Dealing with stress is one of the hardest things to do these days. With everyone trying to offer their advice on how to relieve it, it ends up making you more stressed out. With so much stress being put on your body and mind, it can lead to many health issues that could affect you for the rest of your life. Trying to find a happy medium is what it is all about. Knowing when and where you should put this pressure on yourself, along with letting it go and not sweating the little things is paramount. Woosah.

Duncan has always had stomach problems for as long as he can remember. But after going to the doctor at his wife’s request, he comes to realize that he may have a bigger problem on his hands. The doctor discovers a polyp that is starting to get larger in his lower intestinal track. This could be attributed to the stress level Duncan has been putting himself through as of late, so the doctor recommends that Duncan talk to a therapist to keep his feelings at bay, until surgery can be scheduled to remove the abnormal growth. 

Meeting his new therapist, Duncan is far from relieved with his current level of stress, and it actually manages to rise in the crazy doctor’s presence once he learns that Dr. Highsmith is more than a therapist, he is also a hypnotist. Not truly believing that this doctor could help him, Duncan returns home, only to get a call from his new co-worker that a file that he had been working on for the last year had been deleted. Duncan’s stomach starts to rumble again and now he has to go to the bathroom before going into the office to restore his lost work. Having issues with his movement, Duncan passes out on the floor, but that is where the real trouble starts. 

​After waking up, Duncan hears that his co-worker has been killed by a rabid raccoon. Not believing this, he goes to work, only to have his boss be upset with him being late. Duncan is also now in charge of layoffs for his company and lets several people go in his new position. With his stress level going through the roof, he turns back to Dr. Highsmith for help or advice. The doctor is able to hypnotize Duncan and see what is causing the real issues in Duncan’s life, along with a creature that crawls out of his patient’s backside. The creature is part of Duncan and only wants to take the stress away from his…parent.

Bad Milo! follows Duncan as he has to battle his stress level to keep everyone in his life safe. With all of the stress that has been put on the man’s shoulders over the past day, Duncan is not able to keep his beast at bay as a creature emerges from his anus when he cannot handle the pressure any longer. This demon’s mission is to take out all of the stresses that Duncan has endured, killing the perpetrators and keeping them out of his life forever. With his change in job titles at work, his overbearing mother and hearing the news that his wife is pregnant, Duncan is pushed to his limit. Knowing what this creature is capable of, Duncan turns to Dr. Highsmith for any help he can get, but it may be too late when his stress level rises and his stomach starts to churn. 

Creepy? Disturbing? Twisted? Hilarious? Bad Milo! has all it all as you sit back and watch something come out of a person that should never have been there in the first place. With plenty of splatter for the horror fans, many one liners for the people that need comedy in their movies and the twisted addition of a 'butt creature,' this movie is just great. Watching Duncan struggle through his day is easy enough, but when he gets a little helper to come out and take care of his issues, it is eye opening. With all of the stress we have to put up with on a daily basis, this movie is a must see and a reminder to take a deep breath once in a while. Stay Scared!

I’ve come to realize over the years, that the traditions that follow the death of a loved one, are often treated with kid gloves and care when it comes to television and cinema and with good reason, because the reality when it comes to a funeral and grieving for our loved ones is that it is a painful and harrowing process. We weep endlessly and are brought to tears yet again when we see others break down and cry when their pain overcomes them. We’re angry, we hurt, so it should come as no surprise that we see funerals be depicted on the big and small screen as civilized and beautiful affairs because that somehow helps our brains cope with the pain that comes with losing someone close to us.
 
But, once in a while, some films and shows prefer to present us with something that’s a touch more raw and realistic and The Haunting of Hill House just so happens to be one of those shows. Because the next episode in the series, ‘Two Storms’, brought the Crain family together in Baltimore to grieve over the loss of their younger sister (and in Hugh’s case, daughter) Nell and well, this ended up being one of the toughest episodes of the series to watch to date due to the fact that it held nothing back when it comes to the grieving process. Because in this tale, we saw several members of the family break down, or struggle to process that Nell was gone and well, it only escalated from there.
 
