Monday, February 13, 2012

The Walking Dead: Season 2 Episode 8 - Nebraska


Welcome back Walkers!  It has only been a few weeks in the scheme of things but it seems like ages since what the producers are referring to as "BARNAGEDDON!!"  What a great cliffhanger to end things on and what a way to pick things up again!  I'll happily give this Season 2.5 premiere a giant WOW, but I'm sure others will complain about the pacing again and lack of "walker activity."   But, we have been assured by the producers of the show that the zombie count will get much higher as this season draws to a close.  Anyone that knows me knows that I'm all for the slow burn leading to an epic showdown that holds more resonance since we're more invested in the characters taking part.  But, if anyone thought there was tension missing from last night's episode, I think it's time to admit you're watching the wrong show.  Because, just when you think things are safe, we are forced to rethink our definition of safety!  And that's where I'll leave my overall thoughts and we'll dive into the details. 

I am a bit pressed for time today so I'll give some quick bullets and let you guys fill the rest in in the comments!  I may be close to resolving my issues with grabbing screenshots, but I ran out of time this morning to actually get them done so I apologize once again!  Let's head into the recap.



Spoiler Free Commentary
  • Lots of fallout from the barn shootout. Shane is still amped up and frustrated with Rick. He admits to Carol that he didn't know Sophia was in the barn, but he thinks Hershel did. Or he's still just trying to cover up for he sacrifice of Otis. Hershel clears up what we were speculating. Otis was the one that rounded up the walkers from the farm's surroundings. He probably found Sophia and put her in the barn, and probably never got a chance to tell anyone before he shot Carl and then was trying to help save him. Enter Shane who sacrificed Otis to save Carl.
  • Naturally, Dale even more frustrated with Shane's approach to life these days. Shane had a blow-up in front of Dale (who remained silent) justifying his actions. Dale has started going behind Shane's back and telling people his speculations of the Otis sacrifice. He told Lori that Shane all but flaunted it in his face. And he forshadowed a little that it won't be long before he offs someone else. At least, I would assume in the show's context that this might be a bit of foreshadowing!
  • Carl has become a bit of a walking zombie himself. He is turning into a mini-Shane and told his mother that Rick made the right call in shooting Sophia. Creeeepy!! (even if he's right) This sets Lori off on trying to get Rick to set a good example for his son.
  • Carol is off her rocker in this episode, rightfully so. She admits that her daughter has been long gone so refuses to attend the funeral for their "loved ones" (they burned those other suckers!). It'll be interesting to see what kind of character she becomes now that her family is all gone.
  • Glenn and Maggie's love affair takes another advancement with Maggie's admission of "LOVE" and Glenn's lengthy over-thinking of it. If he ever gets back to her though, he'll probably reciprocate thanks to Rick's "love counseling" (because he's the guy to talk to when it comes to a healthy marriage!).
  • For anyone who was missing the gore factor this week, we were treated to a stockpile of corpses from the barn being readied for burning. An arm fell off one of them and Andrea hopped off of the truck to get it. Fantastic little nonchalant addition to the episode.
  • So then there's the interesting parts that could have long-term effects on the show. Hershel's daughter, Beth ran towards her zombified mother to mourn her. She touched the body...she was still "alive" (in the undead sense). She was not bitten and Andrea gave Mama Greene a nice sickel to the head. But, she all of a sudden collapsed later on and has come down with a fever. Hmmm, has the UNDEAD virus gone airborne? That certainly would be interesting. There are things I could speculate from the book here (which I have not read), and maybe I'll put them in a "possible spoiler" section below. But, there has to be a reason why she has come down with this fever and it's not SHOCK from seeing her mother that way.
