Let’s be honest. Ever since we all settled in to watch the heart-wrenching and tear inducing seventh season premiere of The Walking Dead, we’ve all been waiting for one thing…justice. We want Glenn and Abraham to be avenged and Negan to be dealt with and slowly but surely, we’ve seen Rick Grimes and the people of Alexandria come back from the brink of terror, finally finding strength within their hearts so they can fight and make things right. But despite the realization that the Saviors must be dealt with, we have yet to see any kind of truly inspiring moment on the show that allows for the audience to feel like at long last, justice is about to be served.
 
At least that is…until last night. Because ‘Something They Need’ finally delivered that all important moment and ironically enough, it didn’t come by way of some powerfully heroic act. It arrived through an in depth analysis of fear. Because this episode examined what fear does to human beings. How it can twist us and distort us into cowardice, or drive us to do incredibly dangerous things or…how it can inspire, all while throwing in just a hint of old world thinking in the mix as well since we also learned last night, that at the end of the world, some things will never change.
 
A majority of this was explored by way of two key storylines this go round, as we followed up with Sasha in the wake of her attack on the Sanctuary and by following up with Rick and the gang as they headed to Oceanside, which we will get to in a moment, because Sasha’s story, well it was downright fascinating. Because oddly enough, her quick capture by the Saviors, led to the first noble moment we’ve ever seen when it comes to Negan. It turns out, that Negan actually has a moral code and when he discovered one of his men was trying to sexually assault Sasha, he wasted no time in killing the man for even thinking of such an act. 
 
The move shocked Sasha to her core, and Negan used the act of kindness as an opportunity to ask her to join the team, something she was reluctant to do, despite Eugene’s best efforts to help convince her as well. But eventually, she committed and while it seemed as though Sasha was about to make a Eugene sized mistake, it was all part of a long con. She tried to convince the Chief Engineer of the Sanctuary that she made the wrong choice and needed some kind of a weapon to end her life because of said decision, but that too was all part of the plan to get her hands on something to harm Negan with and while Eugene may have failed her there…it’s good to see that fear has made Sasha strong, and quite frankly this wonderful storyline, with a strong and thoughtful Sasha, vastly makes up for last week’s poor portrayal of her. 

However, there is still the matter of Oceanside to discuss because the time had come for Rick and the group to travel to this tiny little city by the bay in search of one thing and one thing alone…the guns they need for the upcoming war with the Saviors and well…this story was equally as fascinating because this is where we were able to see exactly how fear can turn us into outright cowards because despite the fact that there were flickers of hope and a spark of fight from the women of this community when it came to the possibility they could indeed live a better life, Natania simply refused to commit to the battle. She couldn’t bear the terror of facing Negan’s men again and that’s quite the shame, because the women of Oceanside, are clearly ready for some payback…and they can most certainly fight.
 
Because in the process of taking the guns, a small herd was attracted to all the commotion and that ladies and gentlemen…is when that moment of inspiration arrived. Threatened by the dead, Alexandria and Oceanside became one and in a matter of moments they worked together to put down the walker threat in impressive fashion and unfortunately for the bigger fight looming, the women of this community won’t join the cause unless every last one of them do and with Natania still refusing…for now it’s just Rick and his current coalition of the willing, and Oceanside seems okay with letting others handle their battle, and that, is where we learned some things never change.
 
After all, in our world we let the Army, the Navy and the Air Force handle conflict for us and well…as civilization slowly begins to return in Rick’s world, there are others content to let an Army do the dirty work and that’s what made Alexandria’s robbery of this bevy of guns digestible. After all, unlike the Saviors, they didn’t harm anyone, they just took what they needed and while the moral center of me raised an eyebrow over it…they did promise to bring the guns back after the war was over. But what truly made this wild twist worthwhile…is that Rick is continuing his heroic journey. Their cause, rooted in the fear of seeing the world dominated by the Saviors is actually managing to inspire others and Rick is truly trying to make the world a better place by rising up. 
 