For this is a family that has mountains of secrets and unresolved issues and sometimes when people pass, anger and frustration at what has happened helps to push those issues to the top of our minds and that’s precisely what happened in this tale since everyone aired their dirty laundry and their grievances and that led to some uncomfortable and powerful performances from the cast as the Crain family let years of bad blood explode in incredible fashion and well, that made this episode emotionally draining to say the least, But all raw emotions aside, it’s clear that the airing of grievances helped to set up and resolve a few plot points along the way since just about everything is out in the open now. 
 
However, while it sounds as though this particular tale focused on the dramatic aspect and nothing more, have no fear. The creepy moments were here in spades as well since this story also featured another eerie storm back in the Hill House days, one complete with spirits roaming the house and toying with the family in terrifying fashion and Nell’s spirit was hanging around in this memory and in present day as well, which also confirmed an idea I posed in the last recap in that, her apparition would no longer provide a sense of terror and instead invoke a sense of sadness since we are now fully aware that she is nothing more than a tortured soul in our world, and all one can feel now is pity when the Bent-Neck Lady pops up. 
 
But, all storytelling aside, we do need to take a moment and discuss the technical marvel this episode turned out to be as well because Director Mike Flanagan made it seem as though this entire story was captured in one single take and well, that’s incredible to say the least. Because the extended takes found here really draw you into the moment and don’t give your brain an ounce of comfort or relief when it comes to the drama playing out on the screen and that’s just magnificent to say the least and well, while this one was tough to watch, I really loved this episode through and through. Because it was bold, and powerful and raw and honest and a prime example of the fact that horror can sometimes feature more than monsters and gore, it can remind of us of other terrifying parts of our world, like saying goodbye to the people we love and the pain that comes with knowing we will never see them in our lives, ever again. Until next time.   

​There was a time, when sitcoms were my go-to when it came to my nightly television viewing. There was just something magical about settling in for a half an hour to enjoy a good story with some fun laughs and well, the evolution of my viewing tastes and the fact that television eventually came to offer new and exciting shows that catered to just about everything I love drew me away from the chuckle worthy sitcom to the point where I rarely watch them anymore. That’s not a bad thing by any means, it just means they’re really not for me anymore.
 
But once in a while I do catch one and enjoy a chuckle or two, and sometimes they offer up something that outright sucks me in. Case in point, The Goldbergs, a lovely sitcom set in the 1980’s that I sometimes catch simply due to the fact that it features the era of excess and gets everything right about it and well, last night’s episode of the show is one that I’ve actually been counting down the days to because earlier this year, it was announced that this particular tale, aptly entitled ‘Mister Knifey-Hands’ was going to offer up something special for horror fans everywhere; a special appearance by Robert Englund, reprising the role that made him famous in Freddy Krueger and well, there was no way in hell I was missing that.
 
Because Freddy was my boy when I was growing up in the 80’s, and I was all about the Elm Street franchise and I still am to this day, though my collection now is more limited to the movies and a few awesomesauce NECA figurines of Freddy as opposed to the glove and costumes that I owned as a kid. But I digress, because we have to discuss Krueger’s triumphant return to the mainstream and well, while Englund’s cameo was brief, it was damn satisfying to see him back in the costume and the makeup one more time and learn that he simply hasn’t missed a beat when it comes to his ability to play this iconic monster and really, it was just a true treat to see him don the bladed glove one more time and see that he can still creep us out and make us laugh all at the same time.
 
However, while the Freddy magic was the true highlight of the night, the episode did have a lot more to offer for the horror fans that tuned in since this episode found a way to tap into all of our memories. I mean heck, I remember watching horror films that gave me nightmares to the point where I didn’t sleep well, and I too remember FANGORIA helping me to better understand the mystique of the horror film since that incredible magazine, did and still does an incredible job of breaking down the creative process of filmmaking as a whole and really in the end, this episode was nothing more than a love letter to horror fans everywhere, and I thank everyone behind the scenes of this series, for taking the time to make that happen.
 
Plus, it’s becoming inherently clear to me that I may need to pay closer attention to this series as a whole, because if it is this good at paying homage to a horror legend, who knows what other wonders from the 1980’s I’ll find here. So, it may serve as a nice pallet cleanser to the heavier stuff that I watch. Either way, this was simply a magnificent Halloween treat, one that definitely took me back to those awesome weekend nights where I simply plunged into terrifying worlds as I watched a horror movie play on my 13” color TV from my VCR and the only light in the room, came from the chaos, on the screen… 

College student Dana is trying to get over her recent breakup from someone that none of her friends believe she should have been going out with to start with. Her best friend and roommate Jules is doing everything in her power to make Dana forget about her older love by fixing her up on a blind date weekend with a newly transferred student. Without another care in the world, Jules is more focused on her boyfriend Curt who was about to get ahold of his cousin's cabin for the weekend.

