The Living are Haunted by the Dead: The Walking Dead 4x14

AKA the best episode ever?

I loved this episode so much even though it made me sob (!!!) , it was so carefully and beautifully and richly written. I wasn't surprised at all that I loved it once I saw Scott Gimple wrote it, though.

AND THE ACTING OMG. Melissa McBride for all the awards, tbh. She was amazing.

Anyway, where do I start?

I hadn't really realized how much I'd missed Carol until this episode! It was just so nice to have an episode from her POV fully centered around the central issues of her character. I am so glad Tyreese forgave her, because I think/hope it means that she's not doomed to death. Speaking of Tyreese, the scene where he was talking about dreaming of Karen and dreaming about how a stranger killed her, etc. really gave a lot of insight into his particular grief? Like, I think part of why he was able to forgive Carol in that moment was because she was finally able to give him some answers he needed. (also because he would have otherwise been alone and they'd just been through something really hard) But anyway that scene was also just so beautifully acted with him talking about being haunted by the dead (because yes of course you'd feel that way) and Carol trying so hard to know what to say in those moments. PERFECT.

Carol trying to toughen Mica up and Mica resisting. Lizzie feeling genuine grief and horror over killing the walkers and just not getting it. The burning fire...which of course was really Lizzie, the fire was finally out just when the fire/problem of Lizzie herself would be out. Lizzie's love for Carol and how upset she was over "making her mad" (for all the wrong reasons) and how hard in those moments it must have been for Carol to do what needed to be done. Carol's failure, yet again, to protect and save the little girls in her care.

And there were all these moments in the episode where the characters thought maybe things would be okay, but as audience members you sort of know they weren't. Again, we had a little group wanting to play house and well WHY NOT? They had food and a mom and a dad and three little girls!! Even when Lizzie joined in killing the walkers during the attack you could practically see Carol thinking, "maybe it will all work out."

Obviously, this was a very disturbing episode, I won't deny that, but it was one of the most powerful in my opinion because of just how much you could feel the strain and difficulty of this world. Harsh and heartbreaking reality. I cried so much during the scene when Carol shot Lizzie. :(

I want to know all your thoughts and feelings!

(also I think Rick is finally back next week, hallelujah, tbh)

It's Time to Have a Very Important Discussion about The Walking Dead

So, you all know The Walking Dead is my favorite show and I like to talk about it, etc. But I'm a little bit different than the majority of the fandom because Daryl Dixon is not my favorite character. I don't dislike him, in fact, I have really enjoyed his arc, but I'm not in love with him the same way so many fans seem to be (of the "Daryl dies we riot group, etc) It's hardly surprising, I almost always am more interested in female characters although Rick on this very show is the exception, of course.

ANYWAY. I have never really ~shipped (rooted for) Daryl and Carol as a couple despite their popularity. Again, it's not that I couldn't see the appeal--they had a lot of really touching moments and I think Carol was the first one to really draw out Daryl's softer side. So I totally get why people shipped them, I just wasn't one of them.

I did think back in the season premiere, however, that Daryl's arc for the season might be falling in love. And the person he had key moments with in the season premiere was Beth.

Now back when I thought this show might be setting up a Rick/Beth romance (due to some oddly shot promo footage, lol) I was traumatized. I'm not sure how old Beth is supposed to be on the show (okay 18, whew the show can go there lol), but in my opinion way too young for Rick! Plus, didn't CARL have a crush on her? I mean... (Also I've been shipping Rick/Michonne since Lori died, so...) But, I felt like the show might go there with Daryl and Beth. And then we got these episodes where they have been split up and they were, in my opinion, full of shipper bait. (which is kinda weird for this show, like the Daryl/Beth stuff was wayyyyy shippier than the Bob/Sasha stuff, like usually the show sets up its actual romances very clumsily, i.e. Maggie propositioning Glenn right off the bat, etc.)

OR WAS IT? I mean he carried her!! (like over the threshold) they held hands! he basically said she was the reason he believed there were good people in the world! he liked her singing!

Or...was it supposed to be a father/daughter vibe? They stood at a father's grave. He gave her a piggyback ride? I mean WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE FEELING?

For the record, I had alllll the shippy feels which I did not expect at all. I was sort of creeped out by it at first since he's so much older than her, but their scenes were sweet. And a relationship with Beth would come with none of the baggage one with Carol would. From Beth's perspective, Daryl's a survivor and could protect her. He's changed a lot and he was totally open with her. The age difference is not such a big deal in an apocalyptic world (one of my favorite zombie novels, The Reapers are the Angels reallllly goes there)

Anyway how did you guys feel about it? I do think it's funny that someone on here said they thought they put Daryl with Beth so we would start caring about Beth because I think it probably worked.

BUT OMG WHAT HAPPENED TO HER? I have a dread fear of cannibals, to be honest. Also, she's young and blonde and well...female. UGH, it's like Lorena getting kidnapped in Lonesome Dove. Also, do you think Daryl is just biding his time with this new group of thugs or is he going to revert? I mean he's in a lot of pain and this is the true test of everything he's learned and the ways he's changed. It's just not a good situation for him to be in.

And even though I suspect there is still no Rick/Michonne/Carl next week, I am REALLY excited for next week's episode! Tyreese, Carol, and the little girls!!!!! Yessss.

Tell me all your thoughts!!!!

My Favorite Scenes on TV This Year

I thought about writing about all the great TV I watched this year (the spring was heavy, the fall light) but instead I thought I'd write about a few of my favorite scenes. I feel like I've already written in a lot of detail about most of the shows I loved at one point or another so I'll point you to those posts for further reading if you care! The Americans, Bates Motel, Rectify, The Good Wife, and The Walking Dead And this post contains a lot about my love for Alison Hendrix of Orphan Black.

There are five scenes that stood out to me, the kind that I'd write big long tags for on tumblr if I was the type to do that, but I'm not, so I'm going to put it all in blog form. One of them has no gifs made of it so you'll just have to imagine with me!

The Fosters--Brandon tells his dad he can't move in with him.

Pretty sure I've probably already written about this scene but it's important because it represents so beautifully something about life that I find so bittersweet and...hard to capture? Ana recently said it best when she said, "Even a good choice usually means giving up something is what I’m saying, and there are times when that’s easier to deal with than others." Yes, exactly. We don't get to have everything in life and as obvious as that may seem, it is actually a hard thing to come to terms with? It's easier to think there is a right and a wrong choice and if you make the right choice than everything will be peachy, and you won't still hurt over the loss associated with it. And sometimes other people pay those kinds of consequences for our choices as is demonstrated in this scene-- Brandon only has to make this choice because of his parents divorce.

So basically what happened is that Brandon lives with his family and it's wild and crazy there and he thinks he'd like more time by himself. So his dad offers to let him move in and at first he's going to do that but then decides he can't. So when he tells his dad, it's obviously hard, but there's this moment when he realizes that his dad rented a piano for him and this thoughtful gesture and the life it represents that he can't have causes him to just break down. It's like he's grieving the reality that he can't have both. And there's no bad guy in this situation, it's just such a truly human moment that exposes our limitations, the loss that is present in every choice we make. I loved this scene so much--it made me cry and it sold me on the show completely. I feel like The Fosters continued to have such moments throughout its first run of episodes. It's such a warm hearted show without ever downplaying the difficulty or reality of life. What can I say to get you to watch it?

Bates Motel--Norma Loses it on the Street

Aw, Norma how I love you. This scene really just struck me as such an excellent character moment. And I haven't really seen a lot of people talk about it apart from laughing at it, but I love what it reveals about Norma and how much I identify with it! (which is actually not a good thing, but whatever)

In the post I linked to above that I wrote, I talk a lot about how Norma tries to control her life. And one of the biggest things she does is to act pleasant and try to get along with everyone. She acts this way, of course, because of how out of control she feels. Throughout the course of the season, and her life, she is always trying to manage things--big huge awful things--by generally being pleasant and working hard. But no matter what she does, she just cannot get ahead. Earlier in the season, she tells Norman, "all my life I've had to put with things" and this scene just bears that burden in so many ways. She's just been at Norman's therapist who tried to get her to confess to what she would perceive as weakness (Norma would never!) and she's feeling under threat for her very life. Basically, she's carrying a lot of psychological burden at that moment. So when she bumps into this guy, her reaction is of course her normal Norma reaction--she's apologetic and pleasant. But when his response is to brush her off, to treat her as less than fully human in that second--she just snaps. She just cannot take another minute of being trampled on--especially for something that was a simple mistake on her part and for which she apologized. So she screams at him. And it's glorious and zany and it MAKES SO MUCH SENSE.

