Going into new situations with an open mind can be one of the best ways to attack them. Being close minded and not being open to seeing or hearing something out of the ordinary could frighten you more than it should. When talking about Ghosts, there are many skeptics around that are not open to the thoughts of life after death, but when something is seen before their very eyes, it changes their lives, for the worse.

An up and coming ghost hunting show is shooting their sixth episode of their pilot season and have yet to find anything out of the ordinary. Sticking to their script, they are trying to bring the scares to the screen so they can continue to stay on the air. Being led by Lance Preston, the face of the show and a skeptic, the group is out to have a good time while their next filming location may be the only place they have investigated that may actually be haunted.

The Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital in Maryland has a very dark past filled with death and experimentation by its head doctor Arthur Friedken who had an obsession with brain surgery and giving his patents lobotomies. Walking through the hospital during the day, the group finds that the building is very dark on the inside and with no working lights, which means that when the night closes in, it will be pitch black. With only their flashlights and camera lights, the group is in for a very long and dark ride.

As the night begins, there is nothing unusual to report, but after the initial walk through, some things start to show up out of place. With only slight differences, the group does not take stock in what they are seeing, but as the night comes into full effect, the hospital and its inhabitants come to life. Only starting with a door slamming for no reason, a member of the group goes missing after seeing a patient standing in the corner. The hospital has many scares up its sleeve for the group of investigators and will not pull any punches for those who do not believe. As the night moves on, the scares get more and more intense, but when the group tries to leave the old building, they are not able to find their way back to the exit, for Collingwood Hospital has a plan for its new residents and will not allow them to leave until they are cured.

One of the better ghost stories I have seen being shot in first person. Although the camera movements are made to provide the scares, it is not as obvious in this versus some other movies. I will still find myself watching some of the ghost hunting shows on cable for a quick scare, but they have lost their effect on me since they seem to have a hard time disproving what they see or hear. Does this mean that there is no such thing as ghosts? That would be a personal question for everyone to formulate their own answer to, but like I said, there is never a problem with keeping an open mind. Stay Scared.

The loss of a loved one, whether it be a family member or a special someone we brought into our life, is a devastating moment when it finally arrives. Because someone that we shared our lives with, for years on end, simply disappears one day and that rattles us in ways we never thought possible. It leaves us distraught and distant and completely and utterly destitute and while there’s no shame in grieving over their loss, and one in fact, should grieve as necessary, what we do next after they’re gone from this world is critical to our future.
 
Because whether we like it or not, at some point, we have to move on from the pain and find a way to honor those we lost as we move on in life, for if we don’t, a tough road ahead waits us. For holding onto the pain, and letting it consume us can cripple us. It can leave us lost, and angry and without purpose or direction and those who remain in this angry and shaky void can and will make poor decisions that harm themselves and others emotionally and it is this downward spiral that can come with loss and grief that is explored in incredible detail in the remake of the classic horror film, Pet Sematary.
 
Now, the plot for this remake is pretty darn close to the original, in that, the Creed family moves to Ludlow, Maine and eventually discover, by way of their neighbor Judd, that a place exists deep within the woods where the dead can be buried and resurrected and of course, disaster comes out of that. But it is what this remake has to offer from an emotional perspective that makes it so incredibly impressive when all is said and done. Because the first thing I noticed about this film, is the fact that it is far warmer than its predecessor and the Creed family feels like a tight knit unit, one that is filled with love and desperate for this new beginning in Ludlow to bring them closer than they already are. 

​Which matters because this time around, the audience can relate to this family, and that makes the loss of little Ellie all the more devastating, for one can feel the collective anguish that comes from the Creed family as they deal with this unfortunate and expected loss and this is where the movie truly shines. For I am a firm believer in that the original movie, a product of the times, truly held back in its exploration of the power of grief and how it can negatively consume a person, and that restriction is lifted here, and the audience is finally taken alongside an emotional journey with Louis, and the end result when it comes to this change, is ugly to say the least.
 
