REVIEW - The Walking Dead - S03E16

So here we are, at the season finale. Could the writers and production team deliver on what has been a triumphant return to form throughout the course of this season compared to the lacklustre second season? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is yes and no.

There was a gripping pre-credits sting as Milton received some brutal attention after sabotaging one of The Governor’s plans while an army headed out from Woodbury to take out the survivors at the prison. While the battle raged, The Governor left Andrea in a life or death situation and Tyreese was left to ponder his place in Woodbury.

Writing credit for the episode went to the departing show-runner Glen Mazzara, the man who has done so much to raise the quality of the series and bring it back up to the standard of the first season. However, while there are some great moments in the episode and plot strands that have been laid in place to be explored in the next season, it was still slightly underwhelming considering what has gone before.

The Governor suffered a complete break from reality and is set to be an even more unhinged threat in the next season. Meanwhile, Carl is growing more ruthless and there are signs that Rick is scared of what is son is becoming. It will be fascinating to see how far the writers will be willing to push Carl’s character next season.

There was a sorrowful conclusion to the episode with the demise of one long-term character but overall the finale was still a little disappointing. There was no confrontation between Rick and The Governor and the altercations have been all too brief during the course of the season. Considering everything seemed to have been built up towards a showdown between the two leaders this was somewhat a cop-out.

Ultimately, this season finale didn’t deliver any major revelations or massive story changing incidents but rather decided to keep plot strands in place to be picked up in season 4. However, that shouldn’t distract from what has been an excellent season that has raised the bar for what is to come next.

Review by Jonathan Gray

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REVIEW - The Walking Dead - S03E15

It is the penultimate episode of the season and after last week’s Woodbury focused episode all eyes are back on Rick’s group in the prison as the final pieces are moved into place ahead of the season finale.

The episode revolves around Rick trying to decide the best course of action for the group and whether he can accept The Governor’s offer of sacrificing Michonne to save everyone else. Elsewhere, Daryl and Merle take a look at themselves and how they fit in while Glenn makes a decision about his relationship with Maggie.

During the course of the episode, Merle and Michonne are thrown together and they make for a very watchable pairing as they discuss their respective pasts and how they have changed. There are some very well written and engrossing scenes and the irrepressible Merle, played with great relish by Michael Rooker, is at the heart of everything good about this episode.

This is an episode that features a fairly slow build but it all leads to a highly charged and emotional climax that features the episodes only, yet highly crucial, appearance of The Governor.

The last few episodes have all been about certain characters choosing their sides and making choices that will have consequences come next week’s finale. This has been a high quality season that has gone a long way to restore the faith of disillusioned fans that were disappointed by season 2. Here’s hoping that this season’s final episode can deliver on all the promise and potential that has been developed.

Review by Jonathan Gray

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REVIEW - The Walking Dead S03E14

For one week only, the attention of the show switches entirely onto the residents of Woodbury with specific focus on the conflict of interests that Andrea is facing. Other residents also get their moments, but this is an episode that strives to provide Andrea with some much needed character development.

After learning about The Governor’s plan from Milton, Andrea sets off to warn Rick and the group at the prison about an imminent attack. She leads to trouble when The Governor finds out and sets off in hot pursuit.

Elsewhere, Milton’s loyalty is tested and Tyrese faces a crisis of conscience when he witnesses some of the darker aspects of the seemingly picturesque Woodbury.

This proves to be another solid episode that keeps moving pieces into position with just two episodes of the season left. It serves the show well to shift focus off Rick and company for a week and bring some of the other background characters to the fore.

It is an episode that digs into the façade of Woodbury and offer us the chance to see what certain characters are going through and where their loyalties may lie come the season’s end.

There is also further exploration of The Governor’s psyche and an illustration how just how dark a place it has become.

The cast and script certainly maintain the standards of the season so far and there are some truly exceptional effects work on display which help to demonstrate what happens to a zombie when you barbecue it. The results aren’t for the squeamish!

This proves to be another entertaining episode and brings what is certain to be an epic season finale closer into view.

