The Walking Dead is convicted forever

Last week The dead who walkIt turned out that the show had taken a step in a bold new direction. Press releases had announced that the star of the series, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) would leave the series well ahead of the final send scheduled for mid-season. And then, it seemed that the new star Angela Kang had chosen to kill Rick even before the date announced. It was fast, clean and surprising – a stark contrast to the series' tradition of milking key dramatic moments to the public's fatigue. The end of the episode seemed to correspond to Kang's vision for a reimagination Walking Dead. It seemed too good to be true.

C & # 39; was.

Last night's episode, "What Comes After," not only erased this invigorating switcheroo, it also completely upset the idea of ​​Rick Grimes' expected departure, leading to a new direction. It was, without a doubt, a masterfully executed surprise. But that does not mean that it was satisfactory or that it sent the show in the right direction. To understand exactly what happened last night, we sat down to discuss "What Comes After," the biggest surprises of this episode and what it all means for the future of The dead who walk.

Warning: Major spoilers for The dead who walk season 9, episode 5 below. Our reaction to the film trilogy just announced follows at the end of the post.

Photo of Jackson Lee Davis / AMC

Wait, what has just happened?

Bryan: I guess I should start by taking my hat off to the team of The dead who walk. I gave the show the benefit of the doubt, and you totally cheated on me by pulling the same kind of deception and shenanigans that have frustrated so many viewers in recent seasons. High Fives!

Joking aside, "What Comes Next" is a combination of the kind of effective tropes we're used to seeing in television character shipments. In this episode, Rick has many visions where he talks to people who died during the series, offering emotional closure to some key relationships. But it also introduces a strong dose of the kind of shenanigans with tense credulity The dead who walk is famous for. In this case, the biggest comes at the top: after being ejected from a horse, impaled by rebar bars and stuck by two hordes of zombies, Rick manages to escape!

A long slow-motion pursuit follows, but it is mostly satisfying as it provides the kind of honest and moving conclusion that the series seems to be so afraid to tackle in recent seasons. Moments after the end of the episode, Rick made peace with everyone and he seems to be sacrificing himself to eliminate a massive group of zombies in front of those who love him the most. Daryl seems completely lost; Michonne is emotionally torn. He feels the opera. Nine seasons in the show, The dead who walk actually stick the landing to Rick Grimes' death.

But then, we discover that he is not dead after all. Instead, he is rescued by Jadis and flew in a helicopter. Seriously?

Notch: I still thought Rick would come out of his predicament, so I did not find it so surprising that he was heavy in the woods. And I'd be lying if I said that I do not find it all that touching, despite the ridiculous hallucinations of a dead friend and the zombie outbreaks close to death after … well, the first one. As much as this show has jerked its audience, subjecting it to grueling stunts and sinuous, storyless intrigues, it's impossible for me not to like Rick.

He has been an actor of choice for the audience and the central anchor point of the series, and I have always had the impression that Andrew Lincoln was doing his utmost as a & # 39; Actor, despite the less than remarkable circumstances in which the series forced him. Rick and Hershel who were discussing Maggie's future or who was tearing up after Shane's murder were moments that excused the fact that they only existed as delusional visions of a dying man who escapes from all way to a real army of undead. Watching his last moment and the faces of the characters he left is really a hit for me.

As for the great revelation at the end, well, part of me felt that it might be so, given the importance of the Jadis sub-plot. But I was still shocked by Kang and the raw audacity of the writers. It's almost to the point that I'm not mad at the loophole, to the point that I'm impressed by the fact that they all felt confident enough to make it happen. At this point, any real surprise that has nothing to do with comics is enough to excite me, if only because I know that the fan base of the series will have a busy day with it.

