Pete Martell

Did they say why Tyler James Williams wasn't in the episode with Lauren Cohan and Robin Lord Taylor? I just remembered that he'd been mentioned as being a part of it.

I don't think anyone said AB "demanded" she be given a big role, but saying she wished Jessie would be Andrea (the lead female of the comic series) means she's putting that line of thinking out there. Nothing wrong with that at all, but it's one of the reasons why some fans haven't been able to just wait and see. I can see where one could avoid all social media, all interviews, all behind the scenes features, and every moment of Talking Dead, but there are many people who don't. And when a new actress is treated as an extremely important and potentially game-changing creation in a slew of press interviews, behind the scenes features, and on Talking Dead, then it's not easy for people to just say, "She's only been in a few scenes. I have no right to judge." The show wants viewers to judge. The show wants viewers to have an opinion of her. And as a result, many viewers do. It's just that in some cases, it's not necessarily the one the show may have anticipated.

All I keep wondering is that these women were pretty much exactly the same last season as they are now - if she doesn't come back I'd put it down more to her trying to play the game, and being badly burnt in the process (especially by Brandi), than her being morally above them.

GREATM: On the ill-fated bus trip, the acronym Tara came up with to describe Glenn, Rosita, Eugene, Abraham, herself, and Maggie. Katmiss: The (hilarious) nickname of Woodbury's self-described amazing archer, who was gunned down in the blink of an eye by Maggie during the rescue from Woodbury Couple names - Part 1 Caryl - Carol and Daryl Bethyl - Beth and Daryl Rickyl - Rick and Daryl Daaron/Daron - Daryl and Aaron Richonne - Rick and Michonne Dixonne - Daryl and Michonne Glaggie/Gleggie - Glenn and Maggie CareDare - Carol and Daryl (CletusMusashi) Jessick - Jessie and Rick. (Pete Martell) For Couple Names - Part 2, click here

Andrea is the lead female in the comics, so I think they've just split her material into pieces and given it to various women.

One of the problems is that viewers have little choice but to make a snap judgment on Jessie, because of how she's been sold. She's gotten heavy media attention. She got the "mystery guest" treatment on Talking Dead, which is pretty big. We've heard the actress say she should be in the central role that Andrea has in the comics (the lead female and one of the most popular characters in the comics for its entire run). Those are huge expectations. When we're getting that, it's difficult to just wait and see, because they aren't inviting us to wait and see, they're inviting us to be impressed and delighted.

If you pick her, just keep in mind Rick might shoot any other members who score a winning point.

I'm sure there aren't. I'm sure there are plenty of fans who think Rick and Jessie are hot stuff and can't wait for Rick to get his woman. I just don't agree with the idea that all-powerful Richonne fans are the only ones who are put off by the way he behaved in that episode, or will be the only ones who will be put off if his behavior leads to the brutal deaths of Jessie and her son. The show has always had a heavy emphasis on fan response. That's likely the main reason Daryl has been a constant presence and focus after starting out as a supporting character, probably the reason Lori died when she did, probably one of the reasons Carol is still alive. It's likely also the reason for all the baiting with Bethyl, Caryl, Richonne, et al. If I thought this show had the ability to tell stories that would challenge fans and make it worth the test, then I'd say sure, don't ever base your writing on fan response. But, as good as this show can sometimes be, it's not good enough to justify that type of writing. So yes, I'd rather learn that they decided to change some of the current mess with Shane-esque Rick leading an abused woman and her child to their doom than learn they stuck with it even when they didn't know how to write it, thus leading to the destruction of Rick as any character or leading voice on the show.

