Sunday, March 31, 2019

The Walking Dead: Season 9 Episode 16 - The Storm


Hello friends and we finally made it to the end of season 9!  Winter has come to The Walking Dead and there definitely isn’t too much to talk about.  Most of the craziness happened last week and we had some fallout and some setup for the war/season to come.  Will I be there still writing?  Well that’s a mystery that can be debated until October!  In the meantime, let’s dive in to the highlights.

Discussion Points

Many years have now passed on this show since the beginning.  Yes they’re running out of modern resources, but they’ve had 6 years off camera where they have been able to sustain the worst Mother Nature could throw at them.  But this year folks, this is the one that did the Kingdom in!  They just couldn’t hold the place together.  Not sure I understood what went so bad that they had to abandon said infrastructure, but it set up a grueling winter’s journey to Hilltop.   While they were trekking across the lands, Alexandrians were having a rough journey from one house to the next.  Everyone made it to their destinations.  Everyone survived.  But it was the smaller bits along the way that are worth exploring.


  • We were introduced to frozen walkers, under snow walkers.  I love how they were surprised to see them.  Yes, it’s OUR first exposure to them, but these people have seen winter before.  Only sense I got from the episode is that the storm came earlier than usual.  
  • Of course they had to wander into Whisperer territory.  There would be no sense in creating a border if it was never crossed.  It was interesting that they could’ve avoided it if Rick’s bridge ever was built.  Now were they seen?  From the ending sequence it would seem they were.  But I think Alpha was going to go after them anyway.   (What on earth was up with the lashing?  To make her stronger?  She cray yo). 
  • Lydia was struggling to find her place amongst the crew.  She knows it’s because of her joining that got all those heads on pikes.  Carol’s acceptance of her by the end of the episode solidified her place amongst them.  
  • Zeke/Carol’s relationship fell apart in this episode.  It couldn’t withstand the loss of Henry. Carol could no longer believe the fairy tale.  While Zeke asked Daryl to not stay at Hilltop it seems Carol didn’t want to either.  They both headed to Alexandria by the end. 
  • Lots of comedy in Alexandria being hunkered down in the homes and having to bring Negan in.  His commentary on the love quadrangle wasn’t far from my comments (more entertaining than mine of course).   I liked how he was forced into action to save Judith while she tried to save DOG.  (Still love that Daryl named the dog, DOG)  Negan got injured in the process.  Maybe that far off future vision of Old man Rick is real after all.  Later on Negan has a discussion with Michonne about the whisperers and how no one think they’re the bad guy.  Also seems to be a way of justifying Negan’s past actions.  Obviously, we can never justify it but at some point there may have to be a sense of “bygones” so that he can help the the crew survive the next struggle.  
  • Zeke bookended the episode talking into a radio.  It turned out he was talking to Judith from Hilltop to Alexandria.  He is still trying to be optimistic of the future.  When he retired the discussion from his end we ended up hearing static and then a voice asking if anyone was there.  I’m sure there is some reference to a plot in the comics so I won’t even begin guessing!   I’ll check the interviews and Talking Dead to see what I’m missing out on! 
And that’s all I got folks!  We’re off until October.  2 weeks until the final 6 of GAME OF THRONES and I’m more than excited to cover those! (I like things that have finality!).  I apologize for my temperamental feelings of the show this season.  It’s a love/hate relationship at this point.  But, I’m too stubborn to just give up.  We’ll see how long I can keep it going.  As long as we have people here that want to discuss we’ll keep some form of TWD alive on the blog!  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I’ll see you next season! 

4 comments:

Mike V. said...

Forgot to comment on the “icicle kill” for Daryl. I said to my wife in the most mono-tone ever “oh no....they’re going to kill off Daryl.” Because obviously it wasn’t happening. Then I saw the icicle and said, “yep...definitely the icicle” lol. Can’t do a snow episode and not use the natural elements to take out a walker!

MJ said...

I vaguely remember at the beginning of the season they were having alot of plumbing and heating issues at the Kingdom. Henry kept trying to fix the stuff - and that is why they sent him to Hilltop - to learn something about machinery so that he could do better. But - that is what you get for having a guy who thinks life is a fantasy - poor management and poor decisions on when to leave. Hoping he doesn't take control at Hilltop - cause he just shouldn't.

