Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1115 of ‘The Walking Dead’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Each and every one of us… harbor a dream or a long-term goal that is so complex and so important to us, that it will take years for us to accomplish it. In fact, it is so engrossing and so engaging, that there are times where we will lose sight of the endgame and understandably so. After all, the universe is chaos, and it loves to throw all kinds of curveballs our way. The kind that will force our goals to outright go the wayside while we deal with whatever surprises have dropped into our lap, and in some cases the chaos is so severe, one might step away from the journey they started so long ago. But thankfully… the vast majority of us, eventually get back on track when this happens.
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Because while the universe likes to make a mess of things, it also believes in balance and tends to throw reminders our way as to what we want to accomplish. The kind that refocuses us and nudge us back on our path and well, this particular twist is top of mind of today, because it served as the central theme of this week’s episode of The Walking Dead. For if you take a moment and think about it, the good people of the Alexandria Alliance… have in fact, lost their way a little bit when it comes to their overreaching goal of making the world a better place in the wake of the death of death. Because the world has thrown them a great deal of curveballs. For the Whisperers made life difficult and devastating for these good people and the need to survive, has split them, and aligned them with interesting forces. 

But ‘Trust’ is a story that truly nudged everyone back toward their goals of building a better world and it accomplished that by way of three key storylines. The first involved our good friend King Ezekiel. For now, that he was granted a second chance at life through improved health, he took a page from the Book of Carol and realized that the world needed more good deeds in this moment, and that helping others was the easiest way to engender hope and that motivated him… to enlist medical help for his new low cost/no cost clinic. In an effort to give others the belief that tomorrow would be better and that they had little to worry about anymore, and seeing this place work in person, definitely reminded Carol of what this group is fighting for and that they should stop at nothing to make people feel safe and happy in every way imaginable.

Yet what’s truly amazing about this episode, is that it also managed to refocus a character, that didn’t know of anyone in the alliance a mere six months ago. For Mercer also learned this lesson, courtesy of his sister Max. For once she found out what was going on behind the scenes, she brought it to her brother’s attention since he was the face of heroism in the Commonwealth and a person that everyone admired. But his aloof response to the reality of this place, and of course his actions last week, prompted Max to call him to the carpet over his apathy and challenge him as to what he wanted to accomplish with his role and his standing and well, her words and the gentle care of Princess… helped Mercer begin to realize that he lost sight of why he took this job, and the time has come to refocus. 

But of course, the storyline that truly stole the show in this episode, was the one involving the fallout of what happened at the apartment complex. For Lance Hornsby got involved personally with the investigation and of course, brought Daryl in on the matter and well, it did not take long for Lance to fully understand that Gabriel and Aaron were involved in an outright uprising against the Commonwealth’s forces and come hell or high heaven, he was going to get them to either admit to it or find evidence of it and what better way to do that… than by visiting the Hilltop. After all, Maggie and her people were broken and starving and Lance though he could use that to his advantage and that led to some stunning moments.
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The kind that saw Hornsby try and go the extra mile to embarrass and intimidate Maggie… by using his knowledge of cars to prove her truck (and Maggie) was involved in the wholesale slaughter of his shadow team. But thankfully his gambit failed, and he instead opted to cross an even bigger line. Specifically, by trying to muscle young Hershel Rhee into speaking out against his mother. A move that led to guns being drawn and Hornsby getting a taste of what might happen if he ever crossed that line again. But what matters more here, is that Daryl, and Maggie, and Gabriel, and Aaron… finally came to fully understand the truth about the Commonwealth and that they do not have good interests at heart and judging from the conversation that everyone but Maggie had by the fireside… they’re aware that they’ve lost focus of what matters most and need to be ready to fight for their better tomorrow and a better one for others. 

Which is an epiphany that could not have come at a better moment. Because unfortunately for everyone, Lance Hornsby has opted to make a deal with a devil we know. Because it turns out… that Leah was in the woods surrounding Hilltop as well, and she was of course… preparing her new weapons for deployment for whatever personal war she had in mind and rather than punish her for stealing Commonwealth property, Lance saw an opportunity to use Leah to his advantage. In that, she could handle some dirty work for him without anyone being the wiser. Which would allow for him to come out smelling like a rose and well… let’s be honest, we all know he’s going to use her to deal with Daryl and his friends and that is why it is critical this group has opened their eyes to the evil of the Commonwealth… so they can see this surprise deception coming from a mile away.

