Tag Archives: Walking Dead

Where I’ve Been and What’s Next

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In my last post, I promised an update on why I’ve been absent and information on some of the changes coming to Blogging Dead, so here I am.

Where I’ve Been

In the year or so when I put the blog on hold, I was pursuing my master’s degree part-time and working full-time, which left me very little room for my hobbies. On top of those two things, I was still continuing to review movies on my podcast Spoilerpiece Theatre too. Because one of my co-hosts was going to have a child and knew his free time would be limited after the baby was born, I took over recording and editing the podcast as well. All of these concurrent items just made keeping up with this blog impractical, especially since I was also trying to date during this period.

One fortunate thing that happened to me during this downtime is that I met the love of my life. Thankfully she’s also a Walking Dead super-fan so when we got engaged this year, I was thrilled that she wanted to zombify our engagement photo with AMC’s Dead Yourself app. What a woman. I’m so lucky to have her!

My zombie engagement photo created with AMC's Dead Yourself App.

My zombie engagement photo created with AMC’s Dead Yourself App.

Now that I’ve graduated and I’m more adjusted to my podcasting schedule, I have the time to pick this blog back up and give it the dedication it needs again. Ideally I’d like to get at least one new post up per week, depending on what’s going on with the Walking Dead and zombies in general.

What’s Next

A new look. First, you’ll probably notice that I changed the look of the blog a little bit. I went with a lighter color scheme so that the blog is easier to read. If you like the new color scheme, please leave me a quick comment in support. Or if you’re not a fan and you’d like the old black and red back, feel free to let me know via comment as well.

Recaps are going to be different as well. Instead of going with longform analysis like other sites, I want to make my recaps of episodes and the comics more digestible. I will still include a brief plot summary at the top of my posts, but the remainder will be more list-based, calling out out the best line, the best shot (or comic page), the best zombie kill, the best zombie-related theme, and the best non-zombie related theme present. I might adapt this format to include more or less as I get the hang of it.

That’s all I have for now. I recently downloaded the Walking Dead – No Man’s Land, AMC’s official Walking Dead mobile game, so look out for a post on that soon.

Walking Dead Infographic from Semester Online

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Recently Semester Online sent me this neat infographic about courses and careers you might want to pursue based on your favorite television shows. Of course The Walking Dead was listed among them, so I thought the piece was worth brief comment. I definitely appreciate their “Fun Facts” about actual zombie-related courses offered at Columbia College and UC Irvine. I just wish I had the time to take those classes myself.

However I don’t necessarily agree with their other sections on potential courses, majors, and careers for people who love The Walking Dead. Even though I’m obsessed with the show and I would take classes about zombies, I wouldn’t necessarily want to pursue the majors and career paths that they mention. I think sociology and organizational management might be slightly useful in handling the zombie apocalypse, but that learning would be quickly thrown out the window in post-apocalyptic chaos. The career options for law enforcement and clinical laboratory scientist seem disconnected from those majors, and really only appear to be there since some characters on the show held those occupations. Again, learning from those careers wouldn’t be as applicable when trying to deal in the zombie-filled world. I don’t think there’s any real education that can prepare you for that. You must learn as you go and do what you need to survive.

My gripes aside, this is a fun infographic and it’s not just limited to The Walking Dead, which is cool. If you like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Scandal, The Big Bang Theory, House of Cards, or Dexter, you could get some entertainment too.

Is Your Favorite TV Show The Clue To Your Career?

Brought to you by Semester Online

Herculean Hershel: Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 5

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Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 5

Scott Wilson as Hershel Greene in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 5

With the prison’s fences caving in and walkers swarming through, somehow Rick and Carl manage to mow them all down near the end of The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 5 (Internment). Their father-son heroics are impressive, however they aren’t nearly as remarkable as Hershel’s Herculean determination in the face of intense adversity.

Many people believe that Hershel is fighting a doomed battle against the super flu, which is picking people off one by one at the prison. Even Dr. S has lost hope, so he smuggles some shotguns and shells into his cell. Although Hershel refuses to give up on anyone or to let go of his hope that the group will pull through. You might call it sheer stubbornness or arrogance, but either way you have to respect his incredible strength of character and ability to keep everyone going.

During a horrific moment in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 5 opening, Hershel, Glenn, and Sasha are trying to shove a tube down some convulsing guy’s throat to help him breathe. During the commotion, Hershel bravely tries to lighten the mood with jokes like “Some council meeting, huh?” and silly suggestions such as starting “Spaghetti Tuesday.” As if that wasn’t enough, he also insists on dealing with dead patients outside the cell block. By killing those walkers out of sight, Hershel smartly preserves a sense of order and stability among the people still combating the illness. Kudos to him for shouldering that emotional burden.

Unfortunately Hershel can’t be everywhere at once. Everything finally spirals out of control for him once a walker get loose and start biting people. Hershel risks life and limb, almost getting bit himself, to kill the zombies and to save Glenn from the brink of death. Thank god Maggie ignores Hershel’s command to stay away from the area. If she didn’t break in to help her dad, poor Glenn would be a goner.

