SEASON 10; EPISODE 11
Episode 11 was one of those episodes that inevitably foreshadows a lot of action, conflict – and quite often, death. In the last series of Game of Thrones, we had this before 'The Long Night' episode, where the white walkers attacked Winterfell. There's a lot of contemplation going on at times like these. It's the calm before the storm, where characters reflect on their situation, their lives and the potential of not surviving what is to come. And by the end of the episode, you feel that these fears may very well become a reality...
After Daryl and a few others reach the apparent safety of Hilltop, they debate a plan of action after Lydia tells them that horde is in its way. A few want to stay and fight but the decision is taken to evacuate the settlement. However, Alpha isn't stupid and the exodus is halted when Daryl ad co find their exit is blocked by felled trees. With no way of getting the children out, the group head back to Hilltop. There is no option left but to fight but the odds are firmly stacked against them. The horde comprises of hundreds of walkers, whereas Hilltop has only a few dozen inhabitants able to defend their home. With little choice but to dig in and try and repel the walker army, they set about rigging up some traps and hurdles to slow their progress down.
The episode is thinly spread though. There are still an awful lot of characters in The Walking Dead to be fair and there's no way that we're going to get to spend a substantial amount of time with any of them. Daryl and Carol are two that perhaps get more focus than the rest and that was probably true once again in tonight's episode. Daryl isn't one to run away from a fight but even he knows that this could be a battle too big for them to win. The weight of responsibility is clear but he seems to understand that it's necessary. Carol on the other hand is in some kind of self loathing state and you have to wonder how much use she's going to be in the heat of batt...nah, who am I kidding? She'll still kick ass. Episode 11 saw her rekindle her romance with Ezekiel, shortly after he revealed that he had cancer. Poor Carol just can't catch a break can she? On the plus side, Daryl told her that he could never hate her and Lydia says she won't hold it against her if she kills her mum so...
There are some more likely choices of people who may meet their maker before too long – and it certainly feels like the show is gearing up to shed one or two (or more!) of it's cast. The thing is, we're at a point where beside Carol and Daryl (who aren't going to be offed), I don't know how much I actually care. It's not as if I dislike all of the remaining characters, I'm just a bit ambivalent towards them. Ezekiel feels like he could go out like a hero, saving some kids or something in the process. But would I be bothered? Not really, it's been coming? Rosita, Eugene, Aaron? Meh – I mean I don't want them to die but I can't say I'd be that sad. Lydia, Gamma, Jerry, Luke, Yumiko, Judith...I genuinely wouldn't miss any of them. Have I become a bit desensitised to the violence and death or are we just now left with a bunch of rather uninspiring characters? Probably a bit of both. It feels as if great characters like Rick, Maggie, Morgan, Glen, Carl, Sasha, Abraham – none of these have really been replaced by characters interesting enough to fill these gaps. It also feels a bit like we've been here before with one of the settlements coming under siege and although I wouldn't go as far to say it's getting boring, I'm definitely not finding it as tense a I should be.
The Negan story thread is at least mildly intriguing but I'm a little flummoxed that Alpha has allowed him into her inner circle (literally!). The fact he's now wearing a mask doesn't really change anything really either and his suggestion that they get the Hilltopians (or is it Hilltopites?) to join the whisperers rather than killing them (despite the fact he likes a 'well-deserved massacre') highlights that he's not really buying into the cult. Can you honestly see Negan happy with a life of shuffling around wearing a walker's face and hanging out with Alpha and Beta? I certainly can't. It's only a matter of time before he shows his true colours.
Finally, it's worth a quick mention for Eugene who has now fallen for the voice on the end of the radio. So much so that he can't even kiss Rosita (the pillock). It really feels as if this is particular story going to be key to where The Walking Dead goes after the whisperer storyline is resolved, which it surely will within the next couple of episodes. Next week looks like it's going to be absolute carnage...