Because by unleashing Louis’ pain, the film goes to some supremely dark places as we watch him collapse mentally before our eyes and it is quite stunning to see a character so collected and wise early on in the story become a blubbering and hopeless mess in the third act, one who makes incredibly uninformed and bad decisions and the bleakness of this story doesn’t end with Louis’ fall from grace. For this movie truly latches onto our fear of death, and what waits for us in the great beyond, and it even bothers to explore what makes these zombies so violent, in that, it would seem that denying the soul its proper path in this universe, turns it sour once it returns to the body. But more importantly, this movie outright examines the guilt that sometimes comes with the death of a loved one and taking the time to explore all of these elements manages to leave the audience and uncomfortable and unsettled, allowing for all the horrible events that unfold to devastate one emotionally.
 
Which means that in the end, this is a quality remake and a quality horror film. It’s scary, and it draws you into moments you don’t want to be a part of, but at the same time, you simply cannot turn away thanks to the changes made to the story, because now you’re desperate to see where these twists and turns are going to take you and well, this is one I highly recommend you see as soon as possible. Simply due to the fact that this one will genuinely unsettle and disturb you, to the point where you don’t feel right walking out of the theater and you really cannot ask for much more from a horror film.

Returning home from a vacation can be one of the most traumatic things for anyone to do. Having to give up your freedom and return to the real world can be very depressing. Having a way to escape your everyday life is needed for everyone once in a while, but when it comes down to the fact that you have to return to it, it may not have seemed worth it in the long haul. 

Sisters Jessie and Trish are heading back to L.A. from New York on their Christmas vacation. Jessie, the older of the two just got a new camera in order to pursue her dream as a photographer but her little sister Trish has other plans. Taking her sister's camera, Trish is taping everything that is going on from the cab ride to the airport to their flight home on New Year’s Eve. Not knowing if everyone is okay with this, Trish tries to keep it a secret from a few of the passengers as they do not want to have their problems aired anywhere. 

Meeting a nice man named Jimmy sitting behind them on the flight, Trish finds out all kinds of great facts about him. He was a photojournalist in Afghanistan and Iraq for the past couple of years and is now looking for something a bit less stressful in Los Angeles. As the flight carries on and everyone on the plane has a little celebration for New Year’s Eve, they hit a rough patch of turbulence. As the passengers are being knocked around the cabin, the captain announces that they have lost cabin pressure and to stay seated as the plane is going down.

With the airplane split into two pieces after impact, the survivors in the tail end of the plane have to formulate a plan to survive until they are rescued. Not hearing anything for several hours, the group starts to get concerned that there is no help coming and need to come up with a better plan to save themselves. Hearing some sort of rustling in the bushes and someone screaming that does not sound like a person, the group finds out that they are not alone. With the flight attendant being dragged away by something that seems to be larger than a person, the group finds out that there is something hunting them, and time is of the essence if they are to survive until the morning. Looking for safety, the group finds a small shack to rest up in, but when someone new arrives and does not offer them any help, all hell breaks loose.

This is one of those ‘handheld’ horror flicks that always seem to capture me. This movie has its strong points along with some down time and I can see how that would irritate an audience. With an unseen predator chasing the survivors of a plane crash, it is interesting to see how the members of the group cope with the life and death situation they are faced with. In this kind of film, you always have a character that you would want to see killed off first and to that formula, it does not happen soon enough. Just a fun little romp that keeps you trying to see what they cannot as the camera is rolling the entire time. Might make you want to think twice about flying over classified locations, and three times about not leaving the scene of a crash. Stay Scared.  

While sequels are something that plenty of movie going fans often lament, I have to be honest in saying, that they outright fascinate me. Because ‘part two’ is no simple prospect, since the folks behind the scenes have to expand a world that someone else built all while giving the audience something new and exciting to enjoy. To complicate matters further, sometimes the creative powers that be have quite the difficult task ahead when they have to figure out how to tell a fresh story, when the first movie in the franchise did a phenomenal job of wrapping everything up.
 
