The Walking Dead "Self Help" Review

This week instead of slumming it with Beth we get to hang out with Abraham and his crew on a all new The Walking Dead. (MILD SPOILERS!!)

Synopsis: Abraham was intent on leaving the church to head to D.C., and it looks like he encounters trouble along the way. Glenn doesn't appear to be in top form either. The group will have to push through to survive the challenges they face and each other.

High Points

• Finally a focus on Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene
• Flashbacks to Abraham's past
• Intense look at walker killing from Eugene's POV
• Some Cable Nudity (SEX!)
• Eugene is a perv and no one is surprises
• Zombies are really bad at wet t-shirt contests
• The truth comes out
• Great performances from Cudlitz (Abraham) and McDermitt (Eugene)
• Fantastic comic book parallels

Abraham is no Keanu Reeves

Low Points

• A slug would make it to DC faster than "The Group" will
• The scenes at night were so dark that it was hard to see what was happening
• Kind of slow

Verdict: Abraham and his crew have been on The Walking Dead for almost a full season  now. They have had very little focus upon who they are or how they came to join Rick's group. So it was great that this week saw that crew so well represented. Abraham's personality and history are spot on with his comic counterparts as are Eugene and Rosita's characterizations. With the focus upon them this was really an emotional episode for Abraham. The ep did a fantastic job at splicing in Abraham's flashbacks into the current story to make the biggest emotional jab land beautifully. Reminded me a lot of Michonne's flashback episode last season. Overall I give "Self Help" a 8.0 out of 10. It didn't move the story along a lot, but it did drop one long awaited comic book bombshell. Also had SEX!

Gotta love Cable

The Walking Dead "Slabtown" Review

Beth chills out at a hospital and hums in a brand new The Walking Dead. (SPOILERS!)

High Points

• Everybody Hates Chris! (Actor Tyler James Williams as Noah)
• Amputations are fun
• Beth helps kill that shithead cop Gorman
• Short but enjoyable Walker kill montage
• Noah crawled through a river of shit, but didn't come out clean on the other side.

The way you feel when you realize it's an all Beth episode.

Low Points

• Everybody Hates Beth! (All the characters you like are not here this week!)
• Oral sex must be reciprocated at this "hospital" (Give a favor show gratitude, it's only fair)
• Extremely slow pacing
• Power structure in hospital sucks
• Obligatory Jesus reference to justify actions (I gotta start doing that)
• This storyline for some reason is not over

Verdict: Can someone explain to me how Beth got her own episode? I have no personal vendetta against Emily Kinney, the actress who plays Beth, but she must have blackmail on or nude photos of show runners Scott Gimple and Robert Kirkman because there is no other reason that her character could get an entire episode dedicated to her story. That being said "Slabtown" could have been worse (At least she didn't sing, right?). Beth woke up in a strange hospital with a strange power structure and met some new shitty people and one cool dude (Noah!). The set up allowed for Beth to showcase that she has become resourceful and a good shot (cause every character must be a certified badass I guess). Now the main problem I had was this ep. was that it was filler.  It did noting to advance the storyline about going to DC. At least the final moment offered at least a semi-interesting wrinkle to Beth's tale though. But still I hope that this side story will be all wrapped up next week. Overall "Slabtown" is by far this season's weakest offering and gets a 6 out of 10. Like I said before, could have been worse.

That elevator made me miss "Well Zombie"

The Greater Good!: Want to watch a much better version of this story? Watch Hot Fuzz. Clip contains SPOILERS!.

The Walking Dead "Four Walls And A Roof" Review

The Terminus crew has a BBQ while Rick and Abraham battle over the group's next move on this week's The Walking Dead. SPOILERS!!!!

Synopsis: Rick and the group find themselves pitted against some very nasty people, but our group might just have a plan to gain the upper hand.

High Points

• Women taste better
• Gareth is a real sick prick
• Stokes' backstory revealed
• Abraham and Rick butt heads
• The Crew is away when Terminus attacks
• "We didn't want to waste the bullets"
• Michonne has her katana back
• Some of the group heads for DC (FINALLY!)
• No Beth!