With stoner friend Marty and the new transfer student Holden, the RV is full and ready to make it up to the cabin for an unforgettable weekend. As the group makes it up the hill, they stop off for gas and heed a warning from the local man saying that the cabin is not a comfortable place for anyone to stay, for too long. The Buckner place has had many owners over the years and everyone that stays there wants to sell it off at any cost. Implanting a strange vibe with the group, the gas station owner has done his job for a corporation that runs much deeper.

Away from the cabin, the office workers are doing their best to get everything rolling as the cabin seems to be wired from basement to roof. Keeping an eye on the five kids, they are all placing bets on what will happen next including what type of fate the kids will choose for themselves. Having to answer to someone or something that lives below them, they only do their best to provide the best show and frights imaginable. Having the cabin and surrounding area in a bubble, they are able to control everything inside of the environment. Having the power of gods, the dead, and nightmares at their fingertips, their power seems unlimited until they are found out.

As night time falls, the college co-eds are ready to start their weekend off right with cold beer, loud music and a game of truth or dare. When questions are being asked, a door to the cellar blows open and the group goes down to investigate. Being surrounded by strange artifacts, the group is charged with picking their own fate as Dana reads from an old diary that brings the former owners of the cabin out of their graves to attack the group. Seeing but not believing what is happening to them, the group tries to escape the cabin, but with every trap that is in place, they are forced to find a way to survive in the their secluded getaway.

The Cabin in the Woods follows two different groups, the college kids as they battle for their own survival, along with the company group that is trying to keep their higher power's boss happy. The college kids are faced with oncoming zombies approaching the group that are not easily killed. The company group is faced with a worldwide failure on the yearly sacrifices to their higher power and only one group is left to appease the dark threats and it is on them to save the world from something much worse than the world has ever seen.

This is a fantastic horror movie that takes more twists and turns than you could ever expect. Having two different groups fighting each other, but both for the same thing is just great. With less than half of the movie over, the group finds out that they are being controlled like puppets and start looking for whomever is pulling their strings. When finding that they are being tracked by someone other than their attacking zombies, stoner Marty and Dana try to unleash their own kind of hell on their unseen attackers. Not to give anything away, let’s just say The Cabin in the Woods houses something straight out of your nightmares. Stay Scared.

If there’s one thing I love when it comes to television shows, it’s when a particular series takes the time to drop an incredible plot twist our way. These are the kinds of surprises that outright change the course of a show and leave us stunned and as it turns out, that was precisely what was waiting for me when I started the fifth episode of The Haunting of Hill House. Because ‘The Bent-Neck Lady’ brought about a reveal, that quite frankly changes everything we know about Hill House and its relationship to the Crain family. But of course, before we came to that particular point, the show was quick to provide us with a grand re-direct by having us spend a little time with the only child of the family that we haven’t gotten to know, Eleanor ‘Nell’ Crain. 
 
Of course focusing on Nell, likely meant that we were in for the most tragic tale of the series to date since dear Nell passed away in the first episode of this terrifying saga and well, this truly was quite the heartbreaking ride because we learned early on that Nell is hands down, the most gentle child in the family, she is kind and warm and generous she spent most of her adult life fighting to find internal peace from her experiences at Hill House, with mixed results, until she meets the love of her life, Arthur Vance. And while at first glance that seems to fit the traditional, ‘only a man can save me’ trope, that simply was not the case. Arthur didn’t save her, he merely offered support and unconditional love and that helped her heal and while all of that doesn’t sound too heartbreaking, well, it was only a matter of time before that kind of happiness faded away in this tale, and in the midst of an appearance from the mysterious Bent-Neck Lady, Arthur died of an aneurysm, sending Nell into an emotional tailspin.
 
