Karen David as Grace, Mo Collins as Sarah, Danay Garcia as Luciana, Rubén Blades as Daniel Salazar – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 9 – Photo Credit: Ryan Green/AMC
It has been a long time since Fear The Walking Dead had a major villain death. In fact, Virginia’s death on Fear mattered more than when Logan was shockingly killed back in season 5.
I say this because there was no emotional investment to buy into Logan’s motivations. Virginia on the other hand, I got the character and understood why she was a villain to begin with. And it is one of the most satisfying deaths I have seen for quite some time.
June being the one to finally end Virginia’s reign of terror is welcomed with open arms in my opinion. After what happened with John on the last episode with his death, June had to be the person to pull the trigger. Virginia separated them both to begin with. And it came full circle to Virginia’s demise.
Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark, Lennie James as Morgan Jones – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 9 – Photo Credit: Ryan Green/AMC
“Things Left to Do” is also a great episode. It went from a dark opening that is reminiscent of Negan’s television debut that followed by Virginia already accepting defeat at the hands of Morgan, to her death. Lennie James and Colby Minifie did absolutely great with delivering their lines and acting the scenes out. They both made a believer out of me during the huge standoff.
I am also curious to see what is next for the group as there are more subplots that will be explored upon for the rest of the season. Those are, where does Alicia and Strand stand on seeing eye-to-eye on things. Will Dwight and Sherry be together again for good by the end of the season? When will Gracie give birth? And when will we see the mysterious group again from earlier this season?
Fear The Walking Dead’s current season is on a high momentum. I hope that the momentum does not slow down or get halted. Two great episodes to start off the second half of Fear and the story is moving forward in a great pace. Virginia is a memorable villain and I also have to say that Dakota being her daughter did not shock me at all!
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Garret Dillahunt as John Dorie – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 8 – Photo Credit: Ryan Green/AMC
The last time Fear The Walking Dead pulled off an unexpected death was in season 4. That is when Nick was killed by Charlie. This time, a major character was killed off on “The Door” and that is John.
I am puzzled by this decision to get rid of John like this. There was so much more that could have been done with the popular character as I did not feel that his story arc was over yet. But what I learned with Nick and Travis, is that I cannot get too attached with the characters.
Putting that aside, “The Door” is a fantastic episode. Garret Dillard’s acting on this episode of Fear The Walking Dead is masterful and believable to the point that I started to feel bad for him. I also love how the beginning of “The Door” tied in with the end of the episode. John was shooting walkers from inside his cabin to outside by the lake at the start. And at the end, June saw John as a walker from inside the cabin to outside in the same viewpoint.
Lennie James as Morgan Jones, Garret Dillahunt as John Dorie – Fear the Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 8 – Photo Credit: Ryan Green/AMC
That scene was heartbreaking. June and John brought a relationship bond to fear that rivaled Glenn and Maggie on the main show. And just like that, it was taken away from us. Also, can we stop this trope of kids killing main characters?
The other big news that came from “The Door” is that we finally have answers to the season 5 finale. Dakota revealed to Morgan after she killed John that she was not only the one that killed the ranger on the ranch, she was the one that saved Morgan when he was near death. I know for sure that this might be unpopular decision for the Fear community since everyone was hoping for Madison to be the to save Morgan.
There are really good scenes on this episode. Especially the gruesome walker killing sequence while they were on the bridge. The gore on this current season is not easy to watch if you do not like gore. There are also so many parallels between John and Rick Grimes’ final episodes that I picked up. But that will be an article for another day.
Everything that happened on “The Door” will have an affect to the rest of the season. Rest in peace John and this was an awesome episode.
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Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 17 – Photo Credit: Eli Ade/AMC
The Walking Dead’s tenth season finally concluded over the weekend. The six extra episodes that extended the season has been divisive over The Walking Dead community as nobody can universally agree on which episode they liked over the other one. Today, I am going to rank the extra six episodes of season 10 based on my opinion, the fan reception, and the story of the episode.
1018-Find Me
Lynn Collins as Leah – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 18 – Photo Credit: Eli Ade/AMC
Giving fans an update on what Daryl was doing for six years while he was searching for any clues of Rick Grimes is not a bad idea. I did like “Find Me”, but the mixed to polarizing reactions to this episode influenced my decision to rank this on the lowest on the list. It also does not help that adding Leah to this time gap was insulting to most while some was intrigued by the character. The end of the episode did however showcased how real life couples or best friends have a blowout in real life.
