Title: The Walking Dead: āMercyā
Air Date: October 22nd, 2017
Network:Ā AMC
Genre: Serial Drama, Horror
The Walking Dead, has returned and… so have I. That’s right, Mr. H0llywood will again be covering The Walking Dead for this season. I had initiallyĀ planned for a season break after the season seven finale but I’m back baby. In the word of the great Ash Williams, “Groovy.” This new season of The Walking Dead has already received a number of criticisms… and to that, I say, “Hogwash.” In fact, I was very vocal on Twitter about the early review from Forbes regarding the season premiere episode. ParticularlyĀ in this review, the words that irked me were “Former Glory.” A quick look at the writer’s profile and you’ll see he’s just your average guy with an opinion. In this case, however, he has a platform for that opinion and my opinion… is that his opinion sucks.Ā
After reading this guy’s pre-review and then actual review, I’m convinced the deepest conflict he’s ever faced has been what flavor pop tart to eat for breakfast. Look, I’m not saying the season eight premiere was some masterful illustration of how TV should be done. To pick it apart like he did? I mean come on. It’s entertainmentĀ brother. Then again, I guess that’s what the internet is now. It’s all about engagement. Take a well-known name like Forbes and have some Jabroni write a negative review about a loved franchise and boom… hits for days. Instead of trying to catch a ride on that train, I think I’ll just post a regular old review.
The premiere episode of season eight jumped around quite a bit and left us with plenty of questions… and that’s a good thing. A show in its later season should absolutelyĀ engage viewers and especially make them ask questions. This Walking Dead premiere did just that. I certainly think the flash forwards and Rick’s teary red eyes are very closelyĀ connected. Honestly, I think Judith will be killed this season. She was very prominent in the flash forwards and she actually has already died in the comics. I wondered if The Walking Dead would risk killing off a baby but now that she’s more of a toddler I think they’ll push that boundary. I don’t know if anything else besides the death of Carl would really break Rick down at this point. A number of rumors have been going around but this is one I certainly put my stock in.
Let me jump back to the Jabroni style review out of Forbes again. “Why don’t they just shoot Negan!” Well… don’t get me wrong, that would certainly make sense to your one-dimensional viewer. The problem is when you kill off someone like Negan, his upper guard and personnel will undoubtedly fight back causing further bloodshed. But if you could break him and have him submit you could potentially avoid all that. Given the structureĀ of the Saviors, I would certainly expect someone to take Negan’s place should he fall. Rick surelyĀ wants him dead but he also wants to break him, the same way Negan broke him. Think back to the season seven premiere. If he does this, it’s likely the Saviors would surrender as a whole.
As the season moves forward, I’m anxious to see how things come together and tie back into this premiere episode. It’s refreshing to see Rick and company taking the fight to Negan and having a ton of action. I will, however, say that I believe Father Gabriel could have escaped. My guess would be that Father Gabriel will not make it out of this situation alive. I don’t think Negan will kill him in the trailer but I don’t think he’ll escape or be saved. I was also digging Rick and company shooting out all the glass. It’s a matter of psyching out your enemy and those that follow. It is immediately clear that Rick’s group is well armed with firepower and ammunition, not to mention, they can bring the fight right to the Savior compound.
Since I picked reviewing the season again later than usual, the first two reviews will be a little staggered. Starting from episode three, all the reviews should be posted right after the episode airs. Be sure to check back Sunday’s for our all new reviews. All be sure to check out our recent article spotlighting some awesome cosplayers.
Verdict: The Walking Dead provided a solid season eight premiere. While I understand the frustration some may have from all the jumping around, it was still a refreshing change of pace from season seven. The war with the Saviors is finally here.
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