If anything, this was just a wonderful episode when all is said and done. Simply because… this was in many ways, a back-to-basics approach for the series. One that made it clear that our heroes are going to resume their quest for being forces for good and that’s a wonderful thing. Since it will lock the final leg of the journey on a path that addresses the big question hanging over this series, in that… is humanity worth saving? And it will be fascinating to see how this quest to be better will enhance the end of the series. But before we get to that point, we have one more episode in Part 2 of the final season to partake in and if the ending of this tale is any indication of what’s to come, our heroes are going to be in for quite the fight… as they deal with Leah and her vast reservoir of madness… one more time.  

While it should go without saying that when a family member is in need, you should help them without question, it is something that can be put to the test from time to time. Needing someone to watch the kids while you go out or needing someone to feed the pets while you leave town is not something that can be left to just anyone, but it might not be something that you should drop everything for. I am a firm believer in family and doing things that need to be done to help, but sometimes you can find yourself being used because you cannot say no. If you are one that likes to use your family for no other reason than trying to save money, you need to put an end to it, since you never know when the family will cut you off without notice.
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Getting a frantic call from his newly widowed sister, Max will do anything to help her out in her time of need, but when arriving at her new house, he is a little more hesitant since she needs him to take care of the cats while she and her son take a little holiday. Not even liking cats, Max goes along with it, since he really did like her husband and could come to him for advice when he got stuck with writer’s block. But there is someone else in the house with them as Danny draws a picture of his mother and uncle fighting at the dinner table, and this picture features an unseen person standing behind Max, who looks to have something more sinister in mind for the outsider as the days move on.

Watching the house for the first week goes off without a hitch for the middle-aged writer, but one night all of that changes. Hearing a knock at the front door with nobody there, Max tries to dismiss it as kids playing a prank on him, but it continues to happen and the third time he hears the knocks, he also finds that the keys from the door are not where he left them. Thinking this is strange, he tries to find out if there is someone else in the house and the upstairs seems to be the perfect spot for someone to hide out. Using his phone for light as the lights on that floor don’t seem to work, Max finds no evidence of an outsider lurking around in the house, but there is something extremely spooky going on.

As the events at night start to get stranger, Max comes face to face with a couple of spirits that are showing him things that he does not want to see. But those are not the ones that he really fears as a horned individual is starting to gain power in the house. Needing to find some way to get some sleep in the house, Max gets his best friend Chris to come and stay for a couple of nights in the house to make sure that he is not losing his mind. Agreeing to stay with his friend, mainly to get out of his mother’s house for a few days, Chris sees that there is something strange happening as well and will do anything to help his friend. Getting the number of a professor who deals with supernatural events, Max is able to convince him to come and check out the house, but it may be too late as the demon hidden within the walls may not want any of its new targets to leave ever again.

