DRW50

I think Gillian Spencer moved back from writing to acting during her AMC stint. I remember an interview with Jane right after she came on The City where they talked about her checking the lighting, just automatically. Thanks for the clip, SFK. I had wondered if you were doing OK. I've seen nothing of this particular time right before the murders. The show seems like it's in good shape to me. I'm reminded of why I liked Angie/Charles and how Debbi managed to create a believable relationship with Geoffrey Ewing. I hadn't seen that story about Jacob's fake, bad acting sister, but I did laugh at the "incest" line. I guess this is when Deborah had her heart attack. NAA is so moving in that scene. She was such an underrated, understated actress. The ending speaks for itself. I wonder if that was a new scene or something from earlier in the episode.

If you get one you should get Killer Within.

I think Lori was there in part to bait fans - there were multiple scenes where Glen Mazzarra said that scenes were done with Lori to cause a certain reaction (like the Lady MacBeth scene). I do think that it was way too easy for some fans to get into the worst mindset. I don't believe that she led Shane on. I think that a few times she was polite and friendly when she should have left him totally alone (second season), but that wasn't going to make a difference in his mind, he was probably going to stay and obsess over her and over Carl no matter what. I don't feel the connection I want to feel to Andrea, mostly because I don't quite believe the toughening-up role she got, which was then regressed with the Governor (I believe it more with Maggie). But I also don't see her as a slut or a bitch or any of that. I think a show with so many macho, swaggering male characters and a show that often reinforced gender roles seems to bring in hardcore misogyny from certain viewers. The Governor in the comic seems very different to the one on the show. The one on the show is more cerebral and slowly builds into darkness. Michonne, I like her, but I think there was too much hype around the character and they didn't sell the friendship with Andrea, which makes her actions less meaningful. I think the idea of Michonne is a cool idea, but I'm not completely sure this can be translated onscreen. I become annoyed when I hear people say she's a bitch or say that she should have been the one who got the rape story, as she did in the comics, because she's tough and it wouldn't bother her. When she doesn't have an inner life people are more likely to put their own prejudices onto her. On the commentary for season 2's finale they said originally they planned to have the group fighting walkers in the woods and they'd make their way into the prison, which would also be overrun by zombies. AMC asked for a more "existensial" ending, which led to Rick's speech, and the shot of the prison in the distance. For once I actually did agree with AMC.

Random note - Walking Dead was mentioned on Big Bang Theory last night. Sheldon and Leonard had a falling out because Sheldon spoiled Lori's death. For some reason, I can't see Sheldon watching TWD, but that's just about the best free publicity a show could get 3-4 days before their season premiere.

I think SWC might have improvised the spitting. Andrew Lincoln fought to keep the scene. I do wonder if it might have been Kirkman's idea. I think Lori was a thinly drawn character, mostly there to cause men to fall apart, but I don't hate her either. I think that perhaps my watching the episodes in a few months, instead of over two years, makes me less upset by her, or by the second season. Many of the issues people had with Lori, like her being a prick tease, or wanting the women to clean and cook, I never quite saw the same way they did. The only one that did was her having people run into town for her, but at least the show had Daryl stop this. The second season was a little talky and sluggish but most of it worked fine for me. Most of it built believably, piece by piece. The payoff was more than worth it - the premiere and the last 3 episodes of the season ranged from good to superb, and that's tough for most shows to pull off for even one episode. If I had any complaint it would be I wanted more life for Beth, Jimmy, and Patricia, but at least Beth got the suicide episode.

I just watched that episode, and I was baffled by her behavior. They'd built up how isolated she felt, but this was a power play, and one which seemed to be done solely to get a reaction, similar to when Lori goaded Rick to kill Shane (only to be horrified when he actually did, perhaps because Carl was involved). What bothered me with this was that they had a character who could react this way - Patricia. Imagine if Patricia found out that Rick had known that Shane let Otis die. Patricia even led a rebellion against Rick in the comics, didn't she? I get the TV idea of why she had to die - Carol was the "older woman" of the group, and they didn't think they needed another. But why not have them both? Patricia could just die in the season premiere, if it was that necessary. Instead they just let the story of Otis' death end without full resolution. The scene of Daryl watching the fire (I read a comment that his mother burned up in a fire, and he might have remembered that while seeing the barn burn - Norman Reedus didn't mention anything about that motivation, but I still like it) was incredible. So was the scene when they left the highway and the Sophia message was shown on the car windshield. Can you believe AMC wanted them to cut the scenes with Daryl on his motorcycle? Do they know their audience at all? I just loved Hershel in this episode. The guy who plays him is one hell of an actor and he packs so much pathos and dignity into every scene. When I started watching in season 3 he was mostly a C or D level character, but he was such a backbone of season 2. If they were going to kill Jimmy they should have given at least one scene to make viewers care. There was nothing. Apparently he was originally supposed to die in Dale's death episode, Dale was supposed to find his corpse and then get killed by the same zombie. They should have made me care. This was also originally supposed to have a scene where Lori spit in Rick's face after she learned about Shane. Someone had the sense to keep that out.

Too derivative. I think I would have loved this promo otherwise. The best part is the whisper at the end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8ueQdrSutg

Glad you're tying up loose ends. I also liked the Mitch/Felicia talk. It seemed important even beside big drama.

What do you think of Brody? Other than the actor getting into a transphobic spat on Twitter no one seems to care.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGD5BlOOWvI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbGWk01uE48

Thanks again. I wish they'd done more with Ava/Curtis at this time.

Thanks. I didn't realize he was there to March 1991. That's two full years. I thought it was a year and some change at best. I actually like him in the role, I wish he'd had more to do.

I have never seen the great appeal of Johnny Weir and this doesn't help matters. What an entitled and harmful response to what gays are going through in Russia. http://americablog.com/2013/02/russia-olympics-2014-sochi-gay.html

Good for Tika. We could build an entire show around all the black actresses wasted by daytime.

That's certainly true. I'm glad you gave him some strength here, which he deserved to have.

I never can remember what Teri Polo looks like. Yeah I heard about Pretty Little Liars, and the others too, and all done without fanfare.

I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't realize he was on Buffy. I remember Ethan but not too clearly. http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/02/robin-sachs-dies---buffy-the-vampire-slayer-actor-was-61.html

Good for her. Is that Elisabeth Rohm? Sherri looks great. I love that all this lesbianism comes on the 700 Club channel.

In tonight's installment of are they actually going to admit Dean Winchester is bisexual or is this just another haha queer joke? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=plrQwo66V-w

Iris has bad taste in men! Nice crossover writing. I would point out that Cass couldn't be a family with Kathleen because she "died" soon after they married. I love Iris' line about Rachel's office. You have fun dialogue for the bitchy characters.

Joe and Augusta have amazing chemistry, and they both have such presence. Not to mention that Dane WItherspoon and Louise Sorel are just stunningly gorgeous specimens. I don't understand how the show could not see Witherspoon's appeal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcE5lgdlUO0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S8H0fxKpnk

Just desserts! I guess Cory is talking to Carly's daughter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYNYNkdxrVY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckSxw16akeM

Great chapter. Suspenseful. Bridget still has those blinders on. I'm glad Nicole has another chance.