I'm sorry to those of you who like this show, but I think it is horrible. Badly written, badly acted and boring. I am about to give up on it.
2
Then do so. Those of us who continue to find it rewarding -- I think this season has been superior to its parent program -- will carry on.
3
Look at the flowers, Chris. Just look at the flowers...
4
I'd say that really, denial is the hallmark and cornerstone of the devout whether zombies are walking around or not. To be devout means to be unswervingly devoted to ideas that are often impossible to prove, and to instinctively reject any logical analysis of these ideas. The person I would always, in every situation, trust the least would be the most pious person.
So yeah, in the ZA, as soon as someone started going off on how they knew God's plan or some such, I'd get the heck away from them as fast as I could, or barring that, eliminate them.
And speaking of eliminating threats, someone really needs to kill Chris soon. Seems like everybody hates Chris, but by now it's clear he's too dangerous to have around. This is tearing Travis apart, but he should really realize, despite his promise to his ex-wife, Chris has always been the most problematic of the group by far, consistently does dumb and dangerous things, and has resented and disparaged Travis for a long time anyway.
Also I thought the internal crises of Nick and Daniel were great, and I'm looking forward to more flashbacks of Daniel's history. I'm pretty sure the kid he flashed back to was a kid he'd had to kill back in El Salvador.
And yeah the tragic end of Mr. Abigail was excellent and extremely melancholy. I think Strand really intended, in the moment, to suicide along with him, but then changed his mind once Cecilia showed up to provide the means, and made clear they'd be zombies in a cage ever after.
So yeah, in the ZA, as soon as someone started going off on how they knew God's plan or some such, I'd get the heck away from them as fast as I could, or barring that, eliminate them.
And speaking of eliminating threats, someone really needs to kill Chris soon. Seems like everybody hates Chris, but by now it's clear he's too dangerous to have around. This is tearing Travis apart, but he should really realize, despite his promise to his ex-wife, Chris has always been the most problematic of the group by far, consistently does dumb and dangerous things, and has resented and disparaged Travis for a long time anyway.
Also I thought the internal crises of Nick and Daniel were great, and I'm looking forward to more flashbacks of Daniel's history. I'm pretty sure the kid he flashed back to was a kid he'd had to kill back in El Salvador.
And yeah the tragic end of Mr. Abigail was excellent and extremely melancholy. I think Strand really intended, in the moment, to suicide along with him, but then changed his mind once Cecilia showed up to provide the means, and made clear they'd be zombies in a cage ever after.
12
On The Talking Dead they wondered if the flashback boy was actually Daniel being strangled as a child (thus, leading to his violent adulthood).
I was so happy to see that Strand had true feelings for Tom. And let's get real, the actor who plays Strand could read the most maudlin dialogue and make it sound like Shakespeare. That voice!
I was so happy to see that Strand had true feelings for Tom. And let's get real, the actor who plays Strand could read the most maudlin dialogue and make it sound like Shakespeare. That voice!
4
Plenty of room at Hotel Baja California.
Hope you don't mind staying in the wine cellar.
I thought it was a good episode with some obvious similarities to Herschel's farm and his barn full of walkers. The main difference, and it seems pretty major, is that Herschel seemed rational, if naive, in hoping that someone would eventually come along with a cure. Celia is more of an evil witch or priestess who eagerly hastens the increase in the undead population. Using communion wafers to poison a congregation is as dastardly a crime as any villain has committed. Maybe Celia's practices keep her looking young as she doesn't look any older than Thomas Abigail.
In spite of the flotilla's presence (will we learn more about who they were?) Mexican society seemed to fall apart almost as quickly as the US fell apart. I wonder if they will re-encounter the flotilla if and when they they try to return to the Abigail. And what happened to the yacht? Did they just abandon it or leave it somewhere they can get back and use it to escape?
The walls around the hacienda look strong and defensible but the folks who live and work there seem to side with Celia. Strand was devastated by Thomas' death but his relationship w Celia is hostile so he won't be looking at her for guidance and succor.
I missed whatever scene tis depicted in the picture at the top of the article - is that a carved bear or a King Kong statue behind Madison?
Hope you don't mind staying in the wine cellar.
I thought it was a good episode with some obvious similarities to Herschel's farm and his barn full of walkers. The main difference, and it seems pretty major, is that Herschel seemed rational, if naive, in hoping that someone would eventually come along with a cure. Celia is more of an evil witch or priestess who eagerly hastens the increase in the undead population. Using communion wafers to poison a congregation is as dastardly a crime as any villain has committed. Maybe Celia's practices keep her looking young as she doesn't look any older than Thomas Abigail.
In spite of the flotilla's presence (will we learn more about who they were?) Mexican society seemed to fall apart almost as quickly as the US fell apart. I wonder if they will re-encounter the flotilla if and when they they try to return to the Abigail. And what happened to the yacht? Did they just abandon it or leave it somewhere they can get back and use it to escape?
The walls around the hacienda look strong and defensible but the folks who live and work there seem to side with Celia. Strand was devastated by Thomas' death but his relationship w Celia is hostile so he won't be looking at her for guidance and succor.
I missed whatever scene tis depicted in the picture at the top of the article - is that a carved bear or a King Kong statue behind Madison?
6
Welcome to Casa del Creepy.
6
I LOVED Fear TWD this week. The story is just so well written. I thought it was going to get boring as soon as they went into that safe house but no, the apocalypse has completely taken over these survivors minds and they can't control it. They're all losing it, Chris wanting to kill Alicia? Chris was going to let Madison die! Nick now thinks the Walkers are still living people!
Definitely can't wait for next weeks episode, it's going to be super great.
I’ve also been following this survival guide. It's got some amazing tips I can even start using now. At least I know I’ll be safe when the world ends haha. http://the-walking-dead-fans.com. Good luck out there everyone.
