It is difficult to think about how you will cope with the loss of a loved one, especially a parent. Since they have been there for you since day one, just the thought of them not being there for you in your time of need will blow your mind. Not knowing what the future will hold without them with you is something that nobody wants to face since they were always there to make sure you were making the right decisions. 

Getting out of the mental ward for trying to kill herself, Anna is now home to find that her father has a new girlfriend, Rachel, who was taking care of her sick mother before a freak explosion killed her in the boat house. Anna is not too happy with the turn of events, but with her sister Alex to help take care of her now, things will get better. Alex has always been a free spirt and the return of her sister is good for the family, but she has a strange feeling about Rachel and knows that she is looking for something more out of the relationship with their father. 

Anna does not know what to think when strange theories come her way, but she is seeing things during the night that are making her believe that she is living with a murderer. With a strange intrusion during the night in her room, then seeing her mother in the boathouse, Anna is convinced that Rachel took full advantage of her position and killed her mother. Alex knows that Rachel is not who she says she is and eggs her sister on in finding out the true identity of the stranger that is now trying to take full advantage of their father. 

Making phone calls to different nursing homes and trying to get references on the woman, the two come to find out that Rachel Summers died five years ago. Digging through the internet, the sisters find a story about a murder that happened a few years back that fit the pattern that Rachel is setting up. But Anna and Alex will have to convince their father that the woman he has been laying with for the past several months is not who she says she is. Knowing that he is right, and his girls are wrong, he will not bend to any of the stories that they come up with. For Rachel has helped him through the hard times and now is a part of his future. But when the girls are left alone in the house with Rachel, all bets are off and somebody will not live to see tomorrow.

This is a good movie that does not hold anything back. As Rachel tries to build a relationship with Anna upon her arrival, it is obvious that she is looking for more than she is going to get. Anna wants to make sure that her home is still holding on to a little bit of her mother’s memory, especially after she suspects that Rachel had a part in her death. Although Anna had the most character development during the movie, I liked Alex just a little bit more. Being the strong girl that the story needed and a voice that Anna would listen to when things started to get out of control, Alex made sure not to pull any punches, especially at the end. With a fantastic ending and some haunting footage to get you there, it is not a bad movie to check out at all. Stay Scared.

Sometimes it is hard to find a way to fit in in this crazy world. Being afraid that people that will not accept you for who you are can be a scary thought, but you should never let that dictate what you do in life. If people like you, they will accept you and that is the end of it, and if people do not like you, well that is too bad for them. Hiding who you are never winds up working out for anybody, especially when the real you comes to the surface. It is always better to just be yourself; people always respond better to that. 

Jake Greyman has been put on this earth for one reason and one alone, to kill demons. Being born a half breed, Jake has been employed by the church to take care of their dirty work when things get out of hand. With the new rash of female possessions taking place in Los Angeles, Jake is called in once again to take care of what beliefs alone cannot. After his battle with a possessed girl ends, he notes that the fights are getting more difficult as the possessed are getting stronger. Reporting back to the church, they have an idea of what is happening and know that Jake is the only one that can save them.

Getting a partner, Sister Sarah, Jake checks out his latest victim’s house and finds a business card for a shady talent scout. Checking out the scout’s office, Jake is visited by the Succubus who has been haunting his dreams. With the devilish writing on the wall, Jake understands that this might be a fight that he cannot win. Telling this to the church officials, they have to come up with a backup plan to put in place, in case Jake is not able to kill off the powerful demon that is causing the madness. Killing many women when trying to pass on his seed, Asmodeus is able to find a few strong ones that can carry his offspring, but when he catches a glimpse of Sister Sarah, he changes his focus, as he sees that she will provide the world with more than a great son, but one that will rule the world for thousands of years.

This is just a fun movie dealing with the battle between good and evil. Watching as Jake has to grow into a partial human is the best part of the storyline in this movie. Turning from an emotionless demon killer into a person with feelings, wow, I was surprised that it was able to be accomplished. Sister Sarah actually was more of a help for him than he could have ever expected, at least if he wanted to have feelings again. I actually liked this movie and the twist at the end that I don’t even think the demons saw coming. With a lot of action, a little bit of blood and church officials fighting over what is right and wrong, it will leave you wondering if the person you just walked by is a demon in disguise. Stay Scared.

