gutbuster

Was I seeing things or did they bury Jadis at the end? I could've sworn on the last shot, before the credits, they zoomed out from a close up of a body-shaped disturbance of rocks on a river's edge with a little pebble marked with an A, which I assume would've been the tiny headstone. I wasn't sure, because Michonne didn't have enough forgiveness to not snatch back those noodles, so I didn't see her mustering enough to give a nice burial to the person who was responsible for wrecking her family and who continued to threaten her children's lives right up until the very end. I'm really surprised they basically dedicated an entire episode of this to Jadis's character. I really didn't need this much closure for her. But it would seem that she really was 'Anne' at heart before drinking the CRM's Kool-Aid. I'm kind of surprised to find out that she kept going back to see Gabriel after all that time. I don't remember seeing any remnant of this sentimental side to her when the CRMified version of her first appeared in World Beyond. The way Gabriel just kind of 'knew' at the end was sad. Was that last shot of him timestamped? So was Jadis killed a year ago in show time or was it back to present day?

Oh right! Forgot about that.

It was a cute moment, but is that right? That after all this time, Rick, who now is able to fly a helicopter, can't drive a stick? I would have thought that a person living in a rural southern town would have acquired that knowledge at some point. Especially with all the outdated technology that we saw in the early seasons of the show.

...and an evening gown for the Christmas gala!

I was "excited" for Mystic Christmas because it was filmed in my state and featured a place I'd actually been. I tried, but I thoroughly hated it and shut it off after about a half hour. I didn't mind Round and Round. I wouldn't shut it off if it came on again for background noise. But I didn't love it and wouldn't seek it out.

I had the same question. It seems strongly implied that the walkers becoming burny and speedy is through human intervention after the fact. So what prompted them to start importing US walkers? And they obviously have criteria of the types of walkers that they want. But yeah, they got a lot of landmass on their side of the world with a lot of roaming bodies. The only thing I can think of is freshness? That was one of the criteria they gave the hunters. Maybe they've experimented so much they are short on newly turned walkers and are smart enough to know that killing your own people to do your science experiments on is not a viable option if you want said population to follow your lead. And for whatever reason, going further into Europe or into Africa to get more freshies is more difficult or impossible than crossing a literal ocean? Or maybe they had a hate for Americans so deeply passionate that it survived the apocalypse.

Wow, they really crammed a lot in here. I appreciated the flash backs. The "mutiny" was underwhelming since it was literally just Daryl and Trucker Hat. I missed a bunch of what Genet was saying because I was waiting to see what Daryl did on that boat that warranted a nation wide manhunt. I laughed at the contribution of Trucker Hat to the escape: "I'm trying, do I look like a fast reader?". Even though we know they're there and not a surprise anymore, seeing that walker scramble up the stairs like that was still a startling, and dare I say exciting, visual after over a decade of shufflers. And then the way it just tore into that guy! I don't even know how to explain how it felt to see something different. Another sad moment when we got a peek into Daryl's childhood when he went off on Laurent. It felt like we were meant to be hearing how his dad spoke to him. But seriously what the hell, they are making Laurent too stupid to live. I understand he's a child, and he was sheltered, "soft" to quote Daryl, but he's been out here for a minute and this kid is literally not learning or listening to a damn thing. I don't think he is capable of thinking that way, of considering or recognizing actual consequences. How in the hell was such an extreme action like trashing the boat his solution to not wanting to be alone? Why didn't he just say that to Daryl? Daryl's been short with him, but Daryl has also listened to him, they've had conversations, and Daryl did get it when Laurent just told him what he was scared of. What was going on with Quinn and Isabelle was ...interesting? I can't figure if Quinn is just supposed to be a 'bad boy' but necessarily a bad guy? It seems odd for him to be hung up on Isabelle after all this time, I don't know. It's hard to tell if he's truly being sincere or if he's got ulterior motives? He's not wasting any time wanting to jump back into it with her even though she's made it clear she's taken a different life path. I thought I noticed one/some of the allies in the crowd when Isabelle and Quinn were driving up in the car. The guy who said they 'go in as one and leave as one' before the raid last week, was there in the crowd. Were they just waiting to get into the rally, or were they captured? I need a better reason for Daryl to be called 'the enemy' by these people to warrant all of this. I hope he defeats that walker in glorious battle and becomes the crowd's favorite gladiator. They start chanting his name wiping that smug look off of Genet's face. I really can't with villains like her. Just so self-satisfied and smarmy. I agree. There's actually so much else going on that I'm over that (I didn't care about him or his revenge to begin with, even a little bit), especially since the girl who actually killed his brother hasn't made another appearance.

