S09.E11: Bounty

[nodorothyparker]

Airdate 2019.02.24

Quote

Alpha's group confronts the Hilltop in a harrowing attempt to retrieve her daughter. A supply run for the Kingdom turns into a dangerous quest.

MOD NOTE:

This thread is for discussion of the episode.  Not spoilers from elsewhere, what happened in the comics, or news of cast comings and going.  If you didn't see it happen onscreen, it doesn't belong here and will be removed.

[Shriekingeel]

When Ezekiel said “it feels like we’re not losing anymore” I half expected an actual anvil to fall from the sky onto him. 

[AngelaHunter]

Well. So. The Henry Show was not riveting, for me anyway.

So when babies cry, they get sacrificed to the walkers? That baby looked about 6 months old. I guess it never cried before. Elpha needs to wipe her mouth. She makes Daryl look squeaky clean.

And Daryl? You needn't explain yourself to that whiny little millenial, you know. Tell him to go pound sand. Why is everyone catering to that useless twerp anyway? He's gone, right, in the search to divest himself of his virginity? Please, Henry - stay gone.

I have no idea what the hell is going on in the movie theatre. Why are are those old walkers spouting all that fresh red blood?

I put on my CC and watched it all but didn't get much. Oh, well, at least we didn't have to see or hear Negan.

[xaxat]

I understand what they were trying to do between the two plots. With the optimism contrasting with the realism. But it felt clunky to me. 

Ezekiel, you are a thespian, wouldn't it be a whole lot safer to bring back theater than fighting scores of dead for a bulb?

(Speaking of which, any projectionists out there? I thought almost every theater (including art and second run) transitioned to digital years ago.)

I liked Daryl's "sometime life gives you a shit sandwich" observation at the end.

[CletusMusashi]

18 minutes ago, Shriekingeel said:

When Ezekiel said “it feels like we’re not losing anymore” I half expected an actual anvil to fall from the sky onto him. 

No big deal. I think that wig would provide enough padding to save him.

[AngelaHunter]

5 minutes ago, xaxat said:

(Speaking of which, any projectionists out there? I thought almost every theater (including art and second run) transitioned to digital years ago.)

Not in TWD world, where all prisons, towns and movie houses remain in Andy Griffith's  Mayberry era.

[xaxat]

3 minutes ago, CletusMusashi said:

No big deal. I think that wig would provide enough padding to save him.

Yeah, but wearing that big wig in Atlanta heat might cause him pass out and make him easy pickings for the walkers.

[AngelaHunter]

7 minutes ago, xaxat said:

, but wearing that big wig in Atlanta heat might cause him pass out and make him easy pickings for the walkers.

He doesn't want "Your Majesty" anymore, so we shall call him "Big Wig." That feather in his wig? That's from some super big bird.

What have they done to Daryl? Since when would he stand there, trading notes in the dark with some tag-along annoying millennial?

[CletusMusashi]

I wasn't bored. Oh, sure, plenty of it was stupid. How about if as soon as a bad guy leader walks up to your gates, you kill them? I mean, they've already had somebody murdered by these people. Kill the leader and those standing next to the leader, and maybe the ones who aren't Alpha will go some place else. They probably wouldn't have come out and waved babies at you. They would have gotten the hell away from you.

And that accent... I mean, Maggie's was like an English woman who can't do a very good Southern accent. But Alpha's is like how an eight year old child tries to mock a hillbilly dialect. It doesn't make me cringe. It makes me giggle.

But last week I was struggling not to fall asleep[ during it. Tonight, I'm actually gonna stay up and watch it a second time. It wasn't good, nor do I expect it to be any more. But at least it was fun.

[Nashville]

On 2/24/2019 at 9:25 PM, xaxat said:

(Speaking of which, any projectionists out there? I thought almost every theater (including art and second run) transitioned to digital years ago.)

Not currently - but one of the jobs which got me through college was running the projectors for the campus theater.  🙂

Edited February 26, 2019 by Nashville
Why was ‘for’ in all caps...???