Yet what truly surprised me about this episode, is how low key it was. For being the penultimate episode before the season seven finale, this sucker was relaxed and intimate and filled with tender moments of humanity. In fact I continue to think back to the conversation between Enid and Carl regarding the mental aftermath of the act of violence they were about to commit, and perhaps reminding us of everyone's humanity before the conflict begins was the point. Because now that they have the guns they need…war is coming. Negan is likely on his way to Alexandria now that he’s been tipped off about Rick and well…this is going to be brutal any way you slice it. But at least Alexandria now has an ally in Dwight…and at least we know now that Negan is going to pay for all the horrible things he has done. Until next time.

Well, as the old saying goes, you can't win them all, and despite The Walking Dead's best efforts to provide us with a season filled to the brim with in depth character studies on loss and how people handle it, their hot streak came to an end last night with an episode that quite frankly, tried to accomplish far too much.  

Because at times, 'The Other Side' was indeed a fascinating look at loss, yet at other times, it worked way too hard to continue this march to war storyline and the end result was inconsistent to say the least and that's a crying shame, because this episode was a golden opportunity to really shine the spotlight on Sasha and Rosita, and give this universe a powerful story about two strong women trying to battle the pain in their hearts and sadly, that opportunity was for the most part, wasted away. Yet despite its flaws, this episode did have some bright spots, mainly in that Gregory, a character few of us can stomach, finally got his just desserts.

Yes, the 'leader' of Hilltop finally came to realize that he was in fact...a walking joke as he watched everyone in this tiny community turn their backs upon him, rallying instead behind Maggie and the forthcoming fight with the Saviors and well, without a community to command, he was outright lost this entire episode, relegated to nothing more than a figurehead and even when the Saviors came calling to find Daryl...he still couldn't catch a break. Despite his best efforts to try and broker a deal with Simon to keep their doctor at the Hilltop, he was once again disregarded and ignored and it's clear that this will not settle well with him as time goes on.

As for the notion of loss that's permeated throughout this season, while the show may have faltered in handling it properly with Sasha and Rosita, it did deal with it in beautiful fashion when it came to Maggie and Daryl. There were no long monologues about the pain they were experiencing, just silence between these two as they continued their preparations for war. But their big moment arrived after nearly being caught by a Savior, wherein Maggie finally confronted Daryl about his silence toward her and he finally revealed he felt completely and utterly responsible for Glenn's death and the simplicity of his admission, and the kindness that Maggie showed him made this the finest moment of last night's episode.

But we do need to address the elephant in the room by way of Sasha and Rosita and how exactly the story wasted away an opportunity to give them a wonderful journey. Because while one might think that the quest to find Negan and exact revenge upon him should result in a sense of catharsis for these characters, that was simply not the case. They spent a better part of the episode squabbling and in a roundabout way, one upping one another like jealous girls in high school and well...that's quite the disservice to two quality female characters. They are strong, they are intelligent and had they spent the episode discussing what this quest for revenge would have meant for them on a personal level and  more importantly the memory of Abraham, this would have been a vastly different episode.

Instead, the story only spared five minutes to celebrate Abraham's life and what he meant to the two of them and even then, it felt glossed over. Sure we learned about Rosita's past and how smart she is when it comes to survival, but as my good friend Kerri pointed out while we were talking this episode over, neither of them even spoke of the fact that they loved him, and the lack of emotional attachment to Abraham almost makes their decision to sacrifice themselves for him...hollow to say the least. Not to mention, I'm starting to take concern with their death wish as well, because when you consider how strong the female characters are on this series, it bugs me that these two incredibly intelligent and resourceful women are suddenly in 'the man I loved is gone, and I simply cannot go on' mode, especially when you consider how Maggie took Glenn's loss as an opportunity to continue on and honor him by living an incredible life. 

But alas, I digress, because what's done is done, and hopefully the show will rectify this issue later on down the road. Because in the meantime, there are bigger fish to fry and other issues that have to be dealt with. Take for example Eugene. We literally have no idea now where his loyalties lie since he had the opportunity to escape with Rosita and opted to run back inside the Sanctuary instead, and one has to wonder what kind of trouble is brewing in Hilltop now that Gregory is a man with nothing to lose and is willing to threaten his own people in a desperate bid to remain relevant.  