1021- Diverged
Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Dog – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 21 – Photo Credit: Eli Ade/AMC
“Diverged” was not for me. I thought it was one of the most boring and pointless episodes of the entire series. But for Carol fans, I can understand why they like the episode as it explored her dealing with the aftermath of “Find Me” while also seeing what the residents of Alexandria do on their daily lives. As boring as “Diverged” was to me, It at least did not insult me. The episode made me think of how people deal with a giant argument and how they come back together after it. I could not get into “Diverged”, but there were a few good things that came out of the episode.
1017- Home Sweet Home
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Lauren Cohan as Maggie – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 17 – Photo Credit: Eli Ade/AMC
Even though “Home Sweet Home” suffered from choppy editing and a laughably bad explosion scene, it was a nice return of the show while also setting things up for the 11th season. I will place this in the middle of the rankings because I am still divided about “Home Sweet Home” to this day. But I am happy to see Maggie back on The Walking Dead. I am also waiting to know more about Elijah and to see more of Hershel Jr.
1020- Splinter
Paola Lázaro as Juanita ‘Princess’ Sanchez – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 20 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
“Splinter” may be a bottle episode, but we got a little of what to expect of The Commonwealth on season 11 when the group finally arrives at the large city. Their soldiers are ruthless enough for me to take them seriously. Paola Lazaro did a incredible performance as Princess for this episode. One splinter caused The Princess’ mental state to get affected and it made you question what was real and what was not after the plot twist happened. This is also the only episode of the six episodes to end with a cliffhanger that will be resolved early on in the final season.
1022- Here’s Negan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan-The Walking Dead_Season 10, Episode 22-Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
Not only that “Here’s Negan” is one of the best written and produced episodes of season 10, it is one of the best episodes of the series. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton Morgan went all out with their scenes and bringing that chemistry from their real life marriage on screen to the characters that they both played. The origin story of the character exceeded my expectations and was fleshed out better than the source material. “Here’s Negan” is a masterpiece and I highly recommend it.
1019- One More
Seth Gilliam as Gabriel, Ross Marquand as Aaron – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 19 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
As much as I loved “Here’s Negan” , I feel that the episode was more for Negan fans. “One More” is a perfect example of a classic The Walking Dead episode that rivals the earlier seasons. A Gabriel and Aaron episode is something that I did not know that I wanted until this episode happened. What started as a fun game and good stories, lead up to a dark turn when Mays appeared. Robert Patrick made an impact on this episode of The Walking Dead with a phenomenal performance even though it was one episode. “One More” ranks the highest on my list due to the fact that this episode is for everyone of The Walking Dead fandom.
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Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan-The Walking Dead_Season 10, Episode 22-Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
“Here’s Negan” is the long coming backstory episode that The Walking Dead fans wanted since his debut on “Last Day on Earth” back in 2016. It is also the same name of the comic book backstory for the popular character. But the television episode outdoes the comic version by giving more time to showcase the birth of the Negan that we all know over how The Saviors formed.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a great actor. I believe that “Here’s Negan” is his best performance on The Walking Dead. Not only did we get the charm of the Negan character, we also got different layers that are relatable to real world situations. It was also a right choice to have Hilarie Burton Morgan as Negan’s wife Lucille for this episode. I saw their chemistry on screen and also thought of the real life married couple through the costumes and characters.
The story itself expanded from the source material while also remixing a few scenes from the comic to match the flow of narrative that was presented to us. I did not mind the changes as I thought this was a great adaptation. I love that Lucille had a bigger story than she did in the comic. It was also heartbreaking to see how the cancer affected her and him.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, Hilarie Burton as Lucille-The Walking Dead_Season 10, Episode 22-Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
Negan was gone for six weeks to get the right medication for Lucille. When he came back after being captive, Lucille already turned. This changed the outlook of Negan as an everyday person before the apocalypse into who he became during the apocalypse.
The story of how he got the jacket and bat worked better this time around too and bonus points for Laura’s return on The Walking Dead for this backstory episode. It also made me think that there was a missed opportunity for Lindsley Register and Jeffrey Dean Morgan to have a scene with the two characters while Negan was in jail from season 9 to 10.