Definitely can't wait for next weeks episode, it's going to be super great.
I’ve also been following this survival guide. It's got some amazing tips I can even start using now. At least I know I’ll be safe when the world ends haha. http://the-walking-dead-fans.com. Good luck out there everyone.
6
Oh, and before I forget to mention - the Lizzie comparison I previously mentioned also obviously seems to parallel what's going on with Chris - exactly how far gone is he? The kid seems unhinged. Travis pleads with Maddie to help him - but of course, what can be done? Carol was not Lizzie's parent, but Travis is Chris's Dad. What does he do if he discovers his son is a danger to the survival of the group. How would Celia intervene?
Truly, I get the feeling the writes are trying to unpack and explore some of the ideas that they were playing in the famous season 4 episode Lizzie/Carol episode, "The Grove." But I think they're looking at it much more ambitiously this time around. Curious to see where they take it.
Truly, I get the feeling the writes are trying to unpack and explore some of the ideas that they were playing in the famous season 4 episode Lizzie/Carol episode, "The Grove." But I think they're looking at it much more ambitiously this time around. Curious to see where they take it.
7
Actually, I don't think the comparison of Celia to Hershel is quite right. He may have believed the Walkers in the barn could eventually be cured, but he wasn't running a death cult - which seems to be exactly what Celia is doing. In fact, I'm more inclined to compare Celia to Lizzie, the psychotic teenage girl Carol had to put down (which also happened to be one of the most provocative and fascinating episodes of Walking Dead ever broadcast - TWD at the height of its powers!). Lizzie, in her madness, began to see the distinction between life and death as incidental; Celia has obviously gone far beyond and provides the metaphysics, including a cult mascot, the owl (recall the medallion and the tree carving). Daniel seems to know what this owl means. Now, what's he going to do about it, or more specifically, what's to be done about Celia?
13
The owl is more than a mascot, per se. The owl, like the jaguar, is an important totem in Mesoamerican religion.
5
Oh, I don't doubt it. It's significance, which I gather is not pleasant from what I've glanced elsewhere, has deep roots in the culture and folklore of the area. I use the term "mascot" as informal shorthand.
1
A quick Google search turns up the name Santa Muerte. According to Wikipedia (don't judge!) Santa Muerte is " A personification of death, she is associated with healing, protection, and safe delivery to the afterlife by her devotees."
1
A good essay. Thanks for explaining the Latin title. If I ever knew the reference, doubtful, I had forgotten it.
One thing about Celia's views: She tells Daniel (was it?) that she did not kill that congregation. "You did." Meaning that she believes the walkers are still alive in some way (along with those caged up in the other building). But then she tells others that they are afraid of death. That seems a conflict in logic. If she is not afraid of death, why keep people as walkers who are, apparently, sort of alive, but hardly in a pleasant fashion. If that makes any sense.
You do not mention Chris and his apparent mental breakdown as he watches a walker try to kill Madison. He has some serious issues (still).
Now Strand has to deal with Celia, who is going to be darned disappointed that he did not let Tom turn and then also take the poisoned wafer himself so that he would die and turn as well. I don't see Strand now taking his own life with that handgun (and certainly not with the wafer). Celia will not be an easy one to confront over his change of mind, if ever he planned to take his own life in the first place.
You cite the Day of the Dead beliefs. I wondered if the Santa Muerte cult/beliefs were involved. I did not see a Santa Muerte image, and so maybe Celia's (and Ofelia's) beliefs are more aligned with Day of the Dead practices.
One thing about Celia's views: She tells Daniel (was it?) that she did not kill that congregation. "You did." Meaning that she believes the walkers are still alive in some way (along with those caged up in the other building). But then she tells others that they are afraid of death. That seems a conflict in logic. If she is not afraid of death, why keep people as walkers who are, apparently, sort of alive, but hardly in a pleasant fashion. If that makes any sense.
You do not mention Chris and his apparent mental breakdown as he watches a walker try to kill Madison. He has some serious issues (still).
Now Strand has to deal with Celia, who is going to be darned disappointed that he did not let Tom turn and then also take the poisoned wafer himself so that he would die and turn as well. I don't see Strand now taking his own life with that handgun (and certainly not with the wafer). Celia will not be an easy one to confront over his change of mind, if ever he planned to take his own life in the first place.
You cite the Day of the Dead beliefs. I wondered if the Santa Muerte cult/beliefs were involved. I did not see a Santa Muerte image, and so maybe Celia's (and Ofelia's) beliefs are more aligned with Day of the Dead practices.
7
Dear Dan Hortsch,
Great points, I generally agree, only we did see two Santa Muerte images. The owl on the coin and on the tree behind the shrine is a traditional, totem-like image for Santa Muerte. Also for those who don't know, Santa Muerte is nothing at all like Santa Claus, it's a pre-Catholic Mexican god of death. Pretty similar to death cults around the world, like Kali, Trumpistas, Anubis, Yama, and even good old Odin, who drew power from hanging people.
Great points, I generally agree, only we did see two Santa Muerte images. The owl on the coin and on the tree behind the shrine is a traditional, totem-like image for Santa Muerte. Also for those who don't know, Santa Muerte is nothing at all like Santa Claus, it's a pre-Catholic Mexican god of death. Pretty similar to death cults around the world, like Kali, Trumpistas, Anubis, Yama, and even good old Odin, who drew power from hanging people.
5
Kali is not a death cult, although some may interpret the goddess that way.
Hearing some of the actors, who are supposed to be Mexican, speak English is as if they hired English actors with English accents play Americans. I'm sure this actors are great at what they do, but producers have to know that Spanish is spoken differently in all of our Spanish speaking countries.