WARNING: This review contains (minor) spoilers from both the show AND the comic book series. Proceed at your own risk!! SimplyGeeky is not responsible for any traumatic revelations you may come across from here on in.
(All images are property of AMC and/or Robert Kirkman.)
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#WhereisBeth
If you're like me and you follow more than a few The Walking Dead ("TWD") Instagram and Facebook pages/accounts, you would have seen the hashtag above prior to yesterday's episode, entitled "Slabtown".
Last week's episode ended rather abruptly with Daryl motioning to an unknown individual (or individuals) to come out from behind some bushes. This week's episode, as the hashtag indicated, was going to answer to the question that was presumably on every TWD fan's lips since Episode 413 ("Alone").
To be honest, I was not really looking forward to "Slabtown". Sure, I wanted to know where Beth had been since she was suddenly spirited away in that ominous-looking car with the white cross on its rear window. What I did NOT want was an entire episode dedicated to it.
PROS:
1. Post-apocalyptic downtown Atlanta. It was rather interesting to see what happened to Atlanta after our heroes and heroines had left it in order to find a safer place to live. The bombed-out husks definitely gave viewers more of a "macro" perspective and reminded us that there were people out there who did not roam the wilderness looking for safety and community, but had hunkered down and hoped for the best, or who gravitated to what they felt was the safety of the big city. There was even a mention that napalm was used. Of course, we all know what happens when you try to burn walkers.
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| Damn! |
2. We got to see "Badass" Beth. She expertly took down a number of walkers before eventually being taken down by one of Officer Lerner's men. Daryl would have been proud.
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| DAYUM!! |
3. Dr. Steven Edwards. I actually enjoy seeing how medical doctors fare in this Not-So-Brave New World. Of course, their main benefit is that they essentially have the skill to prevent people from turning into walkers. Thankfully, he's not entirely one-dimensional, and we get a little glimpse into what he is all about. He hangs on to what he believes are two things that elevates humans above everything else, namely art and music. It is therefore very interesting to find out that he engineered the death of Gavin Trevitt, the patient Beth unknowingly killed. Were Dr. Edwards' actions "human"? Was his act of self-preservation a base, animal-like instinct? What was Beth going to do with that sharp metal object at the end of the episode anyway?
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| I didn't want him stealing my Caravaggio. |
4. Carol on the gurney. We saw her bring about the downfall of Terminus by displaying a skill in trajectory estimation that would rival the very best "Angry Birds" players. We saw her wipe walker guts all over herself without any hesitation, and move among them with no fear. Therefore, her appearance in Slabtown better be by her (and possibly Daryl's) own design!!
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| Any minute now... |
(Next episode, we better see her doing more of THIS...!!)
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| Say hello to my little...er...big friend!! |
Now the CONS:
1. Too much Beth. I can understand dedicating one show to the Governor. I enjoyed "Live Bait" and was one of those who felt that the Governor HAD reformed (NOTE: I began to read the comic book series after that episode, so I eventually found out that the Governor was beyond redemption.). I did not feel the same way after watching "Slabtown". I felt the story presented too much of a lull in the action, especially after the craziness and brutality of the first three episodes of this young season. Sure, there was a different type of brutality in "Slabtown", and much of it was implied, but I felt the episode as a whole was a momentum-killer. Let's face it - Beth just does not elicit the same emotional response as, say, Carol does.
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| Don't look so shocked Beth Greene! |
2. Officer Dawn Lerner. This new character should have had the benefit of a flashback scene a-la Gareth and the Termites. If she becomes a recurring character, then I can understand the lack of backstory; however, I don't think she's going to stick around much longer, so it would have been nice to know why she felt the need to continue playing the cop (contrasted to Rick, who gave up that mantle a long time ago - although comic readers know that he picks it up again when he gets to the D.C. area.). A framed photo that alluded to some sort of tragic loss that Officer Lerner suffered was not enough for me. Give me a reason to either love or hate the character...in any case at least let me understand her worldview!!
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| See this gun? Yeah, I know how to use this... |
INDIFFERENT:
1. Noah. Will we see more of him? Are we replacing like for like with Bob having died and Noah being introduced? As well, what was with Noah's WAY TOO EASY run (hobble?) through that walker mob?? I've seen more than a few able-bodied individuals easily get taken down by just one or two walkers...so how does Noah and his limping gait get past that walker-mob without breaking a sweat!!!?? Did he get smeared by walker guts that we don't know about? Perhaps City walkers are not as good as Countryside walkers...I don't know. I mean, Beth's deadshot skills are good, but she ain't THAT good.
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| Yeah, I can make that. |
Officer Gorman
A special mention for this piece of work...yes, He of the creepy lollipop fetish. For some reason, his whole demeanor seemed a nod to Negan, the incredibly vulgar bad guy from the comics who is more-than-likely the next major antagonist in the TV series. Comic readers will remember that Negan created a community where he was able to "have" certain women there, because nobody wanted to rock the boat. With his skewed moral code, however, I don't recall that Negan ever raped anyone. Call me crazy, but Gorman could have passed for Negan, with his slicked back hair and his squinty, creepy smile.
In the end, it was poetic justice that both Beth and Joan (the suicide victim who had her arm amputated) were instrumental in Gorman's demise...but you already saw that coming, didn't you?
Is it just me or is the show giving subtle hints/allusions/clues to the eventual introduction of the comic book series' infamous barbed-wire-bat-wielding Bad Boy?? We have seen have the infamous trough scene in the first episode with the bat being held way above Glenn's head, only for Gareth to come in and prevent us all from falling out of our seats. We then had the Terminus flashback scene wherein a very Negan-esque bruiser pulls a woman from a darkened boxcar (Robert Kirkman subsequently debunked this theory...). Scott Gimple and Greg Nicotero, I hate you both...:D
CONCLUSION:
The first three episodes were always going to be a tough act to follow; however, I do concede that the whole "Where is Beth?" thread had to be resolved at some point. Still, whereas the first three episodes had tension, action, gore, genuine feel-good moments, funny moments...basically everything that makes TWD the best show on television, "Slabtown" had virtually none of the above. The best thing I can say to sum up "Slabtown" was that they got it out of the way early on in the season.
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Now where the hell is THIS guy???!!!
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| I got something to say to Rick. |
