8.08: The Walking Dead - How It's Gotta Be

[ctg]

Michonne and Daryl (Photo by Gene Page/AMC)

Every story and battle from the first half of the season comes crashing together in this action-packed, emotional Mid-Season finale.

Prepare to cry! This episode is 88 minutes long, according to AMC's schedule and it's the second mid-season finale that has been extended.

 

[Danny Creasy]

It was his time.

 

[Culhwch]

This episode often didn't make any sense. I'm starting to get real tired of the writing in this show. When it isn't lazy it's convenient, which are basically the same thing anyway. I'm still invested enough to keep watching, but it's getting more and more frustrating.

Oh, and enough already with the slow motion super close ups. Come on, it's just ridiculous at this point,. Adds nothing at all.

 

[REBerg]

So, Carl will go out, not with a bang, but with a whimper. Surprising, but it doesn't seem that Carl will have enough strength to die doing something epic when the season resumes.
I didn't notice when was he was bitten. Did it happen in his close encounter with a walker during his rescue of his new buddy?
Carl hasn't been a significant part of the story for some time. I won't miss him.

The Trash Tribe again proved its strategic value by fleeing the moment that the shooting started. I guess Rick will need to make good on his threat to destroy the tribe -- assuming, that is, he succeeds in ensuring his own survival.

Biggest disappointment of the episode: the Rick-Negan fight. Negan might have taken the day if he wasn't so intent on making Rick's execution a public spectacle.

Oh, and enough already with the slow motion super close ups. Come on, it's just ridiculous at this point,. Adds nothing at all.

Watcha mean? It added 20 minutes to the "mid-season finale."

 

[ctg]

Oh Rick, I said it last time and I still don't get it. Why to trust the trash tribe? There is nothing that Lady can offer to Alexandria, nothing it can offer to other communities other than Saviours. They are complete waste time to anyone outside their own circles.

But to be honest, I feel as cheated what Rick was looking at, when he found out that there were active shooters in the Saviour compound. If they had all that firepower all this time, why they didn't used it in the first place? What is the point of stressing everyone out when you can simply shoot your way out?

In the Fear, they had this same chance in the Ranch, but they didn't used it as it would have been so damn risky for them to do so. Instead most of the characters were wiped out, while in the main series, most of the Negan people survived in the main compound. And afterwards they still had so much ammo that they could use it to just spray it aimlessly.

If I would be Rick, I would gather together everyone and move the tribe out to some other location that's safer than taking the risk of losing everyone. Essentially, after Kingdom's main fighters got wiped out, Ricknation has been swimming in the smelly brown matter. The second thing is that the snipers couldn't do nothing, even though they should have been able to keep the Sanctuary well covered.

The problem with the sniper battle in the urban environments according to the current military science is they're extremely difficult to win. The shooters are well camouflaged and usually in the place, where normal gunfire cannot affect them, while they project danger to anyone in their shooting range.

In other words Negan's escape was humongous f**k up from Rick's side. Same thing applies to Enid's shootout at the Oceanside. She shouldn't have gone over there and Rick should have never shown mercy. The Sanctuary should have gone up in the flames.

I felt so sick for the big bad showing at Alexandria's doorstep. But I was also in awe for him retaining so many fighters. Where did these people come out? Did Negan had hundreds of fighters stacked somewhere, because he lost quite many in the outposts? Why Dwight couldn't reveal these numbers to Rick?

I hope Dr Evil will burn in hell for turning his coat. Everything that was cool in the comics has been taken away and twisted by the AMC. The coolest thing was the muslim woman knocking the sh*t out from man with the megaphone.

 

[ctg]

About Carl's bite, I assume it was inflicted in the rescue, but it wasn't on arm, neck or shoulder. It was in chest, next to his heart. An impossible location, but somehow a zombie managed to bite him there. I hope the new Mythbusters will test that, because to me it's a puzzle.

 

[nixie]

Where on earth did all those saviours come from?
There shouldn't have been enough of them left to mount assaults on Alexandria, The Kingdom and the Hill Top convoy simultaneously.
I know I'm good and suspending believe but for them to escape, regroup and plan an attack on the others so quickly is a little far fetched.
I've recently been reading zombie books by Frank Tayell and some of the survivors are immune to bites. I hope that we aren't going to see this in TWD as away too keep Carl, he has to die in the next episode.

 

[Dave]

I'm so bored with this now. I've been reading at the same time as watching. I didn't realise it was an extended episode. It is still on and not sure I want to watch the rest. It is just more explosions interspersed with more long boring speeches. Chandler Riggs has made a good career decision if he is leaving.

 

[ctg]

I hope that we aren't going to see this in TWD as away too keep Carl, he has to die in the next episode.