  • So Hershel needed time to reflect and process everything he has learned since episode 7 and everything he has seen unfold. He gave up alcohol back in the day but today seemed like a good day to pick it back up. He went to his favorite watering hole in town. Rick and Glenn (against Lori, Shane and Maggie's wishes) went to go retrieve him. Rick promised to bring Glenn back (always a scary thing to say in a show like this). Lori got impatient because of Beth's worsening condition. Daryl, after feeling he was so close to finding Sophia and then finding out she was in the barn that whole time, is pretty much refusing to help anyone and is really torn up inside. Lori asks him to go get Rick and Hershel and he refuses. He really wanted to save that girl from a broken family, probably to somehow make up for his rough childhood. Anyway, Lori decides she needs to take matters into her own hands, gets in a car, starts reading a map without paying attention and then BAM...hits a walker. (insert "Why did the Walker cross the road?" jokes here) Her car goes a bit out of control and flips off of the road. WHAAAT!?!? I'm sure Lori is still alive (for now), but might that have been a convenient way to get her "UNPREGNANT" again? I guess we'll find out. I also speculate that whatever group this Dave and Tony came from (we'll get to them), I think the rest of that group is going to find Lori which will be a great way for these 2 groups to confront each other!
  • So, then there's Hershel and Rick and their battles with faith. Hershel tells Rick and Glenn that he has lost his faith. All of his efforts were for nothing. The moment that convinced him? When Shane put all of those bullets in his wife and she kept coming. He realized he was feeding corpses all of this time. He felt a semblance of hope when Rick and crew came to the farm. When they saved Carl. But it was all a sham. Otis died. It was a "bait n' switch." There is no hope anymore. Rick seemed to win him over with a "it doesn't matter how we feel, we need to give the rest of them hope" speech. Hey, he almost had me convinced with it. In another show, this is where the stars would align and they'd rush back home to safe Beth. Well, Walking Dead didn't get the memo. They decided to introduce more characters!
  • Enter Dave (Rene from True Blood) and Tony. They hail from the great city of Philadelphia (yeaaah!!), Pennsylvania. These characters served multiple purposes. One was to give us news from the rest of the country on the apocalypse. DC has been overrun, so has Philly obviously. We also learn that Fort Benning is a lost cause too. Uh oh, that's where our crew was planning to go!  There is mention of Nebraska being a safe haven and is also used as a nice diss by Rick a few moments from then.  We learn that there are more people to their group (hence me mentioning maybe they'll find Lori above). Maybe they even have a samuri in that group! (speculation from what I've heard about the book) But the biggest thing we've learn is that just because we have found more humans doesn't mean we have found allies. Things got REAL once Dave starts asking about where these guys are making shelter. Rick and Hershel finally seemed aligned in protecting the farm from outsiders. Things got really intense but they would not yield. Eventually, Dave figured out that there was a farm and he wasn't going to quit until they were allowed to stay there too. (or run Rick and crew out of the farm and keep it for themselves) Tony got a little antsy and threatened to shoot them all right there. Dave went behind the bar putting his gun on the bar and getting a drink. Rick, being the cop that he is, sensed a shootout coming. Tony went for the gun but Rick was too quick! He took them both out!! Woaaaa.....some switch has definitely turned in his head since shooting Sophia. Of course, what he did was in self-defense. It still seems like he did it to protect the farm. Either way it was crazy, and I'm sure there will be reprecussions when we meet the rest of their crew. (seems inevitable, right?)

Potential Spoilerish Commentary
(i.e. knowledge from graphic novels)

