near the show’s strongest character, and I have a sneaking suspicion that she’ll show up down the road just as someone really needs her.

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