Photo of Jackson Lee Davis / AMC

Let's talk about flash-forward

Bryan: That's right – although it does not say much about what the fans think of the show at this point, right? The whole thing ends up becoming a double gimmick: not only The dead who walk faking a false pretense of Rick's death, but he avoids the consequences of this decision by throwing himself into the future. After Rick flew into the Jadiscopter, the show turns into a scene where a group of new people is attacked by a swarm of zombies – except that this group is saved by a girl of 10 years old maximum, a girl with a katana, a revolver and a familiar hat. She calls herself Judith Grimes, Rick's daughter.

There are a few things to break down here. I do not believe that the whole show goes forward in 10 years. Knowing that AMC wants to keep this franchise, however, I could see this scene as a test bench for another spin-off centered on Judith – a stepping stone that advances forward rather than backwards like Fear the undead. But apart from these aspirations, it can be said that this brief flash-forward also makes a real mistake in the future of The dead who walk.

What can we assume, given this glimpse of the future Judith? We know that for seven years or more, the zombie crisis is still unresolved and the group that Rick once led still travels the same parts of the same forest. There is no elaborate society built, no infrastructure restored. This snapshot effectively indicates that in years and years, almost nothing will have changed in the universe of The dead who walkother than the implicit death of Michonne. (Why would Judith have Michonne's sword if she was still alive?) It's for me as if the show was deflating a huge amount of potential future tension in this scene, which could ultimately be a throwaway. Above thisIt seems extremely difficult to take seriously the mourning or regret that people feel about Rick's loss when the public knows he's alive and under the protection of yesteryear.

It's almost as if the series had done everything possible to surgically eliminate any stake or consequence of what should have been its most impactful moment – and all this on behalf of a stuntman whom nobody will remember more in a week. What do I miss?

Notch: I agree with you. As comforting as seeing an older Judith perpetuate the legacy left by her father and Michonne, it only worked as a possible serial epilogue and a sort of tribute to the character's departure. As a narrative piece, since the series will continue without Rick, it makes no sense and it really gives the impression of a confusing and misplaced bonus scene, crammed into an end that should have been powerful and emotional.

And, as you say, it contains either inadvertently or deliberately a lot of information that does not really surface with all that the story tries to express this season. I refuse to believe that the series will jump back in time, and the public will not do it either, unless makeup artists The dead who walk are both experts in zombie flesh and artificial aging of about thirty people of about eight years old. In addition, the idea that people are still fleeing zombies, many years later, shows that Rick, his friends and his family have failed, that the peace for which they aspired is a myth. And yet, if it is a tribute to Rick and not a serious narrative tool, why put it in this episode? Why not broadcast it as an online clip at some point later in the season?

My only hope is that old Judith is a snapshot of a future we are not supposed to take seriously, a tribute to the way Rick's spirit lives in his daughter. I do not see how The dead who walk could continue to incorporate this plot further, and jumping between two chronologies would make the already mediocre show parade – which has improved this season, but not by much – almost unbearable.

Photo of Jackson Lee Davis / AMC

Was it incredible or terrible?

Notch: Maybe I'm going to have an awkward position here, but I think this surprise worked: it gives the fans what they want. I have long been waiting for rocky realism or well-deserved twists in the world of cartography. The dead who walk, not after all that the show shot in the past. Although I fully understand how this gimmick could turn against us and how it undermines the viewers who care about these characters, I consider the series increasingly as a silly fiction of AMC and writers seem to regard it as: a band cartoon coming to life, if you want. And part of this fiction is to believe that Rick will never die.

I understand that this was not always the case and that the series was built at the beginning of its reputation alongside big names like breaking Bad and Game of thrones, with a dark tone and an imaginable approach that makes history a place of gigantic entertainment, with assessments that no one could ignore. But over the years, I realized that The dead who walk will never be better than a cartoon. It's too much baggage and money in excess for AMC to take the risks that could bring long-standing characters to leave without warning or intrigue comics, completely subverted instead of subtly altered. (Of course, now that odds have plummeted, I wonder if the AMC strategy could change.)