To make matters worse, Nell faced her pain on her own since her family really didn’t do much to support her despite her attempts to reach out and garner their support, and when they did take the time to stand by her, Nell’s shattered state made it difficult for them to stick around and slowly and surely, the past she tried to escape crept up on her, leading her to finally go back and face all of it by way of a return to Baltimore, and the hotel the family stayed in on that fateful night when they escaped Hill House, and of course the house in question, which brings us back to that mega twist that I made mention of earlier. Because Hill House brought about all kinds of surprises, like the fact that it more or less welcomed Nell with open arms, and made all of her dreams come true since she was ‘reunited’ and ‘loved’ by her family and her husband, and once she found herself comfortable in this place once again, the house made its move, and fooled Nell into a noose and well, now we know how she died.
 
But the twist, well that came in the closing moments of Nell’s life. Because as it turns out, her neck was badly broken, bent in fact and as the life escaped her body, she ventured back through her own past, interacting with younger versions of herself and we quickly came to learn…she IS the Bent-Neck Lady, and well, while that was shocking in its own right, it’s the implications that come with this discovery that bother me more. Because it confirms something I made mention of in my recap of the last episode, in that, the house seems to be calling to all of them in some form or fashion, and it seems to be connected to each and every member of the household in some strange way and really, the questions on my mind after this one all relate to why? Why does Hill House need this family within its walls? And why this family? What makes the Crain clan worth tormenting?
 
I would imagine that all of these questions will be answered in episodes to come, since everything is starting to tie together neatly, but when all is said and done, wow, what an story. I really did not see that twist coming until the last possible second, and I’ll be honest, knowing what we know now about Nell being the Bent-Neck Lady, I have a funny feeling that this particular spirit will no longer produce any scares, just sadness. Because now we know Nell is just another tortured spirit in a house full of them, and if anything, I merely hope she finds the peace she’s looking for, so she can move on. Either way, I’m now quite curious where the show goes from here, since we have all the backstories when it comes to the kids and I suppose the only way to find out, is to hit ‘next episode’, so once again, if you’ll excuse me, I need to know what comes next…

In 1906, Professor Alexander Saxton discovers an ancient fossil that he believes could be the missing link in the human evolutionary chain. A frozen half man, half ape would further the case between evolution and creationism. Trying to protect his prize and transport it back to Britain, Professor Saxton battles to board a trans-Siberian train and make his way home. Not being met well at the train station, Saxton runs into an old counterpart, Doctor Wells who knows how to get things accomplished when in a foreign land…bribery.     

While Saxton decides on which path to take to get a ticket, his cargo is met by many suspecting eyes. A local thief in the area tries his hand at opening the box but is found lying beside the cursed crate with his eyes white as the snow. Upon Saxton’s return to retrieve his cargo, he is met by a priest that tells him that there is evil in the box and it must be destroyed. Trying to prove his point, Father Pujardov tells everyone that is listening that ‘where evil lives, there is no place for the cross’, and tries to draw a cross on the side of the box with a piece of chalk. The box rejects the chalk and remains unharmed as it is moved onto the train. The journey will be long and strenuous, but nobody could possibly prepare for what will come next.

Everyone at the train station is now interested in the contents of the box, and that curiosity only grows since Professor Saxton is reluctant to give up his theories. Saying it is just a fossil, but not saying it is of a man, or possibly of an ape seems to make the others restless. Doctor Wells pays a baggage man to open the crate and report back with what he finds. The baggage man does as he is asked but is met with resistance from the cargo as the fossil in the box comes alive and stares the man down with one red eye. The baggage man is found dead on arrival in the baggage car by the local police inspector that is riding on the train, and with the man’s eyes as white as the first victim's, the inspector is suspecting a pattern.   

Horror Express takes you down the line of faith and beliefs. As no one on the train is able to distinguish what it is they are dealing with or how they could possibly defeat it. Being led off with Professor Saxton (Christopher Lee) and Doctor Wells (Peter Cushing), this movie brings a little bit more to the screen. With these two working together to find and fight the threat, nothing could go wrong, unless they are stopped by a higher power. Father Pujardov (Alberto de Mendoza) plays a fantastically disturbed priest as his faith is reborn, to a higher power possibly. This movie also features a bit role from the great Telly Savalas, (Captain Kazan) who is asked to board the train to investigate the bizarre deaths, and all of these performances help keep you stuck in your seat to see how the story ends.