While vacationing, it is hard to turn down a good time, especially if fun is being offered by a new friend. There are so many things that you can find, see and do that are off the beaten path, that the normal tours may seem pretty boring in comparison. You never know what you are going to get and most of the time it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so it is difficult to say no. Just make sure you have some sort of idea what you are getting into, because if something goes wrong, you can only depend on yourself, especially if nobody knows where you are.

Jeff, Amy, Stacy and Eric are on the final day of their trip to Mexico and have been offered a once in a lifetime experience. Their new friend Mathias has invited them to join him and his friends on an archeological excavation of a newly found Mayan ruin. Jumping at the opportunity, the group packs up their day bags, along with the tequila and are ready to make their trek. When arriving in a small village and trying to find transportation to their next point, the taxi driver tells them that they do not want to travel to their destination. But being a persistent group, they bribe the driver to take them there anyway. 

Getting out of the cab and taking an eleven-mile hike, the group is getting tired, but find the trail that will lead them to the ruins. Not thinking much about the entrance of the trail being hidden from those who may be passing by, they move on and when they reach the bottom of the massive structure, they are greeted by some very upset Mayans. Being held at bow and gun point, the group quickly find out that these people do not want money or anything else, they simply do not want visitors around the temple at all. When Mathias’ friend Dimitri steps on the vines covering the temple and then backs off to try and talk to their captors, he is shot in the head. Not understanding what is happening, the group runs up the ancient structure to safety and see that they are not being followed.

Watching as the Mayans set up camp at the base of the temple, the group continually hears a cell phone ringing and are desperate to find it to call for help. Mathias is having a hard time figuring out what happened to his brother and heads down the into the main cavern to see what is happening and get the cell phone as well. When the rope breaks and Mathias is stuck in the dark cavern, Jeff comes up with a plan to get him back up. Sending the girls down into the hole, Amy and Stacy are in charge of their new friend’s wellbeing and are starting to find out that this ancient temple is much more than overgrow and rock, it is alive. When trying to find the cell phone, Amy makes the discovery that the flowers on the vine that covers the entire temple are able to vibrate and make sounds, and now she knows that it is time to be on their way. Stacy also has a feeling that the vine is alive when the cut on her leg is penetrated by the overgrow and she continues to complain that the vine is inside of her. As the hours pass by and the group is coming to grips that they will not be rescued, they are forced to come up with a plan to battle the Mayans down below and the vine that is surrounding them.

This is a movie I have wanted to see for a long while now. I loved the book by Scott B. Smith, and I am actually delighted with the movie adaptation of it. If I were to change anything about the movie, it would have to do with a couple of the vine effects that took place, some of them were just not frightening, but when you get deeper into the movie, you can see where the budget went. As far as characters go, it is hard to choose just one that I fell in love with, but if I had to give props to someone it would have to be Stacy as she is battling with becoming the vine’s first victim. Watching as she is tormented with and nobody believing her that the vine is still present in her body, she takes it a step further than anyone could have expected to make sure she is safe from its wrath. I would recommend that you read the book before you watch the movie, since the book is brilliant, and you will have a couple more scenes in it. And even though they are not in the movie, you can visualize how they would look, and it makes the experience that much more enjoyable. P.S., not going to investigate any Mayan ruins now, just saying. Stay Scared!

Moving out of your parents’ house when you are old enough and have enough money to live comfortably with is a big deal. But times have been getting tough for a lot of people these days and prices on homes are going up, while rent has been skyrocketing. Most people are able to cope with this, but the living comfortably factor seems to take a big hit. Only having enough money for rent and food, so many people are left not liking their choices since there is no fun to be had. Trying to find the best home at a killer price is what everyone is looking for, but those deals may have become a thing of the past.

Three friends are ready to move on in their lives and have found a place to live in the great city of Los Angeles. Doug, Craig and Brody are hitting the road from Illinois and are ready to kick start their freedom from their parents’ reign. Arriving at their new apartment complex, the crew is not allowed to move in since they have a dog, Ballzy, so they are forced to look for another place to call home. Meeting with a shady broker, Winnie, the boys are given the deal of a lifetime on a house up in Hollywood Hills. Thinking very little about the deal, the boys sign on the dotted line and start their trek up to the house that will soon be their home.