So, before we get into the discussions below I do want to speculate about some things that might be considered "SPOILERISH" if you haven't read anything about the book plots. (if you want to discuss them in the comments too, just precursor them with a "potential spoiler" warning too)
  • Okay, so I'm basing this off of things I know fromthe book and what we saw progress in this episode. Basically, in the books, eventually the readers learn that the Walker plague spreads more than just by direct bites. In fact, we learn that ALL people that die will come back as walkers. CRAZY, right!? There are some readers of this blog that speculate that this is what we may learn that Jenner whispered to Rick at the end of season 1. So, enter in the events from last night. Beth seems to maybe have contracted the walker virus from airborne activity. (something showrunner Glenn Mazzara mentioned on "talking dead" last night was a good question from a caller and that we'd learn in the next few epiodes the answer) So, we already know it might be more than just a bite. Now, let's think back to every episode that has aired from season 1. Have we seen any human die yet that has not been walker related? (besides the explosion at the CDC) I don't think we have, until last night. Rick shot those 2 guys in the bar. Tony may have received a headshot, but I don't think Dave did. Is there a chance that we may see these 2 people rise again? And what will the reprecussions be for the show?
  • Maybe it will give everyone a reason to fight to live again? Because, if you die that's what you're going to become. All speculation at this point until something in the show happens to prove it. As we know, they're not following the books exactly!

Spoiler Free Closing Comments

So that's it folks! I'd love to hear what you thought of the episode. So post your thoughts below! Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'll see you next week!

End Credits
  • This season I will be recapping FringeTerra NovaThe Walking Dead and Alcatraz
  • Other shows that are being discussed in comments recently:  Sons of Anarchy, How I Met Your Mother, Once Upon a Time, American Horror Story, Dexter, Chuck, Shameless, Mad Men (March!!), Game of Thrones (April 1st!), among others.  Feel free to join in!
  • See trailers for the Mid-Season shows I'm looking forward to: Awake and Touch.  
  • As always, there are other shows that I watch as well and would be happy to discuss with all of you. For a complete list by day, you can check out my "FALL TV" post.

 

28 comments:

Leslie said...

Good episode, and I’m glad to have caught up on this one so I could watch it with all of you. I have to admit that I didn’t miss the lack of walker activity or the gore factor, but maybe because I watched the last episode with the barn massacre just before. But, as you said, the sickle to the head, the arm falling off the truck and the burning pile of walkers was good enough for me! You used the right word for Andrea, nonchalant, when she picked up that arm like it was all in a day’s work for her. She’s kinda gone to the dark side since her sister died. And, I think Shane’s exterior is showing some cracks in it. One minute he’s Mr. Tough Guy with an ego for days and the next was that creepy scene with Carol when he’s washing off her hands and explaining he didn’t know Sophia was in the barn. Of course, he made that more about him and less about Carol’s feelings, but like Dale said, I think he could go off and kill someone else. My heart went out to Hershel when he said that he realized there was no hope when he figured out he was feeding his wife’s corpse. I kinda felt bad for Daryl, too, after he realized he was looking every day for Sophia when she was in the barn the whole time.

During that whole scene in the bar after Dave and Tony showed up, I kept wondering how they could keep their location from these guys. It’s not like they could get lost in the crowd getting back to the farm, but I guess Rick took care of that problem. I didn’t think that the others with them might come across Lori’s accident, but that makes sense . . . and “why did the walker cross the road?” . . . Good one, Mike!

I agree with the idea that Beth’s condition may have something to do with her contact with her walker mama, but if the virus is airborne, wouldn’t they all be at risk? Several of them have had close contact with a walker.

Mike V. said...

Hi Leslie, I'm glad you have caught up too!

Yes the whole "washing hands" scene...almost as if Shane wanted to "wash his hands" of any guilt that should be associated with himself. lol Nice metaphor Walking Dead! Definitely felt bad for Hershel and for Daryl too. Daryl got really beat up out there and then to make things worse Andrea shot him in the head! lol

Yeah, I felt like there was no way out of that Bar scene without someone getting hurt....but it was still shocking when it happened! I just think back to Rick saying in season 1 "we don't kill the living"....and here we are struggling to keep their people alive and having to kill or be killed. Crazy stuff!