Oh, I actually didn't think this was too bad. I thought Daryl seemed more dimensional than usual, and Norman did a good job. I was ready to be pissed when Laurent parted that sea of walkers like Moses, but seeing that it was a dream wasn't much better. I'm concerned that splitting up Isabelle and Daryl is going to put the best part of the show on pause. I really don't need any one-on-one with Daryl and the kid. They did a really good job of showing them growing fond of each other in a realistic way. The moment in the apartment was nice. There's always something so pure, innocent, and a little sad about the way Daryl accepts affection from other people. But you could almost see how nice it was for him to hold somebody and not really know what to do as far as reciprocating. 1. I agree, but I wish there was more than that. I don't think it should be that far of a reach that he'd be born okay. The zombie thing only happens after death anyway. Many babies are born when their mothers die in childbirth. ANd for all they know he'll turn too if he dies. 2. I also thought she mentioned something about him having resources or the power to help find them ways to get out of the city safely? Was Quinn's interest in Isabelle solely in getting back Laurent, or did he still want her, too? Is the woman who was baby sitting Laurent with Quinn or does she just want to be? She seems very "look at me, please acknowledge I'm here and you need/want me" with Quinn. 3. Did they set him adrift off the boat or did he make a run for it on the dinghy? I don't recall. I thought it was the former and that's why head lady was irritated. But unless Daryl stole something VERY important, I don't see why the effort and resources to specifically go after him. I mean really. The people in charge are devoting what seems to be primary resources to retrieve him. For what? Even if he destroyed valuable items or set back some research, so what? All of these resources are worth wasting just to punish him? I guess now that he's tied to the kid it makes more sense, because they don't want the kid giving people hope or whatever, but I don't care for this part of the plot at all. Are these people like the Saviors? I haven't quite grasped the scope of their power. I hate to say it but I also enjoyed the return of Henchman Daryl. That interrogation was clearly a callback to the Randall situation, to show us how much Daryl's skills have improved. I loved Isabelle's concern that Daryl was the Pigboy, but he's like "Nah, I made that sh!t up." This also led to my enjoyment of Daryl's pincushion begging to not be left behind after elbowing Daryl in the face when walkers were closing in on them. It was so contrived that he told Daryl exactly how to get where they were going, eliminating any use Daryl had for him, and then expected to be carried along like dead weight. Ever since the burny walkers, and the speedy walkers that were hinted at, I've been on the lookout for different walker behaviors. I thought the peek-a-boo walker at the Eiffel Tower seemed like one. Kind of more aware then walkers usually are. I thought he was the same one who looked through the sand bags, and then the way he peeped on Laurent under that metal sheet was so slow and creepy...I don't know how to explain what I mean. Something about he way he was moving seemed less random. But it might not have been the same one and I'm just looking for things to be cooler than they are. I also wondered how Laurent got into his hiding spot without any of them seeing him. He was pretty well out in the open when they were spilling out of those plot-filled sandbags.

"I lied to you about the medicine so I could get a horse. I'm sorry, that was wrong." "You shouldn't have lied about that" "But you told them I was Father Daryl. And you lied about the horse. And she lied about why those other kids never came back." "...well, yeah, but-" Tonight on Walking Dead, I learned that Lying is Wrong and the messiah is learning how to whine about never getting to do what he wants.