Not a bad horror movie from the late 70’s. It features great acting, along with a solid story line that does not leave you feeling like you have been shorted in any fashion. There are just great characters and performances all around, with everyone trying to find out who or what the creature really is, as it does not only take the lives of his victims, but their memories as well. A scary thought as your memories are really the only thing that you can truly call your own…until now. Stay Scared.

Recently, I took a moment to make mention of the fact that I could not figure out any discernable storytelling patterns or designs when it comes to The Haunting of Hill House and well, the fact of the matter is, I should not have fussed about this in the slightest. Because as I continue my journey through this magnificent and harrowing story, I’m coming to learn that expecting the unexpected when it comes to this particular series is quite frankly a grand blessing in disguise since every single episode of this show is providing us with something downright fascinating and unique.
 
Take for instance the fourth episode of this series, ‘The Twin Thing’, since this particular tale did a fine job of distancing itself from some of what this saga stands for by focusing heavily on Luke, the addict of the family and his unfortunate journey through life and in doing so, the series brought forth one incredibly dramatic character study, one that took the time to examine the power of addiction and how different kind of ghosts haunt us since Luke was not only working to run from his past experiences in Hill House by using drugs, but the mistakes he made in order to ease that pain and well, that made for one heartbreaking tale.
 
But before we get too deep into Luke’s powerful story, it does need to be noted that this episode did a fine job of figuring out how to tie scares into an addict’s story since this particular tale introduced us to ‘The Floating Man’, a creepy ghost in a bowler hat who seemed to take a liking to Luke, to the point where it followed Luke wherever he went and well, that chilling introduction when Luke was a young boy is likely what started Luke’s downward spiral in life, and forced him to make mistakes that hurt his family and friends and for a brief moment there, I wondered if this story was going to give us a bleak journey involving a lost soul, one that was unable to redeem himself because of his pain. 
 
However, once again, this series found a way to surprise and this story served as a desperate tale of redemption, wherein Luke tried to help someone other than himself for a change, and he steered clear of drugs to make that happen and well, this was actually quite a bittersweet portion of the story. Because his efforts to help a pseudo girlfriend/addict in Joey, while noble, put Luke in quite the precarious situation, one where he was left destitute and injured and despite the darkness present here you came to realize in this moment, that Luke was finally on the right path in life because he didn’t turn back to drugs despite the odds being stacked against him and all he needed was another shot to set things right but the hits kept coming for Luke in this tale since his shining moment of redemption and shred of hope were dashed when he came to learn Nell had passed away…
 
If anything, I’m quite impressed with the fact that this series continues to stay heavily invested in its characters and I really appreciated the fact that the ghosts featured in this particular tale were of a greater variety than the standard fare and well, what’s equally amazing is that this series is finding ways to become better as the story progresses and clearly, it is starting to build toward something. Because I get the funny feeling that the Floating Man’s appearances around Los Angeles are more than a mere coincidence. It’s almost as if the House is calling to Luke and all of the Crain family for that matter since all of the kids are having interactions with these spirits or seeing strange things and well, this one was so damn good, that I’m in need of another fix if you will, so, on that note, it’s time to return to Hill House and all the horrors that lurk within its walls. Until next time.     

Some memories from our childhood could have been so traumatic that we do not remember what really happened. Suppressing our memories can be a good thing when it comes to this, as we only want to remember the good times and none of the bad. Most of the time, this works out, but once in a while those memories come back to haunt us and there is nothing that can be done to push them back down, we are just meant to face what actually happened and try to make the best of it.

Tim Russell has been battling his inner demons for eleven years of his life while staying in a psych ward. As he has been undergoing evaluations for most of his life, he has finally come to terms with the fact that he was responsible for the death of his father. As his doctor has come to the decision that Tim has accepted responsibility for his act, he suggests the young man be set free. As his sister is anxiously awaiting his release, Tim’s doctor reminds him not to fall back into the spell that she tried to cast on him so many years ago. Although Tim is nervous about leaving the ward, he is happy to be cured and is wanting to start his life over again.

Kaylie Russell has been waiting all of this time to get her brother back and take care of something much more sinister. Kaylie has been following the path of a mirror that her father proudly hung in the office of the family's new home eleven years ago. Kaylie believes that the mirror houses an evil that killed her parents and after years of research, has found out that the mirror has been involved in several other strange deaths during its time on earth. Wanting to prove to everyone that the mirror is evil, she sets up video cameras around her childhood home and urges her younger brother to take part in the investigation. Although Tim believes he was responsible for his father’s death, Kaylie will not let him take the fall for it as she remembers what really happened.