Yeah, it was just an idea with Lori's accident...I guess if Rick and crew are able to get out of that town they may stumble upon her wreck. But, no one else is really going to be looking for her. So it just makes sense that it could open the door to bring in new characters and a new conflict. And thanks for enjoying my awful humor! :-)

Totally agree that if the virus is airborne, then they're all at risk which doesn't make much sense. One thing that Beth did differently was touch the Walker with her bare hands. Whatever the case may be, I think the rules of infection are going to expand after this season to include something in addition to bites!

Thanks for commenting!

Mike V. said...

As always, Robert Kirkman's (Graphic Novel author and producer/writer on show) weekly interview with EW.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/02/12/walking-dead-robert-kirkman-nebraska/

MJ said...

Pretty good ep - even though Lori's going to town after them was as transparent a thing as we've ever seen. Who didn't know she'd get into trouble ??

Andrea and the arm was hysterical. Shane trying to wash the shame and guilt from himself was powerful.

Figured we'd meet other survivors at some point who were not nice people - that would be realistic.
Didn't read the parts that are possibly from the book - I haven't read them and won't do so, so I'd rather not know.

Any one watch Once ? Not only was Emilie DeRaven great we are practically guaranteed her return.

I don't know the Rumplestilskin story well, is there anything to the sneeze ? I forgot the mayor has to do as he asks if he says please - that was fun.

And help my memory - who was the chick with the kid at home and the guy who works too much, but who came and proposed to her ?

Mike V. said...

Yeah, basically anytime anyone leaves town, something is going to happen! Even the first time time that Glenn and Maggie left town....they did "get busy" if you know what I mean! lol 2nd time...they got attacked. Crazy.

I haven't read the books either. It's just tough not to stumble upon information here and there when I'm reading articles. And then, once I have the knowledge, it's tough not to talk about it! So I figured I'd try this Non-Spoiler/Spoiler approach...we'll see how it goes! lol Considering I only know a few things, if it's revealed on the show to be the same as what I've heard, I'll just say that eventually. lol

Game of Thrones seems like it would be an awesome show to recap too...but I AM reading the books ahead of the show. So, I just don't think I'd be able to swing it. Somehow James Hibberd at EW swings it, but I don't get paid to do this. :-) lol

No ONCE for me yet. As I mentioned on the Fringe recap....only watched Grammys and TWD last night. Hopefully, I'll get to more tonight but it'll be tough with a packed monday lineup as it is. lol

Leslie said...

MJ, I watched ONCE. The other girl is Ashley or Cinderella in fairy tale land. I don't remember the sneeze, so I can't answer that one.

AUStarwars said...

No point in recapping GOT imho, because there isnt much to discuss, we know what is going to happen since they are based on novels..just my opinion..

she is just in Shock, they are just trying to make it look like its some airbourne virus so that the popcorn crowd can feel like they actually know something hidden, but its just a red herring..or else everyone is "already dead" so theres no point of the show..

the whole "everyone who dies becomes a zombie" is true though, and you know i believe that was what Jenner said

the whole car crash thing to me is an unnecessary plotline..

MJ said...

Leslie - Ah ! Cinderella - I could not remember who she was. Thanks.

TWD: I'm hoping they do away witht the pregnancy. I know it will make for some drama - but that whole thing is too soapy for me, seen it too many times. I know these eps have been laying the foundation for the rest of the season, but they are too slow. They need to shorten the season next year or have more going on. Just my thoughts.

That bar scene was intense though - with Rick and the old guy having to join together to shield the farm. Glad the old guy (name is eluding me) came to his senses on what the walkers are. Liked Lame-brains too. And not only was he Rene from True Blood, he was on a brilliant 1 season show that should never have been cancelled - Terriers.

Not sure what to believe with the is it shock or not. Doesn't seem like shock though.

Anonymous said...

