The Walking Dead: Four Walls and a Roof   Books Included 
October 27, 2014 6:53 AM - Season 5, Episode 3 - Subscribe

"As Bob fights for his life, Rick and the group take a stand to defend the church against Gareth and his gang of cannibals." —IMDb
posted by 2ht (9 comments total)
 
I think every book reader has been waiting for "tainted meat", and the pay off was well worth it. If you need one more reason to be glad the show killed off Dale early this is it. No way show Dale could have done that better.

Speaking of character differences, is Sascha now taking a similar role as the comic's Andrea? Most people kind of assumed show Carol was more like that character, but Sascha with the rifle and scope last night screamed Andrea. Also, I'm going to assume it was Sascha that blew off Gareth's fingers and not Rick with his pistol.

It's amusing to me that when the show moves at a brisk pace like the last four episodes, people complain. But when it moves at a snail's pace like most of last season, people complain. There's no winning. I like the quick pace, but I also like slowing down and exploring the psyche of these characters.

In the books, Tyrese showed up with a daughter and her boyfriend. They had been waiting for the right time to commit suicide together. (I think they had sex first, can't remember for sure.) That's another of those scenes I wish the show had done in order to demonstrate how differently people react to the ZA. It's probably too late now. Most everyone left is a survivor, unless the writers can come up with another creative excuse how they have been sheltered for so long. (a la Gabriel, Tara and her sister, among others) Anyway, when Bob died last night I was scared Sascha was going to off herself and completely destroy the sliver of hope Tyrese is holding onto.

Splitting up the group was necessary and I'm all for it. The Abraham-Glenn-Maggie group seems like it will be a dull and lifeless group, but once they are out of the Rick and Darryl shadow we'll hopefully get a little more personality out of them. Plus, it's looking like Tara is going to be approaching Maggie & Glenn the way Carol went after Rick and Lori. That's another one of those little plots I've been hoping for in the show! Mostly because I love them broaching subjects about how society has changed.

I like Beth, and the actress, but I'm not sure how we're supposed to care about her when her sister has already written her off as dead. They mentioned her two episodes ago and that was it. No, "but honey, we can't go to DC, because my sister might still be out there alive." I hope the brisk pace continues through finding her (dead or alive) next week.

Who was with Darryl? It seems that part was written solely to leave us on a suspenseful cliffhanger. I can't come up with a great reason why they would be holding back in the woods. Maybe an injured Beth/Carol and they were hanging back for safety because Darryl saw the Terminus group approach the church? I don't know.
posted by 2ht at 7:47 AM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]


Did you see next week's previews? It answers a few questions about Beth. The books don't align exactly with the show so how much is allowable to discuss here?
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 12:16 PM on October 27, 2014


I had actually completely forgotten about "Tainted meat!"

I thought Bob was calling them idiots because they'd been dumb enough, after escaping Rick and company, to seek them out again. Because let's face it, that was some epic fucking stupid.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:03 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]


Did you see next week's previews? It answers a few questions about Beth. The books don't align exactly with the show so how much is allowable to discuss here?

I saw part of next week's preview, but I didn't quite follow them. Strangely, the scene we saw of Beth waking up in what looks like a hospital was reminiscent of Rick waking up from his coma. Not sure if that was intentional or if I just missed a pivotal part of the preview.

Since this thread is books included, anything published or played on TV is fair game!
posted by 2ht at 1:13 PM on October 27, 2014


This season is off to a really strong start.

I'm glad they kept the Terminus arc tight and taut. The last antagonist (the Governor) stuck around for waaay too long – like a Saturday morning cartoon villain that got away at the end of every episode, only to return the next week.

Anyway, the show is at its best when the group is on the move – when they settle down in one place for too long (the camp; the farm; the prison), things lose momentum.

I hope they develop Gabriel's character a bit. So far, his "man of the cloth" schtick feels kinda cardboard.

They're getting really good at leaving the audience eager for the next episode without setting up really obvious, corny cliffhangers. I mean, this episode ended in a ten-minute denouement, which nonetheless raised so many questions. What's gonna happen now that the group has split up? Is there really anything waiting for them in DC? How is Bob's death going to affect Sasha? Will Gabriel join the group – and, if so, what role can he play, considering that he loses his shit at the mere thought of walkers? Where was Daryl, and is Carol okay? What the hell is (one-minute sneak peek video, so possible spoiler) going on with this person?

I refer to this show as "my zombie soap opera", for reasons I have just illustrated.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:24 PM on October 27, 2014


Oh, and Glenn's evolution from scrappy-but-awkward-and-deferential kid, to a confident, take-charge guy who others look to for leadership, is one of the more interesting character arcs of the series. When he stood up to Rick at the church, that was kinda the final sign that, okay, Glenn is no longer Rick's faithful lieutenant – Glenn is his own man, and he's gonna do what he thinks is right. Season 5 Glenn is a totally different person than Season 1 Glenn, and yet you can see how he got here from there – it makes sense.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:34 PM on October 27, 2014


Can we discuss how "tainted meat" is any different than regular human flesh? Haven't we already been told that EVERYONE has been infected and will turn once they die, unless disposed of correctly? So, wouldn't that make ALL human meat tainted?
posted by MsVader at 8:12 PM on October 27, 2014


Yeah, I've been assuming that the zombies also contain like a quick-acting poison or disease that kills people and is separate from the virus that causes them to rise from the dead, but neither the comics nor the show have ever addressed that issue as far as I can remember.
posted by whir at 8:39 PM on October 27, 2014


I've really enjoyed this season a lot. There are a few things that don't ring quite true in terms of interpersonal relationships (like, really, you can't wait one more day to go to DC?), but I'm in it until the end at this point.

The priest looking at the picture in his office at the end was so subtle that I had to rewind to confirm why that was important. It was the kind of thing that you don't necessarily catch the first time around, and it was definitely a "how about that" moment that gave a more nuanced context to prior events.

Also, I think that Carl's character is maturing in a way that doesn't feel forced any more. And Rick, man he's really more compelling this season. His standoff at the end felt like it came from a really badass place. He's been hardened by the process, almost taken down, but he's allowed himself to soften. And then he metes out justice in a way that is uncompromising and coming from a different drive. It's not angst like last season but something more grounded that has been formed by hardship, but no longer crushed by it. It was still pretty grizzly though, and I think it was supposed to draw us in and ask whether we would feel compelled in the same way, or repulsed like those who were standing around watching.

Last season I wouldn't have gotten very reflective about this (except to note how it was pretty obvious how the last couple of episodes were inspired by The Last of Us), but this one seems to be capturing something for me that was similar to season one.
posted by SpacemanStix at 9:29 PM on October 27, 2014


« Older Fringe: Snakehead...   |  The Good Wife: Old Spice... Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments

poster