Review by Jonathan Gray

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REVIEW - The Walking Dead S03E20

Something special was going the be needed to follow in pursuit of last week’s brilliant episode, and fortunately, the show’s makers have an ace up their sleeve. That ace just happens to be the long awaited first encounter between Rick and The Governor and it is certainly well worth the wait!

The two groups are brought together when their two leaders try to discuss a potential truce. However, The Governor has other things on his mind.

This episode may contain less action than some others but it makes up for it with wonderful character moments. The scenes between Rick and The Governor are wonderfully executed with terrific central performances from Andrew Lincoln and David Morrissey.

Elsewhere, Andrea continues to be torn between the two groups, Merle continues to prove to be hard to handle and Glenn and Maggie get the reignite their relationship.

The episode ends on an ominous note as The Governor makes his intentions clear and Rick prepares his group for the tough times that ahead.

With so much praise lavished on the production design and effects team during the course of this season, this is a chance for the whole cast to come to the fore and showcase their talents. Thanks to an excellent, they more than meet the challenge to ensure this is another captivating piece of television.

There are only 3 episodes left this season and everything is in place to deliver a gripping climax to an extremely high quality season.

Review by Jonathan Gray 

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REVIEW - The Walking Dead - S03E12

There is a striking air of familiarity to this latest episode. It is a stripped down, streamlined episode that, in more than one aspect, harks back to season one.

The focus is entirely on Rick, Carl and Michonne as they make a run back into Rick and Carl’s home town in search of supplies, guns and ammunition. The nature of storytelling on display refers back to the simplified nature of the first season that primarily revolved around Rick looking after his family.

There is also the much-anticipated return of a character that played a major part in shaping Rick. Whilst exploring the town, the group encounters Morgan, the man who saved Rick’s life way back in the pilot episode. His reappearance allows Rick to attain some form of resolution to that part of his life as he tries to repay his debt to Morgan and help him confront the realities of the world.

Carl is given the chance to develop and demonstrate how he is becoming a product of the environment that he now founds himself growing up in. A few of Michonne’s layers are also peeled back as she begins to show signs of becoming a fully-fledged member of Rick’s group.

Episodes like this, that feature just a few regular characters, can be hit and miss but this is without doubt one of the best episodes of the season and arguably one of the best in the series’ history. Credit must go to Scott M. Gimple who has delivered a terrific script.

This season continues to go from strength to strength and here’s hoping that it is a level that can be maintained with the season finale only a few episodes away.

Review by Jonathan Gray

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March Madness - The Simpsons

I am a huge fan of The Simpsons. For me, its not only one of the greatest comedy series ever made but also one of the greatest TV shows overall. I believe seasons 3-9 are pretty much untouchable in terms of comedy genius and that I can still watch episodes from that period and discover new jokes or a fresh perspective on a familiar joke.

It is fair to say the show’s quality dipped as it struggled to finds it place amongst a growing number of rival animated comedies. However, recents seasons have seen an improvement. With one glaring exception.

The episode “Lisa Goes GaGa” centres around the fact that Springfield is incredibly depressed and none more so than Lisa, who has just been voted the most unpopular student at school. Therefore, it falls to Lady GaGa to cheer up the city and teach Lisa the true meaning of happiness.

The Simpsons has always been noted for its guest stars and has featured appearances from some of the biggest names in the world such as Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and even former British prime minister Tony Blair. The show’s great skill has been how they have used their guest stars. Some have appeared as themselves, making brief appearances that serve a particular episode’s plot, while some have been let loose playing other characters such as the recurring genius of Kelsey Grammar as Sideshow Bob.

However, this is an episode constructed entirely around the presence of Lady GaGa with the plot being secondary. It is a self serving appearance featuring a number of gratuitous costume changes. It is a depressing sight to behold an episode of The Simpsons acting as what can only be described as a piece of propaganda for a flash in the pan pop star.

Review by Jonathan Gray

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REVIEW - The Walking Dead S03E20

Following the fallout from the recent events that have taken place between the residents of the prison and Woodbury, this week’s episode slows down the pace and acts as the calm before the inevitable storm.

However, just because there is less action, doesn’t diminish how important and intriguing this episode proves to be thanks to a fine script from Angela Kang and steady direction from the show’s resident effects genius Greg Nicotero.