Another Melissa interview. I hadn't seen as many details elsewhere about her efforts to not let Carol be killed off in early season 3. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/08/the-walking-dead-s-wounded-warrior-melissa-mcbride-on-the-rise-of-carol.html I've gone on, and on, and on, and on so much about Rick and how much this episode damaged him in my eyes, yet I barely reacted to what Carol did with Sam. Either I just thought it made sense for who she is, or the Karen/David fiasco numbed me to a point where I can accept anything she does short of mass genocide of the entire group. I also love this. http://blogs.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/2015/03/bake-your-own-batch-of-carols-cookies-with-this-recipe/

I was reading the AV Club review, and right at the top was a long complaint about how viewers know nothing about Sasha but that she's a "black woman" who lost her brother and boyfriend. This upset me, both because her race was mentioned for no reason (do you know Abraham as "that white man who lost his wife and children"?), but because I feel like Sasha is one of the new characters of the last few seasons that I've always understood and known, even when she had minimal POV or purpose. I've always connected to her, always believed her. I can understand why some fans would be tired of her current story, tired of more PTSD, but I don't mind seeing Sasha struggle with this, as long as there's a way for her to learn and grow. Sasha is such a unique character in her relationships and experiences, and she's also still a character with fresh potential. I also see some fans who act like she's taking up airtime from other people or she's irrelevant, as if she's just all over the screen. Characters like Sasha are why I'm still watching the show. PS, I hope she gets to bond a little with Spencer before he inevitably dies horribly.

I'd venture to guess that there are many fans who have no opinion on shipping but who were put off by Rick's behavior last night. Once a major character on a show starts acting that way, it can be difficult to come back from. If this is a story where an obsessive Rick "saves" Jessie from a thinly drawn caricature husband viewers barely see, and he then gets Jessie and her son killed, I think viewers may be disgusted, and not because of Rick and Michonne. The Rick I saw in the last episode is a Rick I have no desire to ship with Michonne or anyone else. I think if a story is going to make a character look awful and someone gets an inkling of it, changing it wouldn't be a bad idea. If they did that with Andrea who knows what might have happened. But I guess it's too late to change anything we see this season. Comics to screen comparison. http://www.thewalkingdead.com/season-5-episode-13-panel-to-screen-comparison/ I wonder if there's a reason why they changed the woman Sasha snaps at to black instead of keeping her white.

Geez. I hate seeing the katana used that way. It makes me think of the Carl's Hat thread...

I wouldn't want her to get hot and heavy, but I think since she was trying to fully experience Alexandria, a scene where she struck up a somewhat flirty convo with somebody, only to realize her heart wasn't in it, could have been a good moment. I feel like she's trying hard but deep down I wonder if Alexandria is what she thought it would be.

There's been a debate for several years now about whether Michonne is too desexualized on the show. I've never really been that bothered by it, but I did feel like they missed an opportunity last night to have her try to dress up, and feel "normal" and possibly even flirt with a man. Instead we just got that random conversation on the back porch with Abraham.

I guess the way I saw it was they wouldn't have shown us him moving for the pistol if he hadn't seriously considered it. And that frightens me, because Rick takes life and death so seriously. If he is now close enough to the edge that he even got as far as he did, then I'm not sure what he's becoming.

I think she may have just been better off saying, "Jessie would be very angry." I didn't have a problem with her answer, as she even said from her own POV she understood Carol's actions, but Carol has always been such a divisive character in fandom that anything seen as an attack on her from a performer will get a backlash. I saw people saying she was attacking the Atlanta Five and she said so many bad things, etc. I don't really agree with any of that - I thought she was OK - but I think her knowing nothing about the show means she's repeatedly wandered into the minefields of crazy.

To me there isn't a huge difference between that guy and Constable Rick. I think he's still in a position of leadership and authority, and I didn't feel like he really did anything to change how he was. And when he's in that role, and when he knows or suspects something is off with Jessie's husband, then being the way he was with her was (again this is just my opinion) inappropriate. If it had just been a friendly kiss and talk, I would have possibly understood, but he was looking at her (again just my opinion) like he was going to take her away and colonize a new planet. And that type of behavior from him is going to hurt her, which is one of the reasons I was so let down by him doing it.