Getting lost during their drive, the three see a Mexican who has a warning for them and seems to be stuck on El Diablo. The boys think that he is talking about hot sauce, but since they do not have any to offer the lone man, they continue up the road and see their house in the distance. Arriving at their new home, the three are positive that they made the right choice in moving to the west coast. The house has everything that they could have ever wanted, large rooms, massive bathrooms and some of the hottest neighbors in the world. But there is a drawback in the basement where an exposed sewer line is making a stink around the house, but with how nice it is besides that, they boys are ready to settle in.

Being visited by their neighbor Lucy, the boys have come up with an idea to get to know some more people around the area by throwing a house warming party. Taking their pick around town of the most beautiful women they can find, the three are ready to make this night one that nobody will ever forget. But no party is complete without their best buddy Backwater, so he travels cross country to be with his friends in their new pad. Seeing that Backwater has taken a new path in life, becoming a priest, the boys think that it might detract from the good times that they have had in the past, but not to worry, the party will still be one for the ages. As guests start to arrive, they also start to die, but the boys are not willing to stop the good time for random party deaths. Just needing to make it through the night, Doug, Craig and Brody must face the demons that have spawned under their floorboards and battle the Devil him/herself and prove that they are worthy to stay in their house forever.

There is nothing wrong with a comedy movie having horror thrown into it. I am actually starting to like these types of movies more and more each day. With traditional horror storylines, it is not unusual to have a little bit of humor involved, but when you make the comedy the main draw, well, you had better come with the blood. This movie did a good job of doing both genres justice since there were plenty of strange deaths, severed and exploding heads and a little bit of blood. It is difficult to choose a favorite character in this movie since they were all great, but I must admit that the Joey Lawrence cameo made me laugh quite a bit. Scares? Check. Triplets? Check. Cheesy pickup lines? Check. Pure silliness? Check. It might not be the greatest horror movie ever made, but no matter, it is very entertaining and you do not feel cheated in anyway. Stay Scared. 

​What is truly fascinating about stories that involve notions of good versus evil, is that sometimes good appears to be quite dumb. For they stay the course while evil gains momentum, and when it strikes the good guys and gals are caught unprepared and are forced to rally from behind in order to earn the win. Which is a bit of a cliché that is annoying for certain, simply because every fan out there expects better from its protagonists. But thankfully, not all stories that feature this grandiose concept take the easy way out storytelling wise. Some push the characters grounded in good to be proactive, in order to head off disaster before it strikes, and for proof, look no further than last night’s episode of Motherland: Fort Salem.
 
For ‘Hail Beltane’ finally saw the Witch Army try and stick it to the Spree for a change after being on the defensive since this series began, but it sure didn’t seem like that was going to be the case early on. For Fort Salem was still reeling over the death of Porter, and there was a prevailing belief that the Spree were involved in this mess and that prompted an important question, in that, should the facility even bother to host the Beltane celebration? Which is a notion that Adler quickly shot down. For she believed that business as usual, and the power that comes with this celebration, were outright necessity at this point, despite the possible danger. But while the festivities would go on as planned, that didn’t necessarily mean that action could not be taken.
 
Which meant, that a grand, room by room investigation could happen while the witches enjoyed the celebration. One that should reveal the identity of a possible spy within their midst and as an added bonus, the General ordered the reanimation of Porter’s body, in order to gather information as to what happened to him on that fateful day. And the latter of those elements, immediately put the heat on Scylla at last, and left her in quite the uncomfortable place since there was a fair chance now her true identity would be revealed and to top it all off, Raelle was having visions that also left her concerned in regard to Scylla. For these visions helped her to see that Porter visited Scylla before he died and being confronted with questions regarding this only added to the tension of the story, and the terror growing in Scylla’s heart.
 
But even the best laid plans sometimes manage to fail, and as the grand celebration got underway, the search for a spy came up empty. For the room by room investigation yielded no results, meaning the Spree have already figured out how to cover up their tracks, and… Porter’s brief return from the dead was also a hollow pursuit. For his reanimated corpse informed the Necro Squad, that the last person he saw was the Witchfather, clearing Scylla from any wrongdoing. But while it was nice to see our favorite unit partake in fun and joy and see this conflict enter a new phase; how Scylla managed to escape capture here was quite the mystery. After all, she never had the chance to tamper with her mirror or Porter’s corpse. But thankfully, the closing minutes of this tale revealed how exactly she managed to cheat exposure.
 
