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S06.E01: First Time Again


Tara Ariano
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Though what am I saying, Carol is so far off the reservation that a romantic relationship is not even in her stratosphere right now and I suspect never will be considering what she's become.

 

Echo echo.  Just the mention of "Carol" and "romantic relationship" in the same sentence gives rise to images of female praying mantises decapitating their mates mid-coitus....

  • Love 9

Call me crazy, but wouldn't it have made more sense to try and find a way to keep the walkers in the quarry contained? Or at least use the farming equipment to mow them down since their skeletal systems are so fragile now all it takes is a slight rub against a wall to cause their skulls to explode?

 

"'Fun with Combines', next week on The Walking Dead!"

  • Love 5

I'm watching the replay right now, and I caught something I missed the first time through - at the store, when Glenn/Heath/Nicholas are about to pop the first door and Heath is expressing reservations about Glenn's plan:

 

Nicholas: [Glenn's] been on runs since he got here; he knows what he's doing.  Me and Aiden, we didn't.

 

There may be hope for the boy yet.

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Further evidence that "horn honkers" are assholes.

Particularly those of the suburban D.C. variety...

 Hey now!  Watchit!  But honestly when I heard someone laying on that horn I decided to read the credits for my name.  That's a totally me thing to do - Natural Born DC Asshole that I am.  Besides horns do a public service, how else am I going to tell the guy who cut me off that he's a dick? 

Edited by Timetoread
  • Love 15

Ugh, I sure hope not. They shouldn't write their plot based on people whining on the internet.

Yeah, I've always been a supporter of show runners doing the show they want to make and not letting the internet dictate their direction. If I don't like it, I can just keep it moving. But, within the show it also makes sense for her to pull back because of everything that went on.
  • Love 1

My logic for the walker quarry was to keep them penned up and use them as target practice for all those folks in Alexandria that need to sharpen their gun skills, ala "Fish in a Barrel".  That would not make as good TV as would letting them all loose to roam the woods and possibly become the threat that they weren't while they were captive, so I accept that Rick and Co made a very bad decision to serve the plot and future seasons.

 

The black and white bits didn't bother me since I realized it was a "Then" and "Now" effect to move the story through the aftermath of last season's finale and how Rick and Co need to get back in control of the community.  And incorporate Morgan into the process.  The bandaids moving around on Rick's face had me looking for some kind of secret code.  Liked the Eugene hair humor and that he remains soft and has not gone badass after the warehouse adventure last season.  Never change Eugene, you nerd.

 

As a season premiere I didn't like this one as much as Season 5's shootout escape from Terminus, but it was still good and moved forward for most characters.  Meh on a Jessie/Rick hookup since Rick has killed the husband and dad of that family I think he's pretty much tainted, despite the fact that dad/hubby was an abusive jerk.  Awkward family dinners there.  For those who suffered through the mixed/blended family dynamics of teenagers on FTWD, no need to move that over to the mother ship, IMO.  Speaking of FTWD, I didn't hate that show and am willing to let it develop next season and see where they take it, but I wonder if tacking on a full season of Talking Dead to their show will help it.

 

Looks like Abraham is on the road to demise and taking chances.  He's become an adrenaline junkie and since he's also drinking he's going to mess up eventually.  Hope he makes it, I like the character. 

 

I took the Maggie/Tara bonding as just that they've been through a bit since they met up at Terminus and went on the road to take Eugene to WADC last season so they have some additional connection besides Tara helping Glenn out of the prison.  More so than anyone from Alexandria so far anyway.

  • Love 2

My logic for the walker quarry was to keep them penned up and use them as target practice for all those folks in Alexandria that need to sharpen their gun skills, ala "Fish in a Barrel". 

 

Doubt they could spare that much ammo.

 

My solution would be more along the lines of throwing in a couple dozen barrels of oil and/or diesel fuel - something that would burn good and HOT - with some thermal charges attached. 

 

Get a fire going in that pit hot enough, and the walkers will start wicking and igniting on their own - a zombie firestorm.

When Abraham returned to the car after his little dash to pull the "walkouts" back in line - was anybody else reminded of his "happiest man in the world" line from last season?

  • Love 5

Looks like Abraham is on the road to demise and taking chances.  He's become an adrenaline junkie and since he's also drinking he's going to mess up eventually.  Hope he makes it, I like the character. 

 

 

 

I think Abraham has never been wrapped all that tight and always seems on the edge of going completely batsh*t crazy.  Yet somehow he manages to pull it together.   I appreciated him in the black and white scenes tonight because it made his phony looking red hair less of a distraction.  

