The show actually starts out flashback style which many people will have an issue with, and yes I’d rather have CURRENT action but the flashback gives insight to what is happening NOW. Its also great to see Hershel alive and kicking his one leg. man i miss that man, talk about an epic character. We then flash to Rick all bloodied and looking straight from a brutal fight all by himself in the current timeline leaning against an old Bronco type vehicle. Cue the epic theme song that I have as my ring tone (don’t judge me).
The (flashback(s) show us that it was Hershel that made Rick go all “Mayberry” country bumpkin farmer. Its a subtle touch. You never really understood why Rick wanted to be a pig and bean farmer at the beginning of this season at the prison. I mean it makes logical sense. You will not always be able to hunt deer, rabbits and other wildlife, so if you can grow some produce to supplement your troops,  good for you. But Rick wanted to “just” be a farmer as Carol points out in the previous episode “Indifference”. Hershel’s point in these flashbacks is you don’t have to be all brutality and violence all the time, but the irony here is the Governor is who they were up against and no amount of farming can protect you from that kind of violence and what the world has become. There has to be a happy medium. Violence with farming maybe?

We find our post Zombie Apocalypse modern family Rick, Michonne and Carl on the road to Terminus and it does strike me…we seem to always be on the road to somewhere. Its hard to watch this show and not cross over zombie lore you know from print, TV, video games and movies. You know in a lot of movies and such that movement is key. I personally think sometimes you do need to hole up somewhere, fortify and protect. But I’m not a show runner. In the comics; which I have read, a good chunk of the time they are moving, so it makes sense they will always be doing such in the series.

I’m glad the focus is on these three. We haven’t had much Rick this last half of the season and he is out hero, love him or hate him (I’m a woman so I love his skinny ass). You know in the back of your mind Darryl and his knew douche-bag crew are hot on their tail so the tension starts immediately. Carl hears a man crying for help but he is surrounded by a 90′s style mosh pit of walkers. Jesus. I even say out loud “you can’t help him” and they seem to agree.

They find an old Bronco type of abandoned vehicle and stay for the night. Carl is inside and Rick and Michonne have a fire and a talk and roast up a bunny. I never get why there are NO BUILDINGS anywhere in Georgia? I’ve been to Georgia and there are indeed buildings. We even have trains where I am from and buildings are all over the place. But not in Georgia. I guess I just think the threat is too great from both psychopaths and walkers to just be doing an Outward Bound style camping trip all the damn time.

And gee, I’m right. The damn scrubby bunches of oats come along and stick a gun to Rick and Michonne’s head. Carl is awoken and trapped in the car. This isn’t going to end well. Joe says Rick made a mistake killing Larry (is that his name?) on the shitter and letting him turn. I don’t get the loyalty as they killed one of their own last week for stealing a bunny. (Which reminds me Anya from Buffy the Vampire Slayer would be shitting her pants right about now!)

I’m literally watching from behind a pillow. There is a fat marauder who takes Carl form the Bronco as Darryl emerges from the dark. He tries to explain to Joe these are good people.Darryl even offers himself up if Joe wants an “eye for eye” type revenge. Joe decided “nope”… he doesn’t like any of them and he’ll kill them all. Two of the Village People kick the shit out of Darryl while Rick and Michonne seem helpless trying to figure out what to do. It is being heavily implied Carl is about to get accosted in a uncomfortable TV land way. This shit is all happening so fast, Mr Shelly is yelling at me to calm down, my dogs are barking! Mass hysteria!!!!

Rick then finally head butts Joe, he drops his gun and all this mish mash shit happens and Rick goes Full Metal Jacket on his ass and bites…. yes B-I-T-E-S his neck. I kinda knew it was coming from the comics but still its a moment that takes your breath away. (Slow Clap The Walking Dead). Michonne wastes no time and stabs her assailant. Darryl takes care of his. And Then Rick basically filets the chubby soon to be child rapist … and boom thats it. Shit was real. Shit was crazy. Shit went down.

So now the scene from the beginning where Rick is mangled in Joe blood makes sense. Rick is not fucking around be a pig farmer any more.

