What I’m Watching: The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: Season 6, Episode 5 “Now” (B)

After such an intense, focused episode as last week’s, it feels disjointed and convoluted to return to such a crowded hour with developments on a handful of fronts. Theoretically, the story of how Rick got away with the RV might still be to come, but now we just got thrown into seeing the mess that Alexandria has become following the brutal attack experienced a few episodes ago. Most concerning is Deanna’s breakdown since it mimics Rick in his more paralyzed moments, unable to adequately guide the group because he just can’t get himself back together. Her son helped snap her out of that a little bit, but it’s going to be a tough road getting back to where they used to be. Involving Carl and other youngsters in the goings-on in Alexandria and its outskirts was an obnoxious bore as usual, and it’s still best to leave things to the adults. It was good to see Aaron step up to make sure that Maggie didn’t charge headfirst into danger all by herself, and he’s definitely the show’s most good-natured addition in a long time, always looking out for the best in people and willing to open his perspective to new ideas. It’s also nice to see Denise and Tara bonding, since those are two people living on the outskirts of different groups of people and they could use a friend, or more, as the case may be. I suspect Alexandria won’t be a reliable home for long, and I’m eager to see who will be able to make it out and survive on the outside.

What I’m Watching: Wilfred

Wilfred: Season 2, Episode 5 “Now” (B+)

Wilfred seems to really want to challenge himself when it comes to convincing Ryan of things, but it’s not actually such a difficult task. The fact that Wilfred was able to convince Ryan that he had a tumor in mere moments was impressive, and only on this show could such a thing occur so casually and easily. Ryan is, of course, doomed to misfortune, as evidenced by the theft of his wallet during Wilfred’s speech about his tumor. Wilfred losing his sense of smell was a fun twist since it opened up the door for Wilfred to think and to read a whole slew of depressing books. His observations on life and the fact that Jenna doesn’t cease to exist when she leaves his line of sight were highly entertaining, and his voicemail was particularly amusing. His suicide was typically dramatic, and was followed up by another thing that could only happen on this show, which was Wilfred finding Bear in the middle of a suicide attempt as well. The lengths Wilfred will go to in order to obtain a $9,000 doghouse are mesmerizing, and it’s certain that this won’t be the last time that an unexpected condition and a mischievous aim on Wilfred’s part come together to make Ryan’s life even more chaotic and difficult than it is already. Bob Gunton’s guest spot as the overly serious moneyman was a typically stoic and intimidating part for the actor best known for his role as the warden in “The Shawshank Redemption.”