The Walking Dead: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I think the episode worked in the sense of building tension and dread. The rest was a mixed bag.

Best part - Morgan at the end. Really effective material, wonderful performance from Lennie James. And just as before, Morgan was dancing on the edge of madness, yet everything about his demeanor changed when he saw Rick's name. I can't wait to see Rick and Morgan together again.

The stuff with Michonne/Gabriel/Carl and the DC returnees clashed with the hospital material, and I wish the church part had all been in last week's episode, but it was worth it to see Michonne kicking ass again. I loved the way the screen almost seemed to shimmer when she got out her katana. I love that the katana killed a walker all on its own. It's just THAT awesome. And I'm glad that Gabriel's stupidity didn't get anyone killed. I think he's finally learning. I get that they had to do all this to make sure the church wasn't a safe haven, and they had to have the shot of Gabriel begging to be let in. It was heavy-handed, but I get it.

As soon as Maggie learned about Beth I knew Beth was dead. It's TV cliche #43, probably. I thought Lauren Cohan did a great job with the reactions. Now if only they'd had her mention Beth before instead of trashing the character by omission. This is another case where the show assumed viewers knew something they did not (that Maggie wasn't going to mention Beth because she assumed Beth had to be dead), and it took a big toll. I feel sorry for Daryl, but if we see more of his manpain (yet again) than Maggie's reaction, I'm going to be ticked.

I'm sure it makes me a bad person, but Rick was hot as hell in this episode. Crazy eyes and all. So-bad-it's-good hot. Pure skeevy sex godliness. And he was truly unhinged for most of this, all while doing his best to be under control. He's never been more dangerous than he was here. He was right all along - the plan ended terribly. Yet I can't help wondering if he hadn't killed Bad Bob, would they have accepted him as a trade for Noah? Or would it never have worked out?

I feel like they spent too much time trying to make us sympathize with Dawn or understand Dawn, when, just like with The Governor, I didn't care. I never cared. On paper, her dynamics with Beth interested me, and the fact that they became each other and killed each other interested me, but I just felt like it was all very talky and draggy.

I will give some points to the actors, choreographers, and/or stunt people, because Dawn's fight with Generic Rapey Cop #6 was one of the most intense fight scenes I can remember on the show.

I was very upset when Beth died. I keep wondering how upset I would have been if I hadn't been spoiled. If I would have been even more devastated. Yet there was also something niggling at me, in that I almost felt like Beth had a death wish. Like the place had truly destroyed her psychologically and she wasn't able to survive. Otherwise it just sort of feels like she just did something so she'd have to die, because they needed a death.

The Sasha and Tyreese scene felt out of place. I'm glad we finally got the explanation about Gareth, but it just makes Tyreese seem more like a liability. I really like Tyreese, but he's very lucky that key people in the group keep quiet about his weaknesses. And I'm not sure how we're supposed to feel about Sasha saying the Sasha he knew is gone. Happy? Sad? Both? Maybe we're supposed to make our own minds up. That's not a bad thing, but too much ambiguity eventually drains a show of meaning.

The show continues to struggle to articulate a message about whether or not we're supposed to hope. They suggest that we should be concerned about Rick's darkness, Carl's darkness, the group going too far...yet anyone who ever espouses a positive outlook tends to die. So which is it?

I'm going to miss Beth, and I'll miss Emily's performance. I know the character got a lot of [!@#$%^&*], and as long as people didn't go after the actress, that's fine - everyone has a right to their opinion. But I always liked Beth, even when she was just the girl who sat on the prison steps singing Tom Waits songs. I'm just going to miss her, and I hope she's remembered for who she was, not because of Daryl or because of a shock value death.

Thank you, Emily.

Edited December 1, 2014 by DRW50

[Juliajms]

I'm one of the people who did know that was the reason. It seemed clear to me that Magie just didn't want to face up to Beth's death by naming it. Still, I'll agree it might not have been the best way to go. Way too easy for some to think that Maggie only cared about Glen.

I felt Beth died because she was trying to protect Noah. She didn't want to sit back and let Dawn continue to push everyone around.

That was a depressing end to the season for me.

[Angela]

This is my first season watching.

I had the feeling Dawn was going to be killed all episode long. I was shocked that Beth was included in that death scenario.

I get why Beth was not happy with Dawn but I don't get why she stabbed Dawn. That only could have ended badly.

That's a good point. I think Dawn wanted Beth to stay with her though so she would have tried to take Noah from Beth - as payback for being abandoned - regardless. My thinking even from the beginning of that scene was that it was not smart to bring Noah into that trade-off in the first place.