Michonne comforting Carl in the Bronco and Darryl and Rick talking. Darryl is feeling guilty for being with these dirt bags and Rick assures him he loves him lke a brother. In fact he says :you’re my brother”. Now Mr Shelly is really angry because I’m shedding tears . This is huge. Daryl lost Merle and Rick being his “big brother” is huge.

Okay on with Terminus.

Now Rick and Michonne always seem to have more sense than the rest of the group so they with Darryl and Carl stake out the outskirts of Terminus. It seems quiet. But dammit you know this shit isn’t a good place. Even if you haven’t been spoiled, you know this isn’t Passages in Malibu waiting for you to kick your opioid addiction on a beach. Rick decides to hide the guns in a hole because he doesn’t know what might happen. Carl and Michonne talk. Michonne is worried that Carl thinks his dad is a monster for what he did back at the Bronco. Michonne  then shares her story of losing her baby Andre. Finding her boyfriend and his friend getting high in a refugee camp and hinting thats the reason Andre got killed as she was on a supply run. It makes sense because she made them her “pets” . She is pointing out she might look like a monster too. But Carl re-assures Michonne, he’s not afraid of Rick and doesn’t think he is a monster but doesn’t want to let him down. Carl has some pretty bad thoughts too and is afraid his dad will think he’s a monster. Okay he’s a monster, she’s a monster, I’m a monster.

Jesus.. there is a lot of stuff happening in this episode. Okay now we enter Terminus. Now they check the place out and scale the fences. They all have weapons except the aforementioned bag of guns and enter what appears to be the back way in. We see a lady on a HAM radio of sorts recording the creep “Those who arrive survive” slogan. Dammit!! Why aren’t our fearless leaders communicating with some long range walkies or HAM radios??!! I’m not an expert but shit, it should be mentioned! Anyway the place looks like a sewing factory? People are just walking about and they all have a place to be. So then this skinny guy sees them and is taken back but comes off pretty smooth. His name is Gareth ( what kind of g’ damn name is that?) he says they came in the back way but they are still welcome. He asks them to place their weapons down. They of course hesitate but oblige. Some other goofy guys comes to pat them down and then their weapons are returned. Seems legit . (NOT)

You must be screaming at your TV like I am..”Where is Glenn, where is Maggie”??!! No sign of them anywhere until Rick and company find their way out to Mary with her weirdo Amish side braid cooking up more “grub”.

Rick notices Glenn’s book-bag, the pocket watch from Hershel, the riot gear from the prison and Maggie’s hideous poncho! He knows they have his people and he draws his weapon. I cover my eyes again! Now Gareth and his group act like they got these things from people they have found (bullshit) and Rick knows its bullshit. So Rick, Michonne, Carl and Darryl all have their weapons drawn but they are clearly outnumbered. Rick has the goofy one with the gun to his head and he says to Gareth “we can wait”. Obviously these creepy ass people have a plan but that Gareth is as cool as a cucumber. He says its obvious that Rick doesn’t trust them anymore. Then an all out shootout happens. They have snipers on the roof..(why didn’t they see them when they were checking the place out before!). It becomes clear quickly that they aren’t trying to actually shoot Rick and his group but “herd” them into one spot. Michonne, Rick, Darryl and Carl are running through this maze of crazy train cards and buildings. They run by a pile of rib cages, meat and human spines.

(ya know the usual)

Also by a train car with people saying “help”! (So there are more people prisoner there). They enter a room with weird candles and what seems like hundreds of names on the floor. Also in the style of Morgan there are words painted on the wall “Never again, never trust, we first always” That sounds like Lyrics to a Miley Cyrus song? And why all those name son the floor? This is a creepy Hannibal Lechter vibe at an epic proportion.

Finally They are herded to where Gareth wants them. They are surrounded even on the outside edges of the fence. They must surrender or be shot. Its pretty touch and go. Gareth wants Rick, “The Ring leader” , Michonne” The Samurai”, and Darryl ” The archer” to go to the train car (labeled “A”). Poor Carl looks like he is about to bite it. I’m literally about to burst out of my seat. He then tells Carl to follow the them into the train car. I mean its like when you think what you do if you were kidnapped.. you wouldn’t get into the car, but really what do you do when someone has a gun.. or multiple guns to your head? You comply.