Which, has to seem like a near impossible prospect because when everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow, how the heck does someone continue the story? It’s a task so difficult that most genres straight up avoid even attempting to make something like that happen, knowing full well it would anger the fans. But in horror, well…it’s often challenge accepted. Because a universe where bad things happen in horrifying fashion seemingly has endless possibilities to tell new stories when others have come to their logical conclusion and for proof, look no further than the 1992 film, Pet Sematary Two.
 
Because the first motion picture in this short but storied franchise, ended in flawless fashion. The dead came home to roost and Louis Creed was forced to pay for the sin of playing with evil that he doesn’t understand. And while it seems the prospect of Rachel walking around would be the only loose end, I think we all know that would have been dealt with quietly in some form or another off screen. So, how does one make a sequel out of an enclosed story such as that? Well, by introducing new transplants to Ludlow, Maine, who haven’t a clue of what happened here, which allows for the terror to start anew and quite frankly, this move works plot wise and allows for an entertaining ride as watch the Matthews and Gilbert families deal with the prospect of life after death. 
 
But, while a fresh start to the terror sounds like a fascinating prospect, the depth and the power of the original film simply aren’t present here and that does make this sequel a tad subpar when all is said and done. Because this movie also relies on more dark humor to tell its respective tale and that paradigm shift in storytelling design is supremely noticeable and makes this more of a popcorn flick than a genuine horror flick but not all is lost in this one. For there are some incredibly creepy moments to be found in this movie here and there, and there is one standout performance to make mention of as well because Clancy Brown steals the show in this movie.
 
Because his journey as Gus Gilbert, one that involves death and resurrection, really shows us how far this terror can go when a person comes back from the dead in this manner and the delicious zest and zeal and depth and range Clancy brings to the role makes his time on screen a real treat through and through. If anything, this is a serviceable sequel when all is said and done, and worth a look for its more over the top moments. But, don’t expect this one to be anywhere near as intelligent as its predecessor and that’s a shame, because with a little more care this could have been a genuinely amazing sequel, but its poor box office performance and overall lukewarm reception would help to bury this series for quite some time, to the point where starting over with a remake of the original, seemed like a far better prospect.  

Wanting to know the reason for everything is something we have strived to learn since our youth by using the word ‘Why’. Why is the sky blue? Why does the dog chase its tail? Why can’t we do it? Every parent understands this question and even the most book smart of them will still come back to the old standard of saying ‘Because! That’s why’. We all have our points that we can be pushed to and even though we will never have all the answers, it does not keep us from wanting to know just one more thing.

Struggling reporter Carmen is being punished by her editor for running a controversial story that has brought unwanted attention down on the magazine. Being told to look into what she considers a fluff piece on the lack of bees around farms, Carmen has a better story she wants to investigate about five different American tourists that have gone missing in Poland. She is shot down on the idea and is informed that she will be doing what she is told until she has proven herself to him again.

Not backing down, Carmen comes up with a plan of taking her intern Sara and boyfriend Marcus to this remote town outside of Poland and get to the bottom of these strange disappearances. Acquiring the journal of the latest missing person, she stumbles onto something that seems very strange within the pages of the journal, a note about a plume of smoke in the middle of the forest that stays stationary and does not move at all. Finding the old town, it is not difficult to get around until the three notice the unmoving smoke plume in the forest. When they try to approach it, the town’s people seem to become angry and try to scare away the group.  

Wanting to know more about what is going on and why the town’s people only seem to care about the strange area of the woods, they sneak back into the forest and investigate themselves. Locating the plume again, the three are stunned to see it at ground level and take note of how thick the motionless fog seems to be. Sara is first to enter the strange smoke and is gone for quite some time before Carmen gets suspicious and runs in after her. Finding a statue of what seems to be a demon, Carmen snaps a couple of photos of the beast but whenever she moves, the head of the statue follows her. Being lost in the demon’s lifeless eyes for several seconds, the trance is broken, and Carmen makes her way back to safety.  