[BellyLaughter]

Beta is gonna be scarier....right??!! 

The thing that is really bugging me about The Whisperer's is their insistence that the communities have stumbled onto their territory??!!  These communities have been established for many years now - it's not like they just found new accommodation planted their flag there.  

And whilst I'm bitching about stuff that is bugging me why would The Whisperer's reveal themselves at all??  They seemed to have a good way of going about their business (you know eating worms and baby sacrifice) without being seen, so why now??  And Lydia said they were nomadic....just keep moving....no one would have ever known they were there....so stupid.  

Oh silly me, every big bad on this show has to be drowned in psychopathy and narcissism and little more....good times.

Whining over....loved The Kingdom bits of the episode.... Papa Jerry... 😍

Edited February 25, 2019 by BellyLaughter
Had lots more thoughts....

[SimoneS]

I thought this was a pretty enjoyable episode. I loved Connie rescuing the baby. I liked how they filmed the walkers coming after her in the cornfield from her perspective as a hearing impaired person. Daryl and Connie have potential as a couple. I hope that the show goes there.

I felt sorry for Lydia. She was so hopeful going back to her mother, only to discover that Henry was right that people like that never change.

I wish they would just tell us what happened to cause the antagonism among the Michonne and the other communities. I think what happened to Michonne and Daryl changed Michonne's welcoming attitude.

Jerry getting his gum on Ezekiel was hilarious.

[heisenberg]

When they went for the projector lamp I felt the same way when they went for the antique carriage at the museum...   And I will tell it again even if you are bored with it...  Where are the millions of Tv'S, computers, phones, DVD players, etc?..  

No Stores or warehouses where you couls get a brand new in the box 120 inches tv ?  You have to go for a lamp?  And like xaxat said, there is no more lamps in projectors from at least 15 years ago.

Edited February 25, 2019 by heisenberg

[heisenberg]

2 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

So when babies cry, they get sacrificed to the walkers? That baby looked about 6 months old. I guess it never cried before. Elpha needs to wipe her mouth. She makes Daryl look squeaky clean.

[Lakebum]

Elk? They found a heard of... elk?? On the east coast? 

[dvil]

6 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

So when babies cry, they get sacrificed to the walkers?

You'd think that would cause enough dissent over time that Alpha would be ousted.

[Bryce Lynch]

3 hours ago, Lakebum said:

Elk? They found a heard of... elk?? On the east coast? 

I was surprised to find that Elk have been introduced to several Eastern States, including Virginia over the past 20 years or so.

[Bryce Lynch]

4 hours ago, heisenberg said:

When they went for the projector lamp I felt the same way when they went for the antique carriage at the museum...   And I will tell it again even if you are bored with it...  Where are the millions of Tv'S, computers, phones, DVD players, etc?..  

No Stores or warehouses where you couls get a brand new in the box 120 inches tv ?  You have to go for a lamp?  And like xaxat said, there is no more lamps in projectors from at least 15 years ago.

Good point.  Also, where are they finding films to play?  Unless, they were able to break into the Library of Congress, they could probably only find whatever films were playing at local theatres at the time the ZA started. That would probably mean only maybe around 20 films, most of them not very good.

How would the kids not even no what a movie is, when they had a huge supply of DVDs and DVD players, plus electricity?

The storylines and motivations of the characters have become absurd.

[mrspidey]

39 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

How would the kids not even no what a movie is, when they had a huge supply of DVDs and DVD players, plus electricity?

You've never experienced the Ride of the Rohirim on the big screen, have you?

[StevedeMena]

7 hours ago, xaxat said:

(Speaking of which, any projectionists out there? I thought almost every theater (including art and second run) transitioned to digital years ago.)

Digital cinema projectors still have lamps (“bulbs”) They just don’t have film. I can’t imagine they could find a comparable lamp though. 

[Mu Shu]

7 hours ago, CletusMusashi said:

I wasn't bored. Oh, sure, plenty of it was stupid. How about if as soon as a bad guy leader walks up to your gates, you kill them? I mean, they've already had somebody murdered by these people. Kill the leader and those standing next to the leader, and maybe the ones who aren't Alpha will go some place else. They probably wouldn't have come out and waved babies at you. They would have gotten the hell away from you.