Source
The Walking Dead--Michonne holds Judith

Part of me wanted to write about one of my favorite Rick/Michonne moments just because ugh this ship I have the misfortune of loving it a lot but because it's not canon (yet!) the fanbase is small and inactive. Basically there needs to be more Rick/Michonne everything. But...I don't know it's really hard to top how powerful this scene was when Michonne held Judith. I'm only going to link to the gifset in this case because it's too many pictures. But click through to see what I mean.

Danai just did a really wonderful job in this scene on two levels. She acted beautifully, first holding Judith at a distance and then you can see the different expressions flash across her face as she draws her closer and ends up crying. And while the writing set up the scene for us to understand that maybe Michonne lost a child, the acting in this scene alone sells us that idea. It's just really fantastic. But it's also representative, I think, of the audience's journey with Michonne. While I have loved her from day one, there was a lot of dissatisfaction over her portrayal. I think the way she first held Judith skeptically away at arms length is how the audience felt about her, but then she draws her in and has one of her most vulnerable moments.

Borgen--Katrine talks to Birgitte about Kasper

There are so many great moments in this show, but I loved this scene when Katrine asks Birgitte about Kasper. She's hurt and confused because she doesn't quite understand what happened between them and she thinks that perhaps Birgitte can shed some insight. She thinks that they are getting back on track but then Kasper will do something that surprises and hurts her. So she asks Birgitte who wisely tells her that when Kasper was a spin doctor, one of his gifts was being so inscrutable that people could project their own desire for his meaning onto him. I looooved this scene. I loved it because YES we do that, we make room for the interpretation we want to be true, but also it was a really kind way for Birgitte to give Katrine advice about what might be happening. Loved. Sadly, no gifs.

Rectify--Because I Know You

Everytime I think of this scene, I tear up. It's one of the most powerful things I saw on TV this year. This is a huge important moment in the finale of Rectify, so read no further if you don't wish to be spoiled.

Throughout the show, we watch Daniel both adjusting to life on the outside and see flashbacks to his time in prison. And the show explores ideas of reality and truth and never answers the central question of whether or not Daniel actually committed the crime. Daniel doesn't really know if he did or not and that constant uncertainty and uneasiness is part of what makes this show so successful. When we see Daniel's life in prison, we see his relationship with a fellow inmate who is also on Death Row. And their relationship is really one of the only positive things they both have. In fact, on the outside, when Daniel talks about what he knows to be real, he mentions his friend.

Anyway, as his friend, Kerwin, is taken to his death, he stops and says he needs to say something to Daniel. And he tells him he knows he didn't do it and when Daniel asks how he knows, he responds three times, "because I know you"

This is all Daniel could want--that someone that truly knows him would know he didn't commit a crime he himself is plagued with doubt over. But not only that, it's such a beautiful goodbye because even if Daniel did commit the crime what Kerwin is essentially telling him is that, "I know you and the you I know is not capable of that" What better last message could you really give someone whose entire life is being lived in the same four walls? You can tell them that the time you spent getting to know them convinced you they were a person of worth. ugh, so beautiful. One gif below, but see it all here.

So those are my top five scenes I had something to say about! There were of course many more GREAT scenes, I just have less to say about them.

And just to kind of wrap up the year in TV--

My favorite shows from the year:
Borgen
The Walking Dead
The Americans
Rectify
The Fosters
Switched at Birth
Orphan Black
Bates Motel
The Killing
The Good Wife

Other Shows I enjoyed:
The Originals
Major Crimes
The Carrie Diaries
Nikita
Orange is the New Black
Suits
Breaking Bad
Call the Midwife
Parks and Recreation
Hannibal

The Walking Dead 4x08--Too Far Gone

I don't actually have many thoughts. I'm sort of assessing the first half of the season and the truth is that while I was willing to go with the show for the first several episodes those Governor episodes like...killed a lot of my interest. And so this episode spent another solid chunk of time with him... I just.. ugh.

Having said that, here are a few thoughts.

*I definitely thought the show was going for some Breaking Bad flavor with these Governor episodes, with how prominently featured the chess set was, and then showing the king trampled underneath a zombie foot. Which, like I can't say there's anything bad about this, I just didn't care. I really feel like The Governor's takedown came too late.

*Aw, I felt sorry for Megan. I actually said, "oh no!" when she got bit. Even if she was annoying child on television.

*:( Hershel. And aw I was really touched when watching The Talking Dead and Lauren Cohan kept choking up! But it was a fitting death, and I'm glad Rick showed so much optimism in his final moments, lol. I don't think you get to "come back from the things you've done" and I think this is the wrong way to look at it. I do think it's possible to find a way forward, though. Hershel's death was so brutal, though, I was especially horrified when he was scooching along on the ground after the first hit! I think everyone longs for a quick death.

*I felt like the episode conveyed an appropriate amount of chaos and it did remind me of the end of season 2--which was my favorite finale, sigh. But I don't think this midseason finale was anything like last year's which was perfect in every way. Anyway, tough to have the group split up, but I look forward to new friendships and stuff?

*Lizzie is the psycho am I right?

*Daryl's reaction to the Carol news was...I don't exactly know.

*Michonne stabbing the Governor was the single best moment of the episode and very cathartic. I'm so glad he's dead.

*Do you think Judith is dead? I'm undecided but when the kids were lugging her out, I was like ARGH BE CAREFUL WITH JUDITH!

I'm looking forward to the second half of the season, I think it has the potential to be good. But I don't feel the same excitement or obsessiveness with the show I'm used to feeling after finales, so...I don't know? I mean I still love this show, I just think I'm glad all that other stuff is behind us now so we can hopefully get back to meaty and juicy stories.

Oh will Daryl and Beth hook up??? IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. Also why didn't Michonne stay with Rick?

TWD, The Originals, and a Very Important Question

Happy Thanksgiving American Friends! As we head into the weekend, I just wanted to write about a few little things and also pose a very important question to you!

TWD

I liked this week's episode better than last week's, but I really hope we're nearing the end of the governor. In the season premiere, Rick was grappling with the question, "Can you come back from the things you've done?" And while Gimple said that would be sort of his...question of the season, I see that it's not confined to Rick in the least and instead the focus of the entire show. And that was really evident with these episodes focused on the Governor. It was like the show wanted you to think yes, it was possible for the governor to come back from it, to start up with a new family, and be normal, and then pull the rug out and be like HA HA NO. I mean the framing of Martinez's death was sort of shocking and also a glorious turning point. This man is not safe, he is not sane, and he will kill everyone. What really drives the Governor? I mean is it really keeping Megan safe? I'm not exactly sure, tbh. Making hard decisions to keep someone safe makes sense, but there's a hard streak of cruelty in him that doesn't account for...so. I don't know.

The Walking Dead also seems preoccupied with the good brother/bad brother relationship (though not in the same way as say The Vampire Diaries, lol). Rick/Shane, Mitch/Pete, The Governor/his brother, even Daryl/Merle. Just out of curiosity is this from the books? I don't hate it, but I would like to remind the writers that sisters can be the same way. :) But it does provide a context for new relationships...like we didn't know these people but because we've seen these same sort of stories play out again and again it makes them feel richer and deeper without having to provide all the necessary background. Oh and Tara and her girlfriend mark the first LGBTQ relationship on the show, right?

I can't decide how I felt about them coming across the soldiers with the signs affixed all representing the sins of The Governor's past. I don't know if it was a little too obvious for my tastes or not. I think I'd have liked something like that if it wasn't the Governor, so perhaps my dislike of the character is affecting things for me.

Also, I was pleased when they came across the camp because we don't get to see too many small little settlements like that on the show? But wow they were wiped out pretty quickly. I'm hoping that whoever wiped them out is the new threat. It couldn't have been the Governor right?

Lastly, I'm really worried for Hershel. He had such an awesome episode, a real upswing for his arc a few weeks ago that I could easily see him being a casualty here. I'm not worried for Michonne from the standpoint of her dying, but I know bad things could happen. I'm really excited/nervous for next week's episode.

The Originals

So after talking about how surprisingly good this show was for its first several episodes I am now here to say it has taken a disappointing turn. I shouldn't be surprised, I never actually cared much about the originals when they were on TVD but omg. The endless whining from the three of them on their own show is too much. I've been trying to figure out why I liked the first episodes so much better and I think it's because the show really sold me on the concept of New Orleans as a supernatural melting pot and there were all these intriguing stories about vampires, werewolves, and witches going on. There wasn't so much Klaus ~introspection. I think the show really failed in executing a few of these more interesting plotlines and now they are just hanging there while Klaus cries.

