Review: #TheWalkingDead S11x18 A NEW DEAL #TWD

 

Previously: S11X17 LOCKDOWN

- S 11 x 18   A NEW DEAL -

Directed by Jeffrey F January

Written by Corey Reed and Kevin Deiboldt (teleplay)

At first I thought this episode was going to be one of those quieter 'calm before and after the storm' ones, like 702 The Well and 1110 New Haunts but it was so not - the pace ramped up and up all the way through.

These intros with Judith talking ~ such an inspired idea.  This week she mentioned keeping the lost alive by recalling their voices; remember when she said to Michonne that she was starting to forget Carl and Rick's?  But here we heard a brief echo of Rick's voice in her mind.  Loved it.  The opening scenes are in the clip below.

After the cliffhanger of last week, the day was saved by Carol and Mercer (getting to be a bit of a thing), though it was chilling to see Daryl turn on her with such a dark look about his face when he said, "What have you done?"  I thought it was going to be 10x09 Squeeze all over again - he certainly looked as angry as he did when the cave collapsed on Connie, and I was most surprised to hear him utter the F-word - not something you hear very often on TWD.  Though indeed Lance Hornsby would drive anyone to all manner of cursing.

Of course in real life they would all swear a lot more than they do, but one of the 1001 great things about TWD is that, unlike most other TV shows these days, they're not all effing and blinding all the time.

Off to Oceanside with the good news...will they find Luke there?

Later on, when they were all talking about the deal Carol had made with Pamela (when Daryl walked off, apple in hand), dear Carol looked so upset.  Watery eyes, like she was worried this would become another rift between them.  But ... doesn't his desire for revenge on Lance rather than accepting a compromise echo the period when Carol's obsession with Alpha endangered others?  Consider that, Daryl!  Stabbing Lance in the hand was a nice touch, though :)

Poor old Daryl, thinking he's no good at parenting thing; of course, he is much more effective than he thinks.  He absolutely 'gets' Judith, and the very fact that he has been with Rick since Judith was but a twinkle in Shane's eye must mean so much to her.  

So the waistcoat is back, signifying that he means business ~ was the way he was looking at it before he put it on another hint that he might find Rick?  The right wing disappeared after Rick was spirited away.  Similarly, The Hat is back ~ Judith's equivalent of Michonne picking up her sword again (after she'd hung it on the wall when they first got to Alexandria)? 

That much was made of Rick's gun is surely significant, too - dare we hope for some finding-Rick stuff before the end?

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I predict that Lance's lackeys Shira and Calhoun will come to a sticky and painful end, sooner rather than later, since locking all the murdered workers up to turn, then be unleashed on Pamela's Founders' Day celebration.  Shits like them rarely last long!

In this clip: Rosita and Gabriel in the church, the discovery of Judith - and the murder of the Commonwealth workers

And so to Max and Eugene's brilliant plan - how clever, and unlike a few other rebellion-orientated plot developments of late, the way in which she coerced Sebastian into utterly condemning himself was completely convincing.  The moment when his voice rang out over the square was TWD gold ~ I was amused by how the citizens seemed most angry of all about the hand-picking of lottery 'winners'.  

Everyone hates to think they've been fooled; the Commonwealth could be seen as a microcosm of a whole world, with corruption on high, the little people being told whatever the leaders want them to believe.  Sebastian: 'The poor stay poor so that the rich can do whatever the hell they want.'

It was good to see a place being overrun with Walkers at this late stage in the game, when survivors everywhere know how to handle them now.  Quite like the old days, the total mayhem ~ as was seeing a main character succumb to a Walker bite.  Especially when he'd tried to take the coward's way out and shove a Walker onto Max.  

A perfect death for him, and the crowd just looked on, not reacting to his screams for help.  I suspect this was not only because they've lived behind the CW walls for so long that they're still terrified of them.

Daryl and Judith teaming up - 'We do this together' ~ was a good moment, Judith doing her stuff with Rick's gun, calm as you like, while the adults were running around screaming in panic.  Loved the look on Judith's friend's face when she saw what her little buddy was capable of!

Here's the ending scene again - great stuff!

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Lots of relationship developments/questions this week...

• Is Carol starting to regain her feelings for Ezekiel?  That phrase 'in every relationship there is one who kisses and one who turns the cheek' ~ in this one Carol's always been the cheek-turner, but has Ezekiel choosing the Commonwealth rather than a return to Alexandria made her think 'hang on a minute'?  I know everyone wants her to be with Daryl, but she was at her happiest when she was with Ezekiel.  Incidentally, didn't she look beautiful this week?  Her hair is fabulous!

• Lydia and Elijah - everybody say aah!  There's something so lovely about him.  I adore his face.