Awesome episode! The tension in that bar was unbelievable! I knew those guys weren't going to last long. Glad Rick had an opportunity to prove that he is still capable of protecting his group! I do believe that there will be more occurrences like this in the future. They need to introduce more new characters as we lose the current ones. I think you are right, I think the "Others" will find Lori and there will be some type of power play there between the two groups. Introducing the new characters at the farm was very plausible, and meeting these new characters passing through town was as well. At this point, though, with every new character they meet, they will need to be extremely cautious about their motives. Everyone just wants to survive, and it going to come down to "kill or be killed" more and more often. Still very interesting stuff! Cajun

Anonymous said...

I am also wondering if Rick shooting the guys in the bar mended the fence between him and Hershel. Maybe he will let them stay after all, now that he sees what it is like out there in the real world.

BTW, did anyone watch the River? Freaky scenes with the dolls! THAT could give me nightmares! Also still watching Once Upon a Time although I did not see this week's episode. Just finished season to of Sons of Anarchy -- WOW!!!! I also started watching Game of Thrones. Very interesting, but I agree, not sure it's blog-worthy. Not much to theorize about, although I am enjoying it. Cajun

Mike V. said...

Finally watched ONCE (still no Shameless). It was definitely a strong episode! Loved the twist with Rumple taking the place of "the beast" and falling in love. Definitely adds a nice layer to his character. Love that Belle is still alive and held captive by the Queen/Mayor....love that the Queen/Mayor and Rumple/Gold are now talking about their old lives in their new lives. It brings more strength to the present day storyline. Probably lots of other stuff to discuss but I'm moving back to TWD now! lol

@AUSW - WE may know what is going to happen in GoT but there are LOTS of people that will never read the books and they like to theorize what's going on. That was my point. It's kind of silly for me to recap it because I already know what's going to happen. TWD is based on the novels too but I haven't read them and I'm recapping it. Similar concept except for the fact that TWD is twisting plot lines and character fates along the way. GoT is not.

Once again, TWD is not following the books exactly so there's no telling if everything that happens in them is going to come true. I doubt the virus is airborne...but Glenn Mazarra did say on TALKING DEAD that it was an interesting question to be considering. The other thing you mentioned is possibly a SPOILER from the book hence why I put it in the SPOILER section and asked commenters to note that it could be a spoiler also!! Guess I'll have to refrain discussing them in the future. Too risky!

Car Crash might be unneccessary but I still think it's a contrived way to give Lori a miscarriage. we'll see!

@MJ - Obviously, I disagree with the slow episodes. They are just intense for me. Love the character development. If you watched all of season 2 back to back, I don't think people would feel the same way. Plus, I think it's already been renewed for 13 episodes again. Kirkman even said it was unfortunate the way the season was broken up. They knew that it would feel like SLOW first Half, Fast 2nd half. But that's the way they mapped things out. (apparently, the rest of the season is going to be a lot faster paced) I'm sure they'll fix it to appease all fans in season 3. (which they're already mapping out)

Lame Brains...I couldn't hear what Rene (dave) was saying and was too lazy to rewind! Thanks for that! lol I heard about him being on Terriers too. Oh well!

Yeah, shock seems too easy an explanation. But, I guess that's because we're "popcorn" viewers, MJ. :-) lol

Mike V. said...

@Cajun - Agreed on the new character introductions. Seems like a pretty good way to go about it....except for putting Lori in that ridiculous car crash. lol It would seem like Hershel and Rick will be aligned after that encounter. Agreed. But, something tells me they're going to have to move away from that farm eventually. I'm not sure if all of season 2 takes place at the farm or not. I guess it could get interesting to stay there with a new character infusion. But, at least by the end of the season, something tells me people will be dead or the farm will be overrun with walkers or something. lol They'll have to move on to a new objective!

There are some people that watched The River, but I'm stockpiling the episodes to run through them later on. lol ONCE has been a good time. SOA has been an awesome time! Season 2 was one of the best but just wait until you watch season 4!! GoT...i've said my piece on that. But there is plenty to theorize about if you don't read the books! lol And just wait until you get to the 2nd half of season 1. It gets really good! Can't wait for season 2 to start. But at the same time I can...the book read is going very slowly! Crazy newborns!! :-) (wouldn't trade it for the world)

MJ said...

