Review of the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 1
The cast and crew are hoping the 100th episode is how The Walking Expressionless gets its groove dorsum. Andrew Lincoln has chosen season viii his "favorite season in a long time," a season that brings "the swagger and the mojo back," and i that's "reminiscent of seasons one-four." This is exactly what fans want to hear subsequently the slow, irksome slog that was season 7. (The group'due south main mission in the second half was to acquire guns, and what happens in the flavor finale? They. Lose. Their. Guns!) But it'south too something we've heard before with previous seasons that never paid off that hype.
The show'southward contempo panel at New York Comic Con became a time to air some of those frustrations. Moderator Chris Hardwick would ask the cast a question and, in many cases, the actors would have to sit down and grin for a scrap as they'd be drowned out by fans shouting their ain comments. Lennie James was musing nigh Morgan'southward hesitation to become tearing when ane audience member shouted, "But do it!" And earlier Austin Amelio could get a word in about Dwight, another fan bellowed, "I hate that guy."
When we finally selection up with Rick Grimes in "Mercy," we exercise get a sense that the onetime Rick (and the Old Man Rick) is dorsum. He's more militarized, more barbarous, and he's ready to relinquish his control of the group in one case this is all done — and thank God for that considering he's not exactly the best strategist. While we shouldn't start judging this season every bit the best withal, the opening makes i thing perfectly clear, and information technology'south something else the cast members accept been saying advertisement nauseam: The gang is ready for state of war.
It'southward difficult, however, to discern when some of the moments glimpsed before the credits take place. We tin effigy that Rick's rousing speech to the troops is happening in real fourth dimension. The same goes for Daryl'due south secret arrow relays with Dwight, and Carol and Tara tracking a herd of walkers. (Side notation: Did you catch that drawing of a flower on the side of the overpass next to Carol? Is it, like Daryl once said of the Cherokee Rose, a sign of promise for these night times?) The aforementioned goes for the montage of Hilltoppers assembling their armored cars, the blacksmiths forging weapons, and the assembling of all three insubordinate colonies earlier the fight.
Merely at that place are also moments similar the scene of Rick standing over Glenn and Abraham's grave at the Hilltop (also likely in the nowadays), and a quick close-up of Rick's optics, red from crying, that flashes on screen after he and Ezekiel address their regular army. Nosotros get another piece of this scene further on in the episode, and we see a stained-drinking glass panel dangling above him. He seems to exist wearing the aforementioned shirt he had on at the start of the assail, then one would think this is a flash-forward to signal that their plans don't become exactly equally planned.
Then there's the ane that fans have been hoping to decipher: Old Man Rick. Nosotros see a full-bearded Rick wake in a bed at the commencement of the episode and more snippets are revealed throughout the 60 minutes. Information technology'southward a vision of some kind — peradventure of the time to come, perhaps of an alternate reality where there'southward peace instead of war, possibly of a dream sequence. Whatever the instance, it's of Rick limping around his home in Alexandria. Queen'due south "Another I Bites the Dust" is playing in the groundwork, while Michonne and Carl are playing hooky. They turned off Rick'due south alert so he could slumber in. The final moments of the episode bring some other extension of this scene, where we come across a more grown-upwards Judith run to her dad to say a behemothic owl has been congenital for the party. Michonne remarks that the people are "taking this festival very seriously." They walk outside to reveal a freshly congenital stone firm beyond the street as Alexandria is readying for a celebration.
(Recap continues on the next page.)
It's reminiscent of a moment from issue #127 of the Walking Dead comic series. (Spoiler alert for anyone who wants to skip the remainder of this paragraph.) A time jump brings readers two years afterward the war with Negan, and Rick is similarly hobbling around with an injured leg. That's not to say the Old Man Rick scene on the bear witness is also a time leap because, bluntly, that'd exist so united nations-Walking Expressionless-similar. The war with Negan hasn't even begun and a flash-forrad would spoil who survives information technology all, whereas the powers that be have lined their pockets by letting fans dangle — sometimes to the betoken of narrative frustration.
