Gilbert Speaks on the Walking Dead S11 E23

As each episode of The Walking Dead brings us closer to the finale, I sit in dread of which of my favorite characters will die. We know which ones will go on to live in spin-offs, but what about the ones that are left behind. The Walking Dead cast, and crew have become family to me, and so the title of the episode is so fitting of this review.

Family With Spoilers

In this week’s episode of TWD…Judith (Cailey Fleming) has grown to be a pint-sized warrior, but like Carl and Rick…she is looking to the future. She wants a brighter future for her little brother, and also for the other children. When the protective Daryl tells Judith to stay behind with the kids, she says no, and after a most adult conversation between the two…Daryl agrees to let Judith come on the mission. Judith takes her talisman weapons (Michonne’s sword and Rick’s gun) but leaves Rick’s hat with RJ (Antony Azor) and that my friends frightened me a bit. That hat is her only connection with her dad. That hat is almost a magic shield…and if Team Daryl hopes to break into the commonwealth, they are going to need all the magic they can lay their hands on.

While Pamela is having her own issues with the new and improved walkers, Mercer is doing all in his power to set things right. He is gathering faithful troopers, and with Eugene safely hidden, he can now concentrate of the walker horde…but Pamela is one smart cookie and has a spy working for her. Who is this mysterious B17 that Pamela is trying to reach?

Negan and Maggie need to work together, but even though Negan offers, Maggie shuts him down. Later, Maggie overhears Ezekiel and Negan talking and I believe she has seen the light. People can change. Isn’t it strange how we have gone from hating Negan to rooting for his success? This was a character arc that set the world upside down.

Team Aaron

Aaron and his team, which include now includes Luke and Jules, are trying to escape the horde heading towards the Commonwealth. Most of them make it inside the trailer, but not everyone. Lydia is seriously wounded and is forced to make a decision. Also, are there a few whisperers still alive…and are they also hiding within the horde…or…and this is really scary…are the climbers also regaining the power of speech? Who said, “Get to the trees.”

Conclusion

Things are not going well for any of our comrades. Team Daryl is ambushed by Pamela’s soldiers and Pamela shoots Judith. Lydia loses part of her arm to save her life. Mercer is betrayed by Pamela’s spy, Vickers…maybe? She doesn’t look to happy when Pamela decides to leave the citizens abandoned while she saves the estate.

Daryl swoops Judith up in his arms and he and his team try to escape the horde that has broken into the commonwealth and Pamela’s soldiers. Judith calls Daryl, “daddy” before passing out.

I have, over the years, come to think of The Walking Dead cast as family. They have encouraged me to keep going even when life threw some nasty hand grenades at me. Carol, Maggie, Michonne, and Rosita have reminded me that women are true warriors, especially when the men get it wrong.

I don’t know what is going to happen to my Walking Dead family, especially who lives and who dies in the final episode…but even when the world tires of zombies and TWD universe…I know that the actors and crew did their best to remind us that even during an apocalypse…good people can survive and that the unselfish love for humanity can make us better than we are.

See you, for the series finale.

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Gilbert Speaks on The Walking Dead S 11 E19

What in the knob turning, wall climbing walker shit did I just witness? Holy hell in a handbasket! Just when you think Team Daryl will escape the wrath of Pamela…the walkers up the game on The Walking Dead final season.

Variant

All things evolve…except for humans. We are doomed. That said, this week’s episode of TWD has Aaron (Ross Marquand), Jerry (Cooper Andrews), Lydia (Cassady McClincy) and Elijah (Okea Eme_Akwari) at a former site of a Renaissance Fair as they make their way to Oceanside. They have made a discovery that is frightening as hell. Walkers are evolving and fighting back. At first Aaron thought he was fighting a member of the Whisperers, but nope. It was a full fledge walker. If this apocalypse was caused by a virus (either manmade or alien) then this virus has the ability to mutate to survive. There are no vaccines for this nightmare.

Back at the Commonwealth, Pamela (Laila Robins) is looking to punish everyone connected to Sebastian’s death. She has arrested Max (Margot Bingham), but really wants Eugene (Josh McDermitt). Poor Mercer (Michael James Shaw) has a dilemma. His sister Max will not back down, and Princess is leaving him. Mercer is a good man in a bad situation. He wants to protect the Commonwealth, but he also knows that the rot from within must be destroyed. We got to learn about Princess’s abusive childhood, but this gal is not playing victim.

Pamela

The big question is this: Did Pamela and Lance have a thing going on? This episode hints at some hanky panky going on but Pamela is not playing nice now. Lance must now save himself from Walker Sebastian after Pamela dumps both Sebastian and a very dead Calhoun into Lance’s cell. Was Pamela involved in the dirty deeds of Lance and Sebastian? We do know that she has big shoes to fill with keeping up her father’s legacy…but legacies can create monsters.