So I say that with a hint of guilt because I know I'm part of the problem: I was one of the people who would rather not have seen Rick leave permanently. I like his character, despite all the flaws and bad leadership principles that writers have imposed on him. As much as I now recognize that The dead who walk Trapped by his tendencies in the B-movie, Rick still felt like the only believable and inspiring part of the whole. It was a good guy, even when he looked like a bad guy, and it was impossible not to take it to himself at every step. To know that it will be in the world and that writers could meet or drop a smart easter egg suggesting its survival (even if they probably will not), at least one not very optimistic about the future, although this future looks much darker without Rick in the center.

Bryan: We agree on more points that we do not agree here, but as with most things on The dead who walkI think this whole thing ends up being a double-edged sword. "What Comes Next", like the previous episode, offers a moment of powerful surprise. Looking at it for the first time, I marveled at how the show's marketing team showed viewers a path and then guided them. It's amazing but effective.

The problem is that the stunts do not last. They do not resonate. In many years, when people watch this show or see it for the first time via Netflix or a DVD, they will not have the context of marketing errors, which will not be remembered. What really matters is the show itself. And from this perspective, all this is incredibly frustrating. When The dead who walk made his television debut, he felt serious. He took this world and its dramatic issues seriously. This is one of the main reasons the audience was so interested in Rick, Daryl, Carol, Carl and all the other characters that the series had introduced in its early days. (Rick's most effective visions in "What Comes Next" are with characters such as Shane and Hershel, whose origins date back to the less cartoonish era of the series.) But moments like Rick's switcheroo's death are pure PT Barnum – made almost entirely in fashion.

What is an audience is supposed to think when it is confronted with the emotion of waiting for the death of a beloved character and d & # 39; 39 to witness the scene of his presumed death, only so that it all becomes a giant troll? The dead who walk seems to find it hilarious that his fans are interested in these characters. And just like with the fake simulations of Glenn's death, the series ends up pointing fingers and laughing at viewers like Nelson's The simpsons.

The only logical solution is that no one should invest emotionally in The dead who walk because the show itself does not do it. All this flow has something malicious and it is absolutely essential to give the show its own identity. But for me personally, these dummy shenanigans are not compatible with a serialized drama that asks viewers to be concerned about what's going on. You're right: this series does not have to be a serious series, just because it was the origin. But it will finally take into account the tonal confusion that these gambits cause, because the number of viewers who has contracted rapidly in recent seasons does not seem to accompany them either.

Photo of Jackson Lee Davis / AMC

Where are things going from here?

Notch: I must admit that, although I think Rick's turn was a bold and well-executed move, I do not really see a straightforward way out of the "What Comes Next" mess. Setting aside the unlikely situation of Judith Grimes' sub-plot, the series will have to do a lot of story telling to avoid the disappearance of Jadis and Rick's missing body. And I'm not looking forward to arguing whether Rick is really dead or when Daryl and Michonne will inevitably pick him up in an episode or two of the bottle to kill the time that has elapsed until the final match.

Fortunately, the series has a lot of work to do here, as long as it does not get busy with too much sub-intrigue and the simple stories we saw in episodes 1 and 2 are back in their tracks. soon leaving, she has to struggle with the fact that her Negan shenanings accidentally killed Rick by Michonne and the rest of the characters. Similarly, Daryl will have to take into account that his diversion tactic, which threw both into a giant hole, resulted in Rick blowing up the bridge. It will be interesting to see how they handle this revelation, how the group treated it as a whole and how it plays into Maggie's departure, regardless of Rick's fate.

As you mentioned, it is to be feared that Rick's trend will exploit all the goodwill of this season and lead to an even greater drop in ratings. No matter how Rick's death was managed, it was still impossible to prevent at least some viewers from treating this episode as a finale of the series and to leave. But AMC has made it clear that Whisperer's cartoon plot is imminent, and that Daryl Dixon will likely be the replacement for the series, Rick. So, all hope is not lost. But after the events of "What Comes Next," I do not trust the series to give any of these characters a proper character arc or a suitable send that is not based on gadgets.