As it turns out, the Spree are everywhere, and they’re quick to use their disguises to get into places unnoticed. And someone from that group infiltrated the base and made all those necessary alterations in order to keep the Spree’s spy, safe from trouble. Mainly because, they want Raelle for reasons unknown, and Scylla is the only person that can bring her in and well… this really was quite the magnificent episode when all is said and done. Because we finally saw the Witch Army be proactive, which was refreshing for a fighting force as strong as theirs, and the mystery surrounding the Spree deepened and it should be interesting to see what everyone’s next move is going to be and to learn why the Spree are so interested in Raelle, and whether or not she can be turned, since she and her unit are finally coming together. Until next time.  

Setting out for an adventure can be one of the highlights of the year for somebody and it's even sweeter when they could win a massive amount of money for being able to complete it. I have never been a part of such of an adventure in my days, mostly because I do not believe something like that is legit, but with so many people finding a payoff at the end, it might be time to revisit this way of thinking. You never know unless you try it to see if everything is on the level and knowing my luck, it will turn into a human hunting party or something strange like that and I will become the center piece on the dining room table for a massive feast. 

Being woken up by his sister with a job offer, John Garber knows that he needs the money now more than ever. Getting out of jail a year ago, he has had a difficult time finding a legit job, but this one might be the biggest disappointment to date. Sobering up and hearing the offer is for two hundred dollars for eighteen hours of driving, he knows that the pay is crap, but cannot pass it up. Loading the bus with eight contestants that are ready to race in the wilderness for twenty-five thousand dollars in a Geocache treasure hunt, he does not know what he is in for.

Driving through the night and arriving a little bit early to the starting line, John watches as the teams of Simon and Ben, Robert and Eve, Rachel and Lindsay along with Marcus and Bradik take off through the hills trying to find the next clue to their treasure hunt. Staying with the bus, John thinks that he hears something in the woods around him but dismisses it and continues to go on with his own duties; drinking the victory beer on the bus that was left for him. While tracking through the woods, the groups find the same clue and have to understand what the riddles mean and find themselves in front of or trailing each other until the next clue is found. But there is something strange happening in the woods in Colorado this day as Ben finds locates a hunter’s line that gets set off and decapitates his partner Simon.

Rushing back to the bus with the body of their fellow treasure hunter, the group is ready to go, but the bus explodes before they are able to get it started again. Being trapped in the woods with no supplies, the group is forced to back track through the woods and find the clues that will lead them to the ultimate prize and hopefully a ride out. But on their way, the group finds out that these are not normal clues that they are finding, they are clues as to how each one of them will die. Knowing that they are being hunted in the woods, John tries to help take control of the group since he knows a little bit about the terrain they are trapped in, but he, along with everybody else have a little secret of their own that could be the reason why they are being hunted down like wild animals. 

A lost in the woods movie usually does not do it for me, unless of course the woods are haunted or have a serial killer on the loose in them, but Dead of Winter took it a step further. With a hint of mystery surrounding what is happening to the group, the apparent killing of the group members should be enough motivation for them to want to complete the treasure hunt. I was impressed with the characters dynamics as the storyline played out, since each one has their own strengths that can help them find the end of the hunt. I was however blown away by the blood in this movie, I did not expect it to splatter all over the screen and I am more than happy to say that it really kept me intrigued in finding out who done it. With blood, snow, poison, arrows and a single gun, this is the type of movie you like to curl up with on a winter’s afternoon and root for your favorite characters to get out alive and possibly a little bit richer as well. Stay Scared.

What’s magnificent about the horror genre, is that it captivates people from all walks of life. Which really is quite the feat, since most of us have our favorite genres that we stick to religiously. But everyone out there takes the time to examine a horror story at some point or another in their lives and what truly makes these films so fascinating is the sheer fact that they prey upon the darkest parts of our soul, all while offering us safety. Which sounds impossible, but by taking a little ride through our worst fears and coming out of the other side safe and sound, we get to experience a genuine emotional roller coaster, one that oddly heals us in its own special way.
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But in order for this to properly work, the subject matter has to be relatable and powerful. Which is why this genre looks toward primal elements to send shivers down our spine, and what is amazing is that said elements are still uncomfortable and terrifying after all these years. For we still fear death, which makes ghost stories and zombies scary in their own right, and the thought of having zero control over our bodies and minds is what makes werewolves and vampires so fascinating. However, not all horror films are created equal and some dive into elements that turn out to be comical for certain and unfortunately, writer/director M. Night Shyamalan, decided that one of those lesser and far more silly elements of our world would do nicely as the subject of his next horror film, The Happening.