Not everyone wants to leave the Commonwealth. Ezekiel (Khary Payton) wants to stay and change the Commonwealth for the better. Ezekiel is a true Pollyanna. Always seeing that silver lining around the darkest cloud.

Conclusion

Team Daryl is in big trouble. Eugene decides to save Max by turning himself in to the authorities. I loved the scene where Eugene wanted to duke it out with Daryl.  I also loved the fatherly advice that Aaron gave Lydia. Not only do we have the walker situation, but Rosita (Christian Serratos) has been kidnapped…along with the rest of the team. Who is behind this? It might not be Pamela.

I was surprised to hear Aaron say that the walkers return to a place that they remember, and that he had heard of walkers climbing walls and opening doors. This should be interesting if the walkers become smarter than the surviving humans. We shall see.

Gilbert Speaks on The Walking Dead S11 E9

They’re back! The Walking Dead has returned picking up where we left off so many months ago with Maggie, Gabe, Elijah, and Negan trying to escape the Reapers, but will Eugene be bringing unexpected company to Alexandria? Will Carol be baking up some of her apocalyptic cookies for S11 E9?

No Other Way

What we need to remember is that a show about the apocalypse was filmed during an ongoing apocalypse. Scary right? Maggie has been dealing with loads of internal struggles that have caused people to die, not intentionally, but shit happens when you can’t let go of revenge. Negan knows that it won’t be long before Maggie turns on him, but he has proven himself in my eyes. In a world where a virus has caused civilization to circle the drain, even good guys do bad things.

So many people died helping Team Maggie get the needed food for Alexandria, but while Team Maggie and Team Leah try to off each other, Alexandria is under siege by walkers. Judith and Gracie are trapped in a flooded basement and although Judith lives up to her nickname, “Little Shit Kicker” she is outnumbered until Aaron shows up for the rescue.

Maggie is out to protect her people, and will do anything to accomplish this, and I think that is what Negan was trying to tell her when he said that he should have killed them all. Negan was protecting his people, too. In a world of death, you will do unthinkable things to protect the living…your people.

Daryl wants to believe that people can change, Negan did, so why not Leah, but again, even though they love each other Daryl’s and Leah’s first duty is to their tribe. Even GOD has taken a back seat to the apocalypse when Gabriel and the Reaper Preacher chat about forgiveness…that is until Gabriel kills the preacher. I think Gabriel has decided that GOD should stay in the back seat from now on.

The fight scenes in this episode are amazing, but especially the ones between Carver and Team Maggie. Daryl decides to use Carver as ransom with Leah, but Leah has a sniper in her deck.

Conclusion and Spoilers

Maggie doesn’t believe in taking hostages, but after Gabriel scores with the sniper and changing Leah’s game plan, Maggie allows them to leave without Carver…but Maggie…gives new meaning to “holding a grudge.” She kills everyone and injures Leah who gets away.

Maggie can’t forgive, and Negan knows this, so he leaves, and that sucks because he saved Maggie and Elijah from Carver. It was a literal “Saved by the bell” moment. Maggie was too late to save Alden…but we knew this would happen. Daryl decides to let Leah live after finding her. They were lovers, after all. Sometimes you have to just let go and let live. I hope that Leah returns that favor in the future.

The happy ending with Team Maggie returning with the much-needed supplies, was turned upside down with the arrival of unexpected dinner guests…Eugene brought Lance Hornsby and a platoon of Commonwealth troopers to the gate. Hornsby offers sanctuary at the Commonwealth…will there be any takers?

Why is God’s name would Daryl join the Commonwealth? Why Daryl? Why?

Gilbert Speaks on The Walking Dead S11 E05

Josh Hamilton as Lance Hornsby – The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 5 – Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC

When all you’re doing is fighting to survive each and every day…you are bound to have nightmares, and on this episode of The Walking Dead, Aaron has one hell of a freaky nightmare where he and Gracie are surrounded by all their former enemies: the Wolves, Saviors, and the Whisperers. Life is a struggle, but team Eugene, team Maggie, and team Aaron sure have their work cut out for them.

Out of the Ashes

I am going to talk about Judith (Cailey Fleming) before I go any further with the review of S11E05. This little peanut has been surviving the apocalypse since her birth. She is smart, resilient, mature, and lonely. Carl is dead, her father assumed dead, and Michonne is on some stupid mission that has made Judith and her little brother orphans. Judith helps the Alexandria community by teaching the other children how to fight, but the older boys tease her when she confronts them about playing with the dead. Their cruel words bring tears to her eyes.

Look, I was a teenager when my mother took off, I am in my seventies and it still bothers me, so when Judith cries because one of the boys had also broken the wooden plank that held her and Carl’s handprints…I feel for her. Thank goodness, Rosita (Christian Serratos) was there to calm our little Kick-ass warrior.