I think there are ways to bring in a new character with just a few scenes and make them believable. Most of what you described is something I would have preferred seeing with more people than just Rick. For instance, after Carol threatened her son, if they'd had a scene where he looked scared and Jessie asked him what was wrong, we could have seen her as a mother, and I could have cared more (maybe they did show this and I just missed the scene). They could have this next week, of course, but for me having it right after would have upped the stakes, and shown more of how this woman's life is being thrown around by newcomers. As it is now - and I realize this could soon shift and she could have terrific scenes with all sorts of people - I feel like it's mostly about how Rick sees her and anything about her is filtered through Rick, just as Lori was filtered solely through Rick and Shane, just as Andrea was filtered through The Governor in her last season. And it's not something I ever wanted to go back to with female characters on this show, especially since the way she's being treated by the press and by Talking Dead suggests she's a major new character, not just someone being eased in. Someone walking around in a cop uniform, who arrived looking like he could kill them all in their sleep - I'd be surprised if they weren't daunted by him. He's not exactly Eugene.

If a man in a position of authority knows her husband is possibly abusive, and still chooses to kiss her in a public place (which said husband could easily see as humiliating or emasculating), then I can't help putting some blame on him. I feel like it's deliberately playing with fire, especially since Rick is supposed to be there to keep the peace. It's difficult for me not to see her as a victim because of the heavy emphasis on her husband's shadiness. "Porch dick" and the various shots of him seeming shady or offcenter. This is another problem I have with the story and the heavy focus solely on Rick's POV - I have a hard time understanding her or any of her reactions in terms beyond what pushes Rick a certain way in a certain moment. If she isn't a victim, and her husband is just a minor-grade d-bag, then Rick's behavior would seem even more questionable to me. If she is a victim, then I wouldn't want her with Rick, because his behavior is not something an abuse victim needs to surround herself with.

People spent Rosita's first episode talking about how ridiculous she and her wardrobe were and how they didn't care if she lived or died. If anything I've seen a lot more support for Jessie than I saw for Rosita. Beth and Carol were ciphers early on, but at least their stories and reactions were about them, even in the early days. Jessie's entire character is about Rick. Rick's love connection. Rick's lust. Rick getting over Lori. We know nothing else about her in two episodes, even as we've seen little moments of personality from a dozen other people in Alexandria. When women on the show are written to be about men, like Lori was, and like Andrea was with The Governor, or to a lesser degree Maggie with Glenn in late season 4, I think it not only demeans the characters, but it hurts the show as a whole. It could improve. Jessie could become awesome. But for now, I do think she's badly written, in a way only a handful of women have been in some of the worst periods of the show.

What if you knew your husband was violent or unstable (as they may be implying with her husband), and could get angry if he sees a strange, handsome man so close to you, kissing you, staring into your eyes? Rick clearly got a bad vibe off her husband, yet he's encouraging a boiling point that he won't even be directly affected by, as she's the one who has to go back home with Pete. I also felt like the way he went in for the kiss, the look on his face, was odd and possessive.

People can interpret it how they wish - it's my opinion, no more or less. Rick was taught that guns are something to be used sparingly and wisely, not in the heat of a moment. That he even considered shooting her husband solely because he saw them walking down the street together rings huge alarm bells for me, as did the borderline unhinged look on his face afterward. Between that and the kiss, I feel like he sees her as his property. Maybe I'm misreading it and Talking Dead and the woman who plays Jessie are right and this is a superspecial romantic connection, but it didn't come across that way to me. I would be disturbed if Daryl or Abraham behaved this way, yes. I don't want to see any man act that way.

If this was about Rick getting a piece of ass, then I'm sure there are other options beyond a married woman whose husband is clearly on high alert. He wasn't just getting a boner for her - he got in her personal space, kissing on her without her permission, and he then nearly killed her husband. I don't think it's restrictive to expect men to not behave this way. He put her, himself, and his children in danger. If all men reacted this way just because they haven't had any in a long time, then we'd be watching The Walking Shanes. Even Shane was more restrained for a while. And if the show really has brought a woman in solely to get Rick hard, with no purpose or personality of her own, then I think that's very regressive and cheapens everything they've built up over the last few seasons in how female characters are treated.