During their investigation into the old mirror, the two are forced to remember their youth in the vacant house. Watching as their father is working hard to provide for them, they both notice a strange woman in his office with him or milling around the house. Although their mother does not believe the strange occurrences, she starts to hear and feel things out of the ordinary in the office while cleaning. As she looks into the mirror, her perspective on life starts to change and with her husband already consumed by the mirror, there is no hope for either one of them. Tim and Kaylie try to figure out the secret behind the mirror before they lose their parents, but as they try to destroy it, they find that no matter what they do, they will never have a clean shot as their perceptions continue to change.

This movie ended up surprising me. After watching the previews for it, I thought it would have to do with reflections in the mirror, and in a way, it was, but it was also so much more. Watching as the Russell father fell under the mirror’s spell, it was great seeing how he deteriorated over all of the time he spent with it. Then as the Russell’s mother did the same thing, it is amazing that the kids were able to get out of the house alive. I enjoyed the determination that Kaylie had towards destroying the mirror and the hesitance that her brother Tim brought to it. Knowing what really happened in your youth could be difficult these days, as we are all getting older and our memories are fading, but if you remember it the way that it really happened, you may just be able to survive another day. Stay Scared.

When it comes to cinema and television for that matter as well, everything old is new again. Because this is a golden age, or renaissance if you prefer, for remakes and reboots since they’re popping up everywhere left and right and while one could go on for hours in regards to remakes and what people think about them, I’d rather focus on a niche part of that market that seems to be drawing concern from some circles of fans, the sequel to a remake. Because some feel that by giving a reimagined story a sequel, that every last ounce of creativity is leaving the industry. 
 
But the fact of the matter is, as I said before, everything old is new again and the sequel to a remake, oddly enough falls into that mantra. Because Hollywood has done them before, they simply weren’t discussed that much at the time due to the fact that so many of them were downright terrible. They simply didn’t have the production values or the big-name backings that they do in this day and age, and ironically, one of the finest remakes to ever hit the horror market, 1986’s The Fly, actually managed to inspire one of the worst follow ups to a remake to ever be produced by way of 1989’s, The Fly II.
 
Now the plot to this particular sequel was pretty by the numbers. Veronica from the first film, gives birth to the late Seth Brundle’s child, and dies during delivery, which means that young Martin Brundle is going to live quite the unique life. After all, he is adopted and raised by a man named Anton Bartok, who funded his father’s scientific ventures and he is growing up at an accelerate rate since he too, is half fly. But as he matures into an adult man, his sheltered and seemingly wonderful life is about to take quite the powerful turn, for he has been asked to finish his late father’s work, and the search to solve the mystery of teleportation, will lead Martin to discover some uncomfortable truths about his father, and his own fate…
 
So, this movie is a rough one to watch for one giant reason, it’s predictable. I mean, I get it, someone saw a grand opportunity to continue the story by answering the question that was on all of our minds at the end of the last one; what was going to become of Veronica’s baby? But once we get past Martin’s weird larval stage and accelerated growth, the movie slides into familiar territory. In fact, it’s basically a re-hash of the first film, since Martin has the same issues as his father and while he goes on a slightly different journey, the end result is the same and that robs the movie its potential power completely. Because you know what’s coming, and the thrill and tension that’s present in its predecessor is simply not present here.
 
Which quite frankly, is a shame. Because had the folks behind the scenes agreed upon a different script or direction for the franchise, who knows what wonders we could have enjoyed. But instead, this re-hash offers little in the way of scares or uncomfortable moments. It’s just an hour and a half of special effects and mugging for the camera and well, it’s one that I cannot recommend. However, if by chance you’re curious about this one, or you love the Fly franchise and are not aware of this entry, then go in with an open mind and accept it for what it is, a by the numbers horror flick, and a missed opportunity.

It’s a well-known fact that the horror genre loves to examine our world and our humanity and while we’ve all had the opportunity to watch terrifying stories that dig into such matters, I’ve noticed over the years that the scary stories that take the time to do this, often narrow their focus onto one particular element of our world. George Romero locked onto consumerism in Dawn of the Dead and time and time again, The Walking Dead has made a point to also dig into one single element at a time as it tells its sweeping tale of survival at the end of the world. But it would seem however, that as the series takes on new challenges, it’s going to try a few new things when it comes to social commentary as well.
 