Yeah - I knew you wouldn't agree about the slowness. I like the character dev, and I have no issue with building to a crescendo - but I just feel they could have had a quicker pace - or just more going on. There sure was alot of sitting around whittling and talking and arguing. Just saying. I has also read what they said about we would feel different about the pacing if we watched back to back - I just don't agree. ;-D

And LOL on the popcorn viewer.

The River was insane ! And yes - those dolls were creepy as hell. Can't wait to see where they take it. This is one of those shows that I am always skeptical about keeping the creepiness going without becoming ridiculous.

Wait until you get to Justified this summer ! Last season was off the charts, and this one is off to a great start.

I didn't get to Smash last night, this is where I am always falling behind su - wed are brutal. Thurs has alot but nothing must see for me.

HIMYM - did we talk about that one yet ?

Mike V. said...

@MJ - We can agree to disagree with this one, but I totally hear where you're coming from. But, I have a feeling things will be picking up big time for the rest of the season. And I'm just as excited about that as anyone!

Definitely looking forward to watching Justified. Hopefully, my wife will be too! lol She may be a little burned out after TV this spring...and I'm sure once she goes back to work...what we're able to watch in a given night is going to be cut shorter. :-(

I didn't get to SMASH either. Just too much going on plus I need like 40 minutes to an hour to write that Alcatraz recap. The fact that I'm having issues with Screenshots has been actually helping me get the blogs done quicker. But they feel so naked without them!! LOL Hopefully, we'll squeeze in some SMASH tonight.

HIMYM - Nope we didn't discuss. I had a feeling I saw where it was going by the end...but WHAAT?!!?! Obviously, Ted and Robin, even if they do get back together won't stay together. She definitely isn't going to have children...and obviously that goes against the whole concept of the show. It reminded me of Victoria's comment early this season when she said Ted, Barney and Robin still have some stuff to sort through before Ted can find THE ONE. So, I would think this is the start of that. (the beginning of the end of Ted/Robin drama if you will) I'm glad she didn't accept Kumar's propsal though. And I like how they handled why. Of course, at this point, I'm wondering if even Barney would accept Robin's terms of no children. He seemed to be pretty excited about having a kid one day. Then again...if it's Robin, maybe he could accept that. It was a good ep for the most part. The subway/train stuff was pretty funny. Loved that the resolution to the formula was "GET DRUNK" lol

MJ said...

HIMYM - I felt the same way at the end - WHAT ?!?! I agree - this is just the start of dealing with the comments by Victoria. It's a way of getting Ted back on focus to find the mother. We still have to meet Barney's bride too. LOL

Yeah - Robin and Kumar were never gonna happen.

Wasn't it specific that Robin never HAS children ? Barney could talk her into adopting in future. BUt I can't see Barney as a dad so ...

Or Robin hooks up in future with a guy who already has kids. Maybe she's with Barney after he's been married with someone else and had kids. LOL

Also loved the Drunk Train. To bad Kelly doesn't watch this show - she might be able to tell us what train that is ! And being from NY I had to crack up at the stereotypes of the peeps on that train. Hysterical

MJ said...

oops - meant to include this
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Fox-Let-It-Go-Zachary-Levi-Pilot-1043363.aspx

Mike V. said...

HIMYM - What we also didn't talk about. Is Barney in love with a stripper? (cue Wyclef song lol) I couldn't tell if Barney wasn't committing on the train because of this girl he met or because he is still in love with Robin. I guess they want us to think it's this girl that was revealed to be a stripper, but since we know Ted and Barney still need to resolve their issues...maybe they're building up that angle.

I could have sworn that Future Ted was very descriptive that Robin never becomes a mother. They wanted it to be absolutely clear. But I'm gonna have to lok that up!

