Category Archives: The Walking Dead

You know…those dead people that get back up and want to eat your flesh, brains and knowledge? Scratch that last one…

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” S5Ep3 ‘Four Walls and a Roof’

Posted by Steven Lewis on

rickroh

As one chapter closes, another opens when Rick faces off agains’t what’s left of Terminus and Daryl and Carol discover a whole new dire situation. Bob has been returned to the group sans a leg and informs Rick and company that his time is near as he was also bit on a run. Poor Bob. Lawrence Gilliard Jr. will be missed as Bob Stookey, a level headed, positive thinker who gave much of the group hope. His alcoholic and lonely past turned for the better when he met the group. He was a shining example all that was potentially good. Well, a good thing can’t last forever as this episode hints.

I’m a bit glad that Gareth, played by Andrew J. West, wasn’t another Governor character. Instead, Gareth becomes a short lived catalyst vehicle that may or may not have split Rick’s group into two halves – one half doesn’t trust anybody new and becomes violent against the against the grain riders and then there are those who believe everybody is good and you just have to sift through that darkness. Carl and Rick are the prime examples of each category which will make for good television later on in the series because I’m sure Carl will once again blame his dad Rick for something. However, Rick has been right for most of the show’s life.

I’m still curious about Father Gabriel. His guilt runs deep, but how did he survive for so long being a coward. Rick still doesn’t trust him, but Father Gabriel didn’t rat out the group with Terminus hooligans make their threatening entrance into the church looking for revenge blood. However, Rick decided he was going to keep his promise to Gareth and Sasha had some revenge on her mind against Terminus folks as well.

Next episode will be something we haven’t seen before; a new group of foes unlike the show has ever given us. We’ll find out what happened to Beth and where Carol and Daryl discovers her. This should be interesting as this gives Rick and his group a new path and takes them off their now stagnant stay at the Church and leave Terminus in the past for good.

Syfy’s “Z Nation” S1Ep7 ‘Welcome to the FU-Bar’

Posted by Steven Lewis on

warren

After the crushing death of Charlie, the band of survivors continue their noble trek to the west coast, but first they must go through the middle of nowhere Kansas. Low on supplies and nearly dead vehicle, their only shelter option is an open field compound that houses a moonshine bar, a weapon’s depot truck, and a sharpshooting contest where the grand prize is for the best zombie kill. Little do they know, a tsunami of zombies, aka Zunami, is heading their way creating a dust cloud that can be seen from space.

Episode seven is not my favorite episode by far as some of the hilarity charm has omitted from ‘Welcome to the FU-Bar.” Instead, we’re drawn in by Warren’s woes over the loss of her man squeeze Charlie and there is a whole coming to terms with the situation scene which was done decently enough to warrant a mention. Other worth mention parts is Murphy is one again, with every episode, showing scenes of becoming a zombie by this time taking a bite out of someone’s shoulder. However, his bite has some fortunate consequences.

10k finds a love interest, but I swear he finds one every episode and I believe this is a purposful cock block because the boy was born post-apocalypse. 10K doesn’t even know what porn is which Doc describes it as ‘great’ and that isn’t really helpful to a boy with raging hormones. 10K sparks a love interest with another skilled sharpshooter who is half Asian (how exotic), but as soon as he makes a connection with her, the scene is chaos with a zombie outbreak in the middle of camp and their paths divide. I have a feeling we will see her again real soon.

10K's sexy honey

10K’s sexy honey


Not the bet episode, but not a dull hunk of shit either. Still some decent kill scenes by Warren and 10K who were really the main focus with Murphy’s troubles lurking in the background. We’re heading out of Kansas being trailed by a juggernaut of Zs whom the group is to encounter next episode and being trapped in a small town and only Murphy to be their salvation. Should be a real kick in the nuts.

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” S5Ep2 ‘Strangers’

Posted by Steven Lewis on

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My apologies for providing reviews days after a show airs. This past week has been hectic with a trip to Canada, work, and new baby! I’ve managed getting around to “Z Nation” and “The Walking Dead” this week (nor would I miss them any other week). “The Walking Dead’s” second episode in season five entitled ‘Strangers’ keeps us guessing. Rick has had bad deals with strangers (as the title of the episode suggests) and he holds a cloud of suspicion over everyone one that crosses his path.

This time a preacher named Gabriel has crossed Rick and his group’s path and Rick, being paranoid Rick Grimes, has his suspicions about the man of the cloth; he knows the preacher man is hiding something. Carl, being happy-go-lucky Carl, wants to believe that not everybody is bad, but his beliefs are starting to turn as he starts to see the clues surrounding Gabriel’s church – knife marks on the windows, “You’ll Burn for this” etched into the side of the church – and Carl is now seeing what Rick see’s: a man’s guilt and past.