I was frustrated that here we are, even later into this apocalypse, and there are still kids who grew up in this mess who are still unable to stay put. That entire sequence was irritating. That was clearly not the first time those guys had shown up there, so why did that kid not know better to stay where he was told. And why did he wait until he heard noises outside the door to lock it. I swear that was the loudest lock. It reverberated. Anyway, I think it was that kid's fault all the nuns were slaughtered and I wish we could have one Walking Dead show that doesn't center around a precocious tween with an annoying Character Trait that somehow gets to screw around, essentially call the shots and tell the adults what to do, do whatever they want putting everyone in danger, and then get coddled afterwards. I will say that seeing the nuns get blown away like that was an effective 'holy shit" moment for me. No pun intended. It was an effectively upsetting visual for me. I'm not religious, but I don't watch many things where nuns are likely to get mowed down so maybe it was just exceptionally jarring. Agree about cliche Bad Guy #345. I'm bored of the motive of seeking revenge for the killer of a family member, who was actively going around harassing/beating/killing people. And the bad guy seeking revenge is also harassing/beating/killing people. He's over there whining about his brother when he just murdered that old guy in front of someone who clearly cared about him and vice versa. I suppose its realistic but it really kills any interest in the villain for me when their motives are so absurdly juvenile and stupid. I don't think this show needed a Bad Guy anyway. They said there were different kinds of walkers, and so far they seem more dangerous than the ones in the states. Couldn't the show have just been about carting the brat across France, avoiding the variety of walkers, figuring out how Daryl is going to get home, maybe making friends with the nuns, admiring the scenery, avoiding unsavory people but not a specific Villain, etc. I think the change of scenery so far is working better for me than it did in Dead City. Almost everything is different for Daryl, and us as viewers, which at least has a chance at keeping things interesting. I kind of can't believe they didn't have Daryl giving that chick the side eye when she started talking to him in over the top "American". I feel like that should have been a bit of a red flag for him. I complained a lot here but I did still actually enjoy this. I liked how they tried to put us (non-French speakers) in Daryl's shoes and didn't have subtitles whenever people were speaking French around him, but then had subtitles when people were speaking French apart from him. Maybe that was a coincidence, but if it was intentional I liked it. I don't normally care about the walker-of-the week or walker gore in general, but I found the burner ones so refreshing. The burning brought back the urgency to not have them touch you or get to close. Its nice to be curious again while watching this -Why are they like that, what happened to them to make them like that, etc. I liked the effect of their veins bubbling.

I don't want to see Negan having sex with anyone :(. Just...please no.

So next season I'm expecting we're going to be seeing full Negan again now that theatre lady is threatening more harm to Herschel unless Negan complies. Except it's going to be Negan against the "bad guys" which means Negan is effectively going to be the "good guy" story-wise. I can't even be mad about that. The croat finally became interesting to me. I liked his confessions to Negan in the truck/van. I thought it interesting that he seemed keen on following Negan again. It makes him much more interesting if he turns out to not be the standard power-hungry villain, but a villain who might not mind being the psychotic sidekick. I gleaned that Herschel was irritated that even his mom coming to rescue him somehow ended up, in his eyes, being all about a chance for her to hurt Negan. I think he was hopeful and shocked when he saw she came to rescue him, but then his face kind of crumbled when he saw Negan. Which I get, but damn kid. You got kidnapped, a toe chopped off, and who knows what else done to you, and you're back to bickering in the car twenty minutes later. I just...didn't expect that. His relationship with Maggie but be good and truly effed. Still don't like Ginny. But I thought if Negan did kill her dad that'd give her and Herschel something to bond over. Negan's superhero jump and landing after he pushed Maggie onto that shipping container(?) was choreographed so badly, I may have lol'd. It was so obviously a much younger stuntman doing that. Negan has never been that spry. It was cliche, but I did like that the Marshal seemed to be re-thinking his life choices. You could see the 'wtf are we doing?" written all over his face when he drove up on the gallows with the felons hanging from it. Maggie being so all-consumed with grief over Glen after so many years is just tragic as hell. It comes across that she just hasn't had any happiness in all these years, even with her kid, and it just so sad. I don't think she's smiled once on this show since it happened.