Plus, there's the biggest issue of all to worry about, will Sasha be safe inside the Sanctuary now that she found her way inside...and what will come of her preemptive strike against Negan because he will no doubt be beyond displeased with her making an attempt on his life and you know there's a fair chance he'll want to teach Rick a lesson because of it since she's the second person from Alexandria to break into the complex and go after him. Either way, there's only two episodes left in season seven and hopefully the show puts the pedal to the medal after this one and gives the audience exactly what it wants...war with the Saviors, and justice for Glenn and Abraham. Until next time. 

The beauty of The Walking Dead is that it is one of the few horror stories out there, that actually bothers to dig deep into human emotion and analyze how we feel and react to the toughest parts of life (in the most extreme fashion of course) and while we’ve experienced an interesting gauntlet of feels when it comes to this series, they rarely stick to a particular one, opting to allow for the audience and the story to explore new territory of the human psyche.
 
But one particular element when it comes to the human condition continues to rear its head on this series…loss. It’s something that our characters have had to deal with on a fairly consistent basis due to the world they inhabit and obviously, it’s been quite the focus of season seven as well. However, this is the first season where characters have had time to process their pain and overcome it, making for some uplifting storylines. But last night, the show decided to ask the question…what happens when we don’t deal with loss, and we find a way to bury it deep inside instead. The answer to that is not a pleasant one and it made ‘Bury Me Here’ an intense and powerful episode revolving around Richard and Morgan’s inability to let anything go.
 
Richard’s journey stood out in obvious fashion because we’ve known for some time he’s harboring all kinds of pain revolving around loss and that it is driving him to do questionable things. But last night, well everything came to a head with this man. Not only did we learn that an act of hesitation long ago after the world came to an end is what cost him his family, but his inability to act in the face of adversity is why he is suddenly hellbent on starting a fight so that no one else has to suffer like he did. Which means…he put a grand plan of sabotage into motion, one that forced a confrontation with the Saviors, in the hopes that it would finally convince Ezekiel to fight…but instead the altercation cost young Benjamin his life. 
 
The pain of seeing a young life lost for no good reason was too much for Morgan to bear and well…in an attempt to calm his nerves, he found out that Richard was behind the whole thing after all…and he even managed to force a confession upon confronting him about his treachery. But seeing Richard pay for his crimes in a civil way was more than he could bear and in a stunning moment during another delivery to the Saviors, Morgan broke his cardinal rule…and murdered Richard in cold blood, revealing the whole plot to Ezekiel and the Saviors in the hopes of keeping the peace and well…wow. It really doesn't get much more heartbreaking than this, to see Morgan fall in such devastating fashion considering how hard he has worked to find peace after all this time.

It means plain and simple, that his time with Eastman was all for naught. He never found a better way. He never found true peace. All Eastman managed to do was help him bury his pain and hide it under the illusion of calm and his fury has been brewing inside all this time. This of course explains the irritation we've seen in his eyes sometimes. It's not disdain for murder or frustration over the fact that people simply do not understand. It's his anger, building and bubbling and Richard is the man that finally brought it to the surface and is if the act of putting Richard down wasn't hard enough to watch...there was also the moment when he referred to Benjamin as Duane, more or less completing his regression, and all of this begets the question...what comes next for Morgan?

As far as this reviewer can tell...vengeance...and a death wish. Because clearly now the Saviors are Morgan's new target for fury and amidst the myriad of instability and flashbacks we saw last night, it's still inherently obvious that Morgan is incapable of ending the pain on his own by way of suicide, as was revealed to us in the third season episode, 'Clear' and while no one wants to see Morgan die by his own hands or at all for that matter...his quest to make every single last one of the Saviors pay is a dangerous one and it cannot end well. Which is why it was a wonderful gesture for Carol to surrender up her little Fortress of Solitude to allow Morgan to do his thing and stay there instead, so that maybe, just maybe...he can retain a touch of his humanity.

However, Morgan's return to the darkest places of his soul was not a complete and total loss. Because in a way, he inspired Carol to face her own demons at last. She was far more alert and active in this episode, even going so far as to seek out and eventually get the truth about what happened with the Saviors and Alexandria and his ability to inspire didn't end there...because the closing moments of the show provided us with quite the poignant moment where Carol returned to the Kingdom to point out to Ezekiel that it was time to fight and the King...finally agreed. Clearly he's seen enough of what the Saviors have to offer and just like Rick he came to realize that they are only going to demand more and more until there is nothing left to give...

