Since when did it become acceptable for The Walking Dead to just trudge along?
Used to be, with every episode, people would be biting their nails, worried sick that their favorite character may be in danger of being the next victim to the walkers. Sadly, now, we’re biting our nails hoping that one of the characters will bite the dust, if only to get some action back in the show.
Everything about the show seems so deliberate and deliberately slow, it makes me wonder if the game-changer plan here was to shift from being terrified of unpredictable deaths from the premiere episode to wondering just who will damn die next?
Take Negan for example. We’re back to watching him prance about with his bat Lucille. Whether it’s taunting Carl about being his guest to having what should be a tension-filled moment with his so-called wife, it’s like nothing is supposed to faze Negan at all. Not even when Carl comes a-gunning down his man. Not even when he’s forced to confront the women in the Sanctuary.
The encounter between Carl and Negan is supposed to be the highlight of the episode. From the title alone, we know that it’s bound to show that iconic scene in the comics. And we are given quite a deal of scenes with the two of them together.
The problem is that it gets prolonged. We know that Carl gunned down two of Negan’s men. And even however cool Negan would’ve played it, we know that he’s not happy with it. and yet we sit through half an hour’s worth of the episode before we’re introduced to their alone time when Negan finally calls out what Carl had done. Half an episode, before we get to the good part and see Carl uncovered, so to speak.
Maybe that’s why Carl’s crying loses its potency. In the back of our minds, we know that Carl probably never got to terms with what happened to his eye. But the fact that he suddenly started tearing up even before Negan got to his onslaught of insults and jokes is hard to grasp at this point.
And I don’t know if this is deliberate, but when Negan goes from “Holy hell, can I touch it?” to “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings”—I literally don’t know if he’s being sincere or if he’s being a bigger A-hole. That’s what I find so disconcerting with the whole thing. Is this supposed to be what the odd friendship between Negan and Carl supposed to blossom from?
The ironing scene is such a sad and rather gross moment, we also flinch the moment Negan pulls that hot iron away. I flinch more because I finally see how Dwight got his face in that form. It does make me wonder—is all this deliberateness going anywhere? Be it for Carl, for Daryl, or even for Dwight?
One good thing that came out from this scene though: Carl calls out Negan’s bullying attempts as just that, and his threats to be nothing but empty.
Everyone else’s actions seem so half-baked, it’s hard to tell whether we’re supposed to feel sorry for them, root for them, or just ignore them altogether. From the little scouting adventure that Spencer, Rick, and Aaron did to the bickering between Rosita and Eugene, it’s like the Alexandrians have been reduced to utility more than narrative.
There are even some odd choice of actions every now and then. Olivia’s scene is one of those. Admittedly, it was a cheap shot joke from Negan, but for her to start bawling out is quite a weird one. It doesn’t help that she follows it up with slapping Negan for another cheap shot joke.
The sequence that follows after confuses me even more. He takes a nice tour of their home in Alexandria to another upbeat tune. You have to wonder if we’re supposed to find it as some comic relief or yet another one of those forced but deliberate attempts at Negan’s power play.
That’s not to say that we’re in for a long-haul disappointment. At the very least, in this episode, we get to see sneak peeks of different stories merged into one episode.
We see Michonne getting all badass again with some walkers, blowing off some steam and showing a Saviors girl who’s boss.
We see Carl and Negan’s odd relationship fizzle, falter, but still give that good nod to its source material.
We see Daryl, still on his silent rebellion except for one scene. I do have to say that I’m getting tired of Daryl being this helpless little man all of a sudden. I think I would prefer if Daryl kept me on my toes by going against everything Negan says, and making us wonder if he’ll end up dead before the episode ends.
We see the other Alexandrians gathering supplies, frantic because Negan’s day of reckoning will arrive.
We see that one scene where Father Gabriel shows his moxie in telling Spencer off his bad thoughts about Rick. Who would’ve thought that the last character I would’ve hoped to have any progress actually made me smile, even just a little.
There is that one twist in the end that serves as another cliffhanger. Given The Walking Dead’s track record, it better deliver immediately in the next episode to have any real meaning or impact.
The Walking Dead airs Sundays, 9 pm, on AMC.
Read: The Flash may find a new ally in the Accelerated Man.
Get your own treasure chest with One Piece Film Gold's video release bundle.