Gilbert Speaks on The Walking Dead S11 E15

I think I am reaching a point in my many years of watching and reviewing The Walking Dead, that I am totally exhausted and just want to see my favorite cast members make it out alive. I want to see Daryl and Carol together. I want to see Negan forgiven. I want to find out what happened to Rick and Michonne. In this week’s episode, Lance wants to hunt down the people who killed his troopers and stole his supplies…and this leads to him knocking on Maggie’s door.

Trust

Before I go into my review of S11 E15, I want to talk about Ukraine. Putin is the monster, the invader, the zombie that craves flesh and power. This week, Putin committed the worst crime a person can commit in a war: genocide of men, women, and children. The world morns for the people of Bucha, Ukraine.

While Ezekiel (Khary Payton) tries to lift the darkness away by organizing a secret hospital for the Commonwealth citizens who don’t make enough money to rate medical care, Daryl, Aaron and Gabriel try to bullshit their way through Lance’s questions on how they survived at Riverbend. Tricky Dick Lance is suspicious, and rightfully so. He knew how efficient Carlson was, but he begrudgingly accepts the story given by Team Daryl.

Josh Hamilton is an amazing actor, but he plays a despicable character, and he plays this character so well…that he sends chills down your spine whenever he smiles. Lance wants to go to Hilltop to see if the bad guys went there…so off they march to talk to Maggie.

Mercer (Michael James Shaw) is having his own melt down over the last atrocity that Sebastian got involved in. Mercer was forced to kill two of his own men. He wants to share his secret with Princess (Paola Lazaro) but he has to trust her first. A visit from his sister, Max (Margot Bingham) further stresses out Mercer. His sister wants him to do the right thing for the citizens of the Commonwealth. He needs to rat out Sebastian.

Maggie

Maggie was right about Lance and about the Commonwealth…she wants nothing to do with them even though Hilltop is suffering. When Lance and his Star War troopers show up at the gate. Maggie trusts Daryll and that is the only reason that she opens the gates.

Conclusion with Spoilers

Ezekiel, with support from Carol, convinces Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale) to do an appendectomy on a poor patient. Things get really hairy with Carol jumping in to be a scrub nurse, and Ezekiel taking the place of anesthesiologist by pumping oxygen into the patient. Things have to change, Tomi knows this, but his hands are tied because the poor can’t get proper medical treatment…just like America. You know I’m right. Ezekiel trusted Tomi to do the right thing, and Tomi did not disappoint. There is a special love between Ezekiel and Carol, although she jokingly reminds him that they are not getting together again. They still love each other, just in a different way.

Mercer finally breaks down and puts his trust in Princess. I love that Mercer and Princess are together. If anyone can help Mercer heal, Princess can…and if anyone can help Mercer deal with Sebastian…Princess can. Mercer’s sister Max is also placing her trust in a worthy person. Eugene will not let her down.

Lance made the mistake of questioning Herschel (Kien Michael Spiller). This boy has been born and raised during the apocalypse. He doesn’t fear Lance, and he doesn’t answer his questions…but Lance has his dad’s cap. Luckily Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari) steps in, and this leads to a nasty situation with everybody pointing weapons at each other. Daryl drops the F word, and Lance knowing that he might lose…stands down.

The good news: Lance leaves without finding the biggest treasure at Hilltop…Negan and his team.

The bad news: Lance finds Leah and he wants her to work for him….

Like I said in the beginning…I am exhausted from the many years of war and losing beloved characters, but this is nothing compared to what is happening in the real world. Bucha is a real place with real people. They might not be fighting zombies, but they are fighting monsters…monsters much worse that any character from TWD.

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Gilbert Speaks on The Walking Dead S11 E11

On last week’s episode of The Walking Dead, we learned that there is a revolution brewing…David against Goliath? In a week where the reality of the real world has crushed our global spirits because there is a real David fighting a dangerous Goliath aka Zelensky vs Putin…my heart was not on reviewing tonight’s episode, but maybe it is best to have the two worlds collide.

