Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
I hate that Rick was gone for years from The Walking Dead, but I am looking forward to The Ones Who Live.
Danai Gurira (Michonne Hawthorne) and Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) reveal what’s in store for the return of these two iconic characters. Don’t miss the series premiere of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live February 25th on AMC and AMC+.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – Season 1 (2023)
Created by: David Zabel
Director: Daniel Percival (Eps.1 – 2, 5 – 6); Tim Southam (Eps. 3 – 4)
Teleplay by: David Zabel (Ep. 1); Jason Richman & David Zabel (Ep. 2, 5); Coline Abert (Ep. 3); Shannon Goss (Ep. 4); Dani Parker (Ep. 5); Jason Richman & Laura Snow (Ep. 6)
Starring: Norman Reedus, Clémence Poésy, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Blanc-Francard, Anne Charrier, Romain Levi, Adam Nagaitis, Eriq Ebouaney, Dominique Pinon and Melissa McBride.
Tagline: Hope is not lost.
The Plot:
Daryl Dixon finds himself in France when he wakes up on a deserted beach. How he got there will become clear as the season progresses. His goal is to get back home. Unable to speak the language and with no one he can contact for help, Daryl begins his journey.
Daryl is injured after encounters with a walker with corrosive blood and killers who are part of a paramilitary group. When Daryl comes across a fortress held by nuns, he is given aide. There Daryl meets Sister Isabelle (Poésy) and a young boy named Laurent (Scigliuzzi). The nuns and others throughout France have heard of Laurent. Many, for reasons that will become clear, believe that Laurent will be the savior of humanity. He will lead France to a new golden age. Sister Isabelle tells Daryl that it was prophesied that a warrior would come who would safely take Laurent to Paris where followers await.
Daryl ain’t buying it.
But when Sister Isabelle promises that she has people in Paris who could help Daryl get back to America, he agrees. Cue the walkers.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
It’s neat seeing Daryl as a stranger in a strange land. It is cool how quickly people/groups came to realize how dangerous/resourceful Daryl is.
I like the idea of the nun with a past and how she is working to receive redemption. I also got a kick out of what became of the man she left behind.
Seeing zombies we are familiar with as well as new “strains” of zombies is something that needs to continue in small doses. I like the “explanation” for the new fast and strong walkers.
Except for Norman Reedus, (and a cameo by Melissa McBride) all of the actors/actresses were new to me except for one. I couldn’t figure out where I’d seen him before. So I looked up Dominique Pinon. He was Vriess in Alien: Resurrection!
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – Season 1 features some of the best Walking Dead episodes in recent memory. Bring on Season 2.
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 1 (2023)
Written by: Eli Jorné (eps. 1-2, 4, 6); Keith Staskiewicz (ep.3); Brenna Kouf (ep. 5)
Directed by: Loren Yaconelli (eps. 1-2); Kevin Dowling (eps. 3-4); Gandja Monteiro (eps. 5-6)
Stars: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Gaius Charles, Mahina Napoleon, Zeljko Ivanek, Logan Kim, Jonathan Higginbotham, Karina Ortiz, Michael Anthony, David Chen and Lisa Emery
Tagline: Keep Your Enemies Close
The Plot…
Maggie’s son, Hershel, has been taken hostage by a sadist known as “The Croat”. The Croat was an enforcer for Negan, when Negan led The Saviors. So Maggie recruits Negan to go with her to Manhattan to rescue Hershel. Negan agrees on the condition that Maggie’s group give Ginny, a young orphaned girl, refuge.
Maggie and Negan head to Manhattan unaware that three Marshalls are tracking Negan who is wanted for murder. Because of their past history, Maggie and Negan’s partnership is uneasy at best. Add in the complications of the Marshalls, New York City full of zombies, dangerous survivalist groups, plus the sadistic Croat with plans of his own… let the fun begin!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 1 clocks in with just six episodes, which is a smart move. I think all of the Walking Dead spin-offs should come up with a story to tell and get to it,
I wasn’t too sure about the pairing of Negan and Maggie. Maggie’s hate for Negan should override every reason for her to be around, much less work with him for a common goal. Then the writer’s came up with a plausible reason… to save her son. I liked how Negan put his murdering her husband back on Maggie when he asked her “How many husbands have you killed?” Maggie also got to see how Negan using over-the-top “theatrics” when murdering a person kept a group from attacking them. Well played, writers.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Laura Cohen are two of the most popular Walking Dead characters. They have the star power to carry the series. Zeljko Ivanek plays The Croat with zeal. Gaius Charles as the Marshall is an interesting character that I believe will be come more important in season two. Lisa (Ozark) Emery is a welcome addition to the cast. She was mean in Ozark and now she’s mean and creepy.
Bring on Season 2.
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 1 (2023) earns 4 of 5 stars.
Looking forward to this one!
New walkers, new villains, New York! Maggie (Lauren Cohan) forms a lethal alliance with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to rescue her kidnapped son. Together they will try to navigate the mean streets of NYC. If they can survive #DeadCity, they can survive anywhere.
#TWDDeadCity premieres June 18th on AMC and AMC+.