And that accent... I mean, Maggie's was like an English woman who can't do a very good Southern accent. But Alpha's is like how an eight year old child tries to mock a hillbilly dialect. It doesn't make me cringe. It makes me giggle.

But last week I was struggling not to fall asleep[ during it. Tonight, I'm actually gonna stay up and watch it a second time. It wasn't good, nor do I expect it to be any more. But at least it was fun.

That’s not Hillbilly dialect.  It’s a combination of that cartoon rooster and the way I imagine Robert E. Lee would have spoken.  

“Ah whant ma dottaaaw”.  Ugh, it’s worse than Maggie!

i guess they learned after the savior debacle that there may be many mite members of Slipknot hiding in the woods.  Plus, they needed a reason for Nu Carl to go chasing Lydia.  Man, Henry is an annoying little fucker. 

Edited February 25, 2019 by Mu Shu

[CletusMusashi]

At least Rick isn't here to get romantically involved with Alpha.

Although I have no doubt Negan's first question will involve carpets and drapes.

[tiredofwork]

This Whisperer's storyline is just beyond stupid.  All of the other clans of villains, they've come across in the past, I can from a comic book standpoint of life go with..   I mean with the Saviours, I could see that people as a matter of survival would join into a pack for numbers and resources even if the evil came with it...

But this Whisperer shit of I am going to skin a walker and wear that on my face and live among them because we are "walker whisperers" is beyond any suspension of disbelief as far as I personally am concerned.  

Show is doomed.  Too bad, it was a good run while it lasted.

Edited February 25, 2019 by tiredofwork

[Nashville]

3 hours ago, StevedeMena said:

Digital cinema projectors still have lamps (“bulbs”) They just don’t have film. I can’t imagine they could find a comparable lamp though. 

That bugged me, too; the lamps in those projectors are many things - fragile as hell, a pain in the ass to handle, etc. - but freely interchangeable between different projector models they are NOT.

3 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

That’s not Hillbilly dialect.  It’s a combination of that cartoon rooster and the way I imagine Robert E. Lee would have spoken.  

“Ah whant ma dottaaaw”.  Ugh, it’s worse than Maggie!

Every time Awful opened her mouth I was reminded of a particular joke, which I’ll paraphrase here:

Q: What did Alpha say when she lost her virginity?

A: “Get off me, Pa - you’re crushing my smokes!”

;>

[BravoAddict72]

Are we really suppose to believe that Carol, who knows how to get the job done, would help raise a wimp like Henry. The same woman who blew up Terminus to save Rick and the rest of her group would raise a whiny brat who lets out a prisioner for fresh air? All I want to hear is "Look at the flowers Henry" out of Carol's mouth.

[diebartdie]

8 hours ago, Lakebum said:

Elk? They found a heard of... elk?? On the east coast? 

"The National Park Service successfully reintroduced elk to the Cataloochee Valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2001."

I've seen them over in Cherokee (about 20 minutes from my house) and I've heard them just 1/2 mile away. HUGE critters, weird call.

[nodorothyparker]

I've mostly accepted at this point that the show exists in some weird gap in time before a lot of modern technology, so while I won't spend a ton of time nitpicking it, it does make a limited amount of sense to me if I think of the premier episode which aired in 2010 as current at the time and that's where all technology stopped.  Sure, there had already been a couple of years of iPhones and flatscreens by then, but a lot of us were still transitioning over from older electronics so plenty of those would still be laying around and nothing more recent would have taken their places.  It's not a perfect explanation, no, but I can go with it.  I'm also choosing to handwave away the whole projector bulb thing, because sure, I get it that there's nothing quite like seeing a movie on a big screen and it's not like they can't literally go raid the Library of Congress just up the road.

