The walking dead season 8 episode 1 recap
Deanna makes a surprising sacrifice play to help keep Rick out of harm's way even though she gets injured in the process. When the fallen watchtower takes out a section of the wall, the Alexandrians are all scattered to the wind. (That's how you get ants.) Aside from reminding viewers that Sam is by no means cut out for survival in this new world, this overt shot of the horde of ants swarming over a food source also gives a none-too-subtle nod toward the Walker herd that's about to flood the town. In tonight's cold open, Jessie's son Sam (aka the Harbinger of Certain Doom) listens to Tiny Tim's "Tiptoe through the Tulips" over and over in his room, afraid to come out since the world is a scary and monstrous place, but is totally fine with leaving half-eaten cookies on his bedroom floor. Yes, I'm calling the end of the Season 6 mid-season finale worse than that infamous hatch ending of Lost. Instead, viewers were left with a lukewarm facsimile of the Wolves' attack on Alexandria, a host of unresolved philosophical conflicts, and one of television history's worst episodic cliffhangers. Between now and then is just a matter of how Rick will lead his people to get there, and what sacrifices they’re going to make along the way.With an episode title like "Start to Finish", one would think that the writers of AMC's The Walking Dead would actually provide a mid-season finale that aired from start to finish. Rick declares: “We’ve already won,” which is as obvious as it gets. The real portent to the future fans should pay attention is in the episode’s closing shot, where Rick delivers an inspiring pre-battle speech in front of a rising sun. They’re distractions to the exciting stuff: the war with Negan. Honestly, it’s best to ignore these scenes. They come out of nowhere and the cinematographers rubbed Vaseline over the camera lenses for that soft gaussian look, which is just hilarious. Loosely modeled after Sasha’s flashbacks from the Season 7 finale, Rick’s “flash-forwards” could be Rick hallucinating, or they’re visions from a future that may or may not happen. They’re even all listening to Weird Al Yankovich, one of the show’s scant few references to outside popular culture.
#THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 8 EPISODE 1 RECAP TV#
Armed with the visage of artistic, prestige TV (even though The Walking Dead hasn’t had any prestige since Season 1), “Mercy” introduces a framing device in which an “Old Man Rick” lives a peaceful life in Alexandria with Michonne, Carl, and a grade-school Judith. AMCĪs always, the show doesn’t explain what is going on with these scenes. Is this the future, or a hallucination? With that soft filter, it's definitely a joke.
There are even some strange “Old Man Rick” flash-forwards to a peaceful Alexandria that may be the biggest clue. Without even knowing what happens in the comics, Season 8 instills the idea that Rick and his side are going to win this. Not only do the people of Alexandria finally have the upper hand and Negan is up shit’s creek - trapped with Father Gabriel, separate from his Saviors, in a non-descript trailer surrounded by hordes walkers - but the episode pretty much spoils what’s going to happen by the season finale in April. And unlike last year, there really is hope things will work out in the end. After more heart-throbbing suspense, the Season 8 premiere delivers on the bang-bang action that was always meant to happen between Alexandria and the Saviors. But between his ruthless sadism and a juvenile obsession with his own dick, Negan turned The Walking Dead into an endurance test.īut, with the season 8 premiere, it feels like someone has opened a window and let in the air. Last season, The Walking Dead went overboard in its efforts to establish Negan as a threat. Mild spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 8, Episode 1 are below. And bizarre “flash-forwards” may be the clue to Rick’s eventual victory over Negan. Not only has war begun between Rick and Negan, it looks Rick could actually win this thing.
But for those who stuck around, Sunday’s Season 8 premiere, “Mercy,” was paydirt.
While Jeffrey Dean Morgan literally bats a thousand as Negan, his new villain brought an overwhelming despair to Season 7 that made Sunday nights exhausting. A year ago, fans of The Walking Dead were introduced to the true terror of the apocalypse: Negan, a sociopathic warlord who commands an army with just one look.