Good thoughts on loopholes though! lol

Yeah, Kelly probably could let us know what train it was. I have accidentally gotten on subways in new york that took me to Brooklyn before. lol So they went above ground and across the brooklyn bridge but I don't know what train that could have been! I have also taken NJ Transit from Jersey to Penn Station but I don't think that's what they were on. It could have been one of the trains from Grand Central Station or something like that. But totally agreed on the stereotypes... "WHAT, am I not good enough for you!?!" lol

Mike V. said...

Thanks for the Zach Levi link too! I read that last night as well. Exciting that he'll be back on TV real soon!

Mike V. said...

I knew I had read it somewhere. It actually was confirmed 4 years ago that robin would never be a mother. This was in Ask Ausiello in December:

Question: I have a burning How I Met Your Mother question from Monday’s episode. When Future Ted says that Robin never becomes a pole-vaulter, was that a confirmation that she never becomes a mom? —Pat

Ausiello: Actually, the confirmation came four years ago, according to exec producer Carter Bays. “I would point people to the episode from Season 3 [titled] ‘Little Boys,’ he says. “In that episode, Robin’s grappling with the fact that she doesn’t particularly like children. And it ends with [Future Ted] explaining that she did go on to eventually like children in the form of Ted’s kids.” In case there remains any doubt, Bays states for the record that Robin “doesn’t become a mom.”

http://www.tvline.com/2011/12/ask-ausiello-spoilers-how-i-met-your-mother-spartacus-revenge-bones/

Mike V. said...

More HIMYM stuff. I had a field day in the comments yelling at people. lol

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/02/14/how-i-met-your-mother-scoop-ted-robin/

As I'm rewatching the show...the whole "what do you see yourself doing in 5 years" thing came back up in season 4. We found out tha Lily caused Ted and Robin's breakup by feeding them both ideas to get them talking about their relationship. She is the one that said "where do you see yourself in 5 years" which inevitably led to their breakup.

I think it's pretty cool that they're going to revisit the topic now that it's 5 years later. Those writers are really on top of things in this show. And rewatching the series convinces me of that even further!

MJ said...

HIMYM - Hmm - I'm thinking they wanted us to believe the stripper is in his head right now. For now any way.

The drunk train was going to Long Island I thought ? Probably LIRR.
Long Island Rail Road.

I agree that they have been very clear that Robin does not become a mom. My thoughts on that were more for the Barney aspect - he could marry and have kids, but later marry Robin. So Barney has kids like he wants, but Robin and Barney get to be together without her having to have kids.

I agree - I love this show for actually waiting 5 years and addressing that issue.

Yeah - I just assumed Zach Levi would take some time off. meant to ask - did you see him on that Betty White birthday ? He was very funny.

Mike V. said...

Ahhh yeah...the LIRR...Makes sense. Maybe I was just trying to drop some of my NYC knowledge on you! lol

That would probably be the ONLY loophole for Barney and Robin being together with children. But, she would pretty much be a "stepmom" to those kids. But with a "LITERAL" person like Ted, he could get away with that little fib. lol

I actually didn't watch the Betty White bday. I'm sure it was pretty funny though! Maybe the Zach part is on youtube. lol

Plumbarius said...

I loved the pace of this episode and the fact that there was not a lot of "walker gore" is okay with me. I think not showing the walkers all the time actually adds more tension to the show as I keep expecting them to show in surprising ways.

I thought that when the arm fell off the truck, it would somehow still be alive and scare the crap out of Andrea!

I'm kind of hoping for a fatality in Lorie's car crash...sorry, she is the most irritating character on the show,IMO.

Loved the bar scene, tons of tension and it was obvious it was going to end badly for the newbies.

Keep up the good work, Mike and thanks for your efforts!

Side note, just finished season 1 of LOST...just in awe about how much info is given in S1 that we didn't understand except now I have the hindsight of the complete series to help piece it together as I re-watch the episodes.

Mike V. said...