On the tail of Rick’s group, the cannibals of Terminus have captures and started to munch on one of the group’s own. These folks are twisted and I’m talking about way, way out there. More looney than The Governor. I have a sneaking suspicion that more than one major player will die this season at the hands of the long pig delicatessen enjoyers. I’m also pretty positive that the deaths will be fairly significant meaning that the deaths will be of characters we actually like. I’m still waiting for Carl to bite it. Sigh.

‘Strangers’ certainly brings more questions than answers to the table. Carol still isn’t sure if she wants to stay or not. Daryl chases after those who stole Beth. The internal plans between Abraham’s group is still a mystery. Lets not forget the slimy food pit and the stanky zombies that inhabit the dark, dank water hole. Those zombies should have gotten one of them killed being I’m sure they can bite under water. I’m also digging Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel Stokes. Gilliam does a great job creating a character we’re quite not sure about yet. His intentions seem pure, but his secret could cause Rick and his friends their lives. We’ll have to continue to find out more I guess…

Syfy’s “Z Nation” S1Ep6 ‘Resurrection Z’ review

Posted by Steven Lewis on

resurrectZ

The time has come to have one of the main characters to be killed in action. Episode six ‘Resurrection Z’ delivered as the ideal, soul-sucking episode to kill off a major character since Harold Perrineau’s Hammond character in episode one. The writers of “Z Nation” are not just slapping together a splatter fest of zombie carnage mayhem; instead, ‘Z Nation’ is taking a cue from AMC’s “The Walking Dead” by actually creating and developing characters wroth the sight of our eyeballs. Developing beyond the point of can’t standing it, that when a series nixes a character, in a very public, gruesome, and dramatic way, the show becomes more compelling and real. I won’t mention who got the axe to prevent spoilers for those people who want to catch it On Demand, but I’ll say that that one of our surviving heros will not be making episode seven.

The episode itself consists of good underlying tone that good people will always be naive to their surroundings while the religious nuts will ruin your day by gun toting a AK47 with a deceptive plan in mind. Religious factions have always played into the zombie apocalypse before ‘Z Nation’ had ever introduced “Jacob” and his flock of suicidal crazies who happen to overrun the good guys compound to punished the non-believers of the resurrected. While I give props to a well thought out plan to infiltrate the good guys compound, I found that the fruits of the labors becomes way too easily nullified by Murphy’s Messiah rant.

Murphy has been the character to develop a lot the last two episodes. We find that Murphy is either an extreme sympathizer of the misunderstood Z or he is slowly transforming into one of the undead proving the antibody strain is ineffective. Murphy is immune to zombie affections and he has some sort of mind control over them making Murphy the ultimate guy to be buddy-buddy with in a zombie overrun world.

While we move on without one of the survivors, lets not forget the objective and lets not forget that “Z Nation” won’t tone down the bloody show; instead, the show will continue to get bloodier with each episode, the feelings will become even more twisted, and overall feel of the show will put your head in a vice and your eyeballs will pop out. You’ll enjoy every turn of the vice handle loving the pain the “Z Nation” brings to television.

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” S5Ep1 ‘No Sanctuary’

Posted by Steven Lewis on

Comic-Con Trailer: The Walking Dead: Season 5 (Screengrab)
“The Walking Dead” is back, finally!  Season 5’s premiere episode is the critically acclaimed show’s best yet starting right off where we left in the last episode in season four.  ‘No Sanctuary’ is gruesomely heart felt where scene after scene gore and emotion.  There were so many gut wrench scenes that play havoc on all the areas of your brain that you don’t know whether to cringe or cry.

Rick and friends are locked in a train held hostage by Terminus hostiles. You can bet your ass that this episode is about the group trying to escape among other story line tangents like Carol and Tyreese figuring out what to do with baby Judith. Rick’s is on the edge looking for blood and revenge while the others passive methods keep Rick grounded. There is a great parallel between Terminus group and Rick’s group and that could prove costly our heros in future episodes.

Abraham Ford, Sasha, and Eugene are still trying to make their virus ending trek to Washington. The Eugene character is still a mystery to us all because he carries himself as a mullet sporting ‘scientist’ who has played one too many role playing games in his mother’s basement. Abraham follows Eugene blindly and I think Sasha just follows Abraham because she’s wants ride on his handle bar mustache (just sayin’). The three have some sort of secret that the rest of the group doesn’t know yet, but I’m sure more will come to light in later episodes.

Special effects guru and director of ‘No Sanctuary’ Greg Nicotero has a bag of new tricks for audiences this season. When you think there was enough blood in a season, this very first episode had probably outdone all the rest of the season’s combined. Ruthless intentions, compelling dynamics, and exploding zombie parts! Check out after credits to reveal a surprise reprisal of a form character! Get ready to geek out with your inner zombie out!