On this scene, executive producer Scott M. Gimple said we'll know what it all means nigh halfway through the flavor.
When we snap back to the present, Carl rides up to a gas station to become more than fuel, merely he hears a vocalisation: a homo nervously rambling about how he was shot at and needs aid. Information technology's a scene that was meant as a "shot-for-shot" remake of the very first scene on the show: Rick, also looking for gas, stumbles on a zombie kid in bunny slippers. Carl finds, instead, a young Centre Eastern man hoping for at least some nutrient. From a altitude, Rick fires shots in the air to scare him off, thinking he could be one of Negan's spies. Carl stands before him equally the man Rick once was: sympathetic towards others, willing to forgive, willing to assist. His father, however, is more than suspicious, more feral, and merciless. Maggie had mentioned in her speech to the Hilltop that every bit long as they hold on to "hope" in each other, the world is theirs. Simply with this attitude, Carl doesn't come across enough promise to go around.
(Carl's 1 line here, by the mode, marks a long-running pet peeve of mine. "At that place's not gonna be plenty, Dad." "Enough what?" "Hope." I hate it. Hate what? I detest it when characters presume others know what their incomplete sentences mean and are then forced to explicate themselves — when it would've been faster for everyone to just say what they mean in the first place.)
The activeness picks upward further equally the group continues preparations for the ensuing boxing. At that place's a list of lookouts for the Sanctuary, and they take turns taking out the men guarding them. Morgan, for one, is no longer held back by his monk philosophy. He brutally plunges his staff straight through the chest of a Savior. (Imagine how much force must've been needed to do that.)
Every bit Father Gabriel is reminding Rick at Alexandria how this whole fight isn't just well-nigh him, Daryl rides to see Carol, Tara, and Morgan on the highway, where they're waiting for the herd to get in and hope Tara's calculations on their movements are accurate. They are — at least, they are "skilful enough." Everything seems in place equally Rick kisses Judith and Michonne goodbye. "This is the stop of it," he tells Carl, who's left as the man in charge.
Equally Rick leads the convoy of cars out of Alexandria, we get a glimpse of Rosita, who's also left behind — and she's non as well happy about it. She was shot in the flavour 7 finale, and we see a bandage on her chest. The existent reason she's probably not coming is because actress Christian Serratos gave birth on the first 24-hour interval of filming flavor 8. Gimple told EW she'll be dorsum in action "pretty soon," but prefaced "in that location will exist a notable sort of Rosita-lessness early."
The need for a surprise assault gives acceptance to more barbarous forms of assault. Rick takes out another Sanctuary lookout by driving a bract into his gut. A walker is tied to a telephone pole shut by, and when the Savior starts saying things like, "Your son is gonna dice," Rick cuts the chain lose and allows the walker to feast. Rick signals for the cars to approach, and they encounter up with their Hilltop and Kingdom allies in an open field for the total Braveheart-style pep talk.
In a single shot, the camera weaves through the meet-and-greet until landing on Ezekiel, Jesus, Maggie, and Rick. While I alive for those moments when the Shakespearian male monarch proclaims, in a booming voice, "Yes, Jesus!" the more important moment comes when Rick whispers to Maggie how, after the war is waged, he'll be following her. This moment brings to mind something Lincoln said, about how there'southward "absolutely" a possibility for The Walking Dead to go along without Rick Grimes. Not saying this will happen. It certainly doesn't this episode. Only information technology'south something to consider.
(Recap continues on the next page.)
Meanwhile, Squad Daryl is helping to lead the herd to the Sanctuary. Every bit the dead approach on the highway, they retreat further down the route, while the camera lingers on a nearby car. Soon it explodes, directing the walkers in their direction. Information technology likewise signals Negan'due south Saviors, who drive out to investigate, unaware of the new trap the group is laying for them.