Mostly, it was just an excuse for the Kingdom kids to go out and have a bit of adventure that for once didn't turn out badly and that's something the show really needs amid all the terribleness.  I'd probably feel differently about it had someone gotten killed over a lightbulb, but since that didn't happen, I actually sort of like that it wasn't even a scavenging mission for something essential like food or medicine.  Zeke is the only leader we've seen who consistently considers things like quality of life issues and that there has to be more longterm than mere survival.  That's how you end up thinking like animals like Alpha and the filthy bunch.  We've seen flashes of it in Rick and Maggie along the way and that's where Michonne was headed before Rick went trap trap trapping off the bridge, but Zeke has been the one who really prioritized making life as pleasant as he could for everyone at the Kingdom, even if it involved silly Ren Faire cosplay.  Frankly, at this point I'd be fine with just watching them go out scavenging random quality of life stuff every week and interacting over it rather than more nonsensical misery or pointless speechifying.  Jerry, as always in this, is a sheer delight.

I've liked Samantha Morton in a lot of other things, but she's going to have to pick an accent that doesn't make her sound like an extra from Smokey and the Bandit.  The Whisperers were scary enough in their introduction, but the whole thing starts to fall apart when you see these people unquestioningly standing around wearing corpse skins in broad daylight apparently for funsies.  That anyone is going to stand around in a field in the heat probably smelling like the bottom an animal incinerator looking at people behind a wall who appear to be relatively clean and well fed and think nah, this is better defies any sort of sense.

Let Henry go, Daryl.  Just let him go.  Apparently there's no shortage of replacement kids in this world, so why put yourself out for one this stupid?

[Bryce Lynch]

12 minutes ago, BravoAddict72 said:

Are we really suppose to believe that Carol, who knows how to get the job done, would help raise a wimp like Henry. The same woman who blew up Terminus to save Rick and the rest of her group would raise a whiny brat who lets out a prisioner for fresh air? All I want to hear is "Look at the flowers Henry" out of Carol's mouth.

Carol has never been a great ZA mom.   She lost Sophia.  She let Lizzie kill Mika and then had to put Lizzie down.   Maybe we should give Henry some credit for surviving this long.  :)

[Bryce Lynch]

1 hour ago, tiredofwork said:

This Whisperer's storyline is just beyond stupid.  All of the other clans of villains, they've come across in the past, I can from a comic book standpoint of life go with..   I mean with the Saviours, I could see that people as a matter of survival would join into a pack for numbers and resources even if the evil came with it...

But this Whisperer shit of I am going to skin a walker and wear that on my face and live among them because we are "walker whisperers" is beyond any suspension of disbelief as far as I personally am concerned.  

Show is doomed.  Too bad, it was a good run while it lasted.

I totally agree.  Maybe they might have made some sense before time jump, but there is no way they could survive that way for 8 or 9 years.  Plus, someone in the group would have killed Alpha by now.    

[Bryce Lynch]

13 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

I've mostly accepted at this point that the show exists in some weird gap in time before a lot of modern technology, so while I won't spend a ton of time nitpicking it, it does make a limited amount of sense to me if I think of the premier episode which aired in 2010 as current at the time and that's where all technology stopped.  Sure, there had already been a couple of years of iPhones and flatscreens by then, but a lot of us were still transitioning over from older electronics so plenty of those would still be laying around and nothing more recent would have taken their places.  It's not a perfect explanation, no, but I can go with it.  I'm also choosing to handwave away the whole projector bulb thing, because sure, I get it that there's nothing quite like seeing a movie on a big screen and it's not like they can't literally go raid the Library of Congress just up the road.

Mostly, it was just an excuse for the Kingdom kids to go out and have a bit of adventure that for once didn't turn out badly and that's something the show really needs amid all the terribleness.  I'd probably feel differently about it had someone gotten killed over a lightbulb, but since that didn't happen, I actually sort of like that it wasn't even a scavenging mission for something essential like food or medicine.  Zeke is the only leader we've seen who consistently considers things like quality of life issues and that there has to be more longterm than mere survival.  That's how you end up thinking like animals like Alpha and the filthy bunch.  We've seen flashes of it in Rick and Maggie along the way and that's where Michonne was headed before Rick went trap trap trapping off the bridge, but Zeke has been the one who really prioritized making life as pleasant as he could for everyone at the Kingdom, even if it involved silly Ren Faire cosplay.  Frankly, at this point I'd be fine with just watching them go out scavenging random quality of life stuff every week and interacting over it rather than more nonsensical misery or pointless speechifying.  Jerry, as always in this, is a sheer delight.