Rejoining the group, Carmen is ready to leave this strange place when she notices a little girl from the town that wants to help them with their investigation. Marcus tries to talk his girlfriend out of the expedition but is overruled and has to follow along. Being led into a cave in the side of a hill, the group discovers it is the final resting place of the travelers that have gone missing. Seeing that they all are wearing a strange mask that is bolted into their heads, Carmen is upset she will not be able to have photographic evidence of the missing but knows that they are on to something very strange. The little girl vanishes from the group and locks them in the cave and waits for her family to come and take over. The town’s people assemble and try to restrain the tourists but find that the Americans have a very strong will to survive, even if it is not for the betterment of mankind.  

This is a shining example of a movie that could go down as one of the best for a possession tale. One thing that I know audiences want to know is what everyone is saying, and this film will not give that to you. Having the town’s people only speak sporadically in English and then spend the rest of the film in their native tongue adds to the chill factor. If the characters are not able to understand why or what is happening, should the audience? I would have to answer that question by saying no, it would take away from what you are feeling in the film and ruin the entertainment factor. With great fright shots of ghouls around the sacrifices, you may be left wondering what the demon in the middle of the forest is really doing there. Stay Scared.

When it comes to storytelling, in both film and television, there are still a handful of topics that are still considered to be taboo in nature, and the impact of death, is one of them. I mean, sure, we see people die on shows and in movies all the time, and we see characters grieve for the friends or loved ones they’ve lost, but the real impact, well…that stays in the shadows. Because when someone important or close to us is gone, there are periods of time where we are inconsolable, where we withdraw from the world thanks to the pain or suddenly burst into tears at something simple that reminds us of that person and putting that kind of stuff into a visual story, can be dangerous territory indeed.
 
For when people see that, a story can potentially become too real to them, and its why dramas and action stories gloss over someone’s exit simply because it’s easier to tell a tale where death is either avenged or dealt with in positive light. But once in a while, movies and T.V. will tackle the aftermath of death head on, and the genre that tends to handle these matters the most, is horror. Because within the confines of a scary story, the darkest parts of our world can be explored and somehow leave us feeling as though we didn’t tackle real world concepts since horrific monsters roam the countryside alongside the average Joe and Jane. But sometimes, a horror flick knows exactly how to balance the fantasy and the reality in magnificent fashion and once such film that accomplished that, was the supremely unsettling, Pet Sematary.
 
Now, we won’t spend much time on the plot today, because this is an iconic horror film, one that you already know by heart, so there’s no need to revisit the story. Instead I want to talk about the sheer horror this film produces, first, since this one still sends chills down your spine after all these years and with good reason. Because seeing a zombie-esque child such as Gage Creed is a disturbing venture indeed, especially when one considers his twisted bloodlust and the hunt that he goes on to satisfy it involving his family and his neighbor. Plus, the movie peppers in so many other disturbing moments like the memories of Zelda and quite frankly, the whole notion of anyone or any animals coming back from death is unsettling in its own right. 

​But while the scares definitely rattle us along the way, the true ‘magic’ of this film is its examination of grief and loss and how difficult it can be to cope with all of that and Louis Creed is the centerpiece when it comes to this exploration. For it truly seems as though Louis struggles mightily with the prospect of death, to the point where he is uncomfortable in dealing with it in passing, as evidenced by how Pascow’s death haunts him in both the literal and figurative sense, and that’s further compounded by his actions as the story progresses since he simply cannot let go of his son, when Gage is taken from this world, and this is fascinating and haunting to say the least because you just don’t see this kind of subtle exploration in horror that often.
 
To enhance this exploration further, as death surrounds Louis, you watch him transform before your eyes on screen, and he becomes more withdrawn as the story rolls along, to the point where the warmth that he exhibits at the start of the film disappears by the third act because he straight up buries his feelings into the depths of his soul, and that’s what so many people do when faced with the loss of a loved one, and that makes this film uncomfortably relatable. If anything, I suppose my only complaint about the film is that it doesn’t explore Louis’ downward spiral enough, and it would have been far more powerful to see him begin to break down as he makes his poor decisions to resurrect both Church the Cat and Gage, but in reality, this is merely a minor nitpick on my part.
 