BUT. Having said that, I'm further amused by myself because I do really love the character of Cami. She's the token human, and she's incredible. I was annoyed by the idea of her inclusion in the show to begin with, but now I love it. As I wrote when I talked about The Walking Dead, I like stories that deal with the struggle of being...well yourself? good? moral? And I think Cami's story represents that in many ways. She's become a pawn to Klaus, he erases her feelings, messes with her memories, etc. And she's actively fighting against that. Additionally, she's fighting against the idea that should could turn out like her brother. Ugh, I just love her so much. It helps that Leah Pipes is a fantastic actress as well. I think I actually had a lot more thoughts about this but I can't recall them at the moment. :/

Other Stuff

I'm in denial that it's December this weekend.

Somehow I missed out on signing up for any sort of exchange :( Just as well, I suppose!

Also, I watched something on how corrupt the Sochi Olympics are which...I guess it just dawned on me that this is practically a tropical location and makes no sense. Also, this thing I happened to be watching on it on HBO (free trial weekend, woo!) was talking about all the actual needs of people in Russia which. Well, I'm not saying this isn't a valid point, but isn't this always a point? The Olympics do take a lot of money and they are expensive and ridiculously political and there are hungry people in countries everywhere. Anyway, this particular background makes them even more interesting to me to be honest, sports need narratives and this is a juicy one.

Baseball + My Nephew

The Cardinals have been surprisingly efficient this offseason, quickly dealing with some of the major issues from the postseason in acquiring a new outfielder and a new shortstop (to MUCH controversy). For the most part, both of these deals have been regarded as smart business decisions and they clearly show the organization's interest in preserving draft picks and young talent, omg. Anyway, as I was reading over the millions of analyses of the deals, I couldn't help but think about how nice it is to be a fan of a team consistently regarded as smart. (even if John Mozeliak said they weren't the "morale" police instead of the "morality" police....)

Which brings me to...

I have a new nephew! Those of you who follow me on Twitter already knew this but, yay! I already had three gorgeous perfect nieces and while I certainly would have welcomed and loved another, it's also fun to have a nephew.

Now my nephew lives in Denver where his parents live. I want to get him a little Cardinals outfit, but I feel like the nice responsible thing to do is get him a Rockies outfit. My brother is not really a fan of baseball, so it's not like it would be going against him...but he lives in Colorado, lol. But then I was thinking about how I've heard people say they were Cardinals fans because of aunts or uncles and I mean...shouldn't I influence my bb nephew to love the best team in baseball*?

So here's a poll, tell me if it's okay to get him Cardinals gear or should I be self-sacrificing and go with the Rockies?



(*KIDDING. JUST KIDDING. At least I didn't invoke BFIB! If you don't know what that is, you're better off, lol)

Brief Thoughts on The Walking Dead

I meant to write this post about oh five months ago, but the return of The Walking Dead and the subsequent stuff I saw around and in real life about zombies and the complete disbelief that this show is so popular is just. starting. to. get. really. under. my. skin.

Like, there's part of me that should just look at the record breaking number of viewers and realize I've won, but the dismissive attitude towards this show and towards zombie stories in general is making it impossible. Like, I finally understand how fans of fantasy feel for having their favorite genre dismissed so quickly and easily and this isn't even really on the same level as that. I should clarify that I'm totally fine if people don't like zombie stories. I get that it's gross, that there are a lot of bad movies that cater only to the blood and gore crowd, and that so far zombies aren't real and anything that's not real gets dismissed. But it's stuff like...okay well like this author who wrote a book with her husband. She took a zombie story of his and changed into it a natural disaster story, because she's "interested in the human heart, not the zombie heart." This makes me want to bash my head against the wall to be honest. The vast majority of zombie stories are about the surviving humans, and the ones that aren't...like Warm Bodies and In the Flesh ARE STILL ABOUT HUMANS. But that sort of attitude is just so condescending.

And when I mentioned the ratings to someone else, who fully knows I love the show, they were like..."how can that show be so popular?"

You know, I don't know. I can't answer for why everyone else watches it, though I can make some guesses. The Walking Dead is usually a thrill ride which is fun. More and more people are watching which makes it good water cooler talk. The relationships on the show are tight and they matter. It's the first zombie TV show. It's based on a popular comic book. I mean...

I can't answer for why other people are watching, but I can explain why I love this show and maybe for those of you who don't get it, you'll at least understand why I love it. (spoilers for up to 4x04 and actually this sort of assumes you know the show, oops!)

First I want to get some of my unpopular opinions out of the way. I actually really liked season 2, including all the time when they were searching for Sophia. I think the reason it worked for me is because thematically it was such a huge important piece of the story. All of what they went through mattered for their stories. It mattered that Rick thought he could find her and that it would somehow save them--lol it mattered that he was that delusional. It was important for the boiling pot of Shane and Rick living in close quarters and butting heads. It allowed you to believe Glenn and Maggie could fall for each other. Etc. In fact, after season three ended this year I was still feeling obsessive over the show so I went back and rewatched and paid close attention in season 2 expecting to hate it since so many people did and I feel like I've gotten more...critical in my thinking, but instead I zipped right through the episodes like I'd never seen them before. I enjoyed it all over again. So...yeah. Also, a fairly unpopular opinion especially after Sunday's episode (and more on this in a bit) Rick is hands down my favorite character, I think I largely see the show through his point of view. I see the majority of the thematic work on the show (at least before this season and even still) as being worked out in his character so I love him. I don't always think he makes the right decisions or the best choices, but that has never been why a character is my favorite anyway. A close second is Michonne, and I also loved Andrea. I actually think, for all the heat it gets, the show has created some really interesting female characters--none of them fit a mold. They just kill them off way too easily. :(

But I want to explain what I get out of the show...of course I love it for many of the reasons I mentioned above...I love how exciting it is, I love how close and tight knit the characters are, I like that it asks questions about survival. I admire that the show delivers the expectations of the genre (blood and gore) without only being that. That could be a hard line to walk, and trust me, people are always begging for more zombie action, but The Walking Dead uses it somewhat sparingly. But what I like best about the show is the persistent underlying question--what does it mean to be human? And the eternal struggle over the kind of human you want to be.

I don't live in the middle of the zombie apocalypse or even in a situation where survival is a daily concern. And yet I find this concept very relateable. I think it's hard...I struggle, probably, on a daily basis with this very question. What kind of person do I want to be? Do I want to be kind above all? Can I set aside my ego to be loving and generous? Can I make smart decisions that aren't driven by emotions? Am I even in control of my emotions?

Rick, as the centerpiece of the show, largely embodies this very struggle. We are given a front row seat to this struggle as his own brutality begins to raise its ugly head. Rick feels torn between protecting his family and maintaining some semblance of his humanity, and yes those goals come in conflict with each other. And he watches as his best friend allows his jealousy and survival instinct to overtake him, eating away at the person he once was until he's forced to kill him in a final dramatic confrontation.

Shane's proximity to Rick is important. The show is not unsympathetic to Shane as he almost finds a better more ideal life after the virus hits. (by the way, so does Daryl) He gets a position of leadership. He starts up a relationship with Lori and believes he loves her. Things are good for Shane until Rick comes back. And we see early on that he's threatened by Rick's reappearance and is very tempted to do something about it. But the point is that the audience watches Shane unravel and so does Rick. While Shane is of course mad with jealousy, there's always a sense of the kind of guy he was before and the sort of friendship he had with Rick. And it feels like he knows all along he's losing it, but he does give himself over to the control of his emotions and ego. There's this scene where Rick and Shane are taking a guy out to set him loose and they end up getting in a fight. And Shane raises his head to look in a window and he catches his reflection and he's all pale and bloody and he looks just like a zombie. (And then of course there are zombies on the other side!) This visual always strikes me as the show in a nutshell...that it's not so much about the struggle against the external zombies as the struggle within.

After Shane forces things to a decisive point where Rick must kill him to save his own life and still be around to protect his family, it's almost like this burden is transferred to Rick in the show. The entire next season explores a Rick on the edge when he's started to fail in his goal to protect his family. And instead of Shane we get the Governor to contrast with Rick...the possible future Rick, someone who revels in the brutality this world invites. So Season 3 is largely about Rick skating very close to that edge and being forced to decide what kind of person he wants to be.

Which leads me to last week's episode. I, personally, loved it. I liked how complicated it was. I LOVED the character development of Carol taking quick, ruthless, decisive action in killing David and Karen. If you remember, in season 2, when the group was trying to decide what to do about Randall (which is basically a metaphor for the group deciding what to do about their human consciences) she said, "I never asked for this, you can't ask us to decide something like this." Contrasting that with a woman who makes a quick on the spot decision to kill in order to protect the group....like what's not to love? At the same time, once Rick figured it out he had a real problem. And the entire episode is basically Rick weighing his choices. He knows Tyreese is out for blood. He knows that Carol is a trusted woman in the community and that she's also working with the kids a lot. He knows she'll do whatever it takes to protect their people--acting of her own accord. And yet he can sense in her that something is really different. There's no remorse. She's hard, almost proud. And I think that concerns him more than anything. So he makes the only choice he can. Not because he thinks he's morally superior. It's not really a punishment. It's to his thinking, the only possible consequence for her actions and the only way to try to fight for as much human life as possible. After the episode aired, there were so many opinions! A lot of people were really angry with Rick, which I understand, but I think if Carol had killed characters they knew they might have felt more conflicted. It was easy to think of those people's lives as being cheap. (this is one thing I think the show could have done better, to be honest!) So I was really pleased to read showrunner Scott Gimple say this: " I agree with both of their decisions....If this was debate club and I had to debate either Rick or Carol’s side, I would feel confident — very confident — that I could represent either party very well. And I love seeing people making great arguments on both sides. I love that. A huge part of this show is people asking, What would I do? which leads to the question: Who am I? Who am I at the end of the day when it all goes down?"

