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Kareem Ali 4.5

The Walking Dead: Strangers

 

  • The good

    Introduction of Gabriel adds an air of tension and suspicion to a relatively uneventful episode. Shocking conclusion

  • The bad

    Story progresses very little until the end, and character development is hit and miss

  • The ugly

  • The Walking Dead: Strangers is the 2nd episode of the season and has the crew planning their next course of action after escaping from Terminus. It opens up with them walking through the woods, coming to terms with everything that just happened while also enjoying each other’s company again. So Rick and Carl are loving the fact that Judith is still alive, Maggie and Glenn couldn’t be happier to be back together and others are enjoying their moments too. Even Tara is welcomed into the fold by Rick for her role in saving Glenn’s life. And it’s all good between Carol and Tyreese, who now knows what Carol did back at the prison, and they also agree not to tell the others about Lizzie and Mika. He’s not the only one who wants Carol to feel welcomed again as Rick talks to her privately and thanks her for saving everyone in Terminus despite sending her away months ago. That time is still difficult for Carol to talk about, and she states that to Daryl, who was clearly the happiest to see her. However their moment doesn’t last long before being temporarily interrupted by a noise, which leads Daryl to suspect that someone is watching the crew from the shadows. He shares his concern with Rick the next day but everyone else isn’t informed about their suspicions. And another immediate concern grabs their attention when they hear a man screaming for help and the group decides to aid him, and it’s just one man dressed as a priest surrounded by walkers. He introduces himself as Gabriel and states not only does he have a church where he stays as a refuge but claims he’s never killed one walker since all of this begun. Can Father Gabriel be trusted or is it too implausible for him to have survived so long on his own without killing?

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    I felt the premiere episode was an explosive start to the season and I was pleased with the story progression, meaning they weren’t trapped in Terminus for multiple episodes. So I was looking forward to what would be next and the start of this episode was well done with everyone becoming acquainted or re-acquainted with each other. And who doesn’t like the occasional slow-motion walk symbolizing a recent triumph? And the suggestion that someone was watching the group followed by the discovery of Father Gabriel added tension throughout as there had to be more behind the scenes than what was apparent. It was interesting to see Gabriel so afraid of the walkers to the point of vomiting because characters in this show aren’t usually like that so whether or not he was one who could ultimately be trusted, at least his behavior was a fresh take. And the arrival at the church would give the crew the opportunity to at least consider heading to D.C. but not before they would go on a supplies run and get some rest before doing so. This wouldn’t be a routine supplies run since Rick would have his suspicions about Gabriel, and would be adamant that Gabriel goes with him and others and not be part of the group remaining behind. Of course they would encounter walkers on the supplies run but this run would actually have ramifications going forward. We’ve seen walkers fall from the sky, walkers attacking while on fire so it was only a matter of time before there would be walkers underwater on a supplies run.

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    There wouldn’t be much action this episode overall as the focus would be on character development and story progression. The character development would be hit and miss in terms of striking new ground. I do like Carl’s growth and his relationship with Rick, especially considering Rick is darker when dealing with outsiders than he’s ever been. It makes it clear that what matters most to Rick is his family, and in a way this extended group is his family. So it’s good to still see them building on the progress from last season with Rick and Carl. Tyreese would still remain as babysitter, and Carol and Daryl would have a few moments together that would consist of attempting to get Carol to rejoin the group fully. However Sasha and Bob’s relationship would grow, and in the midst of a zombie apocalypse it’s easy to understand how meaningful that would be. Abraham would have his moment to give a speech about his current motivations and appeal to the group about D.C. one more time. And even though it wouldn’t be the first time D.C. would be talked about (nor the last) it’s been some time since Abraham has been in the forefront. And this would be a push in terms of story progression. So where as the premiere was pretty intense throughout, this episode would be more of a slow burn but with a huge payoff. Of course, no spoilers, but the biggest development might be more exciting for those who are familiar with the comic books than those only familiar with the show. But if the story moves forward next episode then it’ll be a treat anyone can enjoy regardless of familiarity with the source material.

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    SUMMARY

     

    The Walking Dead: Strangers is a less intense episode than the premiere but what it lacks in action it almost makes up for in character development and the huge payoff at the conclusion. Gabriel is an intriguing character considering his claim he’s been able to survive in a pristine church without killing a single walker, and clearly there’s more to him than that. The character development is enjoyable for the most part but some of the same situations are rehashed here, and so the story doesn’t progress as much as it did the last episode. However the big developments at the conclusion almost guarantees that there will be more action and/or story progression. And so this episode succeeds in setting up future events that will be even more captivating than the start of this season.

     

  • Rating ( 9 )
  • Total score 9.0

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