The focus is on Andrea as she tries to build a bridge between the two communities and not allow any perceived loyalty to affect her mission for peace. The episode also sees battle lines drawn between the two camps and their leaders and various people being forced to choose a side.

It is testament to the quality of the writing for this season that an episode like this can remain so utterly gripping. Characters that have been allowed to grow are making decisions of real consequence and dealing with issues that have been carefully laid out during the course of the season.

Laurie Holden is allowed to come into her own during the episode as Andrea tries to act as a peacemaker. She is conflicted between her old friendships with Rick and the group in the prison and her new allegiance to The Governor and the citizens of Woodbury. It is an excellent performance that fully conveys the difficult position she is in. There is also impressive work from David Morrissey as The Governor begins to manipulate and orchestrate his grand plan. Finally, there is an impressive turn from Scott Wilson as Hershel who shares key scenes with Michael Rooker’s Merle and Andrew Lincoln, who’s Rick needs the push from the wise old head to reassert his leadership on the group.

To emphasise the confidence that has been inherent during this run, the episode concludes with a haunting singsong showcasing a zombie-surrounded prison that perfectly encapsulates the mood of the episode.

It’s not the all out action of previous episodes but is still essential and captivating television nevertheless.

Review by Jonathan Gray

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REVIEW - The Walking Dead S03E10

Life for the survivors has been well and truly shaken up following recent events. This week’s episode is built around one prominent idea: escalation. The Governor is seeking retribution for the attack on Woodbury, tension within the prison group is growing and Rick’s loosening grasp on reality is increasingly getting worse.

Elsewhere, two reluctant leaders are stepping up to the plate. Andrea is accepting greater responsibility in Woodbury, especially after her rousing speech to calm to townspeople amidst the chaos of last week. Meanwhile, with Rick continuing to hallucinate, it falls on Glenn to grasp the nettle in trying to protect the prison.

The episode is brilliantly constructed and builds to a barnstorming climax. There are plenty of careful character moments and plot developments to keep driving it forward allowing for a powerful and emotional pay-off at the episode’s denouement.

With Rick absent for a large portion of the episode, other characters get their moment in the spotlight. Glenn has come along way from the former pizza delivery boy he was when we first met him and this is an episode where he is brought front and centre, tackling his relationships with Maggie and Herschel and his role within the group. The brothers, Daryl and Merle, are also the subject for some concentrated focus as Daryl gets to showcase how he has evolved as a character, although there is a revelation that may come back to haunt him later as he returns to the group.

Credit must go the episode’s writer, Nichole Beattie, who serves up some major shocks and several moments that serve to keep the viewer on tenterhooks.

Season 3 continues to deliver and the wait for the next fix seems to get longer and longer with each passing week.

Review by Jonathan Gray

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REVIEW - The Walking Dead S03E09

After what seems like an eternity, The Walking Dead is finally back and picking up from the thrilling climax that concluded the last episode.

To briefly recap, Rick had led his group in an attack on Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie from the grasp of The Governor but Daryl got captured and forced to square off against his long lost brother, Merle.

The episode wastes no time and throws the viewer straight back into the action. It is a truly thrilling opening and the pace of the episode is carefully maintained only easing up for some crucial moments of character development.

The actions that took place in the previous episode have put the prison survivors and Woodbury, and more specifically Rick and The Governor, on a collision course, which will no doubt play out during the rest of the season.

The episode is concerned with dealing with the consequences of what has gone before meaning several characters are forced to confront their realities and face up to their responsibilities. Rick is being put under pressure like he never has before in order to protect his group while in Woodbury, Andrea is taking on a more prominent role after learning some of the facts that had been kept from her. These are only two examples but every major character is facing life-defining choices that they must confront.

The cast and production standards are as high as ever and it is refreshing to see certain secondary characters given dialogue exchanges that offer us an insight into their thoughts.

It is a relief to have the show back and see that the quality levels haven’t dropped. This is shaping up to be a very special season of television and the next episode cannot roll around quickly enough.

Review by Jonathan Gray

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