Daryl was only in the episode.

Low Points

• Why is Tyrese always put on baby-sitting duty?
• Rogue Cannibal Terminus crew is done away with quickly
• Rick and the crew arriving just in time was predictable

Verdict: Season 5 of The Walking Dead  has really impressed me thus far, that being said this episode was the weakest entry. It was slow paced and pretty predictable for the most part. But it certainly was not all bad. Father Gabriel's backstory was revealed and some more iconic imagery from the comic was glimpsed at. And as for Gareth and his cannibal crew, they continued to display how depraved the people of Terminus had become. Their crew eating Bob's leg while looking him straight in the face as though it was a casual BBQ was creepy. Luckily though Rick's gang got their payback. The way it went down was predictable yet satisfying. I loved seeing those Terminus freaks get beat to death. Now half the crew is off to DC. Hopefully the half other leaves soon. Overall I'm giving "Four Walls And A Roof" a 7.5 out of 10. A predictable, but enjoyable affair.

WHO TOOK BETH? Seriously who gives a shit. I hoped that Terminus took her and they would reveal that Gareth's mom was cooking Beth burgers at the end of last season, but no. Now we have to watch an entire episode centered around Beth. The character that no one cared about when she was taken. And from what happened in the end of tonight's episode it seems that we might have lost Carol because she was trying to help save this useless character. We can't be losing kickass people like Carol to keep shitty people like Beth around. Rick and his entire crew should be on the way to DC by now. Instead they are gonna try to save the girl who won't stop singing. I don't even know if I can watch next week now. Sometimes I wish The Governor cut of Beth's head instead of Hershel's. (Ends rant) On a more positive Rick's saying "We didn't want to waste the bullets" was the funniest and most badass line of the season thus far.

The Walking Dead "Strangers" Review/Thoughts

Rick and the crew encounter a priest and go on a mission for supplies in a brand new The Walking Dead. MILD SPOILERS!

Synopsis: “With supplies running low and not knowing whether to trust the people around them, Rick leads a mission where the risk might not be worth the reward.”

High Points

• Intro to Father Stokes perfectly portrayed by Seth Gilliam
• Papa Ty!
• Water fight
• Anytime Michonne speaks
• Abraham's speech/ Judith is in
• Daryl and Carol on the case
• Sucks to be Bob (Never Fall In Love in the Apocalypse)

If only that was the case

Low Points

• Back to lots of walking and talking
• Much slower pace than last week
• Rick again reiterating "You are never safe"

Verdict: This week's episode "Strangers" was written by The Walking Dead comic creator Robert Kirkman. So it should come as no surprise that it incorporated more storylines from the actual comic books than in any other episode in recent memory. Seth Gilliam's Father Stokes was excellently played and his portrayal mirrors that of his comic book counterpart. His back story will most likely be revealed in the upcoming weeks and if the clues revealed so far are any indication, his backstory will also be faithful to the source material. I always appreciate actual nods and scenes straight from the comics and tonight had a moment I had been waiting for some time (Sorry Bob). Besides the slower pace and another heavy handed Rick "You are never safe" speech to Carl, this was a great episode. Overall "Strangers" gets a 8.0 out of 10. Season 5 continues to be a pleasant surprise.

Thanks for reading. What did you think of The Walking Dead's 2nd episode? Sound off in the comments. Make sure to check out our reviews every week and follow our live action tweeting of every episode @Caped_Informers and @cstrand73. See you next week folks!

The Walking Dead "No Sanctuary" Review/Thoughts

The escape from Teminus is on in The Walking Dead's Season 5 premiere. SPOILERS!

High Points

• CANNIBALS FINALLY!!!
• Terminus Meat room was fucked 
• Commando Carol
• Zombie Fireworks
• Moral conflict presented by hostage
• Exciting action and gore
• You are the butcher or you are the cattle
• Judith becomes the hostage
• Tyrese unleashes his beast mode
• Eugene and Abraham are spot on
• The gang's emotional reunion
• Robin Lord Taylor  (Penguin) throat slit
• No Beth and no singing
• MORGAN REVEAL!