Rogue Element

Not everything is peachy fine at the Commonwealth even though Governor Pamela Milton wants everyone to think so. Eugene is in love with Stephanie, but when he tells her that he loves her…she vanishes. Eugene is in a panic and his only clue is a plumber who is anything but a plumber. Who is Roman Calhoun and why was he seen at the complex where Stephanie lived? Eugene would put Law and Order to shame the way he gathers evidence to find his true love.

Connie is also playing detective after the Tyler Davis incident. What did the ex-soldier mean that he was punished after Princess beat him up? Where is he? Connie finally gets Mercer to talk. The woman that Davis held hostage was Mercer’s sister, but she had nothing to do with his disappearance. If Connie is going to get Mercer to talk…she’ll have to get him alone.

Carol is doing her own investigation as she gets closer to Lance, who we realize isn’t all that happy with the Commonwealth and might be dealing opium on the side…but is also making sure to stock the local pond with fish. Carol lets Lance know that one of his lieutenants is robbing his staff…pocketing the raises that Lance designated for the workers.

Conclusion

I am really liking Mercer (Michael James Shaw). Connie (Lauren Ridloff) asked the right questions about Davis. Mercer knew that the man was in the hospital under guard, but when Mercer goes to check on Davis…he is gone. Davis was moved without Mercer’s knowledge or permission…who gave the order? Was it Mercer who slipped the paper of names under Connie’s door?

Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and Princess (Paola Lazara) get caught at Roman’s apartment building and things could have gone downhill for both of them, but Lance steps in to save the day. Lance (Josh Hamilton) not only listened to Carol, but he also gave Eugene and Princess a free ticket out of jail. Eugene, who was writing his first science fiction novel, has a new hobby…finding Stephanie…and boy does he! Oh my God! Stephanie (Margo Bingham) is really Shira and yes, she was using Eugene to get them to the Commonwealth, but hey! She loved reading the first few chapters of Eugene’s book. So, whose side is Shira really on? And is Lance the dark underbelly of the Commonwealth? What does this mean for Alexandria and Hilltop?

Okay, I am done talking about TWD, let’s talk about Ukraine. Right now, we need to send all our support to this country. Yes, the gas prices are going up, but take a bus! Walk! Carpool! Do what we need to do to pull away from reliance on Russian oil. I truly believe that we are already in World War 3, and like the walkers that just keep coming…Putin will not stop at Ukraine. To me, Zelensky is Rick Grimes, and he is fighting the Governor (Putin)…let’s be Team Daryl and stand by Ukraine.

Gilbert Speaks on The Walking Dead S11 E10

Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier – The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 10 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC

This week’s episode of The Walking Dead proves once again that there are no perfect societies. Every government is flawed. In fact, after reviewing TWD universe over the past eleven seasons, I have come to the dire realization that the only ones consistently working as a team are the walkers. The animated bags of flesh work as a hive to quell their thirst for human flesh.

New Haunts

Welcome to the Commonwealth where a normal life has somewhat returned. We get to see what Team Daryl has been up to after last weeks’ time jump. Daryl and Rosita are training to become soldiers while the other people from Alexandria adjust to their new roles. We have Carol baking cookies for the huge Halloween party. But we all know that our little Ninja Warrior is only playing the chameleon. Carol is worried about Ezekiel’s health…and rightfully so. Ezekiel’s thyroid cancer is taking his toll, but he is at the bottom of the waiting list for surgery. The only person who might be able to move Ezekiel up the list is Lance Hornsby.

Daryl, our apocalyptic loner, goes through all of Mercer’s (Michael James Shaw) team building exercises. We are learning more about Mercer, and it is refreshing to see that Mercer is a good commander. Rosita is more flexible with the training. Mercer is protective of Sebastian Milton (Teo Rapp Olsson) even though Sebastian the spoiled, entitled son of Pamela Milton (Laila Robins). This boy is clueless and would have been dead a long time ago if he wasn’t the son of the Governor.