I love a show that can fully believe in the actions of both of their characters without deciding one is right while the other is wrong and it's thing that I loved best about this episode. Because it happens in real life...people's motivations and desires come in conflict with each other and no one is actually right while the other is wrong, though we often frame it to ourselves that way.

Anyway, this is my little defense of The Walking Dead as a show that is about more than flesh eating monsters. While sure I'm attracted to the superficial wrapping of the show, I love that the core of the show is about something we all face and deal with.

The Walking Dead 4x04--Indifference (and The Good Wife)

Man, I'm loving the show this season. Well, I just love the show, whatever.

Looooved the acoustic version of "Serpents" at the end by the way.

EVERYTHING WITH CAROL WAS A++++. Like, that whole monologue where she talked about how she didn't think she could be strong, but she was strong, and she was strong then just...ugh, MY HEART. It was all just so perfect for a person who has discovered they actually do have it in them to survive, to do things they never thought they could do before. There's a certain pride and detachment she had...a certain way she wanted to show off this new version of Carol to Rick.

And of course Rick was testing her. He needed to understand not only why she did what she did but who she was now and if she'd be a continuing threat. Her almost...seeming lack of remorse, the fact that she thought what she did was for the best, etc. I think those are the things that concerned Rick.

It's interesting how people are discussing whether or not it was right for Rick to do this. I mean...who knows? Maybe he saved her life. I really do think, in part, he felt he was giving her the best chance he could. He did it because, as always, he was thinking of his own family first. Should he have taken it back to the group and asked what they'd do? Maybe.

I also think, though, this partially ties into the three questions they ask new people. How many walkers have you killed? How many people have you killed? Why? Would Carol pass that test if coming into the group brand new? I don't think so.

I don't think Rick killing Shane or Carl shooting that kid last year are comparable situations either. I don't know, I just find it to be deliciously complicated and sad etc. all at the same time. I think/hope we'll see Carol again and I'm looking forward to that. I also think this could tie in to Daryl's arc....

Other stuff:
*I really liked the random kids they met in that house and was sad they were killed off right away! It was one of the more successful ways the show has made me like characters quickly and feel like there was an interesting backstory to be told. Sad!

*I was far less interested in the other group, although, for the first time I sort of felt for Bob. I liked his backstory of being the last one standing, his guilt over his alcoholism causing a death but that guilt not being enough to stop him all over again.

*I'm also glad Michonne's decided hunting the governor is a waste of time.

*Interesting symbolism/stuff with the watches, I knew as soon as Rick turned over his watch that kid was gonna die,tho :(

*One of the things that bums me out about Carol leaving is that I think TWD actually does a great job creating complex and interesting women, but then they die or get banished. So they really need to use whatever time Carol is away to develop Sasha, imo!

The Good Wife!

*Poor Diane :( I really felt for her this episode.

*Will is so weird. I mean I guess I should get why now he's like GOING TO MAKE THE BIGGEST MOST POWERFUL FIRM EVER, but it is super offputting to me. Glad he readily accepted Diane back.

*I was sort of surprised Alicia wanted to join in with those tax attorneys. It seemed odd they'd want to relinquish control so quickly?

*Also, what is going on with her and Grace? Like, she's just realized she has an attractive daughter? (also lol that every time she's talking with Carey it's about something faith related)

*I did like how she softened towards Marilyn when she realized she was pregnant! Also, What to Expect When You're Expecting seems to be one of the most popular books talked about/seen on TV.

*Enjoyed the episode, again!

The Walking Dead 4x02--Infected

When you care about people, hurt is kinda part of the package.

Wow, I really loved this episode? I think it's because there were so many great character moments and I'm starting to believe that more careful characterization is going to be a part of this season. I also love how there are sort of multiple threats going on.

Anyway here goes:

*I was already like 100 percent Karen was going to die from previews. I won't discuss them further but this came as no surprise to me. The way she died was a surprise, though. I didn't expect her to be murdered. Wow. I really liked that revelation, that someone is actively trying to protect the rest of them by eliminating what they see as the threat ASAP. It kinda sucks this was largely done for Tyreese's character development, but oh well. Better to get it out of the way quickly--a lot of the newbies are falling flat especially if I know they haven't been signed on for long, lol.

*I'm sad for Rick...that he's having to give up his farming dream, but I'm also glad that hasn't dragged on forever. Rick is just..smarter than that? He quickly assesses that survival has become more important and so he has to help out more. But god, that scene where he slaughtered the pigs for the zombies was heartbreaking, as he's sacrificing the new life he was trying to grow. (and very nicely shot and done) The scene where he's wiping the blood off his face...just ahhhh.

*Michonne and Judith, omg. So Michonne has lost a child. :( I thought everything, EVERYTHING about that scene was so well done and so fitting and perfect for Michonne. Danai really sold it, too. I love how she was so tough and then just let herself absolutely break down with Judith in her arms.

*CAROL. Omg, I love how tough she's made herself and how absolutely driven she is to make sure no other child ends up in the situation Sophia did. I love that she flat out tells Lizze(?) that she's weak. I liked how she tried to plant the idea in Carl not to tell his father, she's willing to play on Carl's ruthless/pragmatic side in order to continue to be able to teach the children. I mean...wow she was willing to let those girls kill their father...that just shows how far they've come in my opinion. Carol's first priority is survival in very sharp contrast to Rick trying to protect the innocence of his children.

*Daryl seemed a little afloat, but I did enjoy his moment with Carol.

*Glenn wasted film on a picture of Maggie sleeping?

*Is it just my imagination or is the show gorier than ever? I don't really mind so much because a lot of it is...I don't know, fakey to me, but stuff like that zombie's eyeball and the guts sliding out when that dude stood up...IDK.

*I want more Sasha? I don't know if it's just because the actress is so pretty, but I'd like to see more of her. I feel like all we know about her is that she's tough and capable. I'm a little worried they will off her since we aren't getting much to hold on to.

*I was impressed with how quickly they figured out the infection! And I love love love this conflict, it's terrifying. Share your thoughts with me!!

The Walking Dead 4x01--30 Days Without an Accident

You guys, our show is back.

And I love it!

I actually don't have a lot to say about the episode since it was mostly set-up and also I feel like we saw a lot of the stuff that happened in previews leading up to it, but! Here goes anyway:

*Rick--still my fave. I was reading some comments afterwards about how slow the scenes were with him and Clara in the woods and I totally disagree. I don't know, I don't need this show to be non-stop action all the time like it seems so many other people do! The show had to set up a new situation, and I feel like they did a fairly decent job.

Anyway, so at first I thought Clara was some sort of super!zombie, but alas no she was just a human. And I think she was sort of an external manifestation of how so many people surviving in the zombie world feel on the inside. She's desperate, and haunted by the things she's had to do. She's undernourished and dirty and yeah. So anyway, I guess according to The Talking Dead what she said about not being able to come back from the things they've had to do will come back and haunt Rick.

Also, love Rick being all farmer and stuff. I'm not sure it will last? But he's definitely gone to extremes to try to not have to be the violent guy doing violent things and while the showrunner can tell me it's all for his kids, I think it's also for him.

*Rick and Michonne--their little scene was like two seconds long and it was PERFECT. Yes, I ship it.

*Having said that, Daryl and Michonne were also cute. I loved Zach trying to figure out what Daryl was before. Too bad he'll never know. If this episode was setting up season long arcs I think Daryl is going to fall in love ♥

*WOW BETH. She was pretty cool about her boyfriend dying. I'm wondering if she's going to have to lose someone or if she's going to have a breakdown later.

*Need more Sasha and Michonne asap.

*Personally, I love Carol teaching the kids how to defend themselves especially since they are getting a bit too affectionate with the zombies.

*I guess I should address the mystery...I'm guessing that there is another virus making people and animals sick...maybe swine flu, lol? Anyway this is a huge threat because everyone who dies turns so I think it could lead to a lot of really big problems for them. Especially since Patrick seemed to go downhill so fast.

Your thoughts?

News from the Week!

HI EVERYONE!