Today's episode will be on...today, so I may as well blather out my review of last week while it's still somewhat fresh. The show has so many different stories going on. While I don't really love most of them, most are decent, and are building along at a solid pace. I'm glad to get various plots that use a large chunk of the cast, especially since I don't think the "big" stories on the show are all that exciting at the moment (with exceptions, like a few of the post-Katie episodes). So, ranking from the stories I felt strongest to weakest... - Andy's grieving. I'm not much of an Andy fan, never have been, but I think Kelvin Fletcher is in his best range in this type of plot. Little scenes like Andy crumpling up Sarah's drawing without even realizing it, thus pushing her away, pack a big punch. I also like that we are seeing there is no "right" way to get him to move on, no matter how much some of his family is insistent on trying to control his grief. The scenes with Bernice and Tracy were extremely unpleasant, and clearly not just Andy trying to get a leg over, regardless of some how fans spun it. I just hope the story won't become entirely about "saving" Andy from Tracy. - Diary of a Maurel Housewife. This is one of those stories that works in a slow buildup, and Charlotte Bellamy is a very good actress who can play all the beats. Getting people to lie for her, not wanting to drink but not being able to stop herself, being so happy about a potential new job only for Marlon to fall asleep during her presentation, further showing the distance between them. I like that this is not based on some big melodrama where she sees him cheating or whatever - he's being nice, by Marlon standards, but there's so much going on and she feels worthless and has nowhere to go but down. I also love seeing Ashley so friendly with his ex-wives. Ashley is a good man with a kind heart - we need more of those on soaps. - Alicia aftermath. I would have put this at the top if not for the OTT, horrific way Chrissie was written on Monday's episode, and the decision to close the investigation so early. I think these writing choices sent a bad message to rape victims and the Chrissie material felt like cheap, poorly acted theatrics. Everything outside of this was very strong, especially Leyla convincing Alicia to wear her regular clothes and not be ashamed, and Alicia trying and failing to have sex with David. Natalie Anderson, Roxy Shaidi, Matthew Wolfenden, and the boy who plays Jacob were all on top form throughout the week. I'm so glad 98% of the village supports Alicia and that David also supports her, instead of this being a question mark just for a few screamy teary scenes. I wish Collinson had done this in that awful domestic violence story with Tyrone on Corrie. - Val's HIV. I could have done without the days of coughing and the life or death hospital scenes. It was all just a bit overdone, although Chris Chittell (Eric) was much better than I'd expected in the hospital scenes. I thought Friday's episode was much more true to Val and to her family, and I think the message of the story (trying to deal with your HIV instead of ignoring it) is necessary. Paul's visit was believable and added to the story (and I'm so glad to have finally gotten to see him with Bernice onscreen), and I really liked the connection between Finn and the nurse, Darren. Joe Gill is hit or miss in dramatic scenes but he had some moments here, like talking to Darren about Val being his mother figure. And the scene where she teased him for pulling while she was on her deathbed was perfect. - Tracy and Kerry. It gets a bit tiring to see Tracy exist solely as some slapper the entire village hates or tolerates and she moves from set to set being sour. I hope this isn't going to continue to be her only purpose, especially now that she's with Andy. As much as some of the scenes with Kerry and Tracy felt repetitive, Kerry had some hilarious lines (my favorite was the one where she confronted Dan about eating with Tracy, reminding him that they'd hooked up over a pot noodle - when he said they hadn't, she just said, "Oh. Must have been someone else then" and awkwardly changed the subject). - Pearl pissing her money away. This is the second time she's lost all her money through silly schemes or through addictions, so I can't say it's OOC, but it's not all that interesting to watch. I like Pearl, and Meg Johnson, but I prefer her as a comic supporting character.

Olicity is a 100% canon couple (even if the show seems to mostly use Felicity as a launching pad for spinoff studs), and Felicity is seen as the voice of the audience and the show's heart by a lot of vocal fans. I'm not sure if Michonne is in the same boat, due to the show's ensemble cast and the way they bait Richonne more than make it officially canon. I tend to compare it more to Abbie and Ichabod on Sleepy Hollow, although again Abbie is the leading lady (or was, before Katrina Kill Me Now Hour). I do hope people do not send hate to the actress, but between the show's awful writing for this relationship, her comments about Carol, and her essentially saying she'd like to be a leading lady on the show, I wish someone was there to help her with PR...