Nothing has shocked me more than the fact that I'm rooting for Negan, especially when they keep making us relive the trauma of Glen getting clubbed to death. I am prematurely exhausted at the appearance of another villain. I was barely getting to caring less than nothing about the croat, I don't have any more ambivalence to spread around. I'm not sure how I feel about the way Amaya and Tomaso died. It felt stupidly contrived even for this show. People are decades into this thing thinking 'let's take a siesta on this pile of corpses, what could go wrong?'. After throwing that walker at the Marshal, Negan might have gotten away if he hadn't shuffled off like an old man with a tiny bladder. Marshal had a gimpy leg and is fending off a corpse and still managed to catch Negan not even thirty seconds later. That was a really long hallway. I don't like Ginny.

I need someone who's as excited to see me as the croat was to see Negan. "NeGAAAAAN, hee hee! ' Damn. Hate the Marshal more than Negan. How that is possible I don't know, but yeah, when Negan very predictably turned to see that ass training as weapon on him I was right there with Negan. That dude is a dick. Like dude, priorities, maybe? Your homies are dead, you were almost dead, you might still be dead from that wound on your leg, you got no boat home, no resources, but really, administering justice is his priority right now. Dumbass. I'm finding that apart from the main show, now that it's over, I really just don't hate Negan as much as I did. I don't know why, but I think it may be due to a certain level of ambivalence since this show is basically 'bonus' material, like deleted scenes that are fun or interesting but don't affect anything. It's a good thing, too, because I fell for thinking that this show was going to be about more than Negan, but this shit is clearly all about Negan, and I'm actually enjoying it despite that. Still can only think about Negan being thisclose to killing Carl before pop-up Shiva stopped him whenever this 'Saviors don't hurt/kill kids' bullshit comes up. Only because they made it such a huge point of the croat's backstory and this story in general. I think Maggie's fear that Hershel might actually be dead is coming across pretty well. The moment in the room where Negan went to check for her was really good. Except then that walker playing dead and being conveniently not chompy until Negan touched it kind of ruined it. I thought that walker-actor was a bit too hammy. I did like the little group of walkers that were strolling down the sidewalk right before the group left the building and went down into the subway. They looked like a bunch of tourists. I thought the tin had beeswax? Shows how much I've been paying attention. But I'm glad Sailorgirl26 explained what it was. I just watched last week's episode again today (I slept through parts of the live show last week) and didn't catch that Negan took the tin from that guy. They could've shown him taking it to make it clearer. I thought it was the matches at first and was confused, then maybe Maggie's tin of memories she was looking at last week but I knew that one was squarish. There's too many small tins in this series.

I liked seeing the walkers enjoy some fun leisure time, pawing at the marshal while he was hanging up there like a piñata. Who was the guy the marshal found in the apartment? Was that his family or his partner's and why do I even care? Being a brand new character, I do not care about Ginny or why she would leave a reasonably safe place to go walkabout after Negan. Seeing as this show centers around the Hershel rescue mission, I would've (stupidly, I know) thought there'd be a more direct approach than what we've seen so far. Why is Hershel being whiny and annoying when he wasn't before? Why do all the kids need to be so annoying on this show? He was the only one who really hadn't been. Is it just moody teenager stuff or did something happen? Is his relationship with Maggie strained? Why isn't he going to weapons practice? Is he suicidal? It kind of sounded like that, or at least that he's apathetic about staying alive. Maybe we'll find out more. With only 6 episodes its nice to see the folks making this show are still sticking to the tried and true method of taking their sweet damn time getting to the point. I do love the NYC visuals and seeing the decay and how people might be still surviving there.