I've liked Samantha Morton in a lot of other things, but she's going to have to pick an accent that doesn't make her sound like an extra from Smokey and the Bandit.  The Whisperers were scary enough in their introduction, but the whole thing starts to fall apart when you see these people unquestioningly standing around wearing corpse skins in broad daylight apparently for funsies.  That anyone is going to stand around in a field in the heat probably smelling like the bottom an animal incinerator looking at people behind a wall who appear to be relatively clean and well fed and think nah, this is better defies any sort of sense.

Let Henry go, Daryl.  Just let him go.  Apparently there's no shortage of replacement kids in this world, so why put yourself out for one this stupid?

Was Daryl only going for Henry or was it also for Lydia.  I think he told Connie that he couldn't live with it either, referring to handing Lydia back to Alpha.   

While not much in this episode or season has made sense, the idea that they would do the hostage exchange and THEN go to try to rescue Lydia makes some sense.  They had no choice when the Whisperers has knives to their friends' throats.   Now, they can take risks to save her. 

[AngelaHunter]

10 hours ago, BellyLaughter said:

The thing that is really bugging me about The Whisperer's is their insistence that the communities have stumbled onto their territory??!!

*sigh* That's what I was thinking. The communities have been there for well over 10 years, yet not one person ever stepped on Whisperer land? When one of them killed Jesus, he said "You're where you're not supposed to be." Really? All of a sudden? Oh, whatever!

How did a herd of elk survive? We already know that no animal, no matter how large, fast or powerful can escape walkers, ever.

32 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

The Whisperers were scary enough in their introduction, but the whole thing starts to fall apart when you see these people unquestioningly standing around wearing corpse skins in broad daylight apparently for funsies. 

They look utterly ridiculous, laughable, and those masks really look like rubber masks and not particularly good ones.  And does "Ah Em Elpha" have to out-evil Negan? Even he wouldn't put a baby on the ground to be eaten. If babies who cry have to be dumped, how did even this one last that long? Cuz that's what babies do. They cry.

33 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Carol has never been a great ZA mom.   She lost Sophia.  She let Lizzie kill Mika and then had to put Lizzie down. 

She may have even been partly responsible in a very small way for little Sam's demise, after she traumatized him with tales of how zombies would tear him to pieces and eat his brain. Heh. 🤣

I can only assume Daryl is going  after that irritant, that pain-in-the-ass Henry because of Carol. I can't imagine giving a shit about him for any other reason. Wasn't Henry supposed to be learning smithing or something? Yet he's done nothing but act stupid, cause trouble, annoy people and act like a spoiled child since his appearance. I so want to see Daryl whale the tar out of him, but doubt that will happen because we never get good things.

[Bryce Lynch]

37 minutes ago, AngelaHunter said:

*sigh* That's what I was thinking. The communities have been there for well over 10 years, yet not one person ever stepped on Whisperer land? When one of them killed Jesus, he said "You're where you're not supposed to be." Really? All of a sudden? Oh, whatever!

How did a herd of elk survive? We already know that no animal, no matter how large, fast or powerful can escape walkers, ever.

They look utterly ridiculous, laughable, and those masks really look like rubber masks and not particularly good ones.  And does "Ah Em Elpha" have to out-evil Negan? Even he wouldn't put a baby on the ground to be eaten. If babies who cry have to be dumped, how did even this one last that long? Cuz that's what babies do. They cry.