Dawn's reaction to shooting Beth threw me off too. She seemed shocked, like she didn't mean to. I was looking around to see if their was another shooter. Looking at this gif of the scene, I feel like she accidentally pulled the trigger upon being stabbed.

I had no idea Beth was anything to Maggie until the reaction scene as Daryl carried Beth's body out. Good acting by everybody in those scenes.

[slick jones]

I didn't read anything before I watched at 11, but as Talking Dead's credits were rolling and I saw Kinney in the "Dead Man's Seat", and I tried to convince myself I was wrong. I couldn't tell if Owen left with them. Did anyone notice?

If that fool stayed there, he deserved to, because he was given the chance.

Goodbye, Beth, even though I couldn't stand you at the Prison, you grew on me.....

[DRW50]

Noah went with them.

[DRW50]

Poor Emily Kinney seems devastated.

http://tvline.com/2014/11/30/the-walking-dead-beth-dies-season-5-midseason-finale-emily-kinney-interview/

[quartermainefan]

Great episode for the most part. I think my favorite scene was Dawn and Beth vs the cop and when Dawn screamed for Beth to help. The actress who played Dawn was really good. I felt sad when Beth died because she was truly nice and it seemed like she was about to be rescued but then Dawn had to have a final act of malice on Noah. Still, better Beth than Carol.

Father idiot I took his crying solo scenes as a sign to go to the bathroom. Completely worthless character. He is in competition with Tyrese and Abrahan for not only worst characters on the show, but perhaps on all of TV. Tyrese actually isn't ashamed to admit he let that guy from Terminus go? I would be.

Nice to see Maggie get that scene at the end and the actress did a good job.

[Vee]

I thought it was unfortunate - I think Emily Kinney had just come into her with Beth in the last couple episodes as a strong young heroine. I would've kept her on and lost others. But it was a decent enough episode. I really, really despised Dawn. Talk about someone who is a willfully blind authoritarian. But the actress was terrifying. I think Dawn knew, especially in her scene with the other cop who fell to his death, that this whole thing was never going to work, but she was in too deep to allow herself to face it. I also wish Beth had been able to refute her more often, but they didn't let her - maybe because Beth was still very young.

I'm just glad no one else got offed.

I think the show wants us to believe in hope and to think that Rick and Carl have learned to cope with their darkness, which is something last season's finale articulated both with Rick's talks with Daryl and with Michonne and Carl. But I also think it has had some other mixed messages at times, about other people's transformations.

I'm sorry Emily Kinney lost a job, but I'm a little taken aback that she's in hysterics in her print interview four months later. You're an actor, it comes with the territory, especially on TWD.

Edited December 1, 2014 by Vee

[Cheap21]

Holy sh-t, they killed Beth! We spent so much of the last few episodes focused on her rescue, only to have her die. I know people didn't like her, but I did

[Juliajms]

They killed her just when I really started to like her. I wish she could have lasted until the end of the season. Oh well.

I hear you, but it's got to be one hell of a blow to be let go from a show this successful. I can see why it's painful to lose that kind of income and the fame. However, when your show is named The Walking Dead, you know it's coming. I always figured our survivors were the real walking dead in a sense.

Edited December 1, 2014 by Juliajms

[marceline]

I feel like this was TWD's version of the way BtVS killed off Tara in the same episode where she was added to the opening credits. We finally got a reaction from Maggie regarding her sister only to have that momentary happiness ripped away from her in the cruelest fashion.

Kudos to the show for actually making me like Beth. I didn't like her so much that I was sorry to see her die but I have to admit that I was looking to see how new and improved Beth would function with the rest of the group. It took Darryl's reaction to make me feel sorry she was killed though.

I can't wait until rick and Morgan see each other again. I just hope that we don't learn that Morgan hates Rick now for some reason.

[Shawn]

Yowza.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/12/01/walking-dead-ratings-midseason-finale-record/

[Vee]

Scott Gimple on the finale. I haven't a clue

Emily Kinney seems a bit more together, or maybe they just didn't indicate all the times she cried.

Norman Reedus is raw about it.

Andrew Lincoln on the finale, and his idea for Beth in Season 3:

[DRW50]

I remember a lot of fans talking about that scenario, especially after Beth kissed Rick on the cheek after he came back from Woodbury.

[DRW50]

Cliff Curtis cast as the male lead on the companion show.

http://deadline.com/2014/12/cliff-curtis-cast-the-walking-dead-companion-series-spinoff-1201308108/