Which is frustrating to say the least, because there was real potential for this motion picture to be something genuinely special. After all, it hits the right notes early on. People are suddenly controlled by an unseen force, they’re quick to put themselves in harm’s way, and seeing that kind of erratic behavior definitely engenders fear in the audience. But the instant the big reveal arrives that plants are reason for these mass suicides, all the terror present in this film, immediately disappears. Because let’s be honest, we need the cause or the monster in a horror film to be something that we actually fear, and there is nothing scary about plants in the slightest. They don’t eat people; they don’t cause any harm. They just make oxygen and look nice and there’s no way that we can find terror from a gentle, life-giving villain.

Granted, it is obvious what Shyamalan is trying to accomplish by having something so innocent and innocuous turn upon us. In that, this is nature retaliating for how we treat the planet and that is a fine message, but it is one that M. Night could have been handled in a different manner. For there could have been some kind of fungal infection that drove people mad, or into a zombie-esque state, something which is grounded in science since it has been observed to happen in various species of ants. Or perhaps offer us something a little more contemporary involving a virus. The bottom line is that a great opportunity was squandered here, because this could have been a terrifying horror film for the ages. One that would have prompted viewers to look over their shoulder if the monster in question was something horrifying.

Instead, we are left with a movie where folks are asked to fear a Ficus, and what also makes this movie so frustrating, is that a great many quality performances are wasted here. For Mark Whalberg, Zooey Deschanel and John Leguizamo do some solid work here as they face the unknown. If anything, this is just another one of those films from M. Night that is best viewed in fractured fashion. Because this one really does feature a solid horror story about a world driven to madness. Where the survivors are in the dark and unsure if their next breath will be their last, and that… makes for some quality viewing and some uncomfortable moments. Just please, do your best to forget about the plant thing. Because it really is downright ridiculous.

​One of the things that you have to love about Halloween is the frights that you get when hearing a ghost story. And what better place to hear these stories than in the woods when nobody is around, but you know there is something hiding in the shadows. I have always let my imagination get the better of me during these times and think that the one-handed murderer is looming around the campsite, or a dismembered witch is going to turn me into a lamb for slaughter. You may never know what roams around the woods at night and it might be better that you don't know if you ever want to make it out alive.

Sisters Sarah, Marley and Emma are on their way to Shelter Island to stay with their aunt, but there is a storm moving in. When arriving at the dock to catch the ferry to the island, the ferryman has to be sure that they want to be on the island when the storm hits, since it could be a couple days before they can return to the mainland. Not knowing what the storm means, the girls continue their trip to their aunt’s house with little thought being given to what a stranger that is traveling along with them has said. The last time a storm hit the island on Halloween, most of the residents were killed, but by what, well that is what they will soon find out.

Arriving on the island and making their way on the road to their aunt’s house, the car runs out of gas and the girls are stranded in the middle of nowhere with strange sounds all around them. Not wanting to find out what they are hearing, they make a bee line towards the house, but make a terrifying discovery. Their aunt has been killed and her body has been burned from the inside out. Finding a survivor and listening to her story, the girls know that they need to make it back to town sooner rather than later and with Emma’s declining heath, it is the only way to keep her safe and alive. 

Being able to escape the entity that is killing everyone in its path, the girls are able to make it to town, but find out that their aunt’s house is not the only place that has been hit. Surrounded by what seems to be a ghost town and their sister Emma running off, Sarah and Marley have to find a way to get her back before the uncaged spirit finds her. Running into a group of survivors, the girls come up with a plan of attack, but when they find out the history of the island and that the fiery wicker creature that is hunting them cannot be killed, they have to find a way to survive until Halloween becomes a distant memory.