What’s amazing about Hershel is that he gives selflessly without expecting anything in return. That’s what easily makes him the most admirable character on The Walking Dead. You can really sympathize with him, so when he bursts into tears toward the end of the episode, you’re right there too. He gets a good cry in for all of us. Here’s to hoping the show’s writers keep him alive through this season.

Another crazy part of The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 5, is that Rick and Carl manage to kill all those zombies swarming in. Not only is it huge that Rick let Carl assist in such a dangerous situation, but it’s a big deal that they survive. When the fences started falling, I thought for sure the whole group would be forced to leave the prison. I was impressed when the episode cut back to them mopping up the corpses. Rick and Carl must have used their ammo efficiently with some well-placed head shots.

Did you think that the prison would fall in this episode? Also, were you shocked to see The Governor lurking outside at the very end? Is he coming in war or in peace? And finally, this week’s poll: Were you worried that Glenn might get killed off?

Glenn’s Health in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 5

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Warning: This Walking Dead Season 4 post contains spoilers. Please wait until after watching, before reading further.

Glenn’s health is pretty touch and go in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 5 (Internment). He comes very close to the verge of death toward the end of the episode. He might not have even made it if Maggie wasn’t there to help Hershel give Glenn a breathing tube.

To talk more with me about The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 5, check out my full post on the episode, to let me know what you think.

Rick’s shocking decision in Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 4

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Warning: This Walking Dead Season 4 post contains spoilers. Please wait until after watching, before reading further.

Toward the end of The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 4 (Indifference), Rick realizes that he must force Carol to leave his group at the prison, because if everyone finds out that she burned Karen and Dave, it will create chaos. Plus Tyreese would never forgive her.

To talk more with me about The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 4, check out my full post on the episode, to let me know what you think.

Tyreese Comes Out Swinging: The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 3

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Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead Season 4

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead Season 4

Until now Tyreese has been a level-headed character. However at the start of The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 3 (Infected), he does a complete 180. After discovering his smoldering dead girlfriend, he comes out swinging. Was she torched as a walker? Or murdered? Tyreese doesn’t care. He just puts Daryl in a choke hold and punches Rick. I’m glad to see Tyreese becoming more nuanced like he is in the Walking Dead comics, but I wish his development would happen under less depressing circumstances.

Despite Tyreese’s grief-stricken state, Rick doesn’t take kindly to sucker punches, and loses his shit. He goes full-on crazy, turning self-defense into a total beat down. I can’t blame Rick for returning blows, because I would too, except I’d exercise more restraint. If you know about Rick and Tyreese’s epic entanglement from the Walking Dead comics, you’ll be pumped to watch this episode’s brawl, even though the show’s reasons for their fight are less complex.

Later on in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 3, Tyreese comes out swinging again, this time with his hammer. When he, Daryl, Michonne, and Bob Stookey accidentally drive into an enormous herd of walkers, their car gets trapped on a hill of zombies, forcing them to fight their way out. Tyreese stays to take on a swarm singlehandedly, which seems like a sacrificial play if you haven’t read the Walking Dead comics. Using a situation similar to one in the comics, the show’s writers have Tyreese channel his rage into walker-killing superpowers. Like the Rage Mode from Doom, Tyreese angrily and rapidly destroys his foes, leaving him exhausted, yet alive.

Back at the prison, everyone left there tries to combat the mystery illness killing people off. Even Glenn and Sacha catch it, leaving us devastated. Get well soon guys! Most uninfected prefer quarantine to stem the illness, while their friends search for supplies. Although Hershel is willing to put his life on the line to help. Once again he thrives as the show’s emotional anchor, especially when he delivers one of his famous knock you on your ass powerful speeches about risking your life for what’s important. Aw snap, Rick and Maggie, you got served!

Following this season’s theme of answering a previous episode’s questions while raising new ones, we learn that Carol burned Karen and Dave. Now that Rick knows about she did, we’re all left wondering, is there anything he’s going to do about it?

This week’s poll: If you were in Rick’s position, would you tell anyone it was Carol who torched Karen and Dave?

Are you happy with Tyreese’s character development? And if you were Rick, would you have fought back against him? Click here to leave me a comment.

What Carol did in Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 3

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Warning: This Walking Dead Season 4 post contains spoilers. Please wait until after watching, before reading further.

Toward the end of The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 3 (Isolation), Rick figures out that Carol is the person who burned Karen and David. Ultimately what she did kept everyone safe, but it has Tyreese pissed off and demanding justice.

To talk more with me about The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 3, check out my full post on the episode, to let me know what you think.

Bloodletting: Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 2

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Chad L. Coleman as Tyreese in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 2

Chad L. Coleman as Tyreese in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 2

Warning: This Walking Dead Season 4 post contains spoilers. Please wait until after watching, before reading further.

The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 2 (Infected) proves that the show’s writers haven’t lost their penchant for eerie openings. This episode’s pre-credits sequence is creepy as f*** and it’s not just because it follows the season premiere’s foreboding ending.