Rick Chandler recently claimed that he was going to attend colleague for a year to study acting. But he has also accepted to appear on a genre film. If they would have followed his storyline, AMC would have reached a point in his YA years, where Kirkman wrote him doing some deliberately weird things sexually. To the Comic Carl that was all normal as the readers had seen him slaughtering kids and doing the most outrageous things in general. Also he is the also person Negan really likes.

In fact, Negan adored him and was willing to do anything for gaining Carl's attention. The immunity isn't a thing in the Kirkman's world. It's surviving it. Nobody so far has reached absolutely, heavenly peace. There's always the shadow of violence lurking around the corner. So I'm glad they let Carl go as his storyline is a weird one and they cannot explain time very well with him in the picture.

The real time has passed through Carl's body more than they should have allowed, and it has always been a problem for them as there hasn't been that much time passed since the zombie upraise became unbearable. He isn't immune. He is a dead man walking.

 

[svalbard]

To echo the above. Where did all those Saviors come from? It was all a bit too neat and tidy the way they escaped and went on the offensive. I also felt somewhat cheated that it was not shown.

In previous series Rick and his group have shown themselves dap hands at special forces fighting. Not so this season. Their unwillingness to go for the jugular and Rick's idiocy in going off to the Thrash tribe has hurt them. Rick is the leader and mastermind. His job is to be at centre of operations at the Sanctuary to make sure nothing goes wrong. None of this season made any logical sense.

 

[ctg]

I'm so bored with this now.

You're not the only one and I blame AMC for this. At some point the success of TWD went into their head. I personally believe it happened around the time, when TWD compete GOT for viewers and in some cases it managed it against most people expectations. I think they got as greedy as TNT, when they realised the wealth behind the masses who loved Babylon 5.

I ready to give up on this show, and I love TWD. That should say something.

 

[ctg]

Where did all those Saviors come from?

AMC's call in reserves. I thought I saw a few faces that has appeared in the Fear before. Or elsewhere in this series. If we as a writer would pull in that kind of numbers and not explain it, the readers would be screaming their heads off for the plot-hole. There has been too many of them in the last two seasons.

 

[ctg]

To be honest, I think we are in the point, where Rick has two choices, a Hail Mary or leave with all people who are willing to follow his failed *ss. Personally, I don't know if I would be willing to follow his lead for another moment. He has failed too many times and all his moves has lead to a worse condition.

 

[Culhwch]

Okay, I've had a night to reflect and gather my thoughts. Time for a rant! These are some of the things I had issues with. The things I can remember, mind you...

- The trash people. Always with the trash people. What a surprise that nothing came of that, just as nothing has ever really come from the story lines involving the trash people. After this half season it's fairly obvious they were just thrown in as filler. That was a problem with this stretch of eight episodes - they really only had story enough for around four.

- Carol and Jerry save the day! How fortuitous! What the hell were they doing there, sans explanation?

- The great unexplained Saviour escape. We might find out more about this, granted. It might just be that Eugene made a crap ton of bullets. Who knows! But then they're immediately able to not only mobilise but mobilise in number, plus be able to set up a road block and appear from behind the Hilltop forces. With a coffin! These are some omniscient evil bastards.

- That is, until they're not. The Saviours at the Kingdom, meanwhile, hear an explosion and pretty much all run off, allowing a mass escape.

- Also related - questionable geography. It sometimes seems like these places exist outside of regular time and space. Sometimes it's a brisk walk between colonies. Sometimes it's a day-long car trip. Which is it?

- The Saviours are all about killing Rick, the King and the Widow ... and then just let the Widow go back home without even going and taking the rest of their weapons.

- Aaron and Enid's Adventure to Oceanside. I'm sure that they mention that they're not expecting a warm welcome, and then Enid goes and shoots first. Right. Smart. Also as if that well-signed winery still had wine at this point in the apocalypse...

- Why were houses in Alexandria exploding before the Saviours broke in? Was that supposed to be from the grenade launchers? The damage was too great for that. Also who were shadowy figures running in behind Carl when he was talking to Negan? I don't recall that being explained.

- How did Rick even get in unnoticed? And then he has the drop on Negan, standing over him, Lucille to hand, and somehow doesn't manage to kill or even maim him. Again with the missed opportunities.

- Where did these extensive sewers come from? Last time we saw them wasn't it just more or less a short, straight stretch of storm-water drain?

- How much time has passed this season? All these time jumps and flashbacks have made it super confusing. How long ago did Carl get bit? I don't mind death by zombie as an exit for Carl, to be honest, but to have gotten it not fighting for his or someone else's life but rather actually purposefully attacking zombies takes something away from it for me.

I'm sure there was more but I'm not about to watch it again to find out.