• Love love love Negan and Annie together ~ perfect.  She reminds me of Michonne ~ that quiet, calm strength, even when she's really angry or in pain.

• And what about Rosita and Gabriel?  It seemed at the beginning of 11B that they'd split up, but I do like them together.  And she got him the cotton candy (candy floss in the UK!)

• I'm still wondering about the relationship between Pamela and Lance.  Something goes a bit deeper than just two people at odds in their working relationship, I think.  Is he her little brother?  Her stepbrother?  Her secret son, even?  No, maybe that's going too far!  I also think there is some history we don't know about yet, between Max and Sebastian.

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All in all, a stunning episode.  Blasts from the past, and some indication that the tide might be turning in our people's favour.  I'm sure Lance will have more tricks up sleeve, though, and I'm still not absolutely sure whether Pamela is just self-serving and manipulative but not a bad sort really, or an actual baddie.

Here's the trailer for Episode 19 - looks a tad worrying, especially the Walkers who can climb walls and open doors...

Remember in 1x02 Guts, though, when they had rocks, trying to break the glass of the department store?  And they were faster, and trying to climb the fence where Rick and Glenn were nicking that van. If you watch the end of this clip (the last 30 seconds in particular), you can see that they're much more agile than the later version.

We'll see...

Review: #TheWalkingDead S11 x 17 LOCKDOWN #TWD

 Previously:  S11x16: Acts of God

- S 11 x 17  LOCKDOWN -

Directed by Greg Nicotero

Written by Julia Ruchman

Where do I start?  Just watched the first two episodes together, and already 11C is shaping up to be everything I would have wanted.  Love, love, love Judith's opening speeches with all those scenes from years gone by.  What a great idea - I know every addict like me has seen the old episodes over and over, but it's so evocative to see them in this context, and a reminder that the children know nothing of the old world.

I watched the extended opening sequence with the extra images three times, and the totally excellent car chase ~ great to see that the Commonwealth soldiers are all such bad shots, in true baddie-vs-goodie gunfight tradition!

I was so busy admiring every perfect detail of the set, the intricate depiction of twelve years of deterioration, that I almost missed Negan sneaking up behind one of the CW soldiers in his Whisperers mask.

Clever of Daryl to remember that the Commonwealth big shots had never seen Negan, so he was the one to go in.  That tentatively worded conversation between Negan and Mercer - great scene.  Aside from the fact that they were both sussing each other out to see where their loyalites lie/who they're close to, it's always fun to see two alpha males meet up for the first time ~ a certain metaphorical puffing out of chests every time.

'Goddamn Magician'

Of course Negan sought out Carol as soon as he made his way into the CW ~ as a team, they're right up there with Rick and Michonne, though so different; as many have pointed out on Twitter, a spin-off featuring the two of them would be... I don't know, probably end up with them ruling the entire world, or something!

And of course Carol was mentally several steps ahead, as she always is, and had already worked out a plan, knowing that it was the best thing to do even if others wouldn't think so, and just getting it done.  She may seem crazy-right at times, but she's always right.

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Isn't this gorgeous?

Nice little thriller trope there, when Jerry was ushering the children into hiding during the mayhem ~ the people with placards proved an obstacle to stop Shira (formerly Fake Stephanie) and Calhoun from tracking them down.  What's an on-foot escape from evil pursuers without a good protest march to make sure the goodies get away?!

Meanwhile back in the wasteland, I kind of liked seeing Maggie, Daryl, Gabriel and Aaron 'out there' again, creeping about to foil their enemies.  

'Glenn would have wanted me to look after you.  You don't ever have to say you're sorry.  Not to me'.

I was amused by how terrified the Commonwealth citizens were when they heard the news that a herd was on its way.  Not like our intrepid gang, who go out to meet them head on...

...and I was also amused by Magna saying to Yumiko that if they go (i.e., leave the CW), they all go.  Couldn't help wondering if that includes Luke, who has disappeared without trace, as if he never existed; he has not been so much as mentioned by any of his friends since Season 10.  Is he supposed to be at Oceanside with Jules? 

I would have liked to see a little more about how Alexandria, Hilltop and Oceanside fared under the control of 'Shithead and the dickless brigade' ~ the end of Episode 16 was so ominous, with those Commonwealth banners rolling down, but hey.  Maybe we didn't need to see it; maybe there was nothing to see, just the clam-shell assholes walking round the place with guns.

'Shirt and tie wearing shit and the clam shell assholes he runs with'

Plenty of Walker action in this one, too!  

Until next week...if you haven't already seen Episode 18 on AMC +, here is the trailer:

(It's brilliant, btw!)