Title: The Walking Dead “The Well”
Air Date: October 30th, 2016
Network: AMC
Genre: Serial Drama, Horror
Wow, so episode two of season seven of The Walking Dead was a lot of fun to watch. We finally get to see not only The Kingdom but King Ezekiel and Shiva as well. As someone who once saw these characters on the pages of a comic book, it provides great pleasure to see such a true representation of them on screen. I found myself grinning from ear to ear when Morgan rolled Carol in to see Ezekiel and hearing Shiva’s roar. This episode titled “The Well,” also was of significantly lighter tone compared to the premier episode. Showrunner Scott Gimple did say this episode would have its “funny” moments. While I was initially skeptical of this claim, I much more understand and agree with that he was saying.
This episode has several high points but for me, I found myself totally engrossed in the conversation between Ezekiel and Carol. Every so often in my reviews, I will state that I moved to the edge of my seat or that I sat up during a certain scene. This is not something that I throw in just for flavor. I literally mean I sat up or moved forward. I have six children in my household so I have very selective movements as I find myself constantly…fatigued. So when I move, it’s because something got me to move.
When Ezekiel opens up as his true self to Carol, it was just captivating. Not to mention, easy to understand and relate to. How could you not want to follow or trust a man that has tamed a tiger? I found myself pulling back from a goat that clearly disliked me rubbing his head at a recent “Pet me” event. Not to mention, Ezekiel is right. People want someone to follow, to make them feel safe. Who doesn’t want that, especially in the world of the Walking Dead?
Actor Khary Payton plays King Ezekiel…and as far as I’m concerned does a spectacular job. Now in the comics, Ezekiel appears to be somewhat of an older man than he does here in the TV series. Aside from that, you’ll see a lot of similarities to the comic. He admits to Carol that he was a zoo keeper along with having a background in plays.
What I felt gave Ezekiel depth from the get-go, was seeing just a little bit of the Kingdom before Carol could meet him. We see that the Kingdom is well built and has resources. This further creates mystery around the man we are about to see. If it was four men guarding a restroom, then we would naturally think Ezekiel crazy. However, how did he get this far if he was just…crazy? There must be much more to this man than initially implied and that is what hooked me.
We find out that The Kingdom has already been dealing with the Saviors for some time. I could be wrong, but I get the impression that when Ben was telling Morgan about his father dying, it was at the hands of the saviors. What really stood out for me in this episode was the scene with Richard and the one Savior. It really showcases the power of fear that the Saviors have without needing to kill anyone. Richard having to stand there and take punches even though it was the Savior starting trouble.
King Ezekiel makes it clear, he has no love for the Saviors. Yes, he handed over a number of pigs but little did the Saviors know what those pigs were eating. Feeding the pigs walkers is a very big statement as to the relationship between the two group. It’s the greater equivalent of the chef spitting into the food because of the rude customer. I am still interested to know if consuming contaminated flesh has any effects on the individual. One would think that it would at least the person horribly sick.
Now, one character I don’t want to ignore is Morgan. Last season on The Walking Dead we saw Morgan kill to save Carol and it’s apparent in this episode, that he is a bit out of sorts. Not that he’s a total mess but he’s clearly working some things out. It was enjoyable seeing him take on teaching Ben, just as Eastman took on training Morgan. I find it interesting to see him and Carol both dealing with their own issues in very separate ways. That being said, I still am finicky on the whole Carol needing to leave business but I’m glad Ezekiel convinced her to stay. Well..to stay but not stay and embrace the contradiction.
I really felt that this second episode in season seven of The Walking Dead, was strong follow up to the premiere. The lighter “funny” moments where just right. From Carol’s comments following her first meeting with Ezekiel to seeing her swipe chocolate off a picnic table. I’m very excited to see where things go with the Kingdom and Ezekiel. Initially, I was going to include some comments in this review about the kick back that went around the internet from the violence in the premiere episode. However, after beginning to type it out, I realized it may need to be its own article so keep an eye out for it in the near future.
Did you like this episode of The Walking Dead? What did you think of King Ezekiel and the Kingdom? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and check back next week for our all new review. With Halloween around the corner, also be sure to check out some spooky free mods to add to some of the games in your collection.
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