Then in the last seconds of the show we see, Glenn, Maggie, Sgt Abraham Ford, Rosita, Eugene, Drunk Bob and Sasha. But noooo Tyrese, Carol or little ass kicker!???!!! They all look at each other but no hugs? Its weird but yet a relief, but yet not! rick utters his last lines “They just screwed with the wrong people” and its Arnold Schwarzenegger-esque and I love it!

So where are My Carol, Tyrese and baby Judith? Where is Beth? is she being served up as a snack or is she part of them or somewhere else all together?! OMG October is going to be like hell to wait for!

Love and Sloppy kisses gang!!

~Shelly

The post The Walking Dead “A” Season 4 finale appeared first on screensnark..

Okay so like holy bajeezus! This week I and many of you got what we finanllllllly needed… A great episode!!! The last two have been “okay” with Darryl and Beth, but they are making mistakes left and right being silly and now they are split up and Darryl is with what appears to be some grim looking dudes.

This week is all about Carol, Tyreese, crazy Lizzie and Mika (or Micah? I have no idea) and of course little ass-kicker herself; Baby Judith. We see the episode open up with them shoveling along the railroad and they go off to look for food (? I think my dogs were barking at that point) And they see a house. A pretty decent house. It doesn’t look as anal and well taken care of as the cemetery house from last episode but a nice house none the less. Carol and Tyreese (an unlikely pairing) have great chemistry together and I don’t mean sexual. I mean they play well off each other. You know there is tension and a history but yet everything seems to happen organically. They actually have the forethought to “clear” the house before they let the girls come in. I’m telling you this is something that should be Zombie Apocalypse world 101. Not sitting down eating Jam and playing drinking games (I’m looking at you Beth and Darryl!).

As the girls sit there with baby Judith letting the adults make sure the house is safe, there is some pretty eerie possible foreshadowing. A little grave with bronze baby shoes. I immediately think poor baby Judith is going to bite it. I’m hoping not because as I’ve pointed out this show is little on the hope in a jar side. Baby Judith I believe, is the only beacon of hope that can bring this group back together. She is much more important than she may ever realize.

Earlier on the railroad a walker gets trapped in the tracks and as Tyreese goes to kill it Lizze begs for him not to. She is so flat out wrong about what the walkers are. Its not that she isn’t getting it, she will never get it.

This becomes evident as Carol is brewing tea in the quaint kitchen (which how awesome it this house has propane still?!!!! Again I think about this shit too much but in “The Stand” by Stephen King everyone got to “pick” a house and set it up as their own, I always was drawn to that part of the ZA ( not that it would be fun but I was always fascinated by it). Anyway Lizzie is playing freeze tag with the Walker. For christ sake. She can’t just play TV tag with Mika? they can’t just spout of “Sam and Cat, Sponge Bob, Survivor”? She has to play tag with a walker. See she doesn’t get it.

It escalates from there. Carol expresses how Sophia died and how her being too sweet is what killed her. She parallels Mika and her own daughter. Lizzie just going on with her blank expression and the differences between the two sisters couldn’t be more apparent. Mika can’t kill “alive” people and Lizzie can’t seem to kill a walker but has no problem putting a bullet in between the eyes of anyone. See there can be a healthy balance. It reminds me of “Wife Swap“. They always pick two ridiculously different moms. A slob who doesn’t make her kids bathe and enjoys they all smell like meat thats been left out on the porch for a forte night vs a super anal clean freak mom , who scrubs her children with a Brillo pad and bleach. See its ridic. You can meet in the middle. Kill walkers and kill people who threaten you.

We learn that Lizzie is the one who has been feeding the walkers back at th eprison as she returns to the railroad walker and tried to feed him. I have kids, I have 2 daughters a tad bit older than Lizzie and Mika. I know this is make believe, but I’m confident in the fact my daughters would know that a damn zombie is a damn zombie. Even on the Telltale Game “The Walking Dead” Clementine knows she has to kill Lee. She KNOWS IT!