She may have even been partly responsible in a very small way for little Sam's demise, after she traumatized him with tales of how zombies would tear him to pieces and eat his brain. Heh. 🤣

I can only assume Daryl is going  after that irritant, that pain-in-the-ass Henry because of Carol. I can't imagine giving a shit about him for any other reason. Wasn't Henry supposed to be learning smithing or something? Yet he's done nothing but act stupid, cause trouble, annoy people and act like a spoiled child since his appearance. I so want to see Daryl whale the tar out of him, but doubt that will happen because we never get good things.

I think Daryl might be going after Lydia as much as Henry.  He clearly did not want to give her back to her mother, but only did so because the whisperers had knives to the throats of 2 of his people.  

[nodorothyparker]

1 hour ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Was Daryl only going for Henry or was it also for Lydia.  I think he told Connie that he couldn't live with it either, referring to handing Lydia back to Alpha. 

The teen girl with the glasses gave Daryl the note Henry left saying he was running off to go look for Lydia.  When Connie asked him, also via note, where he was going he showed her that note in response.  So I guess we could call it a two-fer.

44 minutes ago, AngelaHunter said:

The communities have been there for well over 10 years, yet not one person ever stepped on Whisperer land? When one of them killed Jesus, he said "You're where you're not supposed to be." Really? All of a sudden? Oh, whatever!

This is a terrific point.  It's kind of like when we were introduced to the Saviors, who had supposedly been subjugating every other community we'd met anywhere in the area for awhile but had just failed to notice Alexandria sitting some equidistant place among them until Rick and the ASZhats were dumb enough to call attention to themselves.  Alpha's talking like they're in an old Western about trespassing on "our land" but we know from things that have been said that Alexandria and Hilltop at least have been there pretty much since the beginning of the ZA as communities.  Again, the geography of this show makes no sense that they're all close enough to be interconnected to travel back and forth but can still wander around for years apparently never the wiser of yet another group's existence until the plot calls for it.

Between being in jail for being drunk and stupid and chasing after Lydia, it hardly seems like Henry would have had time to manage to learn smithing or anything at all since he got to Hilltop.  On rewatch I noticed that even with his hands tied behind his back, Luke was quick enough to be signing what was happening to Connie hiding in the cornfield 'o doom.  I find myself wanting to root for Connie, but I really hope she and Daryl took enough note paper to be able to communicate until they get back.

[Bryce Lynch]

So how long has Jesus been dead?  A few days, a week, longer?

I was confused about the timing of the foolish bulb expedition because Carol and Zeke talked about talking to Jesus about staying at Hilltop if things didn't get better at The Kingdom.

It was explained here that they didn't know Jesus was dead.

This brings up a few questions for me:

a) Don't they have any sort of communications system between the communities to send urgent messages, like "The President of the Hilltop has been murdered by humans disguised as walkers.

b) Wouldn't establishing such a system be more important that Movie Night?

c) If Carol and Zeke are talking about being forced to leave The Kingdom, don't they have bigger issues than Movie Night?  

Are these two the equivalent of Michael Scott having Movie Mondays while Dunder-Mifflin is trying to decide which branches to close?  :)

[oakville]

44 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I think Daryl might be going after Lydia as much as Henry.  He clearly did not want to give her back to her mother, but only did so because the whisperers had knives to the throats of 2 of his people.  

That makes sense. I am surprised that Connie would go with Daryl at night.

They can't keep writing notes to each other in the dark.

I don't like Henry. He is reckless chasing after Lydia. Carole should take him back to the Kingdom.

[Lady Iris]

32 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

This brings up a few questions for me:

a) Don't they have any sort of communications system between the communities to send urgent messages, like "The President of the Hilltop has been murdered by humans disguised as walkers.

b) Wouldn't establishing such a system be more important that Movie Night?

c) If Carol and Zeke are talking about being forced to leave The Kingdom, don't they have bigger issues than Movie Night?  

Are these two the equivalent of Michael Scott having Movie Mondays while Dunder-Mifflin is trying to decide which branches to close?  :)

Great point. If telegraphs could be sent ala Little House in the Prairie days why can't they set up that sort of communications system in the here and now? Or at least a fire signal system to alert for trouble like in Lord of the Rings. Noooo, we need canoes and bulbs.

