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The First Day of the Rest of the Walking Dead's Life

posted 8 years ago by jriddle73 (363)
17 replies | jump to latest

There's a great moment in tonight's season finale of THE WALKING DEAD. When the rubbish-tip-dwelling Garbage People arrive at the Safe Zone ready to do battle with the Saviors, they're traveling in--what else?--a fleet of garbage trucks! It's a small moment, offered, as all good comedy should be, without undue note. Though the show up to it had been pretty rough going, it gave me a good laugh and for an instant--just an instant[1]--I even entertained the thought that maybe TWD would pull off something it has never managed: a good season ender. Alas, it wasn't to be. "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" ultimately belongs in the same pile as the rest of the series' lackluster finales.

Last week, Rosita brought Dwight back to the Safe Zone. He's distraught over the loss of his wife and wants to kill Negan. As one of the villain's inner circle, this would seem a simple matter but Dwight has ambitions; he wants to entirely overthrow the Saviors. Negan, he reveals, is bringing a bunch of soldiers to the Zone the next day. He pitches to Rick a plan whereby the Alexandrians and their allies can ambush and kill Negan and his men, appropriate their vehicles, return to the Sanctuary and wipe out the central Savior command-post. After that, it would just be a matter of taking out the outlying outposts one at a time.

Negan is coming to the Safe Zone on a punitive expedition after learning of Rick's scheming against him, which raises a rather significant question: How did Negan learn of this? Immediately, one must consider the possibility of a rat in the house (or one of the other houses). Solely because it would spoil the ep's big "plot twist" later, Rick never even asks. With a cooperative top Savior turncoat in his hands, he doesn't ask much of anything else either. How many Saviors are there? Where are they? Are there other communities they have under their thumb? Dwight could be a liar, of course, but Rick never asks any of this. He trusts Dwight enough to go with Dwight's plan and, being the Great Leader he's always been, never puts into motion any back-up plan of his own...

The full article is here:
http://cinemarchaeologist.blogspot.com/2017/04/walking-dead-94.html

[–] neverstandinalone (641) 8 years ago

Well, thanks for that. I knew there HAD to be a good reason why I didn't watch it, but set it to DVR for 2:30am tomorrow. It's gotten so lackluster I don't look-forward-with-anticipation to the finale anymore, the commercials don't turn my head, nor does the theme music (or whateveryoucallit) make my heart beat faster. *sigh*

[–] Shredder (321) 8 years ago

Your rants are getting worse. FYI, a synopsis of the episode isn't really a criticism. If you want to criticize it, criticize how the action sequence didn't flow well, like it does in war movies. How the actors movement seemed too choreographed and not natural movements. That's what irked me when I saw this episode.

Other than that, it was standard TWD. Lots of drama, dialogue, and Negan.

[–] jriddle73 (363) 8 years ago

"a synopsis of the episode isn't really a criticism."

I certainly agree with that. Most amateur "criticism" on the internet is merely synopsis. Mine never has been and neither was this article. Some exposition is necessary to critique what happened.

[–] neverstandinalone (641) 8 years ago

I like reading each week's synopsis, jriddle73. Continue on..

[–] jriddle73 (363) 8 years ago

Thanks. I try. I tinkered with this one a bit this morning--it felt very disjointed to me and still does. Sort of like the ep itself.

[–] neverstandinalone (641) 8 years ago

Hmm, writer's are never completely satisfied, are they?.?

[–] Shredder (321) 8 years ago

Either you don't know what the definition to "synopsis" is or you're completely blind to the fact that you wrote a synopsis instead of a critique.

[–] flanaria (112) 8 years ago

Not only garbage trucks, but bicycles ! In Talking Dead that was brought up also, referring to the garbage people as the TWD "Hipster". ^^

[–] chefao (426) 8 years ago

Nice review!

[–] lennonforever (2453) 8 years ago

Thanks jr! Read the entire review at your site.

[–] gregg325 (216) 8 years ago

What was the last episode you actually enjoyed and why do you watch something you hate?

[–] jriddle73 (363) 8 years ago

The last ep I liked was whatever the last good one was, so it's probably been a while. But there are good moments here and there. Whenever it apes Z NATION, it's usually entertaining. The "zombie lawnmower" this season was the best thing that's happened on the show since the season 5 opener.

[–] gregg325 (216) 8 years ago

"The last ep I liked was whatever the last good one was"

So the season 7 finale.

"Whenever it apes Z NATION, it's usually entertaining. The "zombie lawnmower" this season was the best thing that's happened on the show since the season 5 opener."

No offense to Z Nation but TWD should not be taking anything from that show if it wants to be taken serious. That show is basically a cartoon.

Anyway all I'm saying is it seems you don't ever have anything good to say about TWD and even when you do its always a backhanded compliment. It just makes me wonder why you bother to waste your time watching a show you clearly do not enjoy.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 7 years ago

I've never seen Z Nation, clearly you're a fan. And you consider it better than TWD?

[–] jriddle73 (363) 7 years ago

It's way better, which is particularly hilarious given that ZN shoots an entire season for less than TWD spends on any three eps (probably any 2 eps now). "Gregg" isn't entirely wrong in calling it a "cartoon" above. A more accurate description would be that it's a comic book brought to life. Like a good comic book, it can indulge in all sorts of insane mayhem and still do the heavier dramatic stuff as well (a lot better than TWD). From Carol's sudden transformation a few seasons ago to a blackly hilarious wisecracking schemer, TWD has been aping ZN rather frequently.

Unfortunately, it can be hard to get new people into ZN because the pilot of the series is one of its all-time worst eps. The producers didn't seem to know what they wanted to do with it at first, and it just seems cheap and somewhat unfocused until nearly the end of that ep, when it starts hitting the marks on what it would later become. The show finds its legs over the course of the first 4 eps; by that 4th one, it's cooking with gas. I love it.

---
"The Dig"
http://cinemarchaeologist.blogspot.com/

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 7 years ago

I'll check the first 4 episodes then. I guess it's the same with Spartacus? People say it gets better but I couldn't even finish the first episode.

Thanks.

[–] jriddle73 (363) 7 years ago

Yes, SPARTACUS starts out rather poorly--gets in gear a the first season goes along. ZN has to sort of figure out what it wants to be and you get to watch that process as the first season plays out.

---
"The Dig"
http://cinemarchaeologist.blogspot.com/