Carol and Tyreese go off not too far to look for a deer to have as meat. Carol is not seeing the full picture of Lizzie’s psychosis. She’s not privy to all the info we have on her, or maybe she’s not looking for it. You can tell something weird is coming, there is never an ice cream sundae on this show.

Tyreese tells carol of his dreams of Karen and how he only sees a stranger killing her. I’m yelling at the TV at this point”Shut up Carol! Don’t do it”! I don’t want her to reveal SHE killed Karen (and David) I don’t think it will give Tyreese what he needs right now. They walk back to the house and we see Lizzie. Jesus Christ bananas. her hands are covered in BLOOD. yes fucking blood. I’m so worried for baby Judy. I can’t hear her and the camera pans to the ground. baby Judith is okay and Mika ids dead. I actually GASPED! This was some Breaking Bad killing Hank, ER Lucy getting stabbed, Dallas “who shot J.R.” type of shit.

Tyreese and Carol are in shock and trying to keep it together. In that one moment it all comes to fruition. Lizzie is sick, and I’m sorry this is the ZA, they don’t have time to treat her with meds even if they could find some at a pharmacy. That’s not how mental illness works. Lizzie tries to explain she wants Mika to come back, in fact she didn’t “hurt her brain” and then Carol will see.. she”ll see what Lizzie is talking about. They aren’t just undead soulless monsters, they are playmates? The fuck?

Lizzie also confesses she was about to kill baby Judith before they came up. Carol nervously points out “she can’t even walk yet”… because what the fuck do you say to a little girl lost? She convinces Lizzie to let Tyresse take Judith to the house and she can tie up Mika in case she becomes dangerous. Lizzie obliges and Carol has to obviously take care of Mika before she turns. I
m literally reeling from this. Its a gut punch. yes Lizzie has been a weird kid for weeks now and very detached, but this was hard. that was HER SISTER. I immediately think if she can do that to her sister, her only family left in this world… she can do that to ANY OF THEM. Its clear what Carol is going to have to do.

She takes Lizzie for a walk and Lizzie begins to get upset “Are you mad at me” she apologizes for raising her gun to Carol. She still ins’t getting it. There is no hope for her to ever get it. You hear off screen a single shot. Which bookends Carol’s poor sweet Sophia’s fate by Rick. (which was also a gut wrenching scene).

Carol and Tyrese are now sitting in the house talking about what happened. Carol now decides to confess what she did to karen. I really don’t know how Tyreese will react but Carol has some big balls to do this. But maybe she was sick of carrying guilt over a decision she felt just in doing? He says he forgives her but he will never forget, so that may foreshadow some shit to come. One thing is certain they must leave this house in “the grove” . They need to see if their group may be at “terminus” and so they walk on. Melissa McBride should straight up win a g’ damn Emmy for this epic yet hard episode!

Next week the previews are always so mishmash its like scenes played to dubstep, So I have no clue whats about to happen. But again “terminus” doesn’t sound like Happy, Texas.

Love and Sloppy Kisses~~ Shelly

The post Walking Dead “The Grove” appeared first on screensnark..

Okay Okay! This is what wets my whistle (insert whatever you would like to think my whistle is)! In addition to American Horror Story this show is pretty much what I look forward to. Yes look forward to, the busy mom of two who feels like an indentured servant at times is easily pleased with TV. I have to say I am obsessed with zombies, before zombies were the cool thing. I read Stephen King’s “The Stand” back in middle school (great job mom and dad) and although not a zombie novel it is an apocalyptic type story that changed my life forever, yes truly. One of my favorite parts of the novel was when survivors could “pick” their houses. yes yes the world had ended but I was mesmerized at the chance to start over even in middle school (Thats why I loved the idea of LOST too). But this ties into The Walking Dead. Characters like Daryl get to be completely different in this new walker world.

I’m a huge fan of this show, and just like a TRUE football fan;  I’m a true Walking Dead fan. I don’t get all pissy and moany when the show seems to be “slower” as I know the set ups of these episodes is just as important as the episode itself. yes there are parts I don’t love, but I love The Walking Dead in its entirety.