The breaking of the Lucille bat after he found it worked very well here for this story opposed to when it happened during The Whisperer War in the comic. The eulogy was also beautiful and I felt the pain that Negan felt when he was at the fireplace. Lucille, his wife brought out the best in him. Side note, seeing Negan playing Gears of War 2 makes me want to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan play The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners!
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, Hilarie Burton as Lucille-The Walking Dead_Season 10, Episode 22-Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
With this story and the bloody deaths of the bikers that held him captive along with the next mission at Alexandria, “Here’s Negan” served as the season finale of season 10 of The Walking Dead and it is one of the best episodes ever written, acted, and produced. This is what is called a masterpiece of Storytelling!
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YOUNG ROCK — “Pictured: “Young Rock” Key Art — (Photo by: NBC)
This week’s episode of Young Rock centers around Ata Johnson as she is auditioning for StarSearch. The other subplots of “My Day With Andre” involves the planning of a battle royal, and Young Dwayne’s day with Andre The Giant.
Dwayne Johnson goes into detail of how much his time with The Giant meant to him. Even when they were both watching E.T, that is a memory that he cherish and is proud to talk about. E.T was extremely popular at the time the film was released in 1982 so you can see why he wanted to see it.
The booking of the battle royal that took place at the hotel is quite telling to the casual viewer on how matches were booked. There were no writers or creative team members as it is today. The booker would speak of the plans out loud or on a whiteboard while also coming up with a finish to the match. Think of it as a “booker’s committee” this way.
Rocky Johnson was scheduled to win the match by last eliminating Afa. But Lia Maivia pulled a fast one and changed the finish for The Iron Sheik to win the match. Only because she saw Rocky Johnson talking with the shady promoter earlier that day. But what she did not know, is that Rocky Johnson did not take the deal that was presented to him.
There were some funny parts that I did like. The scene when Macho Man and Elizabeth were interrupted for a second was funny and this time, Kevin Markley looks much more conformable for the role. I also liked the interactions between Rock and Andre as well. It also made me wonder what would have happened if Ata became a world wide known singer if she pursued it.
I also thought it was nice for the Pat Patterson tribute at the end of the episode. He is the innovator of the Royal Rumble match so his tribute is welcomed since the main event on this show was a battle royal.
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Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 21 – Photo Credit: Eli Ade/AMC
The Walking Dead has had a number of episodes that were either not so good, or poorly received. “Diverged” is one of those episodes. It pains me to write this because I do like the Carol character much better than her comic counterpart, but “Diverged” is The Walking Dead’s “Fly” episode.
Sure, exploring Carol’s mindset and Daryl in the woods again after they had their blowout argument on “Find Me” is one thing, but how many times are we going to see this happen on the future spinoff? It will be very tiresome to the casual viewer if this repeats over and over again! However, Melissa McBride is a great actress and there are a few scenes that I liked from the episode. Especially the scene when Carol faked laughed while she was walking away from Jerry, and her interactions with Dog.
Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Dog – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 21 – Photo Credit: Eli Ade/AMC
The fact that it was scripted for Carol to chase a mouse for most of the episode set an all time high of boredom for me. What was the point of this subplot? I would have been fine if Carol was killing walkers all episode long over this. It added nothing to progress Carol at all other than having something to do at Alexandria.
Meanwhile, I like the setup of the pit that Daryl fell in to kill that walker. But there was nothing else of not for Daryl during the time when he was by himself. Even though Jerry had some funny lines when he was speaking with Carol, it did not help enhance “Diverged” at all.
You can give the script of this episode to Rick Grimes and Michonne and it would still be a a giant turn of garbage. But there is one theme that this episode does shed a positive light on. And that is, how it affects individuals after a huge argument between friends, companions, and people who are in a relationship. It puts an emotional strain on you and you’re surrounding circle. In conclusion, Carol and Daryl are better as a unit than not being together. They both need each other during the apocalypse.
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Paola Lázaro as Juanita ‘Princess’ Sanchez – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 20 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
It is becoming a cliche for The Walking Dead to overuse the “hallucination” trope. But tonight, it was slightly different. More on the way of the classic Tyrese death episode on The Walking Dead.
“Splinter” is centered on The Princess’ mental state during her captivity inside of the train cart by The Commonwealth soldiers. She was separated from Eugene, Yumiko, and Ezekiel in different carts and she recounts her dark past while telling her story to Yumiko.
