Title: The Walking Dead: “Some Guy” Review
Air Date: November 12th, 2017
Network: AMC
Genre: Serial Drama, Horror
The Walking Dead returned tonight with another all-new episode titled “Some Guy.” Last week’s “Monsters” ended with a cliffhanger as Ezekiel’s group came under fire from a Browning Machine Gun held by the Saviors. While Ezekiel survived, he did not do so unscathed. The episode largely focuses on Ezekiel as he tries to escape. This episode of The Walking Dead was one of the bloodiest yet, as all but a few of the entire Kingdom team was wiped out. Not only that, but the beloved Shiva finally met her end in much the same way as she did in the comics. With a wounded Ezekiel finding himself surrounded, Shiva jumped in and sacrificed herself so he could get away. It was by far the most emotional moment of the episode.
This episode of The Walking Dead opened with another speech and I have to be honest, I’m speeched out at this point. It seems like episode after episode now we’re getting these dramatic speeches. At the moment, I’m over it and my interest quickly began to wander. “Is there pepperoni in the fridge?” Despite my saying that, the speech did serve a purpose at the end of the episode. After the speech, my attention was quickly pulled back. The images of the aftermath of the Kingdom vs the Browning Machine Gun were jarring. The Kingdom crew wasn’t just wounded, they were slaughtered… just torn apart by the machine gun fire. As if that wasn’t bad enough, shortly after Ezekiel frees himself they begin to turn.
The biggest thing about this episode is going to be how Ezekiel handles this loss. It wasn’t just the loss but also the conversation he had with the Savior that really broke him down. We’ve always seen Ezekiel held to this “King” style status ever since he was first introduced and his people follow that. Plus… he’s got a tiger. To the Saviors though, he’s just a simple con man. A good one but a con man none the less. Now, Ezekiel must grapple with those words especially after the loss of so many, Shiva included. Much like in the comics, Ezekiel feels embarrassed and ashamed of this loss. He wanted to die out there and be hailed as a hero by his people, not have them see this wounded soul carrying the burden of the loss of so many.
I’m dying to find out the name of the Savior that held Ezekiel captive. He looked like he was right out of an 80s zombie film or some type of serial killer. I couldn’t help but think of the George Romero films when I saw him. He just had one of those looks. Jerry saw to it, however, that he didn’t last long. Jerry split that Savior in half with one big swing of his ax. What I was really digging about Jerry was his responses to Ezekiel. “Dude, yes I do” is Jerry’s response to Ezekiel about not having to call him “Your Majesty.” In this world of The Walking Dead that everyone now lives in, something is needed to keep people going. For Jerry, the Kingdom was that something. How many lives has King Ezekiel saved and given a home? The Kingdom is Jerry’s sense of purpose. Not to mention, as Jerry said himself, Ezekiel is one cool dude.
While much of tonight’s episode did center around Ezekiel, Carol also took some of the spotlight. She continued in her badassery taking out a number of Saviors and successfully saving both Ezekiel and Jerry. I can’t say I fully agree with her being able to get up into the ceiling so fast to shoot those Saviors through it, but it was a cool scene. Now that Ezekiel has suffered such a staggering defeat, I think Carol will play a vital role in him getting himself back together. Similar to a way she helped Morgan. Even though the Saviors with the machine gun get away, Rick and Daryl also shoot in to save the day. My gripe here was the machine gun vs Rick in the jeep. This machine gun literally blew limbs off of the Kingdom people. That jeep would have been equally torn apart.
Verdict: The Kingdom suffered staggering losses in this gripping episode of The Walking Dead. King Ezekiel took center stage and was forced to take a long look at the person he presents himself to be to his people. Did his con act result in their deaths and not only them but the death of Shiva? The events of “Some Guy” were one hell of a ride and one that will stick with the King for some time.
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