We pick up at camp Cell Block Six (which seriously get the fuck out there gang, its horrible), but the survivors have seem to make it “home” to them. You can tell some time has passed since the Governor’s Full Metal Jacket moment on last season. It’s hinted to then in your face when you see Carl rapidly growing and becoming an awkward Peter Brady teen before our very eyes. We see our group from last season little by little: Rick and Hershel becoming Mr and Mr Green thumb planting what seems to be a sustainable garden (which is an excellent idea because you can’t grow cheeseburgers). We see Daryl and Carol which WTF with their hair? Does Carol have some good cutting shears? Her hair doesn’t grow? And Daryl is waaaaaay to Rocker chic with his perfect “messy” hair. He immediately grosses me out as he licks all five of his dirt covered fingers and shakes a boy’s hand (whom is a new character). The boy is obviously smitten with Daryl because he doesn’t back up as I would and gladly shakes it. Tyrese and his sister who is  poor man’s Angela Bassett, Beth , Maggie, Glenn, and some survivors from Woodbury. And the baddest of the all: Michonne!!!!

Rick seems to not being seeing skinny ass Lori talking to him anymore, which is a good thing. By the way I am the world biggest dumb ass and I decided to paint my toe nails during this episode. Needless to say it looks like my girl Helen Keller painted my nails.

Anyway……Shit goes down soon as a small group of the prison campers decide to go to BIG LOTS! Ha, it’s actually Big SPOT but its def supposed to be Big Lots. Which how amaze balls would that be? I could pick up a fuzzy penguin throw, some imported canned beets, your pick of Latin delicacies and a Ninja blender. The choices are limitless. I’d be living there and not at the prison. But apparently thew crew didn’t check out the roof because a Helicopter at some point has crashed. (By the way spoiler alert, but ya know what? People who come to TV sites hoping not to be spoiled seem silly to me). The Roof of Big Lots is obviously not strong enough to hold a helicopter. I have no way of knowing how long its been up there but it comes with at least 15-20 decomposing walkers.

A guy whom we don’t know yet is jonesin’ for some booze pretty hard. he is eyeing up the wine and ends up making a big turbulent racket. This draws the walkers from the roof to the noise ( i think some viewers seem confused about this). They hear the noise and go towards it like Carol Anne does the light. The noise is centered where the Helicopter crashed and has compromised the roof. There are weak parts of the roof and the walkers start pouring in like seagull shit on a beach with some dumb ass fat kid throwing his McNuggets at them.

This of course causes pandemonium and the loss of life (but we don’t know this person yet so its cool). Meanwhile there is an episode long scene Rick has with a mousy zombie looking human lady he finds in the woods, that does bore and confuse me. Its pointing out several things. One of them being Rick was ..<— that close to being as crazy as this chic is. She keeps mumbling “you can’t come back from the things I’ve done” or something like it. Here’s the deal she doesn’t know, you have to have done something terrible to still be alive. This is zombie/infected/virus/Apocalypse 101. You have to kill, hide, steal, lie, and worse to keep on keeping on; and that’s okay. You don’t need to beat yourself up for surviving.

There is an underlying illness going on in this episode that I haven’t wrapped my medical detective head around but I’ll give them leeway. Sick and dying pig at the beginning. Daryl licks his butthole fingers and shakes the kids hand. Now the Kid at the end of the episode is barfing and sputtering n the water supply and DIES. The kid we never got to know DIES! We see the last few seconds his eyes coming back as a walker. So this is for sure setting up for the next episode which I have a hunch will be full of way more action. I don’t see nearly enough of Michonne. Glenn and Maggie were only in their jail love nest momentarily (with a baby scare I might add) and speaking of babies… baby Judith was only in a blip too. I need to see more of the trails and tribulations of that baby. I need to see what they are doing with her diapers?! What the kid is eating. Does she have colicky crying fits in the middle of the night? I need to know this shit.

All in all a solid season opener with the foreshadowing of serious walker shit to come, oh and don’t forget my Liam Neeson look alike Governor is still on the lose (and with the Government Shutdown who knows what he’ll do!)

~Shelly

9 out of 10 stars

The post The Walking Dead Season 4 premiere “30 Days Without An Accident” (I may poop my pants!) appeared first on screensnark..