Guys, I Assume The Strolling Lifeless Would possibly Be Shedding It

When it was introduced The Strolling Lifeless’s eleventh season would even be its final, I assumed the present would get itself collectively to finish the zombie collection with a bang, one thing to rekindle the curiosity of the tens of millions of viewers that used to look at the present. As a substitute, I do not know what it’s doing, and I don’t assume The Strolling Lifeless does, both.

First, there was final week’s out-of-nowhere, wholly uncharacteristic second of loathsomeness courtesy of Maggie’s (Lauren Cohan) on-the-road anecdote. The third episode of season 11, “Hunted,” is an enchancment in that it’s solely wall-to-wall confusion with a wealthy vein of hypocrisy. It’s not unhealthy, per se, however it’s baffling. Let’s ignore the 2 tiny scenes of the Strolling Lifeless Children Klub, the place they play video games and get unhappy their dad and mom are continually leaving them. We will make the briefest point out of Carol (Melissa McBride), Magna (Nadia Hilker), Kelly (Angel Principle), and Rosita’s (Christian Serratos) try and catch a number of the horses that escaped Alexandria throughout Beta’s assault, as a result of a hilariously majestic scene of horses operating throughout a stunning sundown is adopted by a forlorn Carol slitting one of many horses’ throats. You recognize, simply in case you’d one way or the other forgotten individuals on The Strolling Lifeless aren’t allowed to have good issues (for lengthy, anyway).

The one story that issues is the Reapers’ assault on Maggie’s group, which started within the remaining seconds of final week’s episode. The Reapers appear to battle by way of Looney Tunes guidelines, the place they will pop up or drop down from wherever, even when spatially, Maggie, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam), ought to have seen them coming from a mile away. Gabriel and Alden (Callan McAuliffe) get wounded, Negan runs off, a number of the Purple Shirts die, all whereas Maggie is in a battle for her life that ends when everybody simply…disappears. Even the lifeless individuals are gone. It’s so weird I believed it was a dream sequence. However that’s not the case! Maggie escapes to a division retailer/artists’ loft/storage/someplace which appears to have been deserted lengthy earlier than the zombie apocalypse began.

Right here’s the place “Hunted” is finest, as Maggie tries to creep by way of the darkish constructing unnoticed whereas a Reaper stalks her, sometimes bursting out of the darkness for brief however immensely satisfying battle scenes. At one level, Maggie pushes the Reaper over a banister, down a stairwell, and he or she simply stares down into the darkish. Then you definitely hear faint footsteps that get more and more louder, quicker, and nearer, and Maggie simply bolts. It’s one of the successfully scary Strolling Lifeless moments in latest reminiscence. Ultimately, the Reaper will get the higher of her however Negan fortunately pops out of nowhere to save lots of her. Collectively, they discover the very wounded Alden and a few Maggie’s Meridian buddies who rapidly chew the mud. Since Alden can barely hobble and it’s getting darkish, the trio takes refuge in a small church the place they make the exhausting, painful determination that Alden has to remain behind so Maggie and Negan can procure the badly wanted meals provide at Maggie’s outdated colony Meridian for Alexandria. That’s all properly and good, however after we look at the episode’s particulars, they don’t add up. In any respect.

Instance #1: Negan—After Maggie and Negan discover Alden, Negan says they need to journey again to Alexandria as a result of Alden’s extraordinarily wounded they usually’re being chased by murderous assholes. Maggie is unsurprisingly towards this concept, as she is of all Negan’s concepts. Negan responds emotionally and wearily, “I’m in your aspect, Maggie.” This to a girl he actually left for lifeless within the season premiere. However in “Hunted” he saves her, after which the episode ends with Negan smirking menacingly at her whereas holding a blood-covered crowbar.

Instance #2: Gabriel—The wounded Father Gabriel repeats a prayer as he painfully pulls out the knife that pierced his hand and his leg. As he walks away, he comes throughout a wounded Reaper additionally saying a prayer. He asks if Gabriel, being a priest, would bless him earlier than he dies. Gabriel’s response is, and I quote, “God isn’t right here anymore,” proper earlier than he stabs the Reaper within the head. So, Gabe, who precisely had been you praying to about 10 minutes in the past?

Instance #3: Maggie—Whereas agonizing over the choice of whether or not to depart Alden behind or not, Maggie yells at Negan that he’s “not allowed to resolve who lives or who dies anymore.” She says this like the concept of holding the ability of life or dying over individuals is a nasty factor, as you’d assume…on every other present however The Strolling Lifeless. Rick Grimes was continually deciding who wanted to be killed, and Carol issued Alpha her dying sentence. Hell, Gabriel simply determined the Reaper needed to die by his hand, somewhat than of pure causes (more than likely zombie mastication). That was arguably a sensible determination on Gabriel’s half, however in simply final week’s episode, Maggie herself determined to look at her teammate Gage die somewhat than try to save lots of him.

And by the best way, when her different Meridian pal Agatha will get chomped and swarmed by zombies in “Hunted,” Negan has to drag Maggie from uselessly operating right into a deathtrap to save lots of an contaminated girl that will have, at most, a day to reside if rescued. The one means this makes just a little sense is that if when Maggie says, “You’re not allowed to resolve who lives or who dies anymore” she means it’s as a result of she now will get to resolve, but when that’s the case, she’s making some very hypocritical selections. I don’t know, guys! It feels just like the writers of the Strolling Lifeless have both utterly stopped caring about following a plot or have one way or the other misplaced their short-term reminiscence. On the plus aspect, I’ll take a complicated, contradictory episode over one which disgusts me any day of the week. Tune in subsequent week, when The Strolling Lifeless turns right into a romantic comedy or one thing, I suppose.

Assorted Musings:

• I do not know in regards to the extraordinarily burnt zombie who was strung up on a cross that had an indication labeled “JUDAS” on it, but it surely was a improbable zombie impact. I anticipated his jaw to fall off any second.
• Li’l Herschel introduces Judith, C.R., and Aaron’s daughter Gracie to the enjoyable world of insect delicacies. The opposite children aren’t enthused about it, however they’re clearly open to the concept, which makes me assume they’ve gone hungry typically sufficient that they know they shouldn’t flip down any potential supply of meals, which is extraordinarily miserable.
• Kelly is a Horse Whisperer. Don’t fear about it.
• Rosita believes Abraham, who died again in season seven, is making an attempt to ship her a message by way of her goals. We should always in all probability fear about this.
• Carol is meant to work on the wall, however as an alternative sleeps in and decides to go catch horses as an alternative—even when Aaron confronts her about it. Later, Magna asks Carol to please cease giving Kelly hope that her sister Connie is alive. The subsequent day (possibly even the identical day?) Carol grabs Kelly for one more Connie hunt proper in entrance of Magna. Carol, there’s a distinction between being self-destructive and being an enormous asshole, and also you’re undoubtedly on the obnoxious aspect.
• On that be aware, Carol lower that horse’s throat for a purpose, proper? That I simply missed? …proper?

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