Because when all is said and done, Pet Sematary is a bone-chilling horror film, one that truly stays with you long after the end credits have faded to black because its subtle approach to terror and Louis’ emotions pay off in the third act when all hell breaks loose and your worst fears are realized. And because the scares are so good, and impactful and downright disturbing, any minor flaws when it comes to this movie can be overlooked and it really is that rare horror film that finds a way to sneak under your skin and rattle you to your core and I’ll be perfectly honest in saying that the new remake of this film, arriving this Friday, has some big shoes to fill because this one strikes a common fear in all of us, and that makes it a true modern classic, one that has managed to endure for decades.     

Having someone trustworthy look over your child is one of the most important things for parents. Being able to put your trust in someone to take care of your offspring can be very tedious and altogether a chore. When you are able to find that person, it is a weight off of your shoulders and you feel comfortable about being able to leave your child in the hands of another person, but if that person is trying to make your child’s life better without you around, it can cause problems. As a parent, you are the one that should decide what is best for your kid and even if anyone else around you feel that they can do better, they need to check with you before doing something that could drastically change your child’s life.  

Julia Denning is a nurse living in Cold Rock, Washington. Recently being widowed, she is the only form of health care in the small town as her husband was the only doctor. When the town's mine is closed down, the town is now poverty stricken and the town’s folk are just trying to get by. With a rash of children going missing, it is not of the norm for new parents to move away from their home town to protect their offspring. A rumor has been started around the town that there is one individual behind all of these abductions, and he is called the Tall Man.  

Just knowing that this man lives somewhere in the woods surrounding the town, the kids have set up a little memorial to the child thief. Not being a large town, the police response to the kidnappings is minimal, but Lieutenant Dodd has come into to town to try to resolve the disappearances. Working with Julia, Dodd starts to understand the local lore and while he is investigating, nothing seems to happen. One night, Julia comes home to find her nanny bound and gagged on the floor and a strange intruder is running off with her boy David. With all of her power, Julia tries to get the boy back from the kidnapper and is put to the test both mentally and physically.  

Being drawn into the woods and having to look the Tall Man memorial in the face, Julia is challenged with what to do next. Locating David in a crazy women’s arms, Julia has to battle with all of her might to get the boy back and is beaten very badly. Getting back into town, she finds refuge in the local diner, but the town’s people have a different plan in mind for her. Seeing a photo of David on a missing child shrine, she knows that her cover is blown, and the town is coming after her instead.  

The Tall Man follows the path of widowed nurse, Julia Denning. As she is the only licensed care giver in the small town of Cold Rock, she is always looking to help out the people of the town, especially the kids. When her boy David is kidnapped from her home, she tries everything within her power to get him back, but when trying to ask for help, the town finds out her little secret. Having to get David to the Tall Man is her first priority and escape comes a distant second as everyone in the town is looking for some sort of resolution for the children that have gone missing over the years. Not willing to back down from her stance and needing to expose what has happened to the children, Lieutenant Dodd has to find a way to bring a sense of closure back to the small town.

An interesting story to say the least. Without knowing the entire background of anyone in the town to start the movie, it is difficult to find out who really is the bad guy. As the story progresses however and you start to notice the lack of the titles of mother and son being used, it becomes obvious what is really happening. With a little bit of action to keep you in your seat, The Tall Man is more focused on telling the story than anything else. Someone that thinks they are doing the right thing by offering a child a better life than you ever could, and does not feel any remorse for what they are doing is scary enough, but when they are willing to go to the ends of the earth to do so, does that make them more of a parent than you are? You will have to watch to find out. Stay Scared.