But while we should be celebrating the fact that the Kingdom seems to be ready to march to war with Alexandria as an ally, let's be honest, how they came to that decision is quite the pyrrhic victory. After all, Benjamin and Richard are dead and Morgan...is on the cusp of becoming downright feral once again and when all is said and done, this was...quite the emotional episode. I think it's safe to say that the audience has been rooting for Morgan to make peace with his pain after the heart wrenching episode that was 'Clear' and seeing him fall to pieces in this story and watching that agony wash over him again was incredibly difficult. At this point, I think the only thing that can save him from slipping away further is Rick...but with war on the horizon...there's simply no time to properly deal with Morgan's suffering so all we can do, is hope for the best. Until next time.

I distinctly recall the first time my father and I discussed the fact that he watched ​The Walking Dead. Part of the reason that conversation still sticks in my mind is due to the fact that my dad is a great nerd of many things, but horror was never quite his forte, that honor belonged to me. But what really stuck with me in that moment, was when my dad told me he loved the show, because he enjoyed how vastly different it was from other zombie stories in that it was about people doing their best to survive and make it to tomorrow.  

That discussion has been on my mind since I settled in for last night's episode of the show because let's be honest...the show has taken a beating on the web over the past few years for becoming far too dark and for veering off course from what the show was always about, people doing their best to survive. But it truly goes beyond something as simple as that, that statement is all encompassing because what makes this show so great and so inspiring is that it's about humanity surviving and enjoying a second chance to get things right, and when the series focuses on that, when it provides us with a sense of hope, it is at its best and it would seem the second half of season seven is dedicated to getting that theme back on track because 'Say Yes' was filled to the brim with gentle moments, love, recovery for our characters and at long last...hope.

Much of that came from the supply run that we joined Rick and Michonne on, and kudos to this episode for throwing the audience off track with this part of the story since it seemed for a little while there that this was going to end in utter disappointment as so many supply runs on the show do. But a wonderful find at a high school wherein it was clear they had discovered the guns they needed instantly changed the tone of this episode. For the first time in a long time, it seemed as though Alexandria was going to be okay, but before the determined couple went for their prize, it was time for the series to do something it hasn't done in quite a long time...have a little bit of fun for a change and even throw a little romance our way for good measure as well. 

These moments were truly something special, because holy cow, we saw genuine smiles of joy coming from Rick on a regular basis last night and we saw just how in love he is with Michonne. It was basically date night when it came to this trip and this compound and it was sweet to see Rick try and keep the two out there for longer to enjoy a little more of one another's company and it was even sweeter to see Rick tell Michonne that he doesn't want to lead alone once their battle with Negan is complete. That he needs her at his side to help him get through the tough times and the solidarity that came through in that moment, led to perhaps the most poignant scenes in this episode, ones that reinforced hope in the strangest manner possible...by putting these characters through hell.

Because in their quest to drop the dead and gather up all the weapons needed to get the Heapsters/Scavengers into the fight, it seemed for a brief moment that Rick Grimes had fallen to the dead at last and well...even though he was fine in the end, that moment damn near broke Michonne. She seemed ready to die if her love was gone and it led to a powerful discussion between the two of them where Rick pointed out that more lives will be lost in this upcoming conflict, possibly their own for that matter, but the fight has to go on, Negan has to be defeated so that Alexandria, Hilltop, The Kingdom and Junkyard Town can have a fighting chance at tomorrow.

Now I'm sure some of you out there don't really see that as hopeful necessarily because hey, we're talking about Rick or Michonne possibly dying in the upcoming conflict, and I thought that same thing too at first...but this battle doesn't apply to the rules of our world where we can find a way to save everyone. This is the end of the world, and potentially mankind's last chance to save itself and do things right and these poor folks are faced with the darkest part of survival...kill or be killed. It's about the greater good now, and sadly, sacrifice will be necessary in order for that greater good to survive, especially when it comes to a fight with the Saviors and that's something that Tara came to realize late in the episode since it seems she's ready to tell Rick about the secret community that is Oceanside...