[iMonrey]

If nothing else, this show still manages to pull off some impressive visuals and camera work. I thought the chase through the cornfield through the perspective of the deaf woman was done really well, cinematically speaking. And the whole adventure in the movie theater was sort of fun in an action-adventure type of way.

That said, it doesn't bode well that I still don't know the deaf woman's name or, for that matter, the names of half the characters on this show. Brett Butler's character? Her husband? These new people that just arrived with the deaf woman? I think the guy that got nabbed by the Whisperers is Luke and the other guy nabbed was . . . who again? Why would I care if they live or die when I can't even remember their names? I know next to nothing about either one of them. And the one who is Enid's boyfriend has been there for at least two seasons. 

The show seems to just be relying on walker-shocker gore and things that seem visually interesting rather than crafting any kind of compelling story that makes sense, or fleshing out these characters in a way that makes them compelling.

I didn't understand the angst over Lydia's fate, either. Can't she just escape and come back to the Hilltop after the trade is made? They acted like she was being taken to another country. 

[seacliffsal]

Henry just makes my blood boil.  He certainly must believe that his second parents, Ezekial and Carol are true royalty as he acts royally entitled...

I am impressed with Daryl's development in that his increased role and speaking parts just feel natural.  It makes me a bit sad that they didn't have him do more with Rick while Rick was still in the story.

The show is certainly moving the newly introduced characters into the forefront.

[Bryce Lynch]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

If nothing else, this show still manages to pull off some impressive visuals and camera work. I thought the chase through the cornfield through the perspective of the deaf woman was done really well, cinematically speaking. And the whole adventure in the movie theater was sort of fun in an action-adventure type of way.

That said, it doesn't bode well that I still don't know the deaf woman's name or, for that matter, the names of half the characters on this show. Brett Butler's character? Her husband? These new people that just arrived with the deaf woman? I think the guy that got nabbed by the Whisperers is Luke and the other guy nabbed was . . . who again? Why would I care if they live or die when I can't even remember their names? I know next to nothing about either one of them. And the one who is Enid's boyfriend has been there for at least two seasons. 

The show seems to just be relying on walker-shocker gore and things that seem visually interesting rather than crafting any kind of compelling story that makes sense, or fleshing out these characters in a way that makes them compelling.

I didn't understand the angst over Lydia's fate, either. Can't she just escape and come back to the Hilltop after the trade is made? They acted like she was being taken to another country. 

I agree that the cornfield scene was well done.

I totally agree that the show has way too many characters, at too many different locations, who we barely know and therefore don't really care about.   It is almost like everybody is a redshirt which lowers the stakes greatly when they are in danger.  

[SamBeckett]

Okay, so Daryl didn’t keep Lydia because Luke and the other guy would have been killed. But when Daryl “steals” Lydia back, her mother will go nuts and kill OTHERS. So, Hilltop is better off ... why?

And what did Daryl say when Alpha asked for their names? Something like, “This is bullshit. We don’t need names. Get on with it.” What was it? Leave it to Daryl to inject humor when needed.

[Butless]

9 hours ago, CletusMusashi said:

At least Rick isn't here to get romantically involved with Alpha.

Although I have no doubt Negan's first question will involve carpets and drapes.

Sorry if its already been asked but, Why is Alpha's scalp bone white, but the rest of her is tan?

Also, not gonna lie; disappointed that Jerry's not with someone more chill. Nabilla's sort of a worrywart, and she hates cats, unlike JerBear.

Edited February 25, 2019 by Butless

[Mu Shu]

6 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I totally agree.  Maybe they might have made some sense before time jump, but there is no way they could survive that way for 8 or 9 years.  Plus, someone in the group would have killed Alpha by now.    

It’s not like she can run that fast.

sorry, but they needed to cast a less chubby actress.  At least Jadis , barcode bitch, and Barat were lean and mean.  Awful looks like a grubby potato.  

[Bryce Lynch]

7 minutes ago, SamBeckett said:

Okay, so Daryl didn’t keep Lydia because Luke and the other guy would have been killed. But when Daryl “steals” Lydia back, her mother will go nuts and kill OTHERS. So, Hilltop is better off ... why?