  • Love 9

That short flashback of Jessie's teenage kid (cast getting too big, can't remember names) watching Carl hold the hand of that Too-Many-Cooks girl has me dreading a teen romance subplot. Rick killing his dad plus Carl making moves on his girl equals sulky, vengeful teen who will inevitably do something stupid... though running out unarmed and untrained just to see where his abusive dad is buried is already pretty stupid.

 

Rick really needs to give up on Jessie. It's painful to watch his awkward interactions with her.

  • Love 9

*shiny object interlude* - Michonne DID take a protein bar they're saying on TTD?  I thought it was a bag of chips, maybe both?  They have a "Morgan's Protein Bar" on TTD LOL.

 

Well then they don't know their own show because I and pretty much everyone else in the live thread knew she ate a bag of his chips in 'Clear'. Someone dropped the ball on that.

 

Loved the mini family of Glenn, Maggie, and Tara.

 

 

It's like Tara is the sister Maggie never had! 

 

I'm still not clear on why Rick chose to lead the herd 20 miles out instead of putting up a stronger barricade to keep them in the quarry or, like others have suggested, firebombing them. Seemed unnecessarily dangerous to have Daryl, Sasha, and Abe go that far out. Especially in the piece of junk car that Sasha was driving.

 

And what was the point of the flares and the 20 other people on foot??? Sasha said Daryl would keep the walkers from getting slopping while she kept them going forward. That seemed to working just fine, so I didn't see the point of having those hapless Alexandrians in the woods trying to keep the walkers in line. They could have easy been overtaken so it seemed like the plan was just endangering lives.

 

I'm glad the show is back but it seemed to me that they were trying too hard to a) make the episode action packed with an unneeded overly complicated plan and b) fill 90 minutes of airtime. And it's time to start killing off Alexandrians. Starting with Jessie and Ron.

Edited by bunnyblue
  • Love 10

Doubt they could spare that much ammo.

 

My solution would be more along the lines of throwing in a couple dozen barrels of oil and/or diesel fuel - something that would burn good and HOT - with some thermal charges attached. 

 

Get a fire going in that pit hot enough, and the walkers will start wicking and igniting on their own - a zombie firestorm.

When Abraham returned to the car after his little dash to pull the "walkouts" back in line - was anybody else reminded of his "happiest man in the

world" line from last season?

I have no idea what the right solution would be but it seems like the walkers are attracted to fire aren't they?  So having some huge conflagration in one location might have just attracted more of them.  Plus fire can be hard to control and can get out of hand and jump to places you don't want it to be.  

 

I thought this episode was yet another example of how at the end of the day the walkers aren't the true threat, it's always other humans.  Here they spend all this time and energy trying to herd these walkers (to where exactly?  It wasn't clear to me) and there's some human or humans who are about to turn ASZ's world completely upside down.  But that's what makes this show so good I think, because if it was just battling walkers it could get kind of dull.  

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Apparently it's shocking to them but there are other living people who do care where it goes and they should have been thinking about them. Rick actually seemed surprised that Jessie wasn't jumping at the chance for Rick to teach the kid how to defend himself.

Rick did seem to be a bit vague about the fact that the horrible guy he just shot was that woman's husband and those boy's father. Perhaps we should remind him of the stoicism he showed following Lori's death. What from rolling on the ground sobbing (leaving poor Carl and Judith to fate), intense conversations on toy phones and wandering through the woods chasing Lori's ghost in her slip gown. Yeah, he was a pillar of strength!

Also, I like that Morgan actually takes care of his weapon, simple and easily replaceable as it may be. Compared to all the times we've seen Michonne use her sword and then put it back in the sheath still dirty, it's nice to see a touch of realistic concern for something that keeps its owner alive.

You are SO WRONG. Michonne always cleans her katana with the patented Michonne "flick" - a move that has its own sound effect.

No leader should be surrounded by a bunch of yes-men or women.

I'd say that he's feeling pretty confident that he'll be kept in line. His main man (er, woman) busted him upside his skull last time he acted a fool. No worries, Michonne's on it.

Edited by Timetoread
  • Love 20

The reason the plan sucked was that Rick is not a good planner. He's a great fighter. He's a good person to give combat lessons, or to go on runs, or to be on the front lines brutally massacring your enemies. But he's not a brilliant tactician. What he is is a very charismatic and opinionated man who has gotten used to people thinking that he's a great leader.