Hi Plumbarius!

I'm with you on the pace, obviously. I just listened to a podcast this morning on the Grantland Network (ESPN's Bill "the sports guy" Simmon's new website) with a guy talking about The Walking Dead and how frustrated he is with the show. I guess he brought up good points and I'd probably be fine with either route they decided to take (fast paced, walker shooting gorefest vs. slow burning character building talky fests). He made a comment that Frank Darabount's ousting may have been due to him not adjusting to the pacing of television. It was his first venture into television. He also made reference to how he wanted to open up this season with a story of the dead guy in the tank. (referring to that as non-essential storyteling....i refer to it as WORLD-Building fun storytelling) And then he said that this 2nd half of episodes are the first episodes that are under the helm of new showrunner Glenn Mazarra. I didn't realize that as I thought all of season 2 was mapped out by Frank (not written and produced but at least planned). So, whether it's a coincidence that the pace will pick up next week or the fact that there was a showrunner change...we'll never know. But, I think slow episodes only help build up the fast paced episodes. I'm looking forward to seeing wherever they go with this.

I did think the same as you with that crazy detatched arm. I thought it was going to start bouncing around or crawling towards Andrea or something nuts. lol

I hear you on being frustrated with Lori and I figured lots of people would be begging for her demise! I've always liked the actress though (Prison Break is the show that comes to mind), so I have to say that it's the material she's being given more than the actress in this case. Maybe things will get better there.

Funny you thought it was obviously going to end badly. Philly Dave (The True Blood/Terriers guy) is actually a pretty established actor. So what the production team was going for here was for us to think this was a new and important character. And the last thing they wanted us to expect was that they'd kill him off in only 9 minutes of screentime! But yeah..by the end of that scene we definitely knew something bad was going to go down!

No problem on the efforts and thanks for the props!

LOST - Yeah, I still haven't gotten around to rewatching it but I'd imagine it's a pretty fun experience. I had rewatched those seasons so many times as the show was airing though I practically have them all memorized. And I listened to a podcast of a couple guys that rewatched the series again and I was able to follow along with them knowing the show so well. lol They definitely did a good job closing a lot of open questions. But there will always be some mysteries that really didn't get resolved and leave us to guessing what on earth they were. (i.e. Christian Shephard vs. The Smoke Monster and who appeared where. especially the Freighter appearance to Michael and the "smoke alarm" appearance off island to Jack) I did my best at covering some of my unresolved mysteries in the 1 year anniversary blog over on the old site (lostaddictsblog.com). Obviously, I forget if you read/commented since it was last May! lol But one of these days I do want to go back and watch the whole thing. I know I'd love it all over again. Favorite show of all time!!

Thanks for commenting!

MJ said...

I also thought the arm would twitch or something when Andrea went to pick it up - or it would grab her. LOL That comes from all my years of watching horror movies.

I like a mix of the slower, charater and story building eps and the action. I think that they have just taken a little too long to build I guess. Especially since last season was just paced so quickly.


Heard that Cougartown was really low in the ratings - sorry for all you who love it. One day I'll catch up on that one.

I've yet to re-watch Lost from the start - think i wil this summer though.

Mike V. said...

I saw about the CT ratings. Had to be V-Day partially though. I think it will go up a bit next week. (hopefully)

LOST Rewatch. Hmm, maybe this summer will be a good time for me to do it too. If I'm caught up on all of my morning treadmill shows...a little LOST rewatch might be a good time! Probably would take longer than the summer to do the whole rewatch though if I'm watching 1 a day!

MJ said...

yeah - one a day would be tough to get thru in a summer.

You have other committments though - we need to be talking Justified next year. LOL

Mike V. said...

Ahh yes, but the morning treadmill routine is where I can watch stuff that the Mrs. isn't up for watching too. A whole LOST rewatch? That's all on me! lol

Justified, she's in on that one! That's after work stuff. lol