And what did Daryl say when Alpha asked for their names? Something like, “This is bullshit. We don’t need names. Get on with it.” What was it? Leave it to Daryl to inject humor when needed.

I took it that Daryl thought the Hilltop could rout the Whisperers from behind the walls if they tried to attack.  It was only the hostages that caused Daryl to give up Lydia.  Now that the hostages are safe, Daryl probably feels that if they can get Lydia back they can fight off any Whisperers attack.  

[SamBeckett]

5 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

I took it that Daryl thought the Hilltop could rout the Whisperers from behind the walls if they tried to attack.  It was only the hostages that caused Daryl to give up Lydia.  Now that the hostages are safe, Daryl probably feels that if they can get Lydia back they can fight off any Whisperers attack.  

Daryl may think that ... but has he forgotten that it’s not just the Whisperers they will be fighting, but a herd of Walkers too? I realize this is just fiction (juvenile at that), but a swarm of Walkers can be a ... um, problematic. Seems like a plan would have been helpful. Oh wait, this is TWD, a place where logic and plans are unheard of because then people wouldn’t do stupid things and without that what kind of juvenile show would we have? Oh, is that mean?

[AngelaHunter]

15 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

sorry, but they needed to cast a less chubby actress.  At least Jadis , barcode bitch, and Barat were lean and mean.

For sure. I couldn't help but notice that large roll hanging over her pants. How is this possible for a group of nomadic people on subsistance level? Who would have the time and resources to pile on the pounds? Scary and intimidating she is not. Why is Daryl so determined to find Lydia and rescue her like some white knight? She's not a child and could easily leave those masked idiots and go anywhere she pleases.

4 hours ago, oakville said:

I am surprised that Connie would go with Daryl at night. 

Gee, I had no idea of her name and couldn't recall even seeing her before. And why is Connie so involved in this? And why would Daryl agree to take her? What's her stake in this? She just cares so much about stupid, idiotic, dim-witted Henry and some girl she doesn't even know? What did I miss, yet again?

5 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

Again, the geography of this show makes no sense that they're all close enough to be interconnected to travel back and forth but can still wander around for years apparently never the wiser of yet another group's existence until the plot calls for it.

Negan walked back to the Sanctuary after his jail break, but never never knew  about Alexandria before? Remember his first visit (with the hysterically funny and witty "Little pigs" intro) after his head-bashing of Glenn and Abe? Spencer was totally at sea and asked, "Who are you?" so no one there had any idea who he was.

[Gobi]

37 minutes ago, Butless said:

Sorry if its already been asked but, Why is Alpha's scalp bone white, but the rest of her is tan?

The walker mask she wears keeps the sun off her head.

[Butless]

13 minutes ago, Gobi said:

The walker mask she wears keeps the sun off her head.

The face mask only has eye, nose and mouth holes, and her face is evenly tanned.

[Butless]

I cant stand Lydia. She reminds me of Janice from The Sopranos. Blubbering and lying with that frowny face. Telling them to "Just leave (her) alone!"  Um, you don't call the shots when you're being interrogated by the enemy. I hope she and Henry fall in quicksand and disappear.

[Gobi]

30 minutes ago, Butless said:

The face mask only has eye, nose and mouth holes, and her face is evenly tanned.

I've got nothing, then.

[Butless]

6 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

a) Don't they have any sort of communications system between the communities to send urgent messages, like "The President of the Hilltop has been murdered by humans disguised as walkers.

Birds are immune, right? You can train pigeons, crows and ravens.  Guess no one in theKingdom even knows about this medieval trick ?  They couldn't possibly have eaten all the birds in the area in 6 years, right? 

Also dogs.  Dog cant be the only dog around in 6 years.  Why would they not have bred them for defense, in alarm & battle; for messengers; and, even meat? I really don't want to see the latter, but seems like someone would have.

3 minutes ago, Gobi said:

I've got nothing, then.

There are a million things questionable about this show. I give up.