Yes - I agree that the storm came earlier. But it does happen. About 6 or 7 years ago we got 2 feet on Dec 19th. And of course it's harder to prepare without all the weather persons on tv alling for Snowmaggedon. LOL I had wondered if they were surprised by the walkers due to A - thinking they were on ice and not accounting for the deep snow. And B - seeing frozen walkers already made them foolishly less watchful.

Yeah - not sure what Alpha meant - have to be stronger for what is to com. Yikes. And def she is cray cray. From what Daryl saw on Lydia the whippings were common - but to have your second to it to you ? And what did she think she went soft on ? She beheaded and strung up 10 people !

Wasn't surprised by Carol leaving Zeke. When she told Daryl earlier that she was losing herself again I saw the writing on the wall really. And she won't be able to fogive herself for giving in to believing that happiness can be found.

Loving comedian Negen ! Liked the conversation about the evil person not thinking they are evil - cause that was always what they said about Santuary folks and Negen - that if this story started out from their perspective we would see them differently. Don't agree with that - taking people and forcing them to work for you - and be your wife - is just wrong. But I like that they kinda brought that conversation back around. I also felt they were trying to show that Negen now views what is did was bad as in the past he was 'just looking out for his people'. He does truly care about Judith though. Something about Ricks kids and Negan. LOL

The radio confused me ? I thought just last week Eugene was trying to get a radio up and running ? I did hear - small spoiler - that the radio he was working on will feature heavily in next season.

My husband wondered if it were the FTWD folks - since when we last saw them they were heading to Va and back to Alexandira with Morgan. Of course - they are 6 years behing this show again so I doubt it.

Yeah - we all saw the icicle kill coming. But it was cool.

Well - I know many have thought that this show was getting old. But I felt this year it actually had some new life blown in. Angela Kang has changed things up - was a lot less predictable then the Gimple years. And it seemed to go a little deeper into what people were thinking or feeling.

Mike V. said...

Oh yeah, I didn't mean to imply I had grand foresight with the icicle kill! It was that it was SO obvious. lol But yeah of course it was cool (literally and figuratively).

I did forget about those plumbing issues from way back at the beginning of the season. If they think average Joe casual viewer remembered, they're mistaken! Then again, Average Joe watcher wouldn't overanalyze it either. lol

I did think about the storm being worse than usual like our once every 5-10 year blizzards. lol Yeah the frozen walkers...I guess there's also the layer of not knowing if it's the whisperers. So there is a level of paranoia. (What I read in an interview was that the whisperers probably traveled south for the winter so they probably weren't even there)

Alpha being soft - I figured it was related to Lydia...but you're right. She killed 10 people. I guess she let Lydia live?? She negotiated trades to get her back in the first place? I dunno.

Oh yeah...Carol became less Carol so we knew that wouldn't last. I'm sure the long hair will be gone next season. But to actually have to say the words "i'm losing myself". Some things can just be implied TWD writers! lol

Negan - yeah it's true about any group. You see yourself as the good guys. But agree with you. Team Negan were doing some truly horrible things that they took pleasure in. Not all the Saviors, but the people on Negan's attack squad or whatever you want to call them. We saw the pictures in one of their outposts. That was meant to show the brutality of those people. That they weren't just fighting for survival. They were taking pleasure in killing.

Yeah I don't think negan will ever be forgiven for his past deeds. My whole thing has been if they're going to keep him on the show they're going to make an asset out of him. He might betray them one day, but there will be a period where he helps them. We saw the start of that in the finale. And yes...him and Rick's kids. It's really kids in general with him. They're his kryptonite. lol But mainly Rick's kids yes!

Good point on the radio. Yeah....I read that the radio will be like the B Plot of next season to the Whisperer's A plot. They like to keep a few things going at one time. Good point on the FTWD folks....didn't Jason or Plumb talk here about how they might merge casts of TWD and FTWD and start a new spinoff? Maybe that's the start of that.

The show was definitely better this season. For me, it's just a question if is it too little too late? I really loved Rick's final episode. I enjoyed other moments as well. But at some point, it's just dealing with more living people, more zombies and debating the ultimate moral question of what makes us human. lol They're just going to keep bringing in new cast to explore these 3 things!

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