This episode has strong performances by Paola Lazaro and Khary Payton. Especially when they had the scene of Ezekiel beating down the soldier. But to find out it was actually Princess doing that is an interesting plot twist. When that happened, I had to rewatch the entire episode to pick out what was real, and what was not real and there are a few episodes of The Walking Dead that does that the way it is presented here.
Paola Lázaro as Juanita ‘Princess’ Sanchez – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 20 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
The reason I said this, is because there were no signs of Princess’ hallucinations being present during the episode until the twist happened. The Princess barricaded her sadness since she meet the three and it came out while she was alone. That happens in real life and I give the writers of the episode credit for exploring this while also expanding on her comic book backstory.
There are some little details that I also liked too. From Ezekiel being with the two walkers that Princess designed before they first meet, to one of the soldiers name dropping mercer, and to the one walker saying “wait, come back to me” to Princess when she was leaving the gate area.
Whether if most of what Princess experienced really happened or not, it shows how PTSD can affect you during your lowest point of your life. Also, those Commonwealth soldiers are shown to be ruthless. But they are doing what the protocol is. I also felt that this episode had the most advancement of the plot over all of the other 10C episodes even though the ending was abrupt. Putting that ending on the past trailers was a bad decision. But I am looking forward to more of The Commonwealth in the next season.
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Paola Lázaro as Juanita ‘Princess’ Sanchez – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 20 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
Paola Lazaro has had a great time playing as The Princess on The Walking Dead. The funny, bubbly personality of the charismatic character is a bright spot in the dark world. But on tonight’s episode “Splinter”, The Princess is in a dark place.
I recently got the chance to speak with Paola Lazaro about the episode. We also go over what is to come for the character in the future, the possible Mercer pairing, and more on this exclusive interview
What went through your head when it was discovered that Princess beat up that Commonwealth soldier and not Ezekiel?
PL: “I think it was like blind rage. Princess went on overdrive and reverted back to being a child and feeling like she had no agency or control of her life. In the moment when she sees the soldier and she’s able to have control over something, she goes overboard with that control. I think that is a result of trauma and PTSD from her childhood.”
This episode really explored Princess’ PTSD and mental health. How did you get into the mindset of a person that went through what she went through after seeing her as a fun and expressive character?
PL: “Comedic characters tend to be comedic because they have a dark past that they can use to lighten and create comedy out of their dark past or dark reality. And for me, I am a very light, fun, and welcoming person. But I also have my dark side too. So I had to tap in both those worlds and for me, it was exciting to tap into her dark side because it explains why she is so bubbly. It is her defense mechanism to be big, funny and loud even though it comes from fear and pain.”
Eleanor could not be physically there for this episode, can you tell me how her voice was used for your scene talking to her?
PL: “The production crew asked me who I wanted to read her role that we were shooting my part of the scene. I asked Khary to do it. What we did is Khary, Eleanor, and I got together on facetime to go over the scene to see what Eleanor, Khari, and I wanted to bring out in the moment. It was really beautiful that we got together in that way so we can have each other’s presence in that moment. Eleanor, Khary, Josh, and I are super tight, and we are so supportive of each other and I am grateful for that.”
On issue #175, it was Lance that asked the questions to the group at the trainyard. On Splinter, it is a Commonwealth soldier. Did the soldier have a name because fans might mistake him as Lance?
PL: “I love working with the actors. I do not remember the soldier having a name when we all went over the script. But working with the actor was fantastic and he was really great and fun to work with. It was also a very physical scene and you have to be very respectful with your scene partner and very respectful with each other especially when it is physical. He was just great to work with”
Paola Lázaro as Juanita ‘Princess’ Sanchez – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 20 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
Going into this episode, did you know early on of the plot of who it would explore Princess’ mind of what was going on over what really happened?
PL: “I receive the episode once it is written and once it is approved by various people and groups. When I got it, I read it while I was in my bathtub. While I was reading it, all the sudden the twist comes. It is well written, that I did not know it was going to happen until I finished reading it. That is how well these writers craft their work and I was completely blown away.”
Comic readers and fans cannot wait to see Princess and Mercer team up. Without giving too much away since you are part of the upcoming season that recently started filming, any hints of this popular pair up could happen in season 11?