This is the perfect movie to watch when you are thinking back to basics for a haunted house movie as there seems to be no CGI at all, just people in costume. It is refreshing to see this being used, as basic jump scares seem to be getting replaced with graphics that tend to take away from the story. I liked the overall storyline, but I do wish that there was more focus on Max being a writer, as it is barely touched upon throughout the story, I would have loved to have known what he was writing about. Chris really stole the show and with his off-color humor, it was great how his character was added into the story, along with Professor James who was just a bad ass when it came to facing off against the evil spirits. With a silent little boy, the need for help, a reluctant brother, cats, a demon, some creepy ghosts and an ending that will leave you wondering who really brought the spirits into the house, it is just a fun haunted house movie that keeps you intrigued throughout, mainly because it has a good story. Stay Scared.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Night’s End’.
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We live in a genuinely amazing time. Because technology has transformed our lives in ways, we never thought possible. For instance, the compendium of human knowledge is now at our fingertips since we can simply Google the answer to a burning question on our minds or we can YouTube how to accomplish a particular task, and having knowledge on tap, is only the tip of the iceberg of technology’s outright wonder. Because we are also connected to the whole of humanity through it and are able to speak with anyone, anywhere through the mere press of a button, and we can enjoy whatever format of communication we prefer and that still isn’t the peak of technology’s majesty in the 21st Century. Because it has also allowed for people to reach out and express their opinions and ideas and that’s given rise to social media stars and a new breed of experts and well, how can one not feel awe at his bold new reality we are presented with when it comes to what tech can accomplish for us?
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But while it is amazing to know that technology has revolutionized how we communicate and interact, and that we are on the very cusp of its evolution into something so much more, technology is not without its drawbacks. For how we communicate, is outright unregulated. Which is not a call for heavy regulation or censorship mind you, but when there is no filter and no restrictions, and anyone can get out there and speak… the wrong people sometimes open their mouths, and they are right now. Which is leading to misinformation and confusion since people that think they are experts, are happy to say whatever they need to in order to rack up the clicks and likes and subscriptions and well, that is leading to all kinds of trouble in our modern world The kind that leaves us wondering just how bad things could get and well, that’s a concern that the horror genre is eager to ponder upon, as evidenced by the latest addition to Shudder’s impressive library… Night’s End.

Now in this particular film, we are introduced to a man named Ken Barber and well, Ken’s going through it. For a drinking problem and a broken relationship has forced him to move out of his family’s home and set up shop in a whole different town and well, he’s struggling in his new digs. In part because he’s lost in life at the moment and unsure of what comes next for him and also because… there’s something strange happening around his new home. In that, objects are moving, and sounds are emanating from other parts of the building. Which leads Ken to believe there is a haunting taking place and well, the best way to figure that out… in his mind, is through YouTube and the various experts that permeate the internet and well, that’s a poor choice on Ken’s part. For the experts he contacts don’t have his best interests in mind and that… is going to lead to a spiritual disaster of epic proportions when Ken dabbles in matters he simply doesn’t understand.

Which is… the perfect plot in which to explore the dangers of unfettered communication for several reasons. First and foremost because it explains how people are easily sucked into the quagmire of misinformation these days, since Ken’s broken persona and psyche, speak volumes to the target audiences of the unsavory folks that want to be heard. For they want the disenfranchised around and the broken, since those are folks that are searching for guidance and direction and they’re happy to provide it and they do just that, here, and it does lead to incredible disaster, and it also exposes how unqualified a lot of these experts are. Courtesy of a wild and wicked finale where everything falls to pieces around Ken and what’s amazing… is that this film takes the time to ponder upon how we could perhaps, prevent people from getting lost in the mix, in the way that Ken does here.
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Because part of the reason Ken falters, is because of the fact that he is isolated and alone and unwilling to do much outside of loaf about his home and dream loftily. Which speaks volumes to the reality that isolation and boredom, force us to feed our minds with junk food online that can be harmful and that if that does happen, the way to keep someone from falling into that proverbial rabbit hole, where they are a potato staring into void of YouTube… to the point where ‘don’t forget to like and subscribe’ is now part of their farewell vernacular… is to engage them and spend time with them and remind them to push forward. Since we see Ken peel away from the madness of YouTube briefly when he resigns himself to tasks that involve people and connection. If anything, that observation and commentary on the rise of misinformation in our modern world make this a powerful horror film to say the least.

For it is timely, and thoughtful and downright scary in ways that extends beyond the shudders produced by watching someone lose themselves to ‘edu-tainment’. Because the scares here are rock solid for certain and prey upon our fears of the unknown and of ghosts, courtesy of shadows and perfectly timed jump scares. And of course, that ending is simply off the charts awesome… thanks to one incredible twist and well, this is a horror film that is definitely worth a watch. Simply because its intelligent and fun and twisted and it even features an epic cameo from screen legend Michael Shannon and well, if you get a little time this weekend and you’re eager to enjoy a horror story that both entertains and stays with you long after it has come to its horrific end… then swing by Shudder when you get a chance and give this magnificent movie a look. You’ll be glad you did.