This episode reveals that a lot of the Commonwealth people are not happy with the status quo. There is a huge separation between the haves and the have nots. Judith and her brother live with Daryl, and it is during the Halloween celebration that Judith realizes that they are poor. She makes friends with another girl who treats her to a heavy metal album, nice but useless because Judith doesn’t own a record player.  Later at the Halloween masquerade ball, we see that Yumiko has higher standing in the Commonwealth than her Alexandria friends.

Conclusion

The clues are there. There is a resistance group within the Commonwealth. They are angry with their situation, and they are silently preparing for a revolution. We are learning early in this season that not everyone is happy in the land of Oz, especially when Tyler (who was demoted after Princess kidnapped him in S10’s Splinter) attempts to force Pamela to hear his story. His demotion has affected his sister and her children who depended on Tyler’s paycheck. Even though it was Daryl who captured Tyler after Tyler released his hostage, Daryl allows Sebastian to claim the capture. Either Daryl is following Mercer’s advice about teamwork or, like Carol, is playing the chameleon.

Now for the good news. Carol has worked her charm on Lance by finding some great wine for the Ball. Hopefully this new alliance will help with Ezekiel’s place on the surgical list. And!!!! Mercer and Princess (Paola Lazaro) might have a thing going on. The way he looked at her before entering the Ball and the fact that he invited her to be his “plus one” for the party…most likely had social media blowing up. I know for the moment that Daryl and Connie (Lauren Ridloff) have a thing going, but I am a die hard for Team Daryl/Carol. We shall see what the future brings.

Gilbert Speaks on The Walking Dead S11 E01

Oh no! Nothing like a battle of will between Maggie and Negan to push my blood pressure into the dangerous zone. This is the last season of The Walking Dead, let’s hope that the showrunners don’t ruin it by having our beloved characters change their story arc in this…the final season.

Acheron

The river of woe. That’s what Acheron is according to Greek Mythology. Acheron is the river of Hades, one of five. God knows that our friends in Alexandria are feeling this woe. Alexandria is devasted from the Whisperer attack. Their walls are weak, and their food supply will only last a few days. Gabe has to mediate arguments about the food shortage.

Maggie (Lauren Cohen) knows a place that they can get supplies, so she enlists Gabe (Seth Gilliam), Magna (Nadia Hilker), Kelly (Angel Theory), Jerry (Cooper Andrews), Alden (Callan McAuliffe) Daryl (Norman Reedus) Carol (Melissa McBride), Lydia (Cassady McClincy) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to go to an old military base. Now all this time, Negan is trying to give some good advice, but Maggie is constantly shooting him down…which leaves Negan to wonder if this isn’t a suicide mission for him. Does Maggie want him dead? Yes, she does, but will she put a bullet in his head when no one is looking? Negan thinks so and says it aloud.

Princess

I don’t know about you but Princess, played by the talented Paola Lazaro, has definitely grown on me. Eugene (Josh McDermott), Ezekiel (Khary Payton), Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) and Princess are prisoners of the Commonwealth. They are routinely interrogated for information on who they are, and where they are from, along with other nasty mind games. The soldiers of the Commonwealth dress like Storm Troopers from Star Wars, which would be funny if we didn’t know how evil the Commonwealth is.

Princess has been very observant and learns which two guards are having a secret tryst without their superiors’ knowledge. This whole scene with her explaining what she has learned to her friends, is an absolute hoot. Going on what Princess knows, Yumiko and Eugene steal the body armor, but as they attempt an escape, Yumiko sees a snapshot on a wall with a message from her brother. She refuses to leave. Her brother might be one of the prisoners.

Conclusion

We have the Commonwealth, and we have the Reapers. But these two enemies are a piece of cake compared to the battle between Maggie and Negan. The military base that Maggie took the group to was stocked with bags of MREs which if you are not a prepper, is “Ready-to-Eat. These meals are self-contained, individual field rations for the military. Carol almost becomes walker lunch when she lags behind the group in order to fill her backpack with more food. It is very tense episode between the walkers and the fear that the Reapers are just waiting to attack.