Alexandria

Don’t you hate when uninvited guests drop in unexpectantly? Jerry (Cooper Andrews) is taking care of business when he realizes that the walls have been breached again. How do these bags of bones still have the strength to push in the walls? I haven’t figured that one out yet, and apparently, neither have the showrunners. They walls go back up, but it is only a band-aid. Aaron and the others decide to head out to Hilltop to see if there is anything to scavenge from the ashes. While Carol, Lydia, Aaron, and Jerry head over to Hilltop, our little band of misfits are getting inducted into the Commonwealth.

Rocky Road Ice cream

The Commonwealth may be nothing more than a very bad Homeowners Association. A good friend of mine lives in a 55+ community where the bylaws are so strict that they would not permit her to have a ramp built for her husband who became totally wheelchaired bound. Her poor husband was trapped in the house. Criminal!

Team Eugene sit through a nifty commercial video that featured all the wonderful things about being a citizen of Commonwealth. They have law enforcement, schools, ice cream shops, bakeries, malls, and everything else needed to live the Utopian dream. Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) may have been a used car salesperson in a former life because his video is definitely inviting. There is mention of a president: Pamela Milton. At the end of the video, Princess gets her two-dollar bill back, along with a job. Everyone gets a job except Yumiko who is invited to visit the state department for her job. They also get their assigned living quarters. Mercer (Michael James Shaw) may or may not be as bad ass as he pretends because Princess easily wraps him around her little finger.

While Yumiko heads to the state department, Eugene, Princess, Ezekiel and Stephanie tour the town and get themselves some ice cream. Eugene convinces Stephanie to allow him to contact Alexandria. Princess is put on watch duty as Eugene talks to Rosita, but only briefly (bad connection).

Yumiko located her brother, Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale) in a bakery. Even though he was surgeon before the apocalypse, Tomi is now absolutely happy baking cakes. He is enjoying his life as a baker, and the rows and rows of cookies, pies, and cakes attest to this joy.

Aaron

Ross Marquand’s Aaron has gone through a major transformation, and I feel that he is becoming “Rick” worthy. A true leader. After they arrive at Hilltop, Lydia (Cassady McClincy) realizes that the remaining walkers (former Hilltop citizens) are being herded. The group captures a Whisperer, who begs for his life and that of his family. But Aaron blocks out the pleas for mercy and uses a walker to get information from the man. This leads to the man being bitten.

Conclusion and Spoilers

I didn’t forget Team Maggie. Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) rest at an abandoned home where there is very little food to take back home. Negan wants to return to Alexandria, but Maggie wants to stay. They agree to wait until sundown. These two characters are both very powerful…and stubborn, but I think that Negan has a better sense of survival right now. Maggie was right about waiting because Gabe (Seth Gilliam) and Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari) do show up and now the decision is made to wait for Daryl.

Unless you’ve ever been in a situation where you didn’t know where or when your next meal would be…you won’t understand how desperate the citizens of Alexandria are in. Hunger, and the constant threat of walkers and bad guys is enough to do real damage to one’s hope for survival. I think all these years of watching and reviewing TWD has made me more compassionate to the refugees who flock to our borders. They are hungry, desperate, and trying to protect their children. Instead of zombies, refugees are fleeing evil men doing evil deeds. Remember this the next time you push yourself away from the table, belly filled.

Alexandria is in danger. Hunger makes people do crazy things. Aaron allowed that walker to bite the Whisperer even though the man begged for his life. He would have done much worse to the man if Carol didn’t step in and tell him why it is important to keep your humanity in the worst of times. It was a good thing she did. They now know that Connie is alive.

Team Eugene was saved by the bell when Lance Hornsby steps in. Will they finally get to meet Pamela Milton? Will the children of Alexandria die from hunger before someone comes to the rescue? Where the hell is Michonne? Her kids need her.

Gilbert Speaks on “The Walking Dead” S10 E03

On last week’s episode of The Walking Dead, Carol and Alpha stared each other down, but tonight we have a face to face. Carol is dealing with loses and she wants revenge.

Gilbert Speaks on “The Walking Dead” S10 E01

I apologize for not posting The Walking Dead episodes S10 E01 & E02 on the regularly scheduled time, but I was on my very first cruise to Greece and Italy. When you have a chance to climb up Mount Etna in Sicily, the bumbling walkers can wait an extra week or two. I finally had the chance to catch up, and right now…it seems that even during an apocalypse the Russians will find a way to mess things up.

Gilbert Speaks on “The Walking Dead” S07 E08: Hearts Still Beating

Well, here we are at the mid-season finale and Team Rick is still struggling with their demons. While Rick and Aaron try to maneuver through pond walkers to reach a houseboat, Michonne hijacks one of Negan’s trucks, and Daryl is given a “Get out of jail” monopoly card. On the last episode of “The Walking Dead” we left Olivia and Carl dealing with the houseguest from hell. What do you give the man who controls everything?