To be fair, I thought there were a couple of good parts. The first was when Carl asked Negan if this was who he'd wanted to be, and Negan's reaction to that question.

The second was when Rick asked if Negan ever shut up. Amen, brother.

 

[ctg]

"This was the hardest... Losing Steven was... the thought of the journey without Steven in the cast was unbearable but this is... I didn't see it coming," Lincoln said in an exclusive interview with ComicBook.com.

Based on The Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple's approach to telling Lincoln, the actor initially thought it was his time to go. "I had no idea," Lincoln said. "Scott called me up and said, 'You're gonna hate this one. I want to just forewarn you.' Even then, I was waiting to say, 'This is a really cool way of telling me that I'm off the show, you know that?' That's what I thought he was about to say. He said, 'It's the kid.' I couldn't even say, 'No.' I was silent for a minute. He said, twice, 'Are you still there?' I just didn't see it coming."

Of course, the death of Carl marks a shift in The Walking Dead's eighth season. Until now, the war with Negan appeared to be moving in favor of Rick Grimes and Alexandria with the most noteworthy casualties being Eric and Shiva. "This is bigger than any other death that we've ever had and we realize that as it plays out in the back eight," Lincoln said. "The back eight is completely different from the front eight. This episode happens and everything changes. We spin off into a completely different new world."

Andrew Lincoln Opens Up About 'The Walking Dead' Midseason Finale Shocker

'The Walking Dead': Chandler Riggs' Dad's Critical Post Of AMC And Scott Gimple Pulled From Facebook

 

[Dave]

I think not having any children or younger people in the cast; not being able to tell that perspective any longer is a mistake. It closes down doors for writing. They do still have Judith but she is taking such a long time to grow that this show will finish before she is speaking.

 

[SilentRoamer]

I didn't mind the episode although the whole time hopping thing and deus ex machine appearances are getting ridiculous. As soon as Carl had the hear tot heart with Negan my wife said - "well that's Carl's monologue so he dies this episode" and bam she was right. Sticking with TWD for now but it is far from my favourite show at the moment.

When I compare it to the last episode of Vikings it just comes up well short.

 

[Judderman]

A mixed episode. Mostly good but some significant issues. I enjoyed the escape from Alexandria and also Dwight following through on his actions against the saviours. The King's efforts were appreciated and Morgan could well rescue him. I'm also relieved that Negan didn't take any more hostages, other than the Kingdom axeman, as that would have been depressing again. Negan showing some upset at Carl's words showed a bit more depth to his character. However Carl's likely death seems like another death knell for the storyline of the show. If he dies we are left only with Rick from the beginning, and his baby daughter as a link to his wife. Carl's character was also developing. He is apparently a major part of the comics going forward and also seemed like a potential leader in the show. I wonder what Kirkman thought about it. There are few characters under 30 other than the babies. I thought he looked to be bitten when rescuing that guy a couple of episodes ago but it then seemed he had a lucky escape. Why is the bite so delicate like a heavy love bite?? Nothing actually cut out. Just teeth marks. If doing a surprise by killing a key character then get rid of Daryl as he is at times a liability anyway and not in the comic. Having said that he is popular. Carl is perhaps the most important character in terms of looking beyond a couple more seasons.
Still possible Carl survives? Otherwise his death has to hang over into the next half season. Though the infection should be long since spread and his father's reaction is likely real. Also it seems cast and showrunner have confirmed the exit.

As CTG mentions it wasn't explained how the snipers could have been all killed off, and without anyone getting a message back to Alexandria etc. Likely it will be shown in episode 9 or 10.
Rick could have killed Negan by swinging the bat? Perhaps not enough time but he thrust the end of it at Negan's face thus just managing to avoid using the barbed cover part.

Negan will surely come looking for the escaped doctor.

I think the ending of this season and its implications for next will have to be superb to keep a good haul of viewers around. The Negan story is so long, and combined with Carl's likely death, could make the resolution feel like a show ending. So they have to really drum up some anticipation again. Perhaps the helicopter will be around again.

Some comments on Carl's death
'The Walking Dead' Just Killed Its Biggest Character Yet For The Worst Reason Possible

 

[ratsy]

Wow. So Rick has Neegan on the ground, is holding Lucille and instead of bashing his head in, he elects to hit him with the knob of the bat??? and do no damage? Okay, that was a brain fart. Ill get him next time. Oh what's that, push me out a window? That sucks. Oh, I have a gun and Neegan is right there stumbling around? Instead of sticking my arm in the window and shooting him, Id better run....

Lame. I wish they would all be bitten at this point. Watching them as zombies walking around would be a better show.

 

[Steve Harrison]

Have they hired zombie writers?