THE WALKING DEAD: THE ONES WHO LIVE CONCLUDES

Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne Hawthorne/Grimes shine in AMC's latest Walking Dead miniseries, The Ones Who Live. They do so in a determined, melancholic way, but would we expect anything less from these brave, beleaguered protagonists? 

I was pleased to see Pollyanna McIntosh's Jadis Stokes again (in quite a twisted, multifaceted way), residing in a militaristic, apocalyptic "present" and in a poignant flashback with Seth Gilliam's Father Gabriel Stokes. I'd have liked more of that flashback, more of Gabriel, but then I'd have liked more of Jadis, as well as Terry O'Quinn's Major Beale, Matthew Jeffer's Nat, Andrew Bachlor's Bailey; Breeda Wool's Aida, Craig Tate's Don Okafor and Lesley-Ann Brandt's Pearl Thorne. (At least Thorne occupied more time, but even so ...)

The thing is, there could have been more, so much more, from The Ones Who Live, but the same can be said of Daryl Dixon and Dead City. These products are so well rendered that fans can't help but demand more, and yet sometimes even good things can be beaten into the ground. Maybe it's just as well that these extensions were made mini, with future opportunities to add on.

There's another angle that strikes me about The Ones Who Live. It's not as western-based as the two other extensions, and yet on second thought, maybe I'm wrong. Certain portions have a Fort Apache texture, or make that (for allegorical extrapolation) the displaced feel of Fort Apache: The Bronx. But then there's that overriding, love angle, which would ruin most shoot-'em-ups, but at least Rick and Michonne's romance isn't so potent to demolish the show's survivalist gist. (Like that of Shirley Temple and John Agar in Fort Apache, it's at best and worst agreeable padding.) Overall, it's easy to argue that The Ones Who Live's ambivalent aspects award Rick and Michonne the chance to reconnect, not only with themselves but with their devotees. That's not too shabby an outcome. In fact, it designates the adventure a success. 

I wonder what's now in store for Walking Dead. Sequels to these spinoffs appear inevitable (perhaps more so for two than one), but considering the quality of their prequel inserts, and The Ones Who Live made excellent use of such, why not explore further, unseen passages? I'd like to view a Governor/Milton early-days track, with David Morrisey and Dallas Roberts giving us a glimpse of their characters' fledgling construction, or rather, deconstruction, as the mythic, Romero/Russo disease starts to spread. The complexities of that springboard would be fascinating, don't you think? 

The Walking Dead: A Finale, a Final Season, New Show and Related Recommendations

"The Walking Dead" presents its Season 10 cap on Oct 4, but it'll be a spell before Season 11 (its reputed last) manifests. Even so, that inevitable, final stretch is overdue for some, while others lament the fated punctuation. 

Until the "Daryl and Carol" (if that's what it's to be called) series arrives to carry the torch in 2023, there'll be lots of pressing pauses to endure, during which one can revisit the series' prior seasons (or even "Fear the Walking Dead", plus the franchise's comic-book foundation) to get a flesh-feasting fix. 

However, "Walking Dead" isn't the only means to fill the ghoulish void. There are many other zombie-saga variants to see and/or revisit.

The most obvious are George A. Romero's springboard classics: "Night of the Living Dead '68" (which in all fairness, is as much a John Russo tale), "Dawn of the Dead '79" and "Day of the Dead '85", as well as the Romero/Tom Savini, '90 "Night" remake: quite a quality quartet to strike that ideal, macabre chord.  

It should be noted that "Walking Dead" holds numerous nods to the aforementioned productions, with a farmhouse salute in the guise of Hershel's home (in honor of "Night"); cameos by a Steve/Flyboy zombie, a machete zombie and plaid-shirted, bald zombie (in honor of "Dawn"); and Bub, Dr. Tongue and Greg Nicotero's constant, creative presence (in honor of "Day"). For many fans, these supplements tie Romero's lore to "Walking Dead", but even if these homages are no more than inconsequential stuffing, boy, do they ever resonate to those in the know!

Romero's second series, "Land of the Dead" (an apparent prequel to "Day"), "Diary of the Dead" and "Survival of the Dead" are also worth investigating. I mean, if one's a Romero fan, how dare one turn a blind eye to them? (For the record, Romero's son, Cameron, is planning an entry entitled "Rise of the Dead", which I, for one, hope reaches fruition and births offshoots of its own.) 

Beyond the Romero chapters (and their various remakes, prequels and sequels by other filmmakers), there are additional, zombie submissions inspired by George's ghoulish mythology, including "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie" (aka, "The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue"); "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things"; "Grapes of Death"; "Zombie 2" (only named as such since "Dawn" played as "Zombie" in various parts of the world); "Dead Girl" (an overlooked gem); "Zombie Honeymoon" (another overlooked gem); "Return of the Living Dead" (and its many raucous sequels); "Fido" (an alternate-history romp); "Zombieland 1 & 2"; and for you old-time, old-schoolers, "White Zombie"; its quasi-sequel,"Revolt of the Zombies"; "I Walked with a Zombie"; "King of the Zombies"; "Plague of the Zombies"; and "The Dead One" (aka "Blood of the Zombie"), to name but a voodoo few.