I've been wanting to write blog posts all week every time some new morsel of info came my way, but I've just been so tired of being on the computer that by the time I try to I can't think.

I'm not going to touch the national news stuff though I feel like I'm living through historic times in a way...and I don't know how things will end. And that's all I'm going to say!

BUT!

First the Emmy nominations are a joke. Obviously I can't watch every show on TV, but when the same people are nominated over and over and super smart shows get overlooked something is wrong. I like being on this side of awards where I can just complain about them, lol. But seriously, though, I hope the academy is ashamed for overlooking Tatiana Maslany since there was such an outcry on her behalf. But I also hope Keri Russell gets their attention for next year because seriously. When I think about how this one actress has managed to create two characters during her career that are incredibly different but that I sympathize/empathize with deeply I just...I guess I'm just sad the whole world doesn't love Elizabeth and her portrayer like I do, lol. Anyway, enough complaining!

So after that annoyance...

THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 4 TRAILER CAME OUT!!! I am so excited!!! It looks GOOD everyone (though I have a lot of guesses about what happens based on the footage) it's 4+ minutes long so don't watch if you prefer to remain completely unspoiled. Also don't read the rest of this section.

Michonne on a horse! She looks stunning! Apparently, she's going to have an arc about being obsessed with hunting down the Governor or something. Not sure how I feel about that, but 100% sure about how I feel about Michonne which is to say I love her.

New threat! Zombies overwhelming them! Yay, exciting times. Also, I'm so excited for Carl's arc!! He's no longer the annoying kid on TV.

Lol EW had TWD covers and I got Daryl. I'm kind of sad, obviously I wanted Rick. Oh well!

I haven't read much about Veronica Mars at Comic-Con but I did read there are going to be books. Also, not sure how I feel about that. I never did read Rob Thomas's other YA book.

And the trailer for season 2 of Bron/Broen is out and reveals nothing. I got excited anyway. I probably will have to wait another year or so sigh.

Did anyone watch Sharknado? I have to admit the most hilarious thing about this has been Ian Ziering making the morning show circuit talking about the movie, lol. He feels it has jumpstarted his career. I don't know, something about it reminds me of Mark O'Connell's Epic Fail.

Also, a tidbit I've been wanting to mention...I've done my fair share of complaining over the lack of films about women, but I recently watched The Call with Halle Barry and while it's not a masterpiece or anything, it's a good example of a thriller movie with female leads. I mean the two most important characters are female and it's about a woman saving a girl (and Halle's character's supervisor is also a woman!) and it's fast paced enough. I mean it's not dreadful, in my opinion. So if you like that kind of movie you should give it a watch!

Books!
J.K. Rowling published under a pseudonym! This was really exciting, actually, felt a bit like Christmas. I find the entire thing fascinating because it's like a lesson in how 1) You could receive an ARC and it could be JKR publishing under a pseudonym and 2) You can't trust anyone! Like seriously, secrets always get out! I do sympathize with the woman who blurted out the secret on Twitter, though, lol can you imagine having this piece of info and the whole world NOT knowing! (though I sort of think this person in comments that suggest the lawyer and his wife's best friend were having an affair is right!)

It's also interesting to me that she chose The Casual Vacancy as her first post Harry Potter book, that she believed in her message so much and knew it was like...her one chance to really get it out? And while I know a lot of people just had a lot of fault with the book, I personally thought it was very interesting and I do find it sort of admirable. Also, this solved the whole mystery about her writing a mystery novel. Anyway, I'm currently reading it!

Oh one other thing, I've actually seen a fair number of complaints about the fictional biography of Robert Galbraith which I can't take seriously. But i'm curious if anyone else has major issues with it.

I read Matthew Quick's new YA this week (Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock) and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I need to go read the other two ASAP, tbh. I think I really like his world view or something, these books just resonate. And feel appropriate for our times without being preachy. Anyway, recommended when it comes out in August!

Other than that reading has been so slow, but I have so many books I want to read, send help. Also, I'm woefully behind on reviews.

Here's what I hope to write about sometime (like you care, but it helps me!)

TV
The Walking Dead S 1-3 rewatch
The Bridge
Alison Hendrix on Orphan Black
Suits Seasons 1&2

Books
The Village by Nikita Lalwani
Apologies to My Censor by Mitch Moxley
The Never List by Koethi Zan
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

The Walking Dead: This Sorrowful Life

I was so nervous during the first part of this episode, you guys, I can't even remember the last time I felt this way watching a TV show. It's just that I didn't want Rick to turn Michonne over and it kept seeming like he was going to. I want them to be lovers best friends. I was nervous and jumpy because that would have been a huge turning point for Rick's character and also I love Michonne! So I was really glad he changed his mind. So so glad. I loved both of these characters this episode so much, they were both awesome. But anyway, a few notes.

*Once again, written by Scott Gimple. I think next season could be good.

*Michonne looked so pretty and was so awesome this whole ep. I thought it was interesting how she played both sides of Merle..first pointing out that if he was truly evil he'd feel no guilt and second saying Daryl had a place he didn't, and no one would mourn him. Michonne's instincts are razor sharp but in this case she was wrong, Daryl definitely had feelings about Merle's death. She is so quick thinking and even while tied up was able to kill two zombies, though, as well as easily find her way back to the prison alone.

*I think Michonne will be able to forgive Rick because he didn't actually go through with it. I also think the fact that she didn't think he'd be able to speaks to how well she already knows him. OTP.

*Glenn proposing to Maggie makes me fairly certain that one or both of them won't survive next week.

*Merle was so heartbreaking to me this episode. To be honest, I never really liked the guy. The amount I cared about him was only in relation to how much Daryl cared. But...The Walking Dead doesn't typically waste deaths of significant characters and this was a redemption episode for Merle. Merle's anguish felt real this episode, his struggle to do something that mattered. At first he thought that was bringing Michonne to the Governor because Rick would be unable to and then he decided it was trying to take out some of the Governor's men. His ending was heartbreaking. Daryl finding him zombified was so so sad.

*I love that Rick turned the group back into a democracy and said that he wasn't their governor. I think he both believes what he said, but also doesn't want the weight and guilt of the decisions he's made any more. This is the best thing he can do...he doesn't need to be an island and all alone. Also, Rick not turning over Michonne means Rick is still Rick and not Shane.

*WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH ANDREA?

The Walking Dead: Thoughts on Andrea

After The Walking Dead's surprising and kind of utterly depressing final moments, Sunday, I couldn't help but think back over Andrea's arc of this season. When you think back over every single time she chose to stay in Woodbury or chose the Governor, those moments seem so heartbreaking when thinking about what her fate might be next week. It's an interesting story and one I think has been underrated on the whole because of the more obvious frustration with her choices. But..I don't know I think a lot of her poor decision making has been very human and another way to explore how people behave in an apocalyptic world.

Andrea is not my favorite character, but she has always been one of the most interesting to me. She's the rare female character who is not someone's mother or lover. She was Amy's sister, but Amy died pretty early one which has left Andrea on her own. Her motivation and desire to stay alive was always about her, she has largely been on on her own since Amy's death despite her close friendship with Dale. She struggled to find a way to be a part of the group on her own terms last season and this season, she made a choice that split her from the one person that was loyal to her, who had saved her, and shown her nothing but friendship. In black and white it sounds so terrible, but if you consider their world and the circumstances she was faced with I think her choices have been largely understandable and rooted in her humanity. But the show really did a great job of escalating those choices to the point where she was literally running for her life and using every bit of strength and cunning she had to survive even if it wasn't and could never be enough.

It's easy to look back at the beginning of the season and remember feeling frustrated with Andrea for her blindness to the true nature of the Governor...but. Andrea didn't have access to the same information that the audience did. And I think it's important to remember she was left behind by the group and had survived a long brutal winter with just Michonne. Woodbury offered physical comforts, it seemed like life before the zombie attacks and the Governor treated her like she was important at first. Even though Michonne's instincts were right, Andrea's choice to stay in Woodbury was very human. The conversation she had with the Governor over his rather tame fights (tame in comparison to how things eventually wound up) reveals the conflict in Andrea's character, though. She is aware she has a darker side, but I think it's really important to note it is not that darker side that is driving her choices now, but rather her sincere desire to save as many human lives as possible.

I think, though, Andrea's desire for power, her acknowledgement of her own darkness, her weakness in choosing to believe the Governor--these are the things that make her an interesting character to me, but also I think hated by a segment of the audience? I think it's easier in some ways to love Michonne who is fierce and capable and very smart with a soft center. And male characters always get a pass.