Trying to prove the existence of the afterlife is something that many people are obsessed with. Trying to find a ghost, a shadow person or a demon could take many people their entire lives, but once they are able to capture strong evidence of this, their lives have been fulfilled. Even with the strongest evidence however, there will still be people that will doubt its authenticity and instead of it being held as fact to the masses, it becomes just one more thing to be questioned by the skeptics.  

Young film makers Sean and Alex are wanting to prove that an old asylum is haunted. Talking with their friends about their past experiences with the supernatural just heightens their resolve to prove this. With most of their friends admitting to seeing or hearing something in their past that was not of this world, the two set off to an old asylum with video cameras in hand and are ready to prove to the world that there is something strange going on.

Entering the vacated building and being joined their friend Antonella, the group is ready to put themselves in harm’s way to prove the existence of the afterlife. Believing that ghosts are not powerful enough to harm a live human, they search the abandoned asylum, floor by floor, room by room. With nothing strange happening to start their investigation, they start to question if all of the rumors of what happened in the old building are true.

​With reports of electroshock therapy and lobotomies being common place in the old institution, the three believe that there has to be something left behind by the old inhabitants. When strange sounds start to occur around the building and shapes in the shadows are seen, if only for a moment, the group starts to fear that they are not the only ones in the asylum. As their investigation starts to take them deeper and deeper into the building, the group starts to fear the shadows and all of the dolls that are placed around the building. When each member goes off on their own however, they have to start to believe that there is something more powerful than a hunting occurring in the building, but a possession.  

Greystone Park is a first-person account of what is currently happening in the abandoned asylum, all while providing a strong look at its past. Not knowing what is real with the lack of lights in front of them, Sean, Alex and Antonella are all faced with the fear of an unseen threat. Believing that ghosts are not able to harm the living, the group starts to fear that what they are up against is another person who may be inhabiting the old building. Seeing things that have them questioning their own sanity, the group needs to find a way to escape the old psycho ward before whomever or whatever finds them and does something unspeakable.

As far as horror movies go, this one is right in the middle. With plenty of scares, you are not able to witness what the members of the team do since it is shot by the actors. This seems to be the cheapest and easiest way to make a horror movie these days and as long as there is a strong story line behind it, I do not mind. Playing with the fears of the group is the best thing Greystone Park brings to the screen and although you are not able to witness the threat to start the film, you do get a fine payoff at the end. Also playing around with the notion of possession when it comes to the different group members is a roundabout way to explain why they start to act so strange during the investigation, but when the movie starts you are told that anyone that enters the old building is driven to madness, so you are left with trying to figure out what really happened to the group. Stay Scared. 

Over the course of its illustrious nine-year run, The Walking Dead has provided its audience with plenty of incredible concepts to ponder upon. Because the journey that Rick Grimes started with all of us, has taken the fanbase to some supremely dark places, the kind that force the viewer to wonder, what they would do in that kind of situation, and whether or not they could be as bold as Rick and his friends when faced with insurmountable odds. If anything, this has always been a brilliant storytelling decision in my mind, simply due to the fact that it adds realism to this tale for the audience and it’s also allowed for the story to explore the human condition along the way, in both broad and intimate fashion.
 
For some of these moments, have explored mankind as a whole, diving into the sheer cruelty that we are capable of when we are unrestrained by rules or conscience, and the series has also explored the flip-side of that, by showing us the wonders we can accomplish when we band together in the face of a common cause. As for the more intimate moments this grand story has provided us with, well, it’s reminded us of the power of loss on a consistent basis since we can all agree that things aren’t always quite the same when a character leaves the show, as is the case when someone leaves us in real life and we’ve also been privy to countless moments of strife and beauty that each one of us relate to on some particular level and all of this on my mind today, simply due to the fact that last night’s season nine finale of the show, ‘The Storm’, combined all of those storytelling elements into this particular tale, making for one powerful and emotional ride.
 