The cars, adorned with sheets of metal to cake bullets, ride into the Sanctuary. Rick and the troops rush out and fire into the air to get the boss man'due south attending. Negan strolls out with his generals — Dwight, Eugene, Simon, Gavin, and Regina — and swings his bat and ego around with some trash talk. But Rick serves it right back. The generals can walk abroad and be guaranteed prophylactic, simply non Negan. No, Negan is going to die past Rick's hand if he has anything to say about it.
Negan, nevertheless, warns Rick may not have the numbers for this fight. That's when Gregory emerges considering of grade he went to the Sanctuary. He threatens to oust any member of the Hilltop and their families from the colony if they don't stand up downwards, but they go unheeded because, every bit Jesus says, "The Hilltop stands with Maggie" now. Simon, annoyed over his faulty investment, shoves Gregory off the ledge, but their attention is shortly fatigued to smoke rising from the trees in the distance.
Barring the slight snag of a devious walker — which was rapidly dealt with — the trap laid past Team Daryl triggered an explosion and left the Saviors out on patrol out of committee. Rick starts giving the generals a inaugural to comply with his offer, but he opens fire when he gets to vi and the set on begins. His forces miss Negan (he leaps for cover) and the generals (they rush inside), though they shoot out all the front-facing windows of the Sanctuary. Now it's fourth dimension for the next phase.
Carol hugs Daryl before going off with Morgan and Tara, leaving the crossbow-slinging renegade to lead the walker herd on his motorcycle by setting off a series of explosions. The forces at the Sanctuary start retreating before the dead make their manner to them and to make room for their final blow. An armored RV rolls towards the gate, and when information technology reaches, Rick presses a detonator that causes the vehicle to explode, taking out the line of walkers guarding the fort.
Gabriel sees Rick firing at Negan, who has taken comprehend behind some droppings, and so he rushes back to remind him, once more, that this fight isn't about his personal vendetta. Rick rides out before the herd arrives and Gabriel is supposed to follow when he sees Gregory pleading for assist. He rushes out to help, just Gregory is a coward. Every bit soon as he sees the bullets are getting a trivial too close to his caput, he sprints off and takes the car for himself, leaving Gabriel in the thick of the chaos.
Carl, blissfully separate from the hellfire, walks back to the gas station to leave a "pitiful" note and some canned nutrient for the human he saw earlier, who'southward watching him from the bushes. Ezekiel's forces rendezvous with Carol at a meeting spot, while Daryl goes to wait with Rick for Gabriel. Too much fourth dimension has passed, however, and they accept to leave him backside.
We don't take to wait till next episode to larn their side by side move, though. Morgan and Tara are planning to attack another Savior outpost, every bit Daryl and Rick invade another. Ezekiel's squad reaches an abandoned medical facility where a Savior takes cover behind a car. The man throws a grenade at a door, which has been muffling the sound of snarling walkers trapped inside. We have to put a pin in that as the action cuts back to the Sanctuary, where Gabriel finds refuge inside a construction trailer. Though the walkers are banging on the door to get inside, he finds he's non alone. Negan emerges from the shadows and warns the good father is nigh to southward— his pants.
The episode ends with a similar drove of scenes cut from various parts, as it was in the beginning. One of them shows the aforementioned Rick in front of the stained glass, uttering, "My mercy prevails over my wrath." It'southward a phrase from the Quran, which was mentioned earlier by the man Carl encounters at the gas station. He was nervous that Carl might recollect him hostile for making the Islamic reference, just at present it'south providing a moment of reflection for Rick in this scene.
The last is of Rick hopping down from the back of a truck during the aforementioned rallying-the-troops spoken communication. "I don't desire to wait for information technology anymore. You don't either," he says equally if direct to the fans. Dissimilar final season, we don't have to wonder when the war with Negan will finally come up. It'south here, and at least that much brings united states hope as we caput into the uncertain future.
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The Walking Expressionless
AMC's zombie thriller, based on the classic comic volume serial created past Robert Kirkman.
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Source: https://ew.com/recap/the-walking-dead-season-8-premiere/
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