While her decision to stay in Woodbury when Michonne left is the first obvious choice that set Andrea on the path to her fate last Sunday, it's kind of amazing how many times she had to make that choice again. As the evidence mounted against the Governor, it was no surprise she didn't want to believe it at first. She had chosen this man over her best friend, she had slept with him, and she had believed every single one of his lies. She had staked her future on him. And in all fairness, while he was disturbed before, it was Michonne killing Penny and taking his eye and besting him that made him come completely unhinged or at least become completely unhinged in a public way. When Andrea went to the prison and they told her to go back and kill the Governor she really contemplated it so much more than I thought she would. But she couldn't do it because she is not yet that person. Despite everything she's suffered, she's not yet at the point where she can see a living human as the enemy who needs to be killed at her own hand. I think if things go the way I suspect they will Sunday, that won't last.

And then when she tried to coordinate the talk with the Governor and Rick and she ended up going back with the Governor...this is the most fateful choice she made, something she thought she had to do to save lives. But she underestimated the Governor's cruelty and ruthlessness. When she saw his torture chamber with her own eyes and Milton told her the truth, she did the only thing she could and ran out of desperation.

And what a cat and mouse chase they showed us. Andrea, with no real weapon, using every ounce of her strength to literally try to outrun the Governor chasing her down in his truck. And she got so far! She was almost there and then...he got her.

I have to admit I'm really dreading Sunday's episode. The Governor is a sick man and that room had some sick things in it. But his actions, his cruelty and torture emphasize the thesis of this season if not of the entire show--the walkers are bad, but it's still their fellow man that's capable of the greatest harm. Because the decisions they make for survival in this world, the bonds they form, the ways in which love makes them both weak and strong--these things drive them to perform acts of unthinkable violence. The zombies are a threat, but the other survivors are the real enemies.

(The Walking Dead isn't the best with writing their female characters, but I stay on the very fringe of online discourse for a reason...people were actually saying Andrea deserves this fate....which. I just wish people would put a tiny bit of effort into trying to understand characters sometimes. ugh.)

The Walking Dead: You'll Be Torn Apart by Teeth or Bullets

I've been wanting to write about the last couple of episodes of The Walking Dead because I thought they were both excellent, but things like Google Reader ending has delayed it!

First of all the episode where Rick, Carl, and Michonne went looking for weapons back in Rick's home town was an almost perfect episode. Which is good news because it was written by Scott Gimple, the new showrunner and according to an interview with Robert Kirkman, he's the one responsible for all the touches like the sign to Erin and the later showing the zombie with the named bracelet "Erin". I love that kind of stuff because it makes the world feel full and alive--it's like it's own tragic story within the larger scope of the episode and it was just a few seconds. If the world feels that real to him, the show is hopefully in good hands.

But the entire episode served as an anchor for the season. The quote in my subject line came from Morgan but it's easily the thesis of this Walking Dead world--especially this season. The zombies are an ever present threat but the survivors are, too. What exactly are they surviving for? The world has gone to hell and that includes everyone left. This is the realization Morgan lives with day in and day out but this complete and utter despair is not a place Rick is willing to go to yet.

Even so as they're in the car on the way to gather weapons, a man is yelling by the side of the road. He's begging for their help, but they ignore him. They just no longer have the time or the patience or the empathy or the resources to care about anyone but who is in their group. They have grown hard in survival mode and this scene showcases that. When they return, we see the man has been slaughtered by zombies and they stop to pick up his pack. That is who they are now. This before and after is beautifully executed since this whole episode is an "after" to the Rick who was once saved by Morgan in the newly zombiefied world. Now Morgan has lost his mind and Rick is on the verge of losing his. They've both lost their wives, but Rick still has more to lose. This confrontation with what he could eventually become hits him hard.

The other two key things that happen in this episode are Carl and Michonne bonding and Carl shooting Morgan without a second thought. That's who he is now.

The Carl and Michonne bonding is so important because of what happens in the next episode. I have to admit when the Governor first demanded Michonne and Rick was actually considering it, I was very sad. But the truth is that it's an excellent dilemma in the progression of Rick to becoming like Shane. Michonne doesn't deserve it as Hershel pointed out. She's saved many of them, given them valuable intel. And it's so sad, because Michonne knew she was all alone after Andrea's betrayal and she was really trying to find a new group of people with them, a home. :( But...remember how Otis volunteered to take Shane to look for the supplies they needed for Carl and then Shane left him for the zombies in order to get out of there? This is even worse because it's not a heat of the moment survival question, it's a calculated decision.

But now that we're at this place, this hard place of survival all they care about are the ones they are closest to which reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from Battle Royale: "Shogo calmly continued, "I'm sure you must know this Shuya...but loving someone always requires you to not love others."

Anyways, the other thing I loved about this episode was how while Rick and the Governor were talking their minions were out forming tentative connections. Ugh I loved this, it's so war. When you know/realize the enemy is human and you have this calm moment where you respect them for who they are. Next day the bullets are flying but in this moment they are all just people. Milton and Hershel were absolutely PRESH.

Danielle and I were chatting the other night and she told me the Governor reminds her of the Mayor in Chaos Walking and I can totally see that!

Anyway, I can totally see war breaking out + zombie invasion in the finale, so I think very tough times are ahead for our group. :(

The Walking Dead 3x11 I Ain't a Judas

So I was going to write some stuff about this episode and Andrea and how her predicament is kind of interesting and compelling and then the end happened where Rick said he was going on a run and taking Michonne!!

That's like, all I care about from the episode now. I'm so excited for them to finally have real interaction, omg. They are my favorite characters and I ship them so much and tbh it's baffling to me that they are not like an actual ship! So I am very excited for next week even if Carl is going to be there, too, lol.

Okay real stuff about the episode.

Andrea's dilemma is interesting but I would have been more interested if she'd actually tried to kill the Governor. I was impressed she went as far as she did, though, I really didn't think she was taking what Carol said to heart. It was a very Samson and Delilah situation and I wouldn't be surprised if Andrea's not done contemplating it.

I was so disappointed Tyrese's group ended up in Woodbury but it makes so much sense. Hershel told Rick he was wrong to send them away and Hershel is sort of the voice of reason on the show, we have to listen to what he says. Tyrese's group is likely to give them vital information about the prison before they realize how crazy he is. I'm excited to learn more about those characters, though, so I hope they don't delay on it too much.

Michonne was flawless as usual from the way she ignored Merle's poor attempt at clearing the air to her confrontation with Andrea. Danai Gurira does such a good job of expressing what Michonne is feeling and how hurt she was by Andrea...but she doesn't waste words, she's quick and cold with Andrea and says what needs to be said. I love her.

There isn't much else to say about the episode really because next week!!!! Rick and Michonne!! Yay!

The Walking Dead 3x10 Home (and a little other TV)

Just about the time the Governor's bullet found its mark, I remembered why I love this show. I'd been lulled into complacency through the first part of the episode because not much was happening. And so was our group. They've grown comfortable at the prison. Rick is comfortable enough to go meander around "crazytown" outside the fence. They've mostly secured it, they have food, for awhile they had no real enemies. They all knew the Governor might be coming and they knew they had a breach in the prison, but apart from Glen no one had any real urgency about it. And then....

I was kind of laughing along with Carol with gosh, I mean he was never long for the show since I can't remember his name was he? And bam. Tense gunfight, ingenious unleashing of the zombies, perfect timing for Daryl to come back (yayyyy) and that's what I call an ending. And they are in real trouble! They'd just lost another person and they barely have any ammo. Rick's grip on sanity is tenuous at best and they've got Merle as a total wild card. I can't wait to see what happens but I'm also realllly dreading it. Anyway I just thought everything about that final fight was perfect and tense and well shot.

Other Stuff:

*I love how Daryl realized that being with Merle was the wrong thing for him after he helped those people and then Merle wanted to take advantage of them. I liked that Daryl genuinely wanted to help them and I LOVED that he corrected Merle about Glen being Korean and not Chinese because it's a great callback but also because it shows how good the group was for him and being in good relationships. Basically I had a lot of Daryl love tonight. I thought it was great that he told Merle it was own fault that he ended up in that situation and I'm glad he decided to go back. Of course I love that he saved Rick because things were getting scary there. It will be interesting to see what happens with Merle showing up.

*Michonne needs more story, but I like that she's the one that watched Rick wander outside. (I'll take whatever Richonne scraps I can get!) I hope that when Rick's Lori demons heal, the show will give me some Rick and Michonne being awesome together.

*The Governor is such a master manipulator omg. He knows Andrea would looove to be the leader of Woodbury (or anywhere) and so he uses that to try to throw her off to the fact that he's really going to send a message to the prison. Andrea's not stupid, though, she knew if he wasn't around he's somewhere up to go no good. Also, when he was asking Milton if he'd take a bullet for him, I was like...okay but Milton's never even seen someone turn into a zombie out in the wild, he's relatively sheltered, he probably has no idea what he'd do.