I say that, simply because of the fact that last night’s episode of the series, ‘Warning Signs’, packed in multiple storytelling elements when it comes to exploring the human condition. Something I’ve never seen the series do and well, before we dig too deeply into it, I have to take a moment and tip my cap to the Writer’s Room for making such a bold and powerful decision because it outright made this episode fascinating and tough to watch, since squeezing this many ideas into a single episode added new depth and layers to an already complex situation brewing this season and I love the fact that the series is putting the good and the bad of our humanity on display.
 
Which brings us to the breakdown in question, which, in this case, let’s start with the good, or bittersweet in its own right because the first thing that caught me off guard when it comes to this particular episode, was its in depth examination of the power of a dream and how it can help us heal and push toward positive goals and all of that was accomplished by spending more time with Rick Grimes and his family than we usually do. Because he took the time in this episode to step away from working on the bridge to have a lovely family day and pay tribute to his late son and well, this was just beautiful to watch when all is said and done since it gave us tender moments that we rarely see on this series.
 
After all, when was the last time we saw kids being kids on this series? Or a family enjoying a picnic and quiet time together or even people playing and laughing for that matter? It was truly a rare and magnificent treat and it spoke to what Rick is working toward, which is outright peace. Peace for his soul, and peace for the souls of everyone who fought in that awful war and suffered great losses to even get to this point and I was truly taken by surprise to see those kinds of positive elements present in this series and it was nice to see the people in the world enjoy the little things once again. But I called it bittersweet for one reason, and one reason alone, because the good times in this episode simply didn’t last and that’s due to the fact that Rick is up against some incredible odds, thanks to the darkness that we prefer to embrace sometimes. 

​Because the fact of the matter is, not everyone in this universe is ready for peace and quiet and tranquility, and many of the people that Rick is trying to help are still stuck in the past, and filled with anger and frustration over what happened between the communities and well, that harsh reality led to plenty of chaos in this episode and a grand examination of the nature of revenge and our need to find justice in this world when we have been wronged and since this group of communities have yet to figure out the finer details of what the new world should look like when it comes to laws and penalties for breaking them, street justice is still a thing and rather than draw out the mystery of who has been killing Saviors in the middle of the night, the show felt the need to address that here and now and reveal that it is the Oceansiders who have been killing in cold blood.
 
However, it was the ‘why’ that made their decision so compelling and heartbreaking since it related to that overall theme of revenge and the need for justice because as it turns out, the Oceansiders were still broken and shattered from their particular run in with the Saviors ages ago and they needed and desired closure and the former Saviors that they were killing were the ones who murdered their friends and family and other loved ones with impunity and this whole act was to make them whole again. But the true shocker when it comes to this, is what inspired them to finally rise up and make things right, at least in their mind, and it turns out said inspiration came from Maggie and her execution of Gregory because that taught all of them that those who do wrong in this world, deserve the ultimate punishment.
 
As to what made this decision so incredibly heartbreaking, well that came from Maggie’s response to the ‘tribute’ on display before our eyes. Because this should have been a fine wake up call for Maggie, the kind that reminded her that her foolhardy pursuit for revenge needed to be abandoned so that people would no longer resort to bloodshed and pettiness to satisfy the pain in their souls. But instead, Maggie embraced and thanked the ladies for their tribute by letting their act of revenge continue along, and seeing them take matters into their own hands in turn inspired Maggie as well since she and Daryl agreed that it was high time to fulfill a promise they made to one another some time ago, and deal with Negan properly and that’s where this episode ends…with uncertainty hanging over the future. 
 
However, when all is said and done, I cannot praise this episode or this season enough. We really are getting some top-notch storytelling this year, and I love that the complexities of humanity and the difficulties that come with trying to get people to work together and forgive one another when they’re not ready were on full display in this tale and well, it’s a shame to say the least. Because Rick’s vision really is a beautiful one, but alas, he has no control over other people’s pain and how and when they heal and sadly, everyone is paying the price for their ignorance and it should be interesting to see as to whether or not Rick’s dream will be maintained when he makes his exit in a couple of episodes, or if the chaos that ruled everyone’s life will return. Until next time.