In his opening, director Guy Ferland tantalizes us with a mysterious figure feeding walkers live rats at the prison’s outer fence. Then Ferland transitions indoors, where Tyreese sings to his girlfriend Karen. After that, he follows Karen as she travels perilously toward the newly zombified Patrick. Until she retires safely to her cell, Ferland has you on the edge of your seat because you’re suspicious that undead Patrick could jump out at any moment. Ferland finally delivers the gore you’re expecting, when he has walker Patrick chomp into the juicy throat of some poor sleeping guy. And…cue the show’s opening credits.

During the chaotic events that follow in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 2, there are several haunting scenes that stick with you long after the end credits.

  • Cell block D’s fight for survival
  • Michonne’s tearful breakdown
  • Pig sacrifice to the walkers
  • Rick’s fire and rearming
  • Discovery of Karen’s torched remains

The fight in cell block D is unforgettable because the episode’s music reaches a peak that deftly conveys the frantic tragedy of the situation. Then as things settle down, the score comes crashing down, leaving you emotionally winded. Michonne’s breakdown while holding baby Judith is memorable since she hardly shows emotion. While she sheds tears, you can’t help wondering if she lost a child of her own. Rick’s sacrifice of his pigs for the safety of his settlement gives horrifying validity to the expression “bleeding like a stuck pig” as he cuts them and throws the unfortunate squealing animals to their death. The spray of blood and somber music here are gut wrenching. Following that mess, when Rick burns the pig area and puts his gun belt back on, you become certain that there’s nothing but trouble ahead for him. Lastly, Tyreese’s discovery of the bloody trail to Karen’s burned body is heartbreaking since he never got a chance to say goodbye or know for sure that she turned.

Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 2 provides answers on how Patrick got sick (pig meat) and whose gun Rick dug out of the garden (Carl’s). However the episode leaves us with a brand new questions as well. Who burned Karen’s body and why? Plus the subject of this week’s poll: Who is feeding the walkers rats?

Who do you think torched Karen and why? Click here to leave me a comment.

Who is feeding the walkers rats in Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 2?

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Warning: This Walking Dead Season 4 post contains spoilers. Please wait until after watching, before reading further.

At the beginning of The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 2, you see a mysterious figure feeding the walkers rats by the prison fence.

It’s Raining Dead: Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 1

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Hershel and Rick talk in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 1

Hershel (Scott Wilson) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) in The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 1

Warning: This Walking Dead Season 4 post contains spoilers. Please wait until after watching, before reading further. 

(Singing) It’s raining dead! Hallelujah, it’s raining dead! Amen!

For me, the high point of The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 1 (30 Days Without an Accident), is a delightfully action-packed scene where walkers are raining down on our heroes. This is a frightening situation for them, but thankfully Daryl Dixon is there to save the day by delivering lethal shots with his crossbow and stomping zombie heads into pulp. The juicy supply run gone-wrong represents the season-opener’s most intense section. There’s blood by the bucketful, peeling rotten flesh, and a walker hanging entertainingly by its entrails. It’s an absolute delight for zombie fans.

Although new showrunner Scott M. Gimple rewards us early on with this thrilling gory conflict, he does a fantastic job balancing The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 1 with some great character development. A significant amount of time has passed since the end of Season 3, so in this episode we’re treated to catching up with the significant changes that have taken place at the prison. There are physical modifications that the site has undergone like an outdoor cafeteria, a garden, a stable, and a pig pen. Relationships have shifted too during that window. Romantic connections have emerged for Tyreese and Beth. Maybe even Daryl and Carol got together too? Carol calls him “Pookie,” however that mostly seems like a joke.

Rick and Carl have also been working at fixing the rift that formed between them at the end of Season 3. Rick has turned into a farmer and provider who helps find food for everyone while others have formed a council to lead the community. It’s nice to see Carl acting like a kid again, talking about comics and following his dad around. One of the stranger moments in the episode is the odd flirtation between Michonne and Rick when she gives him an electric razor and jests “Your face is losing a war.” Perhaps they’ll hook up as well at some point?

A bizarre detour during the episode involves Rick’s trip into the woods and his encounter with a deranged, lonely woman named Clara. What’s silly about the whole thing is that Rick follows her without telling anyone where he’s going. Then she ends up attacking him and killing herself senselessly. The subplot goes on longer than it should considering the whole adventure serves one point: for Rick and Hershel to later debate whether you can come back from the terrible things you have to do for survival. Hershel believes you can. And it appears Rick has turned himself around.

By the end of The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 1, you’re left with three fascinating questions and a fun cliffhanger. First, whose gun is it that Rick digs up in the garden? Second, how are the pigs getting sick? Third, and most importantly, the subject of this week’s poll, how does the kid get sick who dies at the end? His death and transformation into a walker in the final moment spells trouble for our friends at the prison. Can’t wait to see how it plays out.

What did you think of The Walking Dead’s Season 4 premiere? Any surprises or disappointments? What do you think will happen next? Click here to leave me a comment.