  • Love 18

Great episode. Totally creeped out by the Quarry of Walkers! Apparently the special effects budgets for the show has significantly increased.

 

Lots of great moments tonight. Rick is definately determined. Morgan is conflicted. Interesting dynamics throughout.

 

But where did they think the Walkers were going to go? At some point, some other noise not caused by Rick's gang are going to distract them.

 

Honestly, I was thinking the easiest solution would be to find some TNT or dynamite or something and blow up the quarry. But I guess the noise would distract far away Walkers maybe?

  • Love 2

After watching Fear The Walking Dead these past few months, Rick seemed like a choir boy this episode.  His callousness is nothing compared to those sociopaths.

 

I thought this episode was pretty good.  Maybe it's because my expectations were dramatically lowered by its imbecile cousin these past weeks, but I was enjoying it throughout the entire thing.  I especially like that Morgan is back.

  • Love 14

The reason the plan sucked was that Rick is not a good planner. He's a great fighter. He's a good person to give combat lessons, or to go on runs, or to be on the front lines brutally massacring your enemies. But he's not a brilliant tactician. What he is is a very charismatic and opinionated man who has gotten used to people thinking that he's a great leader.

 

I think it's an example of in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.  It's not like anyone else was willing to step up and devise a better plan.  The only person who seriously questioned Rick was Carter and he was shut down by Deanna, another example of someone in a leadership role who's not necessarily that great at it except she's just better enough at it than anyone else or there isn't anyone else who could be better who's willing to do it.

  • Love 6

The reason the plan sucked was that Rick is not a good planner. He's a great fighter. He's a good person to give combat lessons, or to go on runs, or to be on the front lines brutally massacring your enemies. But he's not a brilliant tactician. What he is is a very charismatic and opinionated man who has gotten used to people thinking that he's a great leader.

His plan was working until that horn went off. Rick knows what he's doing most of time. People look to him to lead for a reason.

  • Love 16

I agree.  Rick has a tendency to go feral when he is stressed.  I think he's been stressed from the time he set foot in Alexandria because the very idea of it processes in him like grief.  Making him "sheriff" only made it worse because the last time he was Sheriff Rick he had Lori and Shane and a comparatively simple life.  What keeps Rick in charge is that his feral ferocity provides safety to those considers to be "his".

  • Love 16

I didn't mind the black and white flashbacks.

I don't understand why they didn't use the horn in the car? Maybe it wasn't loud enough to cover the huge horn that's drawing them to the safe zone, but they could have tried to keep some of them that way. Or even used it here and there from the very beginning.

I liked Heath.

Glenn is great. "I'm supposed to be delivering pizzas!" in response to that guy saying it was only supposed to be a trial run. 

I still like Rick, but his more agitated self makes me cringe a bit, too. He seems to be pure adrenaline now - except for when he was holding his little girl. 

That said, I also don't like that woman - Jessie? - acting so distant, after she told him to go ahead and kill her husband. I don't mind her sticking up for her son, and she's right that he won't listen to the guy who shot his dad, but she definitely came across like Lori.

  • Love 3

Rick did seem to be a bit vague about the fact that the horrible guy he just shot was that woman's husband and those boy's father.   Perhaps we should remind him of the stoicism he showed following Lori's death.  What from rolling on the ground sobbing (leaving poor Carl and Judith to fate), intense conversations on toy phones and wandering through the woods chasing Lori's ghost in her slip gown.  Yeah, he was a pillar of strength!

 

 

You are SO WRONG.  Michonne always cleans her katana with the patented Michonne "flick" - a move that has its own sound effect.

 

 

I'd say that he's feeling pretty confident that he'll be kept in line.  His main man (er, woman) busted him upside his skull lasted time he acted a fool.  No worries, Michonne's on it.

That man terrorized his family and killed another man and tried to kill Rick. This is not the same thing as Laurie.

Edited by mommalib
  • Love 5

I agree.  Rick has a tendency to go feral when he is stressed.  I think he's been stressed from the time he set foot in Alexandria because the very idea of it processes in him like grief.  Making him "sheriff" only made it worse because the last time he was Sheriff Rick he had Lori and Shane and a comparatively simple life.  What keeps Rick in charge is that his feral ferocity provides safety to those considers to be "his".