Being a pledge sucks. #Clench

Low Points

• Freeing "We are the same!" Jesus Guy (Heavy Handed)
• Confusing time jumps
• Not enough Michonne or Daryl
• Quickly back to status quo

Verdict: 5 seasons in and I have finally accepted that The Walking Dead may never truly follow the comics. That being said I extremely enjoyed this premiere episode of the zombie survival series. The escape from Terminus brought tension, action, gore, and even fireworks. This show is at it's best when the group is in conflict with other humans because those situations bring up the moral dilemmas of living in a zombie ridden world. Particularly the scenes between the Terminus hostage and Tyrese were quite compelling. Can you be a good person in a world that consistently calls for extreme action? In this single case yes, but that is the ever lingering of the show and it was on full display in those scenes. Carol's character has really grown on me and her helping the group escape was exciting and a perfect bridge to bring her back in the fold. I'm happy to be rid of Terminus this quick, but fear it will lead to more "just walking around". Screw the "walking around" status quo let the story move on to the trip to Washington DC. Overall I give the premiere episode 8.5 out of 10. Great episode and start to the season.

Thanks for reading. What did you think of The Walking Dead's premiere episode? Sound off in the comments. Make sure to check out our reviews every week and follow our live action tweeting of every episode @Caped_Informers and @cstrand73. See you next week folks!

Rick Grimes' "CARL" Counter: Sadly Rick only said Carl one time. But at least there was no Beth!

Walking Dead Adds Seth Gilliam for Season 5

The Wrap and other media outlets have reported that actor Seth Gilliam (The Wire) has signed on as a regular for The Walking Dead's 5th season. No one knows whom Gilliam will be playing yet. Maybe he is another traveler trapped in Terminus. Just waiting to be eaten by cannibals like Rick and the rest of the crew. Or maybe he is an actual character from the comics. That would be nice. Well whoever he is playing he better have a cool niche weapon. We haven't had one of those in a while. RIP Merle. The Walking Dead returns this October.

Read more: The Wrap

The Walking Dead "Claimed" Thoughts (Mild Spoilers)

The Walking Dead's 11th episode "Claimed" was definitely the show's best since it's epic midseason finale in which we saw the fall of The Governor. We finally get to me the foul mouthed Sgt. Abraham Ford and his companions Rosita and Eugene. Carl and Michonne got closer in a creepy house and Rick hid under a bed. All in all, it was a great episode here are some quick thoughts.

• Great to see Michonne open up to someone, especially since she is attempting to help Carl.

• The house that Michonne and Carl were gathering supplies from had some the worst paintings that I have ever seen. I mean serious who hangs paintings of an apple, a sunflower, and two bunnies on their walls? Nutjobs and Dan Lee that's who.

• Abraham tells Glen and Tara what he and his partners are up too. Here's hoping they meet up with the rest of the group and follow Abraham's plan.

• Can't wait for a Daryl and Abraham team up against a bunch of walkers. Brains flying left and right. Best from the show with the best from the comics.

• What was the guy doing in the bathroom before Rick strangled him? He was sitting on a closed toilet. I guess he didn't want to have to strangle someone in order to find a bed to sleep on.

• Rosita played by the lovely Christian Serratos once again proves everyone named Christian is beautiful. She has come a long way from being apple of Ned Bigby's eye on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. 

•  Rick hiding under the bed while someone was being murdered, reminded me of Lucy Liu's story from Kill Bill Vol 1. Except they was no blood, and it wasn't animated, and wasn't Rick's parents being murdered. Actually nevermind.

• WHERE WAS DARYL?!

Overall, I give this episode an  8.5/10, for a good mix of action and characterization, along with a heavy dose of Abraham. Next episode Sunday at 9 pm on AMC.