Negan tries to point out warning signals to the group, but Maggie keeps shooting him down…which leads to the ending of this episode that blew my mind. Look, I almost stopped watching TWD when the writers and the showrunners started to portray Carol as a loose cannon. I did not like what they did with Carol…and to make matters worse, they even have Carol and Daryl fighting. This has really pissed me off.

Now, they are messing with Negan, who has been trying to walk the path of the enlightened. When the walkers become very active after a drop of blood hit one of the sleeping walkers, everyone has to scatter. Negan climbs up a ladder with Maggie close behind him. When her foot is grabbed tight by a walker, she looks to Negan for help…He walks away, and she loses her grip and falls backwards. If there was ever going to be peace between Maggie and Negan, episode 01 just blew it.

I need to get my economy sized bottle of Tums out of storage if I am to survive this final season.

Gilbert Speaks on The Walking Dead S10E20

 

In case you are wondering if you missed my recap of E19 of The Walking Dead, One More…you did not. I just didn’t like the episode enough to write about it. I did not like last night’s episode either, and I am wondering if TWD universe is just throwing episodes out there until they premier the eleventh and final season. Let’s hope that I am wrong.

Splinter

This week, we get to concentrate on one of my favorite characters, Princess (Paola Lazaro). Princess, Ezekiel, Eugene, and Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) have been captured by the apocalyptic stormtroopers and are now separated and locked inside train boxcars.

What we do learn in this episode is that Princess hates small, dark places. She was abused as a child and has many a battle scar from her childhood. She has also grown close to her new friends even though she just met Team Ezekiel. She was hit pretty hard during the scuffle with the stormtroopers and may be suffering from a concussion because the rest of the episode has her talking to Yumiko through a crack in the boxcar. Princess is able to rip off a piece of rotted wood, but it earns her a splinter which we learn has something to do with the maltreatment and neglect she suffered as a child.

Stormtroopers

We are given no hint on who these Stormtroopers are, or what they want from Team Ezekiel. When they drag Princess out of her boxcar, the questions they ask make her suspicious. She only wants to know if Yumiko is okay, and if they are taking care of her injuries. She also pleads for them to take the splinter from her finger, but if we thought that they were decent people, that brutal slap to Princess shows us differently.

Princess

Paola Lazaro really made this episode worth watching. Her Princess was both brave and frightened. Princess had survived severe childhood abuse and neglect, but she had learned to deal with the abuse and fear by using tools such as repeating the names all the states to keep calm.

All through the episode, Princess displays her survivor abilities when she sneaks in and out of her boxcar via a broken plank to chat with Eugene (Josh McDermitt), who was locked up in the next boxcar. Princess may have been afraid of the Stormtroopers, and she may have wanted to run away…but she was loyal to her new friends. Princess refused to leave her friends, even when Ezekiel climbed down into her boxcar… not even when Ezekiel knocks out the Stormtrooper who delivered her lunch.

Conclusion and Spoiler

Nothing is as it seems. Princess is suffering from a mental breakdown, and the Stormtrooper that brought lunch was attacked by Princess. Ezekiel (Khary Payton) was a figment of her fear and imagination as was the broken plank. Our little Princess was hallucinating her conversation with Eugene, and Ezekiel.

***Embargoed for Dalton*** Paola Lázaro as Juanita ‘Princess’ Sanchez, Soldier Cameron Scott Roberts – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 20 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC

Who are these people who hold Princess and the others captive? Why the ridiculous outfits? Are they connected to the woman that spoke to Eugene? I don’t know, but Princess does get to see her friends alive before a cloth bag is pulled over her head. I definitely liked this episode better than last week’s.

Gilbert Speaks on “The Walking Dead” S10 E15

On this week’s episode of “The Walking Dead” while Beta leads the horde, Negan shows the tender side of himself and King Ezekiel deals with an apocalyptic princess. Princess is no Snow White.

Gilbert Speaks on “The Walking Dead” S10 E14

What a strange world we live in. We are watching a series about the end of civilization while literally living with a corrupt leader who has no clue on how to keep a nation safe from the Covid 19 pandemic…let alone a zombie apocalypse. In this episode, Beta and Carol must deal with their own personal demons.