With all that said, there's no need to go through zombie withdraw, for "Walking Dead" is but the tip of the gnawed iceberg when it comes to this monumental, monstrous sub-genre, whether Romero-imprinted or not.

In the meantime, "Walking Dead" still has a ways to go before bidding bye-bye. Whatever enfolds will certainly commemorate one of the greatest, horror series ever to splatter one's home screen, while adding a further splash of deathly memories to last a post-apocalyptic lifetime. 

The Walking Dead Season 10: Will it Die on the Vine?

Good ol' James Woods got it right. "Walking Dead" has turned into a chick-fest, and that ain't right. On the other hand, in light of other fanciful forms of entertainment ("Maleficient the Benign", "Socialist Beasts", etc), it still remains a godsend, albeit at present a misguided one.

I suppose that Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)'s departure was the first sign of decline. Perhaps the series should have said goodbye at that point or shortly thereafter. A greater emphasis on Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) should have stepped in, as many of us thought would be the case, but promises are often the result of the crafty rumor mill. (And yet what does Season 10's poster reveal?! Say, we may yet get our wish. Nah, we'll probably just be fooled again.)

"Walking Dead" needs more unapologetic grit and shock-to-the-system surprise like it once had. It needs its core characters in the forefront. New folks are fine, but not when they take the reins coming outta left field, as became the case with those whispery Whisperers.

I want sheer madness and sadness reinstalled in "Walking Dead". I want that nail-biting edginess that made me not want to go to sleep on a Sunday night, even though better-be-spry Monday was in wait. I want the Governor (David Morrisey) back (somehow, someway), so that he can fight Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for control, but I guess that's a scenario destined only for fan fiction. 

If I miss an episode of "Walking Dead" now, I'm content to catch it later. Never saw that coming. At the same time, I haven't given up on the saga, not by a long shot. I still want it to go out with a bang, even if that means every last lead dies as a consequence. 

Maybe Season 10 will go that cataclysmic path or at least die on the vine trying.  

For better or worse, the flesh-eating infestation returns Oct 6. 

RIP SCOTT WILSON...

To a legion of fans, you'll be best remembered as the dignified Hershel Greene on AMC's ratings sensation, "The Walking Dead".

Your career, however, spanned a variety of genres and movies, including "The Ninth Configuration"; "The Exorcist III"; "In Cold Blood"; "Clay Pigeons"; "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon"; "Clay Pigeons"; "Monster"; "Femme Fatale"; "Geronimo: An American Legend"; "Hostiles"; "The Last Samurai"; "The New Centurions"; "The Right Stuff"; "Johnny Handsome"; and "Judd Dredd", where you made a mighty chilling impression as the crafty, cannibalistic Pa Angel.

Your television work beyond "The Walking Dead" was of equal quality, covering the '80s "Twilight Zone"; "The X-Files"; "Damien"; and "CSI: Crime Investigation". 

Indeed, your presence never failed to resonate, even when you failed to receive the recognition you so justly deserved. Rest assured, Mr. Scott, though you may have become the stuff of legend late in life, you'll forever remain as such in the years to follow...

The Walking Dead: Season 7 (And Now We Know...)

When I started my blog, "Walking Dead" was well underway and with competitive posts on the subject being so massive, it was illogical for me to commence with my own ongoing analysis. That's not to say I haven't watched the show religiously. It's just that when it's come to posts, I've dealt exclusively with the collectible side of it.

In any event, "Walking Dead": Season 7 has prompted me to offer my two-cents worth, if only due to the immense anticipation of it, and boy, it sure flowed just as we expected (probably even worse), with unapologetic sadism and death. Of course, these elements have always been part of the series. However, this time the punch (in the case of "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be") was telegraphed well in advance. It stirred debate, speculation and controversy for months, even stealing focus from a companion saga.

By tradition, "Walking Dead" hits us with the element of surprise. Anyone can die at any given time. In this instance, we already knew that Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) would kill at least one of our favorites in a most brutal way, and so it became a process of elimination among fans in predicting who'd meet that nauseating fate. 

Well, now we know. (In case you haven't watched the episode or heard the social-media buzz, I won't spoil it for you.) I will say this, it was hard to swallow. In fact, it was hard to swallow long before the moment struck: an agonizing, sickening set-up that cursed the many months leading up to it, none of which I embraced with much ease. 

Is that to say I frown upon the gimmick? Gosh, not really. This particular flesh-eating zombie epic has never been politically correct, after all, let alone subtle. Its audience isn't the sissified sort in need of University of Florida counseling for Halloween or the sort to request clown costumes be removed from store shelves, so as not to offend those even more timid than themselves. We're a thick-skinned group, but still, the lead-in to this monstrous moment (and precisely how it would evolve) was prolonged and more contemptuous than any we've experienced. The aftermath wasn't much better.

I wonder if the same plot tactic will be repeated later down the line. One thing's for sure, Negan has redefined the show's atmosphere, but then the series was overdue for a new, merciless villain. (I can't tell you how much I've missed David Morrissey's Governor, but compared to Negan, ol' Phil was a veritable saint.) To see our surviving heroes (even if it's just one of them) get revenge on this bastard will now be the series' driving (and defining) force: something to look forward to and ultimately relish.