*Rick. Rick ♥♥♥. When he was telling Hershel that there had to be a reason he was seeing Lori and Shane, I was like, yeah GUILT. I guess maybe I think he needs to come to terms with the way he brushed Lori off when she was trying to fix things between them and you know that he killed Shane, but I'm not loving the storyline really. I do like that he said he knew it wasn't real. And I hope that the fight kind of snaps him back to reality. The truth is a lot of really awful things have happened to him and he's shouldered so much responsibility and he's a good decent guy, I mean he was a small town police officer for crying out loud. And there's been no time for him to really process and grieve all that's happened. On top of that he was really cold to Lori for awhile and even though it's like...understandable why he was, there's a whole different environment in a survivalist world, if you fight with someone it might be the last time you ever see them. So your emotions don't get to have the natural time for things they would in ordinary reality. Lol, I've spent a lot of time thinking about this (in general, not for the show). So I just think all that unprocessed stuff has caught up to him and it's all mixed in with the grief and he's losing it. I just hope that it doesn't last forever because even though broken Rick is oddly attractive in its own way, I'm ready for him to get back to the business of being badass.

Anyway, loved the episode, love the show.

Other Shows:

Still really liking The Americans. This past episode actually made me cry a little, I found the ending conversation between Elizabeth and Phillip so heartfelt and convincing. I like that this show feels like the 80s and not in any ostentatious way, but the set designers and props people are doing a good job. I like that it feels like they are actually spies, it's different to any other spy show I've watched (except maybe Rubicon?) in that it's not all crazy and wild and sci-fi but I feel the tension of every mission, you can feel how much they are putting on the line every single week. And I was 100% that woman was getting offed and I'm glad there was no happy ending, because this was a war to them. And in the middle of this huge stressful mission, they also had to deal with their marital troubles, and the weight of that reality and gah, I just like it. (really liked this recap as well if you want to read something by someone who can write!)

Beauty and the Beast on the other hand...ugh I don't know I think that Alex arc broke the show for me. I used to be able to overlook all the little stuff that annoyed me, but this week it all grated. Like, last week Vincent was all worried about how Cat saw him as a beast and she's like, "that's your issue" and then he says the same thing back to her when trying to make up with her. This week Alex says, "Vincent will always do the right thing" and then Cat says that to him, "I know you'll always do the right thing." Ugh make the bullet point writing stop! In fact, Alex's whole monologue was poorly written and made no sense to me. BUT I still love Tess, she's like a breath of fresh air on screen! I will probably finish out the season, but I'm just kind of bummed that it's not the fun show of the week for me anymore.

And I haven't even watched TVD and I don't plan to watch anymore. I'm going to imagine that Katherine showing up and stealing the cure and winning everything is the end of the story and that Caroline somehow gets rid of Klaus and runs away to catch up with Tyler. And they are happy. The end.

As far as Nashville goes...I really like the dynamic between Liam and Rayna so I was glad to see that again. I'm getting pretty tired of Deacon always dumping his words on Juliette about how he thinks she should live her life (and then turning around and being an ass to Rayna WHATEVER). Juliette obviously behaved really badly, there's no excuse for that, but there are reasons. And I'm not really sure what I think about what happened with her and her manager. I don't know, I so rarely feel like I get a character on an instinctual level the way I get Juliette, she just makes sense to me. And I know how to root for her where I'm still a little lost on the other characters. I did find the stuff with Gunner and his brother kind of interesting in a sad way.

I have lots of thoughts about Switched at Birth which may wind up in another post.

Soo...that's me and TV this week! I want to hear all your thoughts!

The Walking Dead 3x09 The Suicide King

I really do love this show, you guys. I think it delivers the closest experience to LOST I've found since the end of that show in that most people prefer to watch live, are loathe to be spoiled, and a lot of people actually watch! In fact, more are watching all the time, it's great. (Plus the feeling of community on the show is similar)

I really enjoyed this episode for the most part. I'm not sure that I'm one hundred percent sold on the idea of Rick losing his mind, because well, I love Rick. But it makes a lot of sense structurally and for the kind of story they are telling right now about survival. Rick losing his mind in this episode actually parallels the Governor also losing the grip he had on control and so these two leaders are falling apart. Showing how other groups have survived the zombie infestation is of course what makes stories like this so interesting and this season has been strong on this front by giving us a front row seat in Woodbury. We know and understand the threat of them more than we would if we'd encountered them the same way Rick's group had. The first half of the season felt like it was building to a showdown and the midseason finale delivered brilliantly on that front. This episode was about regrouping.

Daryl leaving the group was so sad! Rick's reaction was priceless. We now know how tightly bonded this group is they consider each other family. But Daryl is torn and feels bad for leaving Merle once. I don't really like it when characters break away from the main group, but I loved Rick's angst over Daryl leaving, Carol's sadness, but most of all, I love that Carol voiced the truth about Merle's abusive ways when talking about it to Beth. She understands what it's like to be a victim of abuse and the power your abuser can have over you and so she understands why Daryl left.

Likewise, I also looooved Andrea's little rah rah speech to the people of Woodbury. It is SO Andrea. She'd be the leader in a heartbeat if she could, it's the rebellious edge she's always had and it's why she aligns herself with men who have achieved some level of power and give it to her in return. (Shane and the Governor). The Governor better watch out she could probably wrest control away from him if she wanted to.

As far as that last scene, well...the show built up to it well enough I guess, but I'm a little worried I won't like where this goes. It's interesting though that Rick mentioned how disturbed he found the Governor to Hershel and asked, what kind of a mind does that? And Hershel responded the kind of mind this world creates...which was some disturbing foreshadowing about Rick's own mind which is slowly going. So we have these two leaders crushed under the weight of making decisions in this crazy world. I guess The Governor's closest thread to his humanity was his zombiefied daughter and Rick's was Lori. And now Rick is "haunted by Lori" and The Governor dgaf anymore, let's be real. Anyway, it was all very ominous that Rick sent away a competent decent group of people and Hershel flat out called it the wrong choice. Ugh, who is going to die next? Also, Glen Mazzara said Rick seeing Lori like that was supposed to be Poe inspired? (How much do I love that Andrew Lincoln resisted it, lol) THIS POE CRAZE NEEDS TO END.

Looking forward to what comes next as always. Hope you guys liked it this week!

The Walking Dead 3x08: Made to Suffer

WOW.

Now that's how you do television.

Seriously, I was like shouting through the whole episode. It was almost nonstop action and STUFF HAPPENED.

I'm glad the show has introduced another black character but did they HAVE to kill off the other prisoner immediately? Seriously, show at least try a little harder. In any case, Tyreese is apparently a favorite from the comics, so I'm glad he showed up and his little group could be good for #TeamPrison. I mean they left all the weakest behind it seems....plus I really liked the way he respected Carl and accepted his terms for the moment. But they were crazy to carry that zombified lady around with them. I was laughing at Carol with that other prisoner dude (lol I don't know their names) when he said she was a lesbian. BUT. I'm a little eh about the idea of Beth as a love interest for these grown men. I mean TWD kind of telegraphs things, so having him take an interest in her and then the way they showed her kissing Rick on the cheek in the preview...IDK.

MICHONNE!!! She is just the best. I love that she went to finish off the Governor on her own terms. That fight between them had me gasping and shouting. It was seriously tense and I had no idea what was going to happen. I LOVE that she killed off Penny. I love that his wall of zombie head smashed and I love that she stabbed his eye. When he was trying to move her arm towards that snapping head, I just..wow. This show is the best.

Her standoff with Andrea was gut wrenching. It's sad that at the beginning of the season Michonne was staying with Andrea and keeping her alive and all of that is lost. I seriously hope Andrea is rethinking things, though, now that she's seen how crazy the Gov is.

Speaking of, I'm guessing the Governor is going to become seriously unhinged now. Which is awesome. He was kind of controlled before but now he's angry and violated etc. (I do kind of wish Michonne could have killed him tho) So like I remember hearing about the fights the Governor had from the comics and when they came on the show I thought they were tame. I'm guessing they change now and Merle and Daryl will be the first to experience that? Daryl's not going to die right?

Yay you guys! This episode was so exciting and fun. Also, I read this thing on TWOP about how TWD is the new Lost...and I kind of see where they're coming from? A lot of their reasons were stupid and annoying, but the relationships of the survivors do give me a Lost-feel. Also, the two groups, Woodbury kind of being like the Others (having a civilized life with a crazy leader, etc) works. You know, this is what The Vampire Diaries should have done. Instead of having everything be about saving Elena, they should have bonded the group in a way that felt believable. Sigh. Why am I still talking about that show.

Anyway did you guys love this episode as much as I did?? Why do we have to wait until February? :(

TV: TVD, Nashville, The Good Wife, TWD

Quickie TV Post! Sorry for the post spam today, I'm celebrating the end of NaBloPoMo by posting a lot or something.