In fact, the series wasted little time in reminding us of how sometimes, bad things come in bunches for us since we were immediately privy to a stunning turn of events in that, The Kingdom had fallen thanks to disrepair and some off screen fires that ravaged this once proud community and that meant with winter falling upon Ezekiel’s people, it was safer to leave this place behind and start anew at Hilltop. But the gravity of this decision was not lost upon the audience, for we saw how this nearly devastated both the king and his queen since this was another powerful blow to their respective psyches mere months after losing their darling son to Alpha’s devastating attack and the series continued its somber exploration upon the power of loss by focusing upon Carol and Ezekiel and Lydia’s collective pain.
 
For all of them were reeling from the loss of Henry, to the point where Lydia was turning suicidal, since she blamed herself for the death of her young love and felt as though her exit would somehow heal Carol’s pain and speaking of her, we once again found Carol at quite the crossroads. Because losing a second child in her lifetime was quite the cross to bear and she found herself on shaky ground, to the point where she felt as though she might be slipping into the abyss that nearly consumed her years ago, and she was unsure of how to proceed forward at this point since it seemed she had nothing left in life to hold on to. If anything, it appeared that this episode was about to slide into some supremely dark territory, for Alpha’s cruelty had clearly broken so many, accomplishing her mission to instill great fear in her enemies. 

​But that’s when this episode took quite the unexpected turn. For as Alexandria and our caravan of refugees from the Kingdom hunkered down to survive a brutal and powerful blizzard that moved into Virginia quickly, something began to change. There was no longer a sense of defeat and despair, instead those dark emotions were replaced by a newfound sense of purpose, driven by the need to survive. For if the refugees and their saviors were to make it to tomorrow, they would need to leave the ‘lavish comfort’ of the Sanctuary and head to Hilltop on foot, and the fastest way there, was to cut through Whisperer territory and in inspiring fashion, everyone banded together and worked to fight through the blasting snow and half-frozen walkers to make their way to their destination.
 
As an added bonus, the uplifting nature of this tale didn’t end with that magnificent push, since we saw a sense of community return to Alexandria as well. For with their batteries depleted everyone was forced to hunker down in large homes and places with fireplaces, and I do mean everyone since Negan was released from his cell so he wouldn’t freeze to death. But when a problem with the fireplace forced Negan’s group to head toward Aaron’s place in order to keep warm from the sub-zero temperatures surrounding them, another magical moment came to pass. For when Judith ran off into the storm to save Daryl’s dog, Negan was the first and only man to chase after her and care for her, and he fought through injury and the cold to keep her safe and it was just incredible to see Negan redeem himself in such sudden and swift and fashion.
 
If anything, these elements made the back half of the episode incredibly engrossing to watch, especially when one considers that Lydia was brought back from the brink by an ailing Carol and that Michonne inspired Ezekiel and likely those at Hilltop to stick together and believe in the power of community since strength in numbers would aid them from any further infiltration down the line and well, this episode was a wonderful way to bring together all of the themes that season nine has been playing with and it was equally magnificent to see storytelling elements that are often used on this series in negative fashion be flipped into a positive light because I really did feel inspired watching this one and my spirits were definitely soaring at the end of this finale when a snowball fight served as the only real human conflict in this tale…
 
However, while that is quite the happy ending for this show, plenty of surprises were set up for season ten. After all, we saw that the Whisperers didn’t learn about the crossing since they’re someplace warm for the winter, but they are still preparing for war. And of course, there’s that mysterious radio signal at the end of the story that clued us into the fact that the world is about expand for our survivors once again. But in the here and the now, this really was quite the unique and awesome season finale when all is said and done. For we finally got to see what happens to the dead in the wintertime, and the trek to Hilltop provided us with some supremely chilling moments (pun half intended) and really, that is all one can ask for when it comes to this series, since this finale tried new things in every way imaginable and it really did end in uplifting fashion and well, this bold year of storytelling has me supremely excited to tune in next season to learn more about who is on the other end of that radio, and what kind of conflict awaits these newly unified communities when the Whisperers return home in the Spring. Until next year.