Bryan: It sure will be muddy. Will Judith propose a dueling scenario? Perhaps, although I imagine we will simply go back to all the people who are dealing with the consequences of Rick's absence, as you suggested. (Maybe with the periodic flash-forward Judith – the series has certainly done it before.) But will that be satisfactory? Honestly, I do not know because the series is facing problems on many fronts at this stage. Without Maggie in the mix, it's hard to know which characters or conflicts still deserve to be actively engaged. The emotional heart of the series has always been inspired by the characters that had been created at the very beginning of the series, and as long as Daryl and Carol are still present, it's unclear whether they can fuel an entire series.

Daryl is fun to watch, but it's still an emotional figure and the internal conflict that has fueled Carol over the years has been considerably muted at this point. I have no interest in looking anymore – Hannibal Lecter's bend to man-child moaning in "What Comes Next" was so quick and unmotivated that I almost had the whiplash – so I guess that leaves new characters and new complications.

Everyone involved in the series seems extremely excited about Kang's broader vision and I am fascinated by the idea of ​​such a series that is trying to get back to mid-life. He seems to be repeatedly about to do exactly that. But "What Comes Next" shows that some of the weaknesses are systemic. The show has also never been confronted with the kind of urgency it will face in the coming months. The ratings have been steadily declining for years and, although Rick's departure has temporarily stopped the bleeding, another significant drop in ratings is probably waiting behind the scenes now that he's gone. For The dead who walk, reinvention is a question of survival.

Note: Last night, after the above conversation had already been written, The New York Times revealed that Andrew Lincoln will actually be star in three The dead who walk movies for AMC. A Twitter post network also seemed to confirm that the show would actually go forward with a six-year leap into the future. Our reaction is the following.

Seriously?

Bryan: So, let me understand: after all that, it seems that AMC and The dead who walk are making the most fanciful, absurd, and misguided movement in the history of the entire franchise. Do I understand correctly?

Notch: I have to say that a lot of the goodwill I had towards Kang and the writers for successfully avoiding the unexpected fate of Rick's destiny almost evaporated when I learned that this was a another puzzle developed to create a spin-off. I understand that AMC felt compelled to keep their cards close to the waistcoat and that these films might legitimately excite some viewers, but all that now seems to be a step too far. If we can not believe that the series will not exploit beyond the last farewell of its main character, I do not think it is possible to trust him – never again.

Bryan: Honestly, I have serious doubts about the ability of any TWD movie to excite any kind of significant fan base at this stage. Three films with Andrew Lincoln and probably none of the other regulars? What are the issues when you know that he will not die? Where is the conflict when you know it does not matter, because the only thing this show does is the troll?

The whole idea does not make sense to me. And what is absurd is that it's the game's own game that has framed things that way. Yes The dead who walk had not played any part of the last seasons – if she had not used gadgets and stunts, time again – then I would be interested. But this show continues to sneer against his fans. And now, I'm also supposed to worry about a time-shifted TV show where the state of the world has not changed and everyone has grown old because they suddenly have different styles of beard and beard ? I do not even understand what the show is trying to do at this point. The dead who walk has become an endless purgatory – both for his characters and his fans.

Notch: I agree that it's hard to worry about Rick's position or the current cast, especially of an elderly Judith who carries the torch for her father who is not really dead. Writers have skipped time two times in the same season, and the series now conveniently avoids any kind of significant character development that could have happened on screen after Rick's "death". And now, are we supposed to believe that everything has remained largely static over the course of six years? Why we always follow these characters and what story AMC is trying to tell – beyond that of endless variety – is no longer really clear. It's doubly true now that Rick has left the picture.

Bryan: I hate to say that, but The dead who walk patina for years. Maybe Kang will use this time jump as a reset, and I will continue to watch these next weeks to see what the "new" series really looks like. But that's enough. At this point, this show must justify its continued existence – and it must do so quickly.