I will not lie, I am a sucker for movies centered around Halloween, and I would like to say there is a good reason behind it. With all of the lore that comes with my favorite holiday, the things that go bump in the night come to life for just a little bit and that makes me very happy. I really liked the premise of the story, as people have heard about this mythical creature, but no one has ever seen it and survived. The sisters were fun and fight like they should, especially Sarah and Marley when it comes to what needs to be done and done right. I do not have a favorite character in this movie since once you start to get to know them, they disappear very quickly. I liked the effects of the fiery wicker man, and when it was about to appear, you were able to see its mark, and the killings, well, those were just fun to watch. I liked how the movie played out and the storyline is what kept me glued to the screen. Just a lighthearted Halloween movie that you will want to pull out when the eve is upon you. Stay Scared.

​There is one thing that Halloween has brought to us as a society and that is providing us with one night to let loose and become someone else for an evening. When costumes may not be acceptable for every other day of the year, on Halloween, you can become anyone that you want to be. When you can see anything from Batman, to Left Shark, to a Unicorn or a LeafySeaVampireCat, you know that the night is magical on so many levels and now that it has become more mainstream than ever before, you might need to embrace it just a little bit more. Shoot, I might actually dress up as something this year, but don’t quote me on that, I am still not sure if I could pull off a Batman Bounty Hunter costume just yet.

Dora Vogel is loving her life, she has a boyfriend that she takes many hours out of her day to visit with and a mother that has pretty much given her free reign to do whatever she wants. But Dora’s life changes drastically when she finds out that she is pregnant with Jace’s child. Not knowing how to break the news and with-it being Halloween night, Dora has to make up her mind on how to tell the people closest to her, especially her mother. But when her mother and little brother head out to go trick-or-treating, Dora is left alone in the house and needs to decide on her next step. Wanting to go out with Jace to the party they have been planning on attending all week, Dora finally texts her boyfriend back that she is ready to go, but in the meantime, she will have to pass out candy to the kids that come by.

As the time grows near for Jace’s arrival, a group of trick-or-treaters come to the door, but there is something strange about these kids. Demanding their treats, one of the kids lays his hand on Dora’s stomach and knows that she is an expecting mother. Being freaked out, Dora slams the door on the kids and promptly finds herself sick to her stomach. Calling her doctor to come by and check up on her, the kids are still roaming outside of the house. Ringing the doorbell again, Dora answers and tries to get them to leave, but when she looks inside of one of the candy bags, she sees her boyfriend’s head lying inside. 

Locking up the house and calling for the police, the night takes a drastic change from the fun-loving holiday it should be and transforms into a life and death situation. As the children continue to lurk around in the shadows, Dora’s outlook on her and her unborn baby’s life takes a change for the worse. With visions popping into her head about what will happen to her when she is captured by the little demons, she is still strong enough to try and think of others and what might happen to them if they are attacked by the children as well. The sun cannot rise fast enough as Dora fights for her life against a group of children that want one thing… her baby.

I never want to think about handing out candy on Halloween ever again thanks to this movie. I never thought that a group of little trick-or-treaters could be so scary, but Hellions did just that and I must applaud them for what they have done to me. One of the parts of the story that I really enjoyed was how much the town embraces the Halloween holiday and when the doctor tells Dora she is pregnant, he is in costume as well, making the news a little less stressful, I guess. It made me laugh. With some fantastic imagery, you can tell when Dora’s life is about to take a turn for the worse and the flash backs that you encounter are not as bad as I expected. There is something to be said about living your life to the fullest, but when you take it too far, that is when things start to change drastically and usually for the worse, that is what I like to think that the story is pointing to at least, that or the writer has a thing against trick-or-treaters. This is a dark and disturbing storyline, one that might keep you awake at nights, especially on Halloween when you start encountering some of the strangeness that comes out to play. Stay Scared.

Make no mistake about it, war is absolute hell. For it is savage and brutal and costly in every sense of the word since people lose their lives in combat and infrastructure is destroyed. But what is truly fascinating about the nastiness that is war, is the sheer fact that sometimes they are fought for a noble cause. For had the world not banded together to fight the Axis powers in World War II, who knows what modern society would look like in 2020. But while sometimes there is a nobility to war, often times it is a senseless act, one that drags on endlessly for seemingly no reason, leaving some to ponder upon quite the important question in that, what exactly are we fighting for?
 