Yet what I truly enjoyed about this episode is the fact that it found a way to spread its uplifting message through every single facet of the story. Case in point, Rosita. She was as angry and as jaded as ever, but a moment between her and Gabriel, where the good reverend pointed out that he had no regrets in talking her out of killing Negan, since that would have led to her own demise, because she was meant for something more in this bold new world, was about as hopeful as it gets. If a preacher can still believe that people can be something wonderful and do incredible things in a world where the dead are returning to life, than perhaps there is a chance that mankind will pull off a miracle after all, despite the fact that it seems Rosita and Sasha are planning a pre-emptive strike...

Either way, that's two solid episodes in a row, and I love that this march to war is leaning toward optimism after everything that's come before it and I was also a big fan of the fact that the specter of George A. Romero hung heavy over this episode. After all, the script felt like something Romero would have written with its in depth analysis of the human condition and the fact that several shots of the dead meandering about looked like something straight out of Dawn of the Dead. But despite the fact this episode left us feeling good, there is still a war coming, and yes heartbreak will happen again but it is these moments we get to hold onto in this grand and sweeping tale because if they win against the Saviors, all the heartbreak will be worth it when these communities rebuild, and raise families and in essence, save mankind from extinction. Until next time.

I have for quite some time, lamented over the fact that quality horror films have more or less faded from the box office over the years. Sure we've seen movies that deliver here and there when it comes to terror, but the good kind of horror, the kind that sticks with you and makes you think simply seems to no longer exist and that's a harsh fact that I was reminded of recently when I went to see the incredibly disappointing film, A Cure for Wellness.  

But despite having my hopes and dreams for a quality horror film smashed by the mistakes that particular film made, my boyish optimism still remained because the 2017 calendar had several horror flicks penciled in throughout the year, several from big time studios and my hope has been that maybe...just maybe one of these motion pictures will pull off the impossible and deliver something that sends shivers down my spine and leaves my mind in a scrambled and uncomfortable place and well...at long last my proverbial prayers have been answered because Universal Studios has delivered unto all of us a thoughtful and powerful and downright terrifying motion picture with Get Out.

The plot for this particular film introduces us to a young and vibrant and also interracial couple in Chris and Rose and this plucky pair of lovebirds are headed upstate so that Chris can meet Rose's parents and upon their arrival, Chris comes to discover that everything is not quite what it seems when it comes to his girlfriend's family and that's as far as we are going to go when it comes to the plot. Because Get Out is a horror film you need to see and quite frankly, experience, because this is a motion picture that is incredibly raw and visceral when it comes to the scares, one that digs deep with its social commentary all while paying proper respect to horror movies of yesterday by way of quality homages and a few easter eggs thrown in for good measure as well.

You'll find tributes to ​The Stepford Wives, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Last House on the Left and even ​The Shining in this film but the tributes never over step their bounds when it comes to the story, and the focus constantly remains on the mystery of what's going on at the Armitage house and moment by moment the tension and the terror builds, before a grand reveal erupts in front of you in shocking fashion, in a way that is both satisfying and deeply disturbing and the big surprise is a story concept so original and so fresh that it stays with you long after the movie has ended. 

However, the film's crowning achievement, is the use of social commentary that I made mention of a moment ago to help drive the story and much has been made over the fact that this story features racial overtones and well...it's something that is important to talk about because yes, it is there and it is also handled in brilliant fashion. Mainly due to the fact that it is purely relevant to the times and offers no easy answers, it simply points out that there is unfortunately still a divide in our country when it comes to color and that it is driven by the old guard of Americans, who refuse to let go of the past and adapt to the present, and its interesting to see how Writer/Director Jordan Peele integrates the latter part of that commentary into the structure of the plot as well.

Either way, this motion picture is a downright breath of fresh air when it comes to a major studio releasing a horror film and I guess it makes sense that Universal, home of the monsters, would be the one behind it and when all is said and done, I hope that the runaway success that Get Out is currently enjoying at the box office is the beginning of an original horror revolution, where new ideas are heard by executives and nourished in the same manner that Universal used to bring this film to life, leading to a big wave of exciting new releases and future classics that respect the past and remove the need for remakes. Regardless, go out and see Get Out, and enjoy everything this fantastic horror film brings to the table.