It seems as though my complaints of the last couple weeks of The Walking Dead were heard. After some of the worst episodes in a long time, the show finally got back on track with a big non-surprise moment as well as getting back in the mix with what’s going on in Alexandria. “Heads Up” certainly helped pave the way for what should be an interesting mid-season finale.
After last week’s boring episode, I was hoping The Walking Dead would get back to either some good character drama, or at least some good zombie action. The preview promised we’d catch up with Daryl, Sasha and Abraham as they continued to move half the herd away from Alexandria. Despite being better that “Now”, “Always Accountable” felt like it missed the mark again, which has unfortunately become a trend this season.
I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. The Walking Dead finally had a bad episode after a long stretch. Scratch that, it wasn’t necessarily bad, but it was boring and uneventful. Last week’s Morgan filled episode was a bit slow, but it was necessary in the big scheme of things to show us how his character progressed to a stable man from when we last saw him.
ever afraid to shy away from doing something to advance the overall narrative, The Walking Dead has killed off its share of main characters (loved and hated) throughout its five seasons. Last season was particularly rough with the deaths of Beth, Noah, Bob and Tyreese. While we’d grown to like those characters in some capacity, it’s been a long time since we’ve lost a character fans become so attached to. All that changes with “Thank You.”
After the events of last week’s episode, and uncertainty about Glenn’s fate still fresh in our minds, The Walking Dead takes a step back and slows it down. “Here’s Not Here” gives us a 90-minute summary of what happened to Morgan from when Rick last met up with him to when we saw him following the tracks to Terminus.
Balancing the character drama along with action has been a delicate proposition for The Walking Dead. Early on fans complained there was either too much drama or too much action. The last couple of seasons really brought that balance to life. While the season premiere had some action, it also seemed to be devoid more so than what we’re used to. Tonight’s episode, “JSS”, brought the action balance back, but also had some character development as well.
The return of The Walking Dead is like catching up with an old friend after being apart for several months; you just pick up right where you left off like nothing changed. That’s exactly how the season six premiere felt, though with some bumps along the way.
The season finale of The Walking Dead promised to bring lots of blood. Not only did it live up to those expectations, but “Conquer” delivered the best finale the series has seen as well as providing one of the best episodes to date.
This season of The Walking Dead has had its fair share of loss, especially with regards to Rick’s group. “Spend” takes that loss to a whole new level in what was the most gruesome and tragic death in the show’s history.
Everybody’s got a job to do in Alexandria. Hell, even Daryl had one by the end of the episode. Sasha, on the other hand, appears to be in limbo. “Forget” shows us that while some members of the group are acclimating nicely, others still are wary of what Alexandria has to offer.