That is a question that will best be left to the philosophers and historians of the future. But in the here and the now, any contemporary analysis is handled in the world of fiction, where writers can make sense of killing in the name of a undefined cause, and it just so happens, that last night’s episode of The Walking Dead took the time explore exactly what the Alexandria Alliance is fighting for at this point, since they’ve seen quite a bit of conflict over the past decade. And it accomplished this particular feat for the most part, by having everyone step away from the Alexandria Safe Zone and examine their lives and where they’ve been and where they are going and that made ‘The Tower’ quite the bittersweet and heartfelt tale when all is said and done.
 
Because that level of reflection allowed for some healing to begin, since we saw Carol apologize to Kelly over the mistakes she made, and it was quite lovely to see Kelly offer forgiveness and recognize Carol’s strengths and remind her to not abandon them because they’ve saved more lives than anyone can count, and this sense of forgiveness and healing didn’t end with this particular moment. For Negan made an effort to reach out Lydia in her time of need, since she was clearly hurting over the passing of her mother, despite the unfortunate past she shared with Alpha. And despite being rebuffed at first, eventually his kind words reached her, and she was finally able to tap into the emotions she had buried for so long and it was quite beautiful to see Negan comfort someone for a change, and these beautiful moments extended beyond the Tower and a junked out car.
 
Because Daryl and Judith shared quite the powerful moment while they were out and about in the woods, because unfortunately Daryl was forced to put down another Whisperer and seeing more death rattled Judith and it prompted her to be open about her fears and her concerns for the future. Which motivated Daryl to slide into the Uncle role once again and teach Judith about how the world is indeed a cruel place, and how it can rob of us joy on a moment’s notice. But he was also quick to teach her that there was a flip side to this, in that there was plenty of beauty to be found in the world as well, and that there was plenty of it surrounding her in the here and the now. If anything, it was clear this episode was trying to build toward something positive, and this vignette and the others were pieces of a greater puzzle in regard to that message, and it just so happens that Eugene and his group provided us with the final piece.

However, it did take a little time to reveal that. For their time with Princess was challenging to say the least. Because her social skills diminished during her time in isolation and that made her a tad difficult to work with, especially when one considers that she was so desperate to impress the group and win them over… that she put them in harm’s way by taking them through a minefield, when there was a better way toward the transportation she promised everyone. But once her lies and the reasons for them for were revealed, Ezekiel came to realize that she was no different than the other damaged souls that found their way to the Kingdom or Alexandria or Hilltop. And once he pointed that out to Yumiko, someone who was once like Princess, she was a touch more accepting of her, even going so far as to invite her along on the voyage.
 
Which brings us to what exactly this episode was trying to accomplish, and in essence it was trying to show all of us, that these people are fighting for a better world, one where the broken can be healed and given a second chance at life. And while that sounds supremely sappy and silly to feature in a television series where the dead return to life, this is precisely what Rick and Carl Grimes were preaching not that long ago, and slowly but surely, everyone in this story is starting to understand and embrace a better way and for proof, look no further than the elements we’ve discussed. Because everyone here offered forgiveness and kindness and understanding to everyone, and if they can defeat the Whisperers, they can get back to building the utopia that mankind has always dreamed of.
 
But the end of the Whisperers will be no easy task, and Beta’s journey in this tale is what made this story bittersweet. Because when we catch up with him here, he’s more or less lost his mind. For he is hearing voices, an amalgamation of whispers if you will, and his mind is so removed from reality that even the dead themselves seem to speak to him. But while his broken mind is terrifying enough in its own right, what took his segment to the next level, is the sheer fact that he has a brand new horde, one that is eagerly following him toward a fresh meal, because he’s found plenty for them to eat. For the location of the Tower has been revealed and the dead are closing in and that’s a hell of way to set up the season ten finale of this phenomenal series.
 
But alas, we will have to wait to see how this war comes truly comes to a close, since the finale is delayed at the moment thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. But in the meantime, we can bask in one wonderful tale. One that was stunningly positive since it was filled to the brim with some beautiful moments and some genuine growth. After all, can anyone honestly say they saw Negan playing a fatherly role, after everything he’s done? Either way, all of these wonderful moments were genius for certain, since they help to create a metaphorical showdown between good and evil. And hopefully, the Alexandria Alliance can end this battle before Beta and his flock do inflict too much damage, so that we can finally see Rick and Carl’s vision for a better world, come to fruition in season eleven. Until next time.