 

I'm not sure how anyone in this situation could avoid being stressed.  I remember back to when Michonne and some others were advocating for going with Aaron because they needed a break, they needed to be able to rest, Rick especially needed that.   Rick takes on a lot of the stress for everyone else, he's the one trying to stay hyper vigilant, the guy on the wall standing guard so everyone else can relax a little.  In her own way I think Carol's doing the same thing, what Morgan commented on, always watching, seeing everything, always ready.   It's not something you can keep up indefinitely though, that's the problem, the crazy starts to creep in.    

  • Love 14

A good plan might have been saying "Hey, Morgan, you're pretty good at setting zombie traps. What's a good way to keep them from getting out?"

And if you really want to have a big zombie parade, maybe at least wait five minutes until the people walking along next to it have some training? And, I don't know, maybe armor or something?

That whole schtick was doomed to fail. Make a ton of noise to keep them following you, and just magically assume that another herd isn't going to come in sideways, and that the W guys who are so famously "not far" won't just start shooting at you with sniper rifles... it's an awful plan. It failed near the ASZ because that's where their enemies chose to make it fail. But there were miles to go for other things to go wrong during.

Plus, you really have to be a special piece of work to think "release them into other people's neighborhoods" should be the number one go-to solution. 

Edited by CletusMusashi
  • Love 13

I typed up a post for the pre-air speculation thread earlier today.  I said I thought Rick's been losing pieces of himself  - probably since killing Dave/Tony, but definitely by killing Shane, the way Lori died and his part in it, the governor part 1 & 2, "losing" Judith, tearing a man's throat out to save Carl, getting lined up at the cannibal's trough, being moments from saving Beth before her head blew up in his face ......  Anyway, my hope was that Morgan was going to pull him back from the edge.  They've had a connection from the beginning, and you know the show wanted to stress how appalled Morgan was at seeing Rick again with his face bathed in blood and looking like a lunatic.  Morgan has been in hell and managed to drag himself back from insanity, and Rick needs someone who will challenge him rather than bow to him - the way that Hershel tended to do.  Anyway, I didn't post it because I thought - that's stupid, and they're going to tear me apart.  Kind of looks like that's the plan though.

  • Love 11

Glenn was so wonderful tonight. He's stepping up and becoming a really great leader.  I hope he gets rid of his baby duck soon because I don't trust that guy one bit.

 

I'm worried about Abraham.  It seems that losing his quest and living in a relatively safe place might have awakened some inner demons he's kept in check so far.  Every time I want to call bygones with Eugene, Abraham is there to remind me what Eugene's done and the damage he's caused.

 

I hope that Daryl gets his tongue back from whatever cat has got it and lets Rick know that he's no longer the unquestioning, loyal soldier he once was.  Obviously Daryl thinks that other people should have the opportunity to have a safe place to live, just like Rick and the rest of his family.  Rick arbitrarily shutting down the recruiting drives is just another example of how the Ricktatorship is going to have dissenters.

 

If I didn't already adore Morgan, I would have instantly fallen in love with him when he let Miss Carol know that shes not as slick as she thinks she is.  Watching Morgan putting her in her place was a thing of beauty.

 

Poor Father Gabriel is quickly becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of Alexandria Safe Zone.

  • Love 9

I don't understand why they didn't use the horn in the car? Maybe it wasn't loud enough to cover the huge horn that's drawing them to the safe zone, but they could have tried to keep some of them that way. Or even used it here and there from the very beginning.

They didn't want to attract other rogue walkers and those walkers disrupting the line/parade.

  • Love 1

I'm in a full blown panic at the number of new black male characters.  That never bodes well in the TWD universe, and I finally got Morgan back.  I request that FPP be at the top of the list to go, and Sasha's hubbie at the bottom. 

 

A lot of Morgan, but not too much for me.  It made me wonder if Daryl was a little jealous of Rick's new bestie, but then I remembered that Daryl had already moved on with Aaron.

 

How in the world did Ron keep up (on foot) with Morgan and Rick in the car?

 

Loved Rick flat out rejecting FPP's offer of help. 

 

I was a little nervous at the death glare Rick gave Morgan for helping the weaklings.

 

I loved Morgan holding Judith - except she's not the sweet little baby from last season.  He didn't look nearly as comfortable with the baby as Tyreese was.

 

Morgan stills wears his wedding band, but he's doing a little flirting with the ladies.

 

I loved Sasha's sweet smile when Abe asked if she was going on a suicide mission, and WTF with Sasha driving with her emergency blinkers on.

 

I'm not spoiled, but I've got a real bad feeling Glenn's not going to make it through this mission.  The possibility of Maggie being pregnant makes that feeling stronger.