Tales of the Walking Dead Season 1 (2022)
Directors: Ron Underwood (Ep. 1);Michael E. Satrazemis (Eps. 2 – 5);Haifaa al-Mansour (Ep. 4); Deborah Kampmeier (Ep.6)
Writers: Maya Goldsmith & Ben Sokolowski (Ep.1);Kari Drake (Ep.2); Channing Powell (Eps.3, 5); Ahmadu Garba (Ep. 4); Lindsey Villarreal (Ep.6)
Stars: Anthony Edwards, Parker Posey, Terry Crews, Danny Ramirez, Olivia Munn, Poppy Liu, Lauren Glazier, Kevin L. Johnson and Embeth Davidtz
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
Tales of the Walking Dead is an anthology series that takes place in the world of The Walking Dead. Each episode is a self-contained story with no continuing characters. This series sometimes ventures into different horror subgenres (time-loop, a haunted house/witch, etc.) which is refreshing. I enjoyed all the episodes, but even if you find one lacking, the next is something different.
My favorites were:
1. “Evie / Joe” starring Olivia Munn and Terry Crews
4 “Amy / Dr. Everett” starring Poppy Liu and Anthony Edwards
5 “Davon” starring Jessie T. Usher
I hope we get a season 2.
Tales of the Walking Dead, Season 1 earns 4 of 5 stars.
Here we have the poster and trailer for Fear the Walking Dead Season 7. The poster is meh but the trailer holds promise for an interesting season.
Today we have the teaser for The Walking Dead: The Final Season, Part 1. I look forward to seeing how this series ends. The Walking Dead is one of the tv series that I can say I was with from the start (and if all goes well) and saw every episode. It’s been a fun ride.
The Walking Dead returns for Season 11 on Sunday, August 22.
As The Walking Dead heads into its final expanded season, fans are going to want to get their hands on TWD collectibles. The Art of the Walking Dead Universe is a 240 page 9×12 hardcover that will be on many TWD fan’s wish list.
Published by Skybound & produced by AMC Networks Publishing, discover the behind-the-scenes pre-production & production art for AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD shows: The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Walking Dead: World Beyond, all in one incredible collection! Includes never-before-seen original sketches, concept art, storyboards, previs art, set concept and engineering art, promotional concept to completion key art, special product illustrations, in-world product art, and much more. Also includes a brand-new wraparound cover featuring over 50 characters from across all the shows. Features an introduction by Chief Content Officer, SCOTT M. GIMPLE, as well as other compelling anecdotes and fun facts from The Walking Dead creators and crew. A must-have for anyone who has ever shouted, “We are the Walking Dead!”
The Art of the Walking Dead Universe drops on October 5, 2021 and is available for pre-order now.
Below we have an extended trailer for Fear the Walking Dead Season 6. I’ve watched FTWD since the start and it has never been better. I’m looking forward to its return.
If you’ve never watched Fear the Walking Dead or if you did watch it but gave up on it, please consider giving it a(nother) go. The cast has changed as has the focus. I’ve really enjoyed the new direction.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look!
‘Who Are Walkers & Who Are Whisperers?’ – I like it!
Here’s the official Walking Dead trailer for the second half of season 9 and it looks good!
Shawn S. Lealos, at CBR.com, posted 20 Walking Dead Easter Eggs Everyone Has Missed and it’s a great read. Here are my three favorites…
20 THE WHISPERERS
The Whisperers have finally arrived on The Walking Dead but they were hinted at a few years back by a character that isn’t even on the main series anymore. Way back in the Season 3 episode “Clear,” Rick and Morgan met up for the first time since Rick left Atlanta. Morgan was clearly driven mad at the time — losing his wife and son — and he was rambling about a lot of things. However, one thing that he said was clear foreshadowing for this season of The Walking Dead.Morgan said he saw “people wearing dead people’s faces.” Fans of the comic books knew exactly what Morgan was talking about since the books had introduced the Whisperers, who wore the faces of the dead in order to walk among the zombie herds safely.
1 BREAKING BAD CONNECTION
The Walking Dead might be the most popular television series in the history of AMC but it is nowhere close to being the most critically acclaimed series on the network. That would arguably be Breaking Bad and there are a lot of clues that indicate the worlds from the two television series are actually connected.Daryl had a bag of narcotics in the season 2 episode “Bloodletting” that included a blue powdery substance that fans of Breaking Bad will immediately recognize. There was also a red Dodge Charger that Glenn stole in “Guts” that was the exact same color and year as one that Walter returned to a car lot and a general manager named Glenn. Also, Gale’s crazy coffee maker from Breaking Bad showed up in Milton’s lab in season three. These Easter eggs have made some people wonder if Breaking Bad is a Walking Dead prequel.
15 THE SCRIPTURES
On the fifth season episode “Strangers,” the survivors ended up at Father Ezekiel’s church and found an interesting situation. Ezekiel was alone in the church, having refused to allow his followers in, and the group found one man alone surrounded by his belief in God. On the board in the background were five Bible verses. Interestingly, these verses all had an eerily similar theme.A fan on Reddit took the time to look them all up and they involved rising from the dead, returning to life, being unable to pass on, and living among the dead. The books of the Bible ranged from the Old Testament in Ezekial to the final book of Revelations. While not really meaning zombies, they all tie into the themes of the show.
Check out the new Walking Dead Official Season 9 Opening Animated Credits!