TVD-- This episode felt really weird to me. It might be because the show was off for two weeks and I forgot everything, but it just felt odd. I was actually laughing at Klaus and a bunch of other stuff I probably shouldn't have been. Stefan was acting crazy. I mean on the one hand you have Matt shocked that Jeremy might want to kill vampires and then you have Stefan killing someone to turn them into a vampire to turn Elena human again because somehow she's worth more than anyone else ever. Argh. Also does Damon know Elena is supposedly sired to him? I'm like...I don't know, really annoyed this is how the show is choosing to do Delena. What good can come of it? Professor Shane is my new favorite character because obviously he's like three steps ahead of everyone else. And he has attitude. Too bad he's just using Bonnie, though, I'd love for someone to just actually care about Bonnie. And of course Hayley is also working against them! (but lol @ how Professor Shane knows everyone, seriously I want to be on this guy's side)

Oh also, why doesn't anyone else want the cure for themselves? Why is it a forgone conclusion that it's for Elena? This show makes no sense, the end.

Nashville-- I kind of miss the underlying emotional angst of the first episodes, but I'm still invested in seeing Juliette's story. I liked that Rayna was finally like, "oh we could act like professionals", when they were fighting because YES. I really want to see their relationship and interactions become more of the heart of the show. I think they are an interesting combination because they both kind of strike at each other's insecurities, but they could both gain a lot from actually being friends. I want to seee it. It could be a great story. I guess Scarlett/Gunner is a go, though that could end up really complicating things.

The Good Wife-I really enjoyed the stuff with Alicia's mom because it was so nicely acted, like that scene where her mom asks if it was because she went away for two years and there's ALL THIS HURT AND STUFF UNSAID and Alicia just keeps herself in control. I also thought the contrast between her and Jackie was interesting--Alicia's mom is all "I'll do whatever makes me happy everyone else be damned" and Jackie is OVERLY involved in Peter's life. (I still love her male companion btw ♥) How is it that I love the adult's relationships with their parents but Zach and Grace's storylines are always such huge failures? I guess they allow themselves an honesty with the adults they don't with the children.

I also thought the court case was interesting. At first when Owen was all like "I'm glad you're doing this" that it would end up being something they flipped on, because let's be honest they were less concerned with DOMA and more concerned with winning the case however that could be accomplished. But...I think that based on the preview for next week it makes a nice pair of episodes. This case was something they could feel good about fighting legally and next week looks like more of the needing to do right by the client by doing things Alicia feels are wrong in the name of the client, so it's fun times with the law.

Also, Cary!! Playing it cool. That was interesting.

The Walking Dead--Okay I know Lori just died, but I ship Rick and Michonne so hard, okay? Ugh I just love them both so naturally they should be together.

I thought it was interesting that Milton still hadn't seen anyone turn. He's obviously been protected from the harsher realities of the zombie infection and that somehow allows him to make up this whole life where he thinks he can find a cure. And buy into the Governor's BS more easily.

Glen killing that zombie was pretty amazing, but ugh that scene with Maggie was really hard to watch. I'm curious how Andrea is going to feel when things start to go down. Also, Merle being alive and running into Daryl and Andrea realizing the governor has been lying to her....I think things are about to get verrrry exciting.

I'm sad everthing's going on hiatus after next week, though! I guess it will give me time to watch Six Feet Under!

TV! TVD, TWD, and more........

The Vampire Diaries

I wasn't going to blog about The Vampire Diaries because the less I think about it the more I can enjoy it superficially, BUT I am so intrigued by the idea of Tyler going up against the Salvatores/Klaus. I have no idea if that's what is going to happen but I feel like it could? And the thing about it is that I am one hundred percent Team Tyler and I'm pretty sure there is nothing you can say to change my mind. Obviously when he was talking to Caroline and he threw that glass--that was uncool, but I mean overall Tyler is trying to help people break free from being sired to Klaus while the only goal everyone else has seems to be KEEP ELENA ALIVE. And he's done his fair share for them, he let Klaus possess his body to keep them alive and he stood up in front of that church and got shot for them, and this is how they treat him in return. They treat everyone Not Named Elena like crap pretty much, so.... I don't know, it could be interesting. (I mean isn't it weird that Stefan convinces Elena not to kill Rebekah because THINK OF ALL THE VAMPIRES THAT WOULD DIE but he doesn't even blink in betraying Tyler and killing Chris like that or threatening to turn someone himself. It's messed up.) (Edit since I wrote this my friend told me she thinks Tyler will come off badly in this storyline because of an interview with Candice and I'm back to contemplating if I should just cut my losses now)

Oh also I thought last week's episode was BTVS'ing all over the place with the "potentials" and Elena's hallucinations reminded me of The First.

Anyway let's talk about other shows!

The Walking Dead!

I was filled with GLEE when Rick saw Michonne outside the prison. Absolute GLEE! These are my two favorite characters and this was an awesome introduction, like the best possible. I thought Michonne getting the zombie guts spilled all over was oh-so-gross but a nice nod to the show's second episode when they intentionally covered themselves in guts to walk among the dead. I'm scared for Glen and Maggie. I wish Glen would have just shot Merle, sigh. But I'm glad Michonne saw it all and figured out where to go.

I wasn't surprised that Andrea hooked up with the Governor but ewwwww. I really dislike him. And I feel like she's surrendered all her power now, archaic as that idea is. (this show is not exactly progressive!) I have to admit that Daryl rescuing Carol melted my heart and I'm so glad she's not dead! And that scene with Rick and his baby girl was obviously meant for viewers like me :) The phone call stuff was a tad weird, but a decent way to deal with the grief of the episode, I guess. I'm wondering if Andrea will pay a big price for her disloyalty to Michonne and her little fling with the Governor. And once the Gov realizes Michonne isn't dead but was able to give the prison the heads up on Woodbury? I think the second half of the season is going to be really exciting.

The Good Wife

Okay, so. I thought this was interesting from the standpoint of how they totally went after that judge and made all the other judges disgusted with them. I like that it falls in line with their overall desperation and "nothing to lose" mentality. I mean what they did was huge and could have implications. And I'm glad Amanda Peet's character is so smart.

I don't care about Grace. But Zach working on the campaign could lead to something? Oh and lol not only did Maddie Hayworth engineer everything in the campaign, she is also a lesbian! Oh show why do you do this to me? (I watched the most recent episodes together so sorry if I'm getting them confused)

I think Nick beating up Cary will force Kalinda to a crisis point in dealing with him. But aw poor Cary! That was not fun times.

Nashville

I didn't really like the most recent episode much because I don't really care about Teddy's campaign. And Juliette's little story was stupid. But lol I do think this guy might be the person who "delights in her" that I mentioned saying I think she needs in my last post about Nashville.

I'm glad Scarlett and Avery broke up and that she's living with Deacon because I think it means we're getting closer to the point where these three stories will intersect. And I'm glad Rayna's finding her sound, but again a snoozer of a plot. But hey it can't win every week, and it still wasn't boring.

Beauty and the Beast

Amazed at how quickly the show has progressed the relationship! What I like about it is how it's just angsty enough for me (I do like some angst) but not too much. Like no one's throwing a fit about things, they all end up talking about how they feel and it's so healthy!

I don't really have much to say otherwise, I sort of view this show as a fun indulgence that manages not to offend me like TVD does. Also! Catherine's dad and stepmom were both on the LA Complex. Made me miss the show.

Scandal

This last episode really really bugged me. I mean the show is not that great, but I want to love Olivia. And this episode made that impossible because I think what she did to Abby and David was really awful and cruel. That scene at the end where Abby was tearfully confessing her betrayal and apologizing was just, ugh disgusting. I mean Olivia was listening in on her private conversations! She planted fake evidence that David had beat his ex-girlfriend! And Abby is my LEAST favorite character on the whole show. Well, after Fitz. The way they all manipulated her was just ugh. I mean the truth is I really like David and I don't think he deserves to be treated like that, but also they were so happy together! I don't know it just really bothered me. Also there was an appalling lack of Mellie! And that story with Cyrus and his husband? I mean would that ever happen? They made such a big deal on Borgen about pillow talk I don't know....I just hate Cyrus. So yeah I don't know I think the show went too big with the conspiracy this season and they haven't given me enough reason to care about these characters despite their despicable actions.

Six Feet Under

Yes this show has been off the air for many years, but I just started watching it! I'm close to the end of the first season. It's really different. At first I didn't think I could handle all the death stuff, but I got used to after a bit. Also Peter Krause looked really good circa 2001. I cringe during every beginning while I wait for the person to die. Wow I have no deep thoughts on this show at all. I'm glad to finally watch it, though, I've been wanting to watch it for ages!

As always I welcome your thoughts!