PL: “I have no idea what is in stored for the two of them because we have not filmed a scene together yet! I have meet Michael J. Shaw and he is fantastic. I am hopeful to have scenes with him in the future because I love their relationship in the comic book. I think it is unique and specific to the two of them. I think that they are such different characters and they are an exciting duo.”
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YOUNG ROCK — “Check Your Head” Episode 104 — Pictured: (l-r) Stacey Leilua as Ata Johnson, Uli Latukefu as Dwayne — (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)
After a two-week wait, Young Rock returns this week for a brand new episode.
“Check Your Head” is centered on Dwayne Johnson’s college football time period in the early 1990’s. If you remember, he played football in the University of Florida and while things were looking up for Dwyane, things came crashing down quickly. That is because he suffered a shoulder injury that prevented him from playing for the rest of the season. This was devastating news to his mom since she is still coping with Dwayne Johnson not being at home anymore.
But it was great to see Dwayne starting to give back to his parents when he bought them a television. It shows that Dwayne kept his word since he was younger that he would give back to his parents. The injure really affected Dwayne’s self esteem as he stop attending team meetings and his classes. I can sympathize with him because a lack of motivation kills everything that you are passionate for and it can affect everyone in your circle.
YOUNG ROCK — “Check Your Head” Episode 108 — Pictured: Uli Latukefu as Dwayne — (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)
Dwayne Johnson’s depression was also picked up by Rocky Johnson as he noticed it while they had the conversation about it in the gym.Rocky Johnson assured Dwayne to not give up because he never gave up no matter what anyone said about him during his wrestling career.
There are also a few things I enjoyed about “Check Your Head” that I want to point out. One of Dwayne Johnson’s iconic photos is the fanny pack photo. His look early on in the episode is based on that photo and he also went to the club with that look. I also like the cameo of his coach at the end of this episode during the interview. A decent and fun episode!
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Seth Gilliam as Gabriel, Ross Marquand as Aaron – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 19 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
Whenever Aaron is paired with someone for a duration of an episode of The Walking Dead, expect it to be good. In the past, Aaron has had episodes with Daryl Dixon, Rick Grimes, and even Negan. An Aaron and Gabriel pairing is something that I did not know that I wanted until now.
This week’s episode titled “One More” takes us on a journey of what Aaron and Gabriel has been up to after the aftermath of The Whisperer War. Their adventure lead up to a life or death situation by an individual named Mays (Portrayed by Robert Patrick). I have to say that the casting of Mays for this one episode is brilliant. Robert Patrick made a believer out of me when he appeared on screen. His presence, attitude, and acting really stood out to me from when he encountered Gabriel, to his sudden death by Gabriel.
Robert Patrick as Mays- The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 19 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC
I will admit that I was really bummed to see Mays killed off on The Walking Dead. But his death lead to a dark discovery that I was not anticipating. It is one thing to tell a story about how your brother died to anyone. But it is different when you find out that the brother is actually handcuffed and locked away in the roof.
The depressing scene when his brother committed suicide after Aaron and Gabriel let him loose shows how bad a mental state can go when you are isolated for years at the end of the world. It made me wonder how and why did Mays did this to his brother. A memorable performance by Robert Patrick!
I also did like Gabriel and Aaron’s interactions. Most of the conversations were focused on the both of them recounting who they were at the early years of the apocalypse and what gave them less motivation to continue what they were doing. Gabriel took the most of this as he did not want to preach anymore. But Gabriel sure did when he and Aaron were faced with the Russian Roulette game.
Small detail that I noticed is when the roulette game happened, the cards Aaron and Gabriel used to play were still on the table. To me, that signified that the game they are playing now is real and not for fun over the fun game of cards they played the night before. Also, anyone caught that whisky bottle that had Duane Jones’ picture on the front?
The other easter egg my eyes caught on too involved Gabriel. The water tower that he mentioned, and the walker that Aaron killed that landed on the machete in which its guts fell on Gabriel is a nod to his comic book death by Beta at the start of The Whisperer War.
It is too early for me to rank all of the extra The Walking Dead episodes, but “One More” is the best of the three so far. “One More” is an episode that is close to the classic episodes of The Walking Dead from the earlier seasons that I appreciate! A hidden gem of the 10th season.
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