 

Enough with Betty Crocker.  I want Carol back in her low rise khakis with tank top, and that cool knife with the finger holes.

 

 

  • Love 9

I liked the B&W.

 

I liked Jessie softly, but in no uncertain terms, stepping up for her son and telling Rick "hands off". She wasn't accusatory, she just told him "It can't be you."

 

I love Rick. He's a warrior and the best chance they've got. 

 

Morgan is beginning to annoy me. 

 

Epic walker horde. But I was also thinking, why the hell don't they just firebomb the quarry? So what if it drew more walkers - good! They'd fry right along with the hapless zeds already in there. Just keep a BIG BONFIRE going. It's not like any of them would climb out, and the fire would keep burning as long as there was fuel (walkers), but not jump the rocks. I think they missed a big chance.

 

Can I just say too how much I love Greg Nicotero and loathe Scott Gimple?

  • Love 4

That was pretty great!

Rick is somewhere between CrazyPrison!Rick and just badass!Rick and I loved it.

I'm so happy Morgan is back and it's interesting and kind of sad to see Rick and Morgan's strained dynamic now.

Do my eyes deceive or does the Family Richonne live together now. YAY!!!

Just an observation. IMO, the baby(s)playing Judith seem so totally comfortable with Andy Lincoln. It feels like they are father and daughter just in the way he holds her and they look at each other. Often babies are so awkward with actors but I don't see that at all with these babies and Andy. When Rick gave her to Morgan she sure looked like she was looking right at Andy...Like "Daddy, nooo. It's a new person!" So cute!

I feel like the show has found its way again. c

  • Love 10

I would've thought that they could've used the power equipment, the scoop and the big post hole digger keep the people in the quarry. And then, use the equipment to dig a trench around at least part of Alexandria. Make a secure fortress, that people could go to during attacks. They might not have enough gasoline or diesel fuel, but they have a butt load of trees. Actually they could've knocked trees into the quarry, and then set them alight.

I kept thinking that Rick was going to lead the walkers into a ravine or stadium somewhere they could kill them all. I keep creating vehicles in my mind. Something with a blade about neck high in front that wouldn't get bogged down by running over bodies. Maybe two vehicles with the blade suspended between them. I'd be the Rube Goldberg of the zombie apocalypse.

  • Love 10

Actually, not that Morgan single-handedly fortifying an entire town wasn't completely awesome, but you know who else might have some useful input?

Tara.

"Hey, remember back when you were running with Brillip? No hard feelings. We're cool. But, um... how did your group silently convince hundreds of zombies to go take a cigarette break?"

  • Love 2

I kept wanting them to do something like this on the road.

 

9122_e901.gif

 

(From the movie Juan of the dead)

Yeah then go around and sweep off their  legs and end up with  headless walkers or legless ones. Might not kill them but sure would slow them down.

 

I didn't mind the b/w they may have had  too many flashbacks but the effect made the transitions easier to get.

 

And Rick stop it,  you killed Ron's dad even if he was a dick give him a few days to get over it.

Edited by tom87
  • Love 5

I don't know why they don't go historic old school. A trench/moat type structure around the outskirts of the fence line will catch the walkers when they fall in, where they then can be killed or burned. I agree that they could have reinforced around the top of the large pit with the metal that they used to redirect the walkers and then poured some gasoline, kerosine, jet fuel, alcohol, paint thinner, and get a fire going in the pit. They could have killed a substantial portion of them. I don't understand why they aren't using some type of mechanical apparatus to attract them into the pit, where they will fall it and have them decapitated when they approach it. These types of techniques have been used for hundreds of years, you do not need electricity for these structures. The numbers of walkers are so high, they need a much more efficient method to take them out in large batches and keep it going. traps and decapitation, herding them with lights or noise and then kill them in pens might work. 

  • Love 9

I'd kind of like to see them experiment with some kind of home-made catapult. Quieter than a cannon, but still good for heavy smashing. I mean, I know it's a lot of zombies, but last I heard you could kill three at once by swinging a chain at them, so I think a few bigass rocks or clods of dirt could squash that herd down to manageability pretty quickly. You'd still need people guarding the perimeter, but it would be a lot safer than trying to do it on the march. They're more dangerous when temporarily confined than they are all walking right next to you? That is not how intelligent defense works. Overeacting to a not-immediate threat is way more dangerous than just doing something else. For a nice little real life comparison: 85 per cent of